Suit of the Week: Cuyana

navy blue linen suit with a double-breasted blazer that has a belt also

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

Maybe this is old news, but I did not know Cuyana has started doing suiting! Right now they're only doing one linen suit, available in both white and navy.

The double-breasted blazer has two buttons, and comes with a removable belt.

It's available in sizes XS-XL for $348 (blazer) and $168 (pants).

Psst: As we noted in last week's post on retailers with resale programs, Cuyana offers Cuyana: Revive for buying and selling pre-owned pieces.

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 12.5

119 Comments

  1. Would you rather pay $325 for an all-access gym membership where you can go to any of their locations in the world (there are 4 locations in your city), or $265 for a single location but it’s the one you’d go to most? I use this gym for its yoga classes, and the number of yoga classes a week I go to wouldn’t change in either option. However, instead of having four options of after-work yoga options, I would only have one. So fewer instructors to choose from on any given day. Would it be worth it to you to save the $80 a month?

    1. Not at all worth the extra money for me. Unless I travelled A LOT to cities where I knew there were other locations.

      1. Scratch that. I absolutely would not spend either of those amounts per month to go to a gym.

    2. I would save the mony and go to the single location you will actually use.

      That is a $720 savings each year. With that amount, if you went to the other cities and wanted to get a day pass, could you? Or could you use that savings for individual classes at other brands’ gyms?

    3. OMG is this an amount people actually pay for gyms?! I thought it was a yearly price until I read the comments. We pay $60/month for a family membership that includes our entire household.

      1. My gym costs more than $60/month per member to operate, so yes, I pay much more. I go regularly and get individualized attention. I am healthier as a result (mentally and physically). Yes, it is a significant expense, but no one would shudder if I were paying $300/mo in medication to treat a health condition caused or exacerbated by my inactivity or to take horseback riding lessons or whatever.

          1. This does sound like Equinox but many gyms are small businesses owned by small business owners, so I don’t get the shade.

          2. I’m not OP but my gym is $210/mo (one location price) for an Equinox. I am happily paying it for the good classes, the indoor lap pool, the clean showers with good products, the great locker rooms generally and the TONS of machines

          3. Are.. are people not allowed to charge for their services? Some how I doubt the women here would advise a business owner (especially a small business owner) to undercharge for services because Corporations Bad or whatever.

        1. OP here – same. I recognize it’s a ridiculous luxury, but it also offers 80+ classes a week and I have never been healthier. I go to yoga, barre, kickboxing, strength training etc classes and it’s fun and engaging. Prior to signing up, I’d work out once a month, and now I’m exercising 10 hours a week. They also have saunas, steam rooms, etc so it feels like a spa experience. I don’t think I could get access to that diversity of classes or amenities anywhere else for any less, and I’d think of it as a different category of purchase than signing up for Planet Fitness or a similar gym.

          1. Honestly that sounds amazing!

            I’d save the $80 a month unless you travel a lot for work to places where there are other locations. I’d kind of set it aside in my mind to just pay for other drop in classes elsewhere if you are interested. Checking out classes at different yoga studios is one of my favorite travel things.

          2. I get all of those classes (yoga, barre, strength, cycling, kickboxing, meditation) at home for $45 a month. That sauna & spa must be real fancy.

          3. Okay that’s really not fair to compare in person classes and streaming classes. I love both home workout classes (LOVE Peloton), but studio classes with an in person teacher are definitely worth more money than a mass streamed workout classes.

          4. +1000 to here she goes. I both go to workout classes and stream all sorts of Peloton classes and while Peloton works for me, in person classes are so, so much better for me!

            It’s comparing apples to oranges.

          5. Good for you. Do it, and I would pay the cheaper amount unless one of the locations is near home/one near work and you would work out a lot at both places.

            I agree that a membership like this has such great benefits. Your health, your mental health, your quality of life etc.. If you can afford it, I totally support you in doing this.

            And I am really frugal!

      2. I don’t get the shade here. First of all, the OP is entitled to spend her money on whatever she wants to. No one bats an eye when people talk about spending similar amounts of money on a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes or a bag here, so why are we commenting on what she’s spending on her gym?

        Secondly, she’s spending her money on the gym which is a healthy choice. It sounds like belonging to a fancy gym is encouraging her to workout more, so more power to her!

