Coffee Break: Bar Chain Necklace
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I was immediately drawn to this necklace while perusing the list of most popular necklaces on Ylang 23 — and then when I saw the price, I admit I totally had a Working Girl moment. There, though, it's a sheath dress with a $5,000 tag, and the quirky best friend says disapprovingly, “It isn't even lea-tha” — here I looked at the necklace and said, “It isn't even diamonds.”
They actually have a really similar necklace in diamonds for not that much more, though, and I prefer the simpler gold bars — it's a more unique look that can be layered with fancier things and less fancy things. (Like, uh, heart necklaces.)
The pictured necklace is $2,200 at Ylang 23. I initially thought it would be really easy to find more budget-friendly dupes, but I haven't — if you've seen any please feel free to shout them out in the comments. (This choker is similar-ish for $55, and this Zoë Chicco necklace at Bloomingdale's is also similar for $415.)
(This necklace is also amazing, should you have $10,000 to spare for necklaces.)
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Sales of note for 2/7/25:
- Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
- Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
- Boden – 15% off new season styles
- Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
- J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
- Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+
Sales of note for 2/7/25:
- Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
- Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
- Boden – 15% off new season styles
- Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
- J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
- Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- My workload is vastly exceeding my capability — what should I do?
- Why is there generational resentment regarding housing? (See also)
- What colors should I wear with a deep green sweater dress?
- How do you celebrate milestone birthdays?
- How do you account for one-time expenses in your monthly budget?
- If I'm just starting to feel sick from the flu, do I want Tamilfu?
- when to toss old clothes of a different size
- a list of political actions to take right now
- ways to increase your intelligence
- what to wear when getting sworn in as a judge (congrats, reader!)
- how to break into teaching as a second career
Pretty. I know the thing is to have a bunch of little necklaces on at the same time but they don’t usually look as nice as this picture. They usually look tangled up and also tangled in my hair at the back of my neck, so I’ve been team earrings only while I sit this one out.
Oh thank goodness. I thought it was only me…
You can buy a little vertical bar that’s designed to keep stacked necklaces apart (search for necklace spacer) – but I’ve never been determined enough to make this look “work” to actually buy one!
I did try that! I would say it’s a marginal improvement but not a solution.
I do not like it where my accessories have to have accessories.
I tried that and it was WAY more trouble than it was worth. Alas.
I read that the key was to use the regular clasp but to cross clasp so that the bar circle clasp goes to turquiose heart whoosie and vice versa.
Hmmm. I may have to try that. Thanks!
Pretty sure I spent about 10 minutes untangling my necklaces in front of a mirror yesterday morning because I slept in them and couldn’t get them off without fully untangling them.
I am so into that “bunch of tiny necklaces each with a different interesting design” trend that has come and gone a few times over the past decade. Then I read the fine print of a magazine photo shoot and see how much each necklace costs, laugh like a hyena, and put the trend out of my mind again. I am in no way surprised at 2k for that tiny thing, unfortunately.
Please tell me WHY these necklaces are so expensive. They are cute, but they certainly don’t look luxe or expensive.
Petty, but it’s “Six thousand dollars!?? It’s not even leather!” … and the dress is the flouncy party dress with the polka dots, not a sheath :)
What would you wear for a zoom job interview? Is the appearance of a suit/jacket appropriate or is it weird and overkill because i’m sitting in my house? thanks! I’m a 40 something attorney if that makes a difference.
I have been interview tons of Ph.D. and J.D. non-attorney candidates over Zoom and they are all wearing jackets or suits.
Appropriate!!!!
I wore the jacket and I’m not even in an industry where business formal is common
I wore a suit jacket over my plain top for video interviews recently.
Yes, wear a jacket.
I am also a 40-something attorney and wore a J.crew blazer, silk shell and pants for a Zoom interview yesterday. I think for attorney positions, a suit/blazer is always appropriate, even in the Zoom era.
I’m a lawyer and recently interviewed over Zoom for two different in house roles (got offers from both). Wear what makes you feel best and looks decent on video. My suit jacket looks fantastic when I’m standing or when you can see my whole upper body, but it looked weird when you could only see shoulders up. I also felt super weird wearing a full suit in my house- so I just did blouses- but no one would have cared. The best part of interviewing over Zoom (after saving time not traveling to the office) is being able to just do the front of your hair and not stress about clothes.
This reminds me too much of a necklace made of bones or shark teeth that one of the Flintstones might wear.
Ha! I clicked on the link $10k necklace. If I saw someone on the street wearing it, I’d think “huh, maybe puka shells are back?” You can see the pretty stones up close but at a glance you miss it.
