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Coffee Break: Falke Tights

Readers recently had a discussion on what color tights to wear with navy skirts — and I agree with the general consensus, which is black tights, and black shoes. Another iteration of that sentiment is to have your tights match EITHER your skirt or your shoes — so in theory it could be navy skirt and navy tights with black (or red, or purple, or some other color) shoes.

The main problem with this is that good navy tights are really hard to find — they're never quite the right color, and it's hard to match them to a sedate navy suit. So I was intrigued when I noticed that Falke makes a number of sedate but colorful tights in two deniers, opaque and semi-opaque for $35–$50.

Hunting for something more affordable? These $17 Amazon tights have 7,700+ great reviews, and come in 29 (!) different colors, including numerous shades of dark blue — but they do look a lot less matte than the Falke tights.

Know your office before wearing them, but I think that colorful tights can be a nice pop of color for work outfits — and a monotone outfit can be really sophisticated in a color that isn't the usual black or beige (you can see examples of both here). Readers, what are your thoughts?

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Sales of note for 12.5

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107 Comments

  1. Are there any mortgage lenders which are more streamlined and can handle most of the transaction (or even just pre-approval) online? The few I have tried have kept trying to call me or get me to call them, which I don’t really have time for right now.

    1. So my current lender did a rate-only refi to just lower the rate by sending me a .pdf to sign. This is for a jumbo loan that they didn’t sell off and I have a business loan through them also. Can’t hurt to ask if they can just lower your rate?

    2. Yes, definitely. Ask your realtor if they have one in house for the easiest route. For a pre-approval it doesn’t matter, you can pick a different mortgage company later.

    3. Better.com was perfect for us for this reason. I could upload the bulk of the requested info before/after work. They will call to offer help if you need it, but I wasn’t required to talk to them. Rates were competitive for both our refi and our purchase this year and they closed early.

    4. Yes, try going through Costco. The two times I’ve worked with them (mortgage and refi), I only had to call them once to clarify something. Everything was through email. We went with NBKC and NASB, I believe.

    5. Theoretically, yes. But I don’t see why talking to you is a bad thing / something to not make time for. When I’ve talked to lenders about my approvals it’s because they have questions about my application that only I can answer (weird income or inconsistent W2s, new jobs, questions about something on a credit report). The Q&A could be done over email, but sometimes it’s easier discussed live. They’re also sensitive topics that are possibly better not put in an email, I’d imagine. For something like mortgage, which is a very large debt instrument, making the time for a 15 minute phone call doesn’t seem unreasonable. Also, mortgage originators are extraordinarily busy and don’t want to talk to you if they don’t have to (generally).

    6. We went thru Costco and then Mutual of Omaha and it was mostly text and email.

    7. My entire purchase of a new home and refi on the existing home was done online with a notary coming to my home to sign. I never once spoke to my lender. I had his number and could have called by I had zero issues or need to call. It was through Ladera Lending.

    8. I always go with my tried and true mortgage broker and I think everyone should have one. Even before the pandemic, everything was online and I only had to meet in person to sign papers. The mobile notary comes to my house at a convenient time for me. During the pandemic they came to my backyard.

  2. I am (fingers crossed!) about to leave a job that has burnt me out beyond belief. I’m likely to accept a new job pending them approving my desired start date (I’m trying to take 2 weeks off btwn jobs). I’m so burnt out (crying at the drop of a hat, insomnia, quick to anger, resentment at my current employer, etc) that I need to seriously decompress before I start a new job. I’d love to travel somewhere warm for a few days, but TBD if I can swing that.

    Aside from travel, what would you do to decompress?

    I have hobbies, lots of friends and local family but I think I need to get out of my routine and change things up.