        Thirdly, some people (myself included!) need the accountability of a gym and classes in order to workout. It’s great if you can workout at home or without attending classes, but I need the push to get in a quality workout. It’s well worth the money for me ($125 which is a lot for me!) to pay for a gym where I’ll actually get a good workout in.

        Fourthly, as was noted, no one would shame someone for paying that much for medication or healthy food so why are we shaming her for paying this much for a gym which in many ways is preventative healthcare?

        1. I’m the person at 1:58 and it wasn’t “shade” nor was I shaming anyone – I was honestly just awestruck that gyms can cost that much! I live in a LCOL area, but it’s literally almost 10 times what I pay for a nice gym with a pool and group fitness classes. Just made me feel like I live on another planet, that’s all.

      3. I pay $180/mo for OrangeTheory. I go 4+ times a week. I can’t motivate myself to do anything on my own, so it’s worth every last penny to me. You do you!

        1. My Orange Theory is $220/ month for unlimited classes (DC), which is much more than what I want to spend. BUT I get a lot out of it and have carefully considered it and decided that it’s worth it.

        1. I’m in Chicago, which is a major city but cheaper than a lot of coastal cities.

          Also quite a few people I know get gym memberships for free or cheap through health insurance programs.

    4. It would be a cold day in hell before I work out while on vacation in a foreign country, so I vote the cheaper option.

    5. If you can afford the higher membership and will use all of the locations enough to justify it, then get the higher membership. You can always go down to the other membership if you don’t feel you are getting your money’s worth.

      1. Can you though and at what investment of time and money? Maybe it’s better these days, but my experience of either lowering levels or leaving has always been miserable. Heck, I think it would be easier to break free from Scientology than join and leave Equinox again.

    6. I’d do the cheaper option!

      And, I’m jealous you live somewhere with Equinox (I’m assuming?).

    7. I pay $600 a month for a small, private gym for semi-private sessions with a trainer and it’s worth every penny.

    8. I personally wouldn’t do the $325. Though the combination of my exercise memberships and drop in class costs each month are probably not too far off of the $265. Some questions/thoughts for you to consider:

      Unless you’re in a unique situation such as traveling regularly to where there are other locations or one of the in-city locations is near your work, and another near your home (and VERY near in both cases) I think most people will really only end up using one location.

      How much do you know about who the instructors are? Are there ones you know you love so much that you would follow them to multiple locations? Are there ones you try to avoid at the location you would go to most? Or are you likely to find enough that are good enough at one location that you’ll be ok with it.

      In your original post you only mention yoga- in which case unlimited memberships at a yoga studio are often less than $200 (just looked up prices at a few places in SF). If you’re looking for the wider variety that you mention in another post, is there a combination of two places that would be less than the $325? Either the $265 at one location and drop in classes of other stuff, or memberships at two different places.

    9. Depends on how much you like the class/instructors available under each option. I have switched to more expensive gyms for better yoga instructors (though in my case it was like $60 vs $30, but I also ride horses, so I won’t say a word about expensive gym memberships). Only you can answer if that’s worth $80 a month to you, though.

    10. It depends how close the branches are together. When I lived in NYC, I belonged to equinox and liked being able to go to different branches because it gave me so many more class options. But there were at least 5 branches that were really easy for me to get to. Also, my fancy gym is the thing I struggle most with missing now that I don’t live in a big city anymore. I’d pay $500 a month for it as it really, really increased my happiness and made me healthier. Do not let anyone shame you for spending money on this, assuming you aren’t going into debt to do it.

    11. So much shade in this thread lol.

      Honestly, I would just create a spreadsheet to compare the cost of the single location membership plus X number of visitor passes to other locations, vs. the cost of the all-access gym. You probably have a sense of how often you go to non-primary locations (and you might be able to access that info on a sign-in history if you have an online account?). This is really just a numbers thing.

    12. I’d need to know more about the geography. Are we talking two gyms both near your home and one near the office so you could genuinely pick and choose which classes to go to (in which case the multi-gym option might be worth it). Or is there really only one convenient location so the likelihood of you actually travelling for the sake of a different instructor is pretty limited.