To me at first glance it looks like something you’d buy from a street vendor on vacation! (But I’ll admit that up close I kind of dig the whole “candy necklace made of opals” thing.)
Same. Very not into that necklace.
Scouts questions for any of you with brothers or who have kids in scouts. How Scout-led is Scouts supposed to be? I feel like any outing really relies on grownups (driving to, driving from, staying) and yet it is supposed to be kid-led. Do kids really read / respond to e-mails? This is middle-schoolers and high-schoolers, but if I give my kids a phone, they are looking at memes and maybe texting friends, but would never actually check e-mails, check their calendars, respond to things and copy me. Some kids though? [Which is great — they will be adulting some day.] Maybe they will teach themselves knots and such? [They do seem to plan meals for campouts and cook without disaster, but I think they forget that at one point, we did own a large cooler and had to buy one one the fly when they bothered to remember oh, yes, we’re shopping for this camping trip (and luckily had taken a pick of the meal planning and # of kids going).]
Maybe I’m not used to activities after last year and how they are supposed to go yet. Totally possible.
We have a scout who is now in college and has aged out. Boy Scouts was far more scout-led than Cub Scouts. There were leaders for the troop but the Scouts did the planning for the details of trips, while the adults did the more broad planning (like where the trip would be and when.) We volunteered for a couple of things but I was relieved that my husband no longer had to go along on camping trips. There were a few helicopter parents who could not handle that their kids were out there with just a couple of adult supervisors and it was really hard to get them not to “volunteer” for each and everything their kid was doing. Please let your kid have some independence. This has been going on for decades and it does work.
I just wish there were a similarly strong organization for girls and yes, I know they can now be Scouts, but from what I’ve seen before it’s the old “separate but equal (but not really equal)” treatment.
OP here — Thanks (and I’m not a helicopterer)! It’s more of a communication thing. We went to help with Boards of Review and found an oral announcement that the stream cleanup got moved (from a month prior) to this weekend but with no info on exactly when or exactly where, which is just frustrating (and has yet to come out by e-mail on anything I’ve seen). Last year we could do a lot on the fly but this year we have kids in two grades in school and two working parents and each kid has some separate things (instrument lessons, sportsball), so ugh I just want clarity (or maybe this is how kids become better planners). It seems that everyone is also getting their sea legs back, so maybe it’s just another 2021 thing.
We have a girls’ troop also and they are very good (I hear; there are several middle schoolers who just passed their life boards and ready to start eagle projects), but understand that YMMV.
Please just get some therapy your anxiety is exhausting
Stop. I don’t think all of these “undiagnosed anxiety” posts are from the same parent, and different parents have different concerns.
To OP – I’d err on the side of everyone getting their sea legs back… kids will sort it out or not.
I’m a Girl Scout troop leader and it is very girl-led. The girls designed their year of goals, each girl took a badge, and each girl is responsible for leading a meeting. They are in 6th grade. It takes coordination with parents and leaders, but the adults are the supporting actors, not the leaders.
Scouts BSA is supposed to be “Scout-led” but of course that depends on the leadership skills of the teens/preteens in leadership positions. The senior patrol leaders in my son’s troop are at a disadvantage because of covid. They couldn’t take the in-person youth leadership training, and didn’t have any campouts until this fall, so they haven’t built up leadership skills or practiced organizing activities. I hear you on the communication issues. Also, since the pandemic I feel like our family calendar has filled up more than before because now there are Zoom meetings for other things, in-person meetings, and we’re figuring out how to set boundaries again after a year and a half of social deprivation. I’m an adult leader, and my son recently crossed over from Cub Scouts which is very different. I ask lots of questions, and in addition to Scoutbook we use a group texting app called Group Me to communicate logistics such as schedule changes, what to bring to meetings, what uniform to wear, etc. The plus side to the Group Me chat is the scouts who have phones can get and send messages. Parents and scouts see all the messages, so it covers the youth protection rules. Emails through Scoutbook are answered but there is a lag, and our scouts can’t directly message each other. For now my son’s troop is in a transition period because our covid safety rules require more parents on campouts than before, and no carpooling with other families allowed. I’m just rolling with it as if it’s cub scouts but with a bit more independence for this year. The troop for girls is much more scout-led, and is running circles around the boys in leadership and getting things done. It’s interesting to watch.
I have a son and daughter both in Cub Scouts (elementary school age). At this age, it’s very parent/leader – led and this is where they’re practicing the skills for actual Scouts. Our pack has more girls than boys so I haven’t noticed a “separate but equal” vibe although I can see how that would happen, as it’s very dependent on the leader personality (although MUCH less so than Girls Scouts was).
