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Coffee Break – Perfect Leather Belt

Madewell Perfect Leather Belt I absolutely fell in love with this belt when I saw it styled on ShopBop's home page — it just looks gorgeous with that black blazer. Whether or not the non-models among us can wear it like that is a different question, but in general it looks like a great basic belt (even if just worn normally). It's $45 at ShopBop in “English saddle” (pictured) and black. Madewell Perfect Leather Belt (L-2)

Sales of note for 1/1/25 (HAPPY NEW YEAR!):

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

39 Comments

  1. I was shopping this weekend for casual weekend stuff – long sleeve t-shirts, etc., when I came across a pair of Manolo Blahnik boots in my size for 1/3 the normal price. So much for buying just casual weekend stuff…This is the only place where people would understand how happy this made me.

    1. Kudos! Shopping makes me happy; getting a great deals makes me estatic.

  3. I’m trying to figure out if I could pull of that look (with a shirt on under the jacket, of course!). It looks stunning, but I look nothing like the model.

    Head scratcher: When the boss transitions to a discussion about an ongoing child support case to telling me about the Catholic wedding that he attended recently and all of the things that Catholics believe, do I interrupt him to point out that I happen to be pretty familiar with it, being a life-long Italian Catholic who had a full-mass Catholic wedding, or just listen with interest?

    (I’m not offended, just amused and certainly not concerned about some sort of hostile whatever, I mostly wasn’t sure how to say anything without sounding like I was offended.)

    1. I usually make it evident that I’m a practicing Catholic pretty quickly if I think the conversation might veer into Catholic bashing. In a non-bashing situation, I only raise it if relevant. If he was misconstruing Catholic beliefs or making false statements, I’d probably mention that I’m Catholic and try to clear up his misunderstanding in a non-condescending way.

      2. I thought she wasn’t at first but then gave her the benefit of the doubt. My dry cleaners can never get that double sided tape of my suits anyways…

    3. I look nothing like the model, but am totally in love with the look (plus shirt). I do the pencil skirt/jacket look frequently, so I think I could rock this if I could find similar pieces. Anyone know of good graphic-patterned pencil skirts (particularly that go to size 14 or 16, sigh…)? JCrew had one a while ago but it was sold out in my size instantly and never came back.

      What color shirt would you put with this? I’m thinking light grey or ivory.

      1. I’m thinking a shirt that’s non-descript would be best- Ivory, light gray, maybe light pink or cream, a very subtle gold or silver. Simple scoop neck- let the jacket and skirt speak. I’m not sure about the necklace- Love it in the picture, but I think it would feel awkward, particularly with such a loud skirt and the belt/jacket combo, so I’d be inclined to go simple on the necklace, something very delicate, if anything at all.

      3. Talbots has some patterned pencil skirts…like a zebra I think and maybe others and they definitely have a wide range of sizes.

    4. I attended a Jewish wedding and was talking about it to someone. He interrupted me to say although he has a common Jewish last name, he is not Jewish. I did not think he was. So I just went on. But I didn’t think it was rude to interject to prevent any unplesantries. The bride fell off the chair by the way. I don’t think you have to be Jewish to know that probably hurt.

      1. What! She fell off the chair! That is probably one of the biggest fears that Jewish brides have. I can’t believe that happened!

      3. Oh my goodness, I hope the bride was unharmed! I was terrified that the chair would be dropped or that I would fall off. I actually insisted on getting some chairs that had armrests to use specifically for that purpose (the venue only had ones without armrests), so that I would at least have something to hold onto. I also get really nervous when we go to a wedding and my husband ends up as one of the chair holder guys–it always seems like it is one small misstep away from someone getting badly hurt.

      4. We opted not to do the chair dance at my wedding, even though I have four big strong brothers. I was four months pregnant at the time, it just seemed like it was too big a risk. But secretly, I’ve always wished we could, cause it looks like fun.

  5. Love the optional shirt + the (apparently) optional bra look.

    Would work perfect in my conservative law office.

    [/dripping sarcasm]

  6. Threadjack: I finally bought the red Target dress that we were discussing last week, and I’m wearing it today. However, it’s uncomfortable around the arm holes, and feels tight across my back. I didn’t notice this while trying it on in-store, but wearing it all day has not been pleasant. I kept the receipt, but can I return it now that’s it’s been worn and the tags are cut?

    1. Honestly? I wouldn’t. It doesn’t sound like it is defective – it sounds like it is the wrong size for you.

    2. I’m not sure about the return, but, just a thought, maybe it would help if you wore a different bra? As in, maybe you were wearing a bra that, shall we say, offered less asset enhancement when you tried it on then the one that you wore it with. Might be worth a try; I’d hate to see a dress go to waste if you can’t return it.

      1. This is usually my problem! If I take something home and it pulls at the underarm, I need to wear it with a bra that has less padding. As someone with a small chest, my bras are usually all about the padding!

    3. Target has a very specific return policy – you might want to check with them on whether they will accept it. More often than not, I think returning things to Target is more trouble than it’s worth.

    4. I would try, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Target is notoriously bad about returns.

      1. Hmmmm…I return stuff to target all the time (I’ve recently discovered their great dresses, but I often have to order a couple of sizes to get the right fit and they never have what I like in stores). I don’t find it a hassle at all, and the 90 day return window is great!

        I don’t know about returning worn items, but recently I also returned something where the zipper flew off after one wash and they didn’t bat an eye taking it back.

    5. Get thee to a tailor! I have big boobs and the armholes are always too small on my dresses. My tailor makes them larger for less than $10! It is an easy fix.

      1. Thanks Blonde Lawyer, I was planning ot go home tonight to look at the seams :) Maybe my tailor will do it for less than $10 too! My other resignation was that it would just be a 9-5 dress, not wear for a long day dress :)

  7. Just a PSA for those who said they were frustrated with trying to buy glasses online and not having their eye doctors pass on their prescription…

    I was on Bluefly this weekend and happend to come across their Eyefly service (frames and certain lenses under $100 at eyefly.com). The selection was small but they have a neat option where you can upload a photo or try them out on models with different features. What I thought was the best though is that THEY WILL CALL YOUR DOCTOR TO OBTAIN THE PRESCRIPTION FOR YOU. I bet they have a good sense of legalities in each state when someone doesn’t want to share. Here’s hoping the service catches on with others out there!

    (Although I have to admit, I’m still not good enough to pick out styles myself without a lot of trying on in the store.)

  8. Anyone interested in menu planning (re the thread months back) – Real Simple is doing their Month of Easy Dinners for Oct. I just got mine in the mail, so I’m guessing they are on/will be on news stands soon.

    1. Thread Jack: I’m in marketing and am interviewing for positions in Atlanta next week. Do I need to wear a full-on suit? I currently work and live in NYC, and I know up here I could get away with a neutral colored shift dress and a tailored cardigan or blazer. Anyone in Atlanta have advice on the corporate culture and appropriate interview dress down there?

      Also, does anyone know of any companies or recruiter contacts in marketing/advertising/public relations in Atlanta that I should contact? I’m looking set-up as many interviews and information sessions as I can when I’m there next Monday and Tuesday.

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