    3. Congratulations! I’m in the exact same situation as you and putting in my notice next week pending finalization of a conflicts/background check! I’m planning to take four weeks off and am not planning to travel in order to save money while between jobs, and here are some of the things I have on my list:
      – go to my city’s art museum on the free-for-residents day to see an exhibit and the newly-opened sculpture garden
      – do a water coloring class online
      – go to an art gallery here to see an exhibition by a famous artist that I follow on insta
      – lots of yoga
      – a long massage at my favorite fancy spa
      – holiday tea at a nice hotel
      – going see holiday lights and/or fancy hotel lobbies
      – naps
      – all the library books
      – going to a coffee shop a couple of mornings a week to people watch and journal/write

      Following for more ideas! Enjoy your time off! :)

    4. Congrats!! So happy for you! If it were me, I would definitely do a spa day plus plenty of relaxing baths and quiet down time at home. Maybe take a Pilates or yoga class – I used to do one on one sessions with an instructor which was great especially as a beginner. Or drive to a park or garden and take a relaxing walk around if the weather is nice. Same idea to visit a museum or something similar. If you have the ability, it would also be fun to spend a couple of nights at a fancy hotel and order room service and visit some local sights or shopping. Have fun!

    5. Even if you can’t travel someplace warm, put yourself on a vacation “routine,” at least if you take relaxing vacations. Do what you can to maximize time in sunlight, get some exercise, and do something new. Also get plenty of sleep, take a rest in the afternoons, read something light, visit coffee shops or bookstores or holiday markets or whatever type of place makes you happy, and have some nice meals or drinks out. Only spend time with friends and family who don’t exhaust you.

    6. Is there a botanical gardens with a greenhouse? Reading or sitting quietly in the warmth feels great in the winter.

    7. The week before I started my new job I got a lovely pedicure + massage, went to a matinee, and went on a day trip to the beach (although it was already too cold to get in the water). It was a pretty relaxing experience, and I remember it fondly. The day trip to the beach area was definitely the best, so I recommend even a short or half day outing somewhere

      1. Haha that’s for fake sheer stockings. For fake tights I think you have to submerge your bottom half in black paint.

          1. Nah. I just really like pantyhose/tights and they were at one point mildly controversial.

  4. Is there a more “drastic” treatment for cracked heels? I’ve tried a bunch of different cracked heel creams, and they work okay as long as I use them every day. As soon as I stop, my heels go straight back to the way they were. Maybe I need to use them daily for longer than a month? But I’m kind of wondering if there’s something like Baby Feet but for heels and I can just start over on them.

    3. Use Cerave or Cetaphil cream, or aquaphor if they’re really bad. I use Cerave cream on my feet everyday and they are really soft as a result.

    4. Don’t stop the creams and get a glass foot file. Sounds crazy but it works so much better than the metal cheese grater things.

    5. I don’t bother with topicals that don’t contain a good percentage of urea.

      I personally had some vitamin deficiencies that were identified and addresses, and I noticed I haven’t needed any topicals since then. But the urea-based formulas were magic when I needed them.

    6. Have you seen a dermatologist? This can be caused by a fungus.

      Also, Baby Foot is for heels!

    7. AmLactin Foot Repair Foot Cream is the best stuff I’ve ever used. I buy it on Amazon, although occasionally I’ve seen it in Walgreens.

    8. Moisturizing heel socks. I got two pairs for Christmas last year and they actually work. I wear them with slippers in the evenings or overnight.

    9. The best thing that has worked for me is the Microplane heel file – you use it dry, and it works great! Then, just moisturize after. I find that if you tend towards dry heels like I do, you have to remove some of the dead layers first before the moisturizers help.

    11. Have you tried shea butter? I put it on after a shower at night, put warm socks on, and my feet are so soft the next morning. I feel like the butter helps to lock in the moisture somehow. It can be hard to rub in during winter. You do have to warm it between your hands. I’ve also used coconut oil, and that seemed to work as well.

    12. Cream and lotion do nothing for me, but using a pumice stone one a week or so makes all the difference. Keeping the calluses to a minimum means there is nothing to crack.

  5. I like the spanx brand navy tights, personally. I am long of leg and big at the same time, and they fit in size E. Love them.

  6. Following up on the discussion this morning about combat boots, would love to hear about any lug-sole boots that you find particularly comfortable. I’m looking for something a little more stylish to wear to NYC later this week, but they have to be comfortable because NYC = lots of walking. (And yes, I know I’d have to break them in). Relatedly, are black Timberland boots remotely on trend? I’ve always thought of Timberland as just men’s work boots, but the black ones at DSW are apparently so popular that they had both a security lock AND one of each pair being kept in the back. They were pretty dang comfortable, though, and waterproof!