We will not continue into Scouts because my kids just aren’t that into it, frankly, and would rather spend their time in sports, so we’re done after this year. But we spend some time with our local Scout pack, and you can definitely tell the kids who had a strong Cub leader from the ones who did not. Those kids can pitch their own tent, set up the campsite, build the fire, teach the knots, cook the dinner, and lead the hike. But they’ve also been practicing it since kindergarten. As long as you have enough of the kids who had a strong leader, then the other kids will catch up within a year or two.
Irene Neuirth is a wonderful designer with a great eye, but there is no way that $10,000 pick is worth anywhere near the price tag.
I really want to purchase a custom-made dress. My body is a weird shape and I’m tired of ordering dresses that never fit whose patterns I don’t even like that much. My dream is to describe the dress that I want, pick out my fabrics, and then have it sown for me. Where would I find such a thing? I’m in the DMV.
eShakti?
I have done this from a few places on etsy (I think 4 or 5 over the years). I had one where the quality and communication weren’t great, the others were great and worth way more than what I paid IMO. I think a few of them are no longer on etsy, but let me know if you want specific shops and I can go through my old orders to see if any are still around. (My overall point is that if you spend some time on there, you will likely be able to find something like what you’re describing.)
If you live near Hartford, check out Rebecca Reinbold Couture. If you don’t, look for a dressmaker in your area. This really needs to be done in person.
Also once they fit a pattern to you then cam easily make more dresses
Yes to this! They can/will make a master pattern to fit you, and then can easily change thing like neckline, sleeves, skirt shape, etc.
As an interim step, try eShakti. I ordered a custom dress from them and it fits like a dream.
No personal recs but I read The Directrice and she always sings the praises of her tailor Fatima – perhaps she has details on her blog?
I was just going to recommend The Directrice!
Try Kit Made – they’re in Houston, but I know the owner from college and her whole reason in building the company was to be able to offer custom clothes to everyone across the country. She and her team regularly make custom pieces for others we went to college with who do NOT live in Houston.
I love the idea so much! And I HATE their phrasing “Just between us, what weight range best describes you?” so much that I will never spend any money at this site. I’m a US size 4 (and Jessica Rabbit shaped, which is why custom appeals to me) and the idea that my weight (which I do not know what is) is supposed to be a coy, secret kind of thing is so off-putting that I just do a back-click.
Not directed at you, Anonymous, obviously, but why oh why can’t custom be about measurements and movements, which is what matters.
My FIL used to work with a Hong Kong tailor who would visit a few US cities occasionally to take measurements and collect orders. I’m not sure if that particular person made women’s clothing but I suspect there is someone who does this.
I use Guillermo Couture in New York City.
Look up Tailor Point Styling. She is a DMV area stylist who used to work in theatre/costume design. Not sure if she does custom work, but she definitely would knows someone who can.
I bought a couple of sweater blazers based on the post from a few days ago. They’re longer than years past, which I certainly appreciate as a Tall, but after more than a year of boyfriend cardigans and long hoodies, I’m still a little bit uncomfortable with where the hem hits on me – pretty much at my widest part, top of thighs. I know we’re embracing the fact that women have hips and thighs now but I need to get my eye used to this. What style of pants would you wear with a jacket that hits there?
I want to be able to wear these for my occasional in-person meetings and lunches, as well as looking like I am wearing a jacket on Zoom but also keeping warm!
Slim or skinny. If you wear wide-leg you are just a box from hips to ankles.
Skinny skinny skinny
Talk to me about getting your carpets cleaned. I’m getting mine done for the first time tomorrow through a national chain; I have both carpet and hardwood floors in my house. Is it possible to clean an area rug that’s on hardwood floors? I don’t have a carpet pad under it. I’m hoping they can move it to a carpeted area to clean it and let it dry. I’ve been paranoid about getting my hardwood wet ever since I had a leak a last year. I shouldn’t let them clean the rug while it’s on the hardwood, right? Or is that ok?
Can you also tell me if this is normal – I booked an appointment window from 9-11, which is reflected in my confirmation email, but I just got a confirmation text that says 11-2. I hadn’t planned to be out of the office that long but I can probably make it work. Is it typical to push back your appointment window like this? Thanks all!
We’ve cleaned area rugs that are on top of hardwood floors with our own carpet cleaner machine, and we always check immediately after to see if any water leaked through to the floor, and it never has. We do have a rug pad, but the rug pad doesn’t get wet either. I think the carpet cleaners have really strong suction so the water gets sucked up, but I also think the plastic-y backing on our rugs (which admittedly are not super high quality, they’re from rugsusa.com and not wool) keeps the water from going through. If we had hand-woven rugs without the backing it might be a different story.
Even if water does leak through your rugs, as long as you catch it right away, you could always move the rug to another area at that point. The water won’t damage the floors if it’s mopped up immediately.
no it’s not typical, the company screwed up; would suggest calling them to clear up the mistake.
There’s a labor shortage these days, I think if you’re close to your window you’re lucky and I wouldn’t hassle the company about it.
We have our big rugs cleaned off site.
I get mine dry cleaned (Kobasan Snow); it’s miraculous and a thousand times better than regular carpet cleaning.
WWYD – I have a trip planned this Sunday-Monday with a girlfriend up to CA wine country. The weather forecast for Sunday is saying heavy rain, chance of flooding. We live in the Bay Area and are more than accustomed to driving in the rain, but this sounds fairly heavy. The problem is that the hotel has a 7-day cancellation policy, so we would lose our money if we cancelled today, and neither of us are exactly rolling in the dough, i.e. it wouldn’t be easy for us to eat the money. We are fine with eating and wine tasting indoors. WWYD?
Is it a nice enough hotel to enjoy hanging out in? Or more of a Budget Inn? I’d be happy hanging in a hotel, watching TV and ordering room service (bonus if there is a spa though). OTOH, we have a chance of flooding with every rain, but only for the downhill / valley people so I know I’m OK so it may be very location specific and maybe no winery visit.
It’s definitely a nice enough hotel – it’s in Glen Ellen. I’m not familiar enough with the little towns around there to know how far into the valleys it is. The two wineries we are planning on visiting are in Sonoma and Glen Ellen.
Not to overly pry, but where exactly in wine country? Some places flood habitually, others are perfectly fine so you might be soggy but unlikely to have major problems.
For instance — if you were staying on the Russian River, yikes. In an airbnb right by Sonoma Creek, yeah, probably also yikes. In Santa Rosa? Whatever, you might just have to pick your wineries.
There is no way it’s going to flood like it historically has in Guerneville.. That’s all about the river being full and a bunch of rain on top of snow melt runoff in the river. The river is really low this year so one weekend of rain isn’t going to do it.
I have a family home in Guerneville and that’s a once in 25 years event and you know it’s coming. We are nowhere remotely close to that right now. OP, it’s just rain, I live in SF and would 100% go this weekend. Take rain boots and taste inside, hang by the fire, it’s fine.
Can you move the date instead of cancel and keep your money?
+1. That’s what I would do. I don’t think you’d get enough out of the trip to justify the cost with how much rain is predicted. Some of those country roads there can get heavily damaged with even minor rainfall.
It doesn’t sound like it, unfortunately.
I’d go and bring your boots.
Book a reservation at the Fairmont Sonoma spa – perfect indoor activity.
If you’re fine with eating and drinking wine indoors I’d go.
I’d go. And the spa sounds divine.
One hundred percent I would go
I’m also in the bay area and I absolutely love wine country in the rain. I wouldn’t be worried too much about the flooding once you’re at the hotel, and if you can’t do all of the wine tasting you had planned to do (though you probably can) then I’d hang out by the fire at the hotel and have wine from their bar. Good chance to have a nice meal and maybe catch up on your reading!
I would go, but just be mindful of how terrible the drive may be on the way back. I’m sure there will be tons of accidents, road closures etc so it could take a very long time to drive home.
Anyone here work in the communications industry and can offer career advice? DH is ready for a new job and he’s always been a sort of jack-of-all-trades utility player: writer, editor, strategist, mid-level manager. He also tends to stay in jobs way too long (10 years at the current one, 10 years at the one before that). He’s now ready for something new and the jobs all seem to want too much specialized or senior-manager experience when he’s really a generalist and mid-level (and is fine with that, he’s capable but not a gunner). Is this where a resume writer could help? Or a career coach? He’s asked for help from me and others, but my field is really different and I’m not sure how to advise. DC area.
Not in communications specifically but if he has any interest in working at a nonprofit and can stomach the pay, they often have small staffs with generalist positions.
I think that he should keep looking for available positions. In my Midwest market, all of the communications job postings are looking for someone who can do a bit of everything. That is my background as well – I’m about 20 years out of school. He should try looking at companies that have in-house communications and public relations. They are routinely looking for people who can wear many hats.
Nordstrom has a version of this necklace for $32. Here: https://www.nordstrom.com/s/panacea-gold-bar-station-necklace/5800371
Also at Nordstrom, Argento Vivo has a version of this necklace for $48, though it’s more of a choker: https://www.nordstrom.com/s/argento-vivo-sterling-silver-bar-station-chain-choker/4530650
It’s not a perfect dupe, but The Starfish Project has a Ridge Gold Necklace that has kind of a similar effect for $39: https://starfishproject.com/collections/necklaces/products/ridge-gold-necklace