    2. I love my Docs, but you definitely need to break them in (esp before tromping around NYC). If you’re not used to them they can be heavy, too.
      I wore my Sorel Harlows into the ground and found them very comfortable.

      1. Interesting, I found the posts here this morning pretty compelling but the Mom Edit page just reads like ad copy from beginning to end and kind of has the opposite effect for me.

        For lug sole, I love my boots from Thursday Boot Co. The style I got is Legend and they were comfortable out of the box once I got the right size (up 1/2 size from my normal).

    4. I have some lug sole Coach boots that were super comfortable, immediately. The style is called Lyden, and there’s also a similar lace-up version.

    5. My two favorite boots are a pair of “work appropriate” Doc Martens and a pair of WWII-style combat boots that I got for Christmas (from Allen and Edmonds). Allen and Edmonds have some great options that are a little different than Timberlands. And if you’re in a smaller men’s size, they usually have fantastic sales.

    6. Ugg Stockton. I think you’d still have to break them in a little but I’ve been really impressed with how comfortable all my Uggs boots are and how long they last (I never had that hideous “original” boot that all the teens were wearing with denim skirts 20 years ago).

      1. I went to college in Stockton and I thought you were saying “Ugh, Stockton,” which I heartily agree with! (The college is good though)

  7. If you have a cleaning service, how often do they come? We’ve done every 2 weeks before but (after the holidays) I’m thinking about doing either weekly “light” cleaning OR doing a once-a-quarter day-long deep clean. Thoughts?

    2. Mine come once a month; but I would love for them to come every week. I just can’t justify the cost. I was doing every other week – full clean – but wanted to save a little $$ so went to once a month.

      For reference: single, 1300 sq ft house, pets, wfh, moderately neat/cleanish on my own (aka I tidy up after myself most of the time but can’t be bothered to clean clean).

    3. The happiest moment of any week is walking in to my home after my cleaners have been there (not sorry for whatever that tells you about me…..). I couldn’t reduce that level of bliss to 1x/quarter. I have a 3 year old and a dog that sheds. We’re at once every 2 weeks and it works pretty well, but we really need the clean by the time they get here.

    4. We ( 2 kids, 1 dog) do monthly / periodic deep scrubbings. I don’t want my kids to think that cleaning isn’t their job (plus, it is disruptive to have cleaners come with the dog unless he goes to day care).

      If were single/kidless/dogless, I wouldn’t need them at all but would just have someone come at least every other week.

    5. 3000 sqft, 2 elementary kids, 1 big dog, and I wfh every day. We have cleaners every other week, but we do a quick clean on the in-between weeks. (Running the vacuum and swiffer, wiping surfaces, and dusting.) We have a pet roomba on the main floor where our dog (and I) spends most of the day, and that runs every other night to keep up with the hair.

    6. My main thing is I don’t want to clean for the cleaners more than once a quarter… is there a way to have cleaning people not organize your stuff?

      1. The only cleaning I do is picking stuff up off the floor so they can vacuum and honestly we need to do that every two weeks anyway. We have a 3 year old so lots of stuff on the floor. If you don’t have a kid I really think minimal pre-cleaning is required. They work around piles of stuff on my desk and dresser.

    7. Weekly. Have done it that way for years. IMO, a deep clean doesn’t get you there the way a weekly one does.

      1. Same.

        And I am right there on the “feeling of bliss walking into the freshly cleaned house.” From time to time I look at the money I’m spending on the cleaners and have a little breakdown, and cut back to every other week. And then I get tired of living in a too-dirty-for-me house for a week and I change back to once a week.

        And I agree that having an incentive to pick up once a week is not a bug, it’s a feature.

    8. We do biweekly but our house (kitchen especially) could definitely use weekly cleaning, especially around the holidays when we have family visiting and are doing a lot of extra cooking.

    9. We do once a month. Both because our house isn’t huge but also because otherwise I’d have to declutter weekly and that sounds miserable.

      1. I actually feel like a small house needs to be cleaned more often because the dirt is concentrated, bathrooms are smaller and steamier and mildew faster, there isn’t lots of open space on the kitchen counters to do messy things away from countertop appliances, etc.

        Also I would be positively miserable if I didn’t declutter/tidy on a daily basis, especially in a small space. To each her own!

        1. I mean, my house is not a fourth-floor walk-up studio in the bad part of town. And it’s not like we don’t do things like clean the counters between visits.

          When I say declutter I just mean pulling the sheets, blankets, and everything to wash and trying to gather anything else from surfaces to make them easier to dust.

          I mean, if we were developing mildew, mold, or something, I don’t think a cleaning lady is who I’d call. I’d probably start with an HVAC guy because it would say concerning things about the ventilation in our attic and bathrooms.

          1. +1. I like how you said your house wasn’t huge and got told your house was small and moldy, lol. It depends on your perspective but here in the Midwest burbs any house that’s less than about 5,000 square feet qualifies as “not huge.” It doesn’t mean your house is cramped or doesn’t have plenty of open space!

  8. Posting here on the recommendation of the moms’ site — does anyone have recommendations for fertility specialists in Seattle? We want to explore freezing embryos in the case I need to do chemo.

    1. Also, please send speed vibes to the pathology lab. Waiting anxiously on biopsy results.

      1. Sending you good vibes, virtual hugs and all other forms of long-distance internet support. Please keep us posted.

    2. PNW Fertility. They assign you to one physician who follows you throughout. Seattle Reproductive Medicine, the other big group in town, tends to have you follow-up and do tests with whichever physician is available that day. I really appreciated the more trusting relationship that I developed with the PNW team, compared to SRM.

    3. Hi! I’m late so hopefully you see this.

      I went through fertility preservation prior to cancer treatment in my late 20s. Not in Seattle so no specific recs.

      I would recommend asking your oncologist for a referral, looking for doctors affiliated with the largest academic medical system who specialize in “oncoinfertility” and posting on the Reddit infertility board for recommendations.

      Not sure how time sensitive your treatment is but the basic options are egg freezing, embryo freezing, ovarian suppression during chemo (Lupron) and ovarian tissue preservation. Embryo freezing is most effective and I also recommend asking about Lupron which can help preserve your remaining eggs. If you need to start chemo ASAP it’s worth asking about ovarian tissue preservation, although it’s very experimental.

      Embryo freezing takes a few weeks. You will take injectable meds and go under general anesthesia for the egg retrieval.

      Many insurance companies cover this for cancer patients, but if yours doesn’t certain hospitals offer it for free and there are grants you can look into to cover the cost (like Livestrong).

      You’ll probably be referred to a fertility psychologist for counseling. Sometimes they recommend freezing part eggs and part embryos even if you are married. This is a dark thing to say in a dark time but cancer is hard on marriage and cancer patients have high divorce rates. If you do proceed with all embryos you and your partner should be clear on what would happen to them if you break up for some reason.

      Good luck with treatment. If you need chemo I hope the side effects are minimal and manageable, and you have a good outcome.

    4. Sending you tons of good pathology vibes! I went to SCCA last week for my 3 month checkup and thought of you.

    5. I created frozen embryos before chemotherapy in 2020. It was easy. Every body is different but I had heard horror stories about IVF. I had no side effects from the hormones. My egg retrieval was painless. The worst part of the whole process was getting up at 3:30 am the day of retrieval to drive 3.5 hours to the clinic. Ask your Dr for prescription strength topical numbing cream for the injections. LiveStrong offers grants to help with the cost. Get at least 2 quotes from pharmacies for the drugs. You got this.

    6. Late to this, Curious, but sending speedy vibes and hoping for a quick easy recovery for you.

  9. Again to avoid mod (?): Posting here on the recommendation of the moms’ s!te — does anyone have recommendations for fertility specialists in Seattle? We want to explore freezing embryos in the case I need to do chemo.

  10. I ordered some beautiful booties from Frye and they’re super narrow across my foot from the ball under the big toe across to the joint of the little toe, of that makes sense. I’ve never worn a W shoe but I do trend wide I suppose.

    Am I SOL and just need to return these? Or will I find luck sizing up a half size? I’ve read they can stretch but is that real? I can’t imagine they’ll give as much as I need at this point. They’re so prettyyyyy.

    2. Before you return them, take them to a cobbler and see if they can stretch the problem area.

    3. Frye is very style dependent- I’ve found they either fit like a glove or I should return and try another style.

      1. I am a Frye fan and agree with this. It may also be worth trying a half-size up.

    4. I have found Frye boots will stretch some, and I like to buy them a little snug, otherwise they end up too loose. I usually wear a medium, but have a wide toe box, and I do not size up in Fryes. You might put on a couple of pairs of thick socks and walk around the house for about 30 minutes just to see if they are going to give a little. If you know you want to keep them, you could blow hot air from a hair dryer on them for a few minutes while they are on your feet, with the thick socks, and then walk around. They will definitely stretch some.

  11. This may be too late in the day, but worth a shot… as a private practice attorney, do I have to do social media marketing/have an active presence? Our firm marketing director makes my skin crawl and it seems to take so much energy. I would much rather take people for coffee post covid, and/or do individual outreach. I think this marketing was effective but I’m not sure if it will be in a remote world.

    1. I think any marketing you do should be about business development and client relationships for YOU so I would agree that a mix is better. If you can see people safely in person (and remember, some people aren’t ready for that yet) then go ahead.

      But the truth is that most lawyers get referrals from other lawyers so if you foresee yourself progressing and really building a client base, you need to network with other lawyers as much as anyone else. And sometimes that means posting on LinkedIn or writing a little client notice or an article that you send out to your mailing list so that if someone asks them “hey, do you know someone who does [zyx]” they say, “why yes I do, Anonymous does, let me get you their number.”

      Bar committees are also good for that sort of thing.

  12. Looking for ideas for Christmas gifts for my 3 nieces, one is 34 and a nurse in Dallas, one is 30 & is an attorney at a big law firm in Houston, one is 28 and a grad student in Chicago. I don’t know them all that well, just looking for kind of generic ideas, around $75 price range. Winter stuff is always good for the one in Chicago, but obviously not the other 2. Thanks for any ideas!

    1. I would send gift cards or checks and then just do the exact same thing every year. I always get an Amazon gift card from my uncle and I always appreciate it at some point in the year when there is something in the $50-75 range that I want but don’t necessarily need and I make it my gift from him. Alternatively, I would send a consumable, perhaps something specific to your city/region. Before the gift cards, we got California nuts or fruits and I loved receiving those, too.

    2. My daughter and daughter-in-law are in the same age group. Unless they give me specific suggestions, I buy from their favorite stores so that they can return and buy what they like. And I always like to buy from Nordstrom since they have free shipping and free returns.

    3. This is maybe not generic enough, but I’m in that age range and I would love for somebody to get me an Olive & June manicure set. It’s something I can’t justify splurging on for myself, but I really want it.

    4. Wow, all of those people sound like they’ve had a tough year.

      How about a gift certificate to a nice restaurant or spa in their various hometowns? Because all three of those things sound like they would have been a miserable slog (at best) during COVID so something to help them relax would probably be appreciated, especially if it has no time limit on when they can use it.

  13. I’m on the hunt for a nice winter white sweater. Anybody have any they love?

    1. Me too! I have had no luck finding one. Most of the ones I have found are too thin & sheer, I don’t want to be able to see the top part of my pants or skirt through the sweater.

      1. Same! I tried a turtleneck from J. Crew Factory and it was way too see-through. Ugh.

    5. What’s your price range? Nadaam has gorgeous thick cashmere that is reasonably priced for cashmere. Jenni Kayne’s knits are also beautiful, though pricier.

      1. Oh wow, I haven’t seen imported cable knit sweaters that cheap in a while. I might have to get my mother a second cable knit sweater for Christmas (as she is in love with the sweater she got when we went to Ireland together but I’m worried she’ll wear it out!)

      1. Here’s one from French Connection that’s kind of cute and has a mock turtleneck.

        https://www.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/french-connection-jacqueline-cable-knit-sweater?ID=4144691&utm_source=rakuten&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=affiliates&ranMID=13867&ranEAID=J84DHJLQkR4&ranSiteID=J84DHJLQkR4-pjsi2HTp5yIc9bsSY6rT2A&LinkshareID=J84DHJLQkR4-pjsi2HTp5yIc9bsSY6rT2A&m_sc=aff&PartnerID=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc=LINKSHARE-_-n-_-n-_-n&ranPublisherID=J84DHJLQkR4&ranLinkID=1&ranLinkTypeID=10&pubNAME=ShopStyle+%28US%29

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