    13. I would shell out the extra few buck$, b/c you never know if you must go to another place for busness, or even to meet a man, and this way, you will have a place to freshen up or shower or even pee before meeting someone. If you can, get your manageing partner to foot the bill, like I did, b/c I often have to go out of town on busness, and it is deductible as a partnership expense! YAY!!!

  2. What are things that you do to bring yourself joy and happiness? I’m not talking big things like raise a child or find your soulmate. I’m talking day to day small things that you can do when you are feeling down about where you are at in life or even if you aren’t down but need things to look forward to?

    1. Put on a fancy robe and do a face mask, do yoga, go for a run, listen to a podcast I love, read a good book, online shop, moodboards, make a cup of green tea and go for a long walk.

    2. A delicious cup of coffee first thing in the morning, made exactly the way I like it.

      Sitting next to my “Happy Light” while I drink it, and enjoying some NYT/fun morning reading.

      A very small chocolate something in the evening, after dinner.

      As much as possible, I try to eat food that I really enjoy. It is pure pleasure for me. Over the years I have simplified my diet so it is the same tiny wonderful breakfast every AM, a small list of rotating things for lunch, and dinners that are easy to make but tasty and healthy and satisfying. I have learned what fills me up so I don’t overeat or snack too much. And if there is something (bad….) that I really really crave, I make sure I get the best/tastiest version of it so that it is really worth it!

      I also actively look for beautiful things in nature when I am outside.

    3. My Spotify discover weekly playlist
      Fancy sparkling water in a glass bottle
      Ridiculously customized coffee drink purchased on the Starbucks app that I would never say out loud
      Childs pose during yoga
      Walk in the woods when it’s not so chilly
      Playing or cuddling with my dog
      Cozy pajamas, all the blankets, and an addictive thriller book or a good show
      Millennial meme accounts on instagram

      1. adding:
        making a meal just for myself that involves some prep and time to make, while listening to music or a podcast.
        warm water with Himalayan salt and lemon first thing every morning
        listening to songs from the 90s
        doing my makeup or hair in a new way
        fuchsia or hot pink anything

      2. Some of those millennial meme accounts hit WAY too close to home. I had to double check to make sure I didn’t go to high school with one of the posters :)

    4. They usually involve spending money which is probably unhealthy! Treats, buying myself flowers, shopping, pedicures.

    5. Audiobooks and art (painting, weaving, cross stitch and sewing).

      Finding treasures in op shops.

      Spending time with friends.

      1. expanding on the friends theme: texting a friend, even if it’s just ‘how are you?’. Sending a fun card for any reason or no reason at all. Making plans to meet up with a friend.

    6. I love competing a long, hard outdoor workout. I like the gym but it doesn’t give me the feeling that an outdoor workout gives me. Specifically if I’m running or biking on trails as opposed to roads.

        1. Yes! I got my butt kicked my a trail run on Sunday and I’m still riding the runners high from it.

    7. A good workout, preferably outdoors.
      Sitting in the sunshine for even 5-10 minutes.
      Good books.
      Listening to 90s music.
      Burning my favorite scented candles in the evening.
      Painting my nails.
      Anything in the lavender/periwinkle family.
      Taking nature photos (just with my iPhone, nothing fancy here).
      Treating myself to a weekly flavored latte.
      Reading magazines.

    8. Cooking (and having a fridge/freezer full of tasty and healthy food ready for me when I’m hungry), my cats, reading good books (and submitting requests to the library that I can anticipate), walks in beautiful places, reading or listening to reviews to find movies and tv shows I can get excited about seeing. I think the key for many of these is not to do things mindlessly, but to create anticipation by deliberately seeking out the things that will bring you pleasure and making more of an event of it. So rather than randomly binging a bad movie on Netflix, I’ll listen to a podcast about classic movies and watch one of the movies being discussed.

      1. small thing, but taking my coffee out to the porch (in the sunlight!) instead of getting straight to emails is always a nice treat

    9. The most joy I get is from Type 2 fun. I love Type 1 fun but that mostly comes from my day to day (seeing friends, taking a walk, working out, getting dinner / drinks).

      The “Wow that was great” moments come from more type 2 fun moments (which are usually challenging outdoor adventures or workouts or completing a hard but fun assignment) or things that are rare (house parties, friends weekends, traveling)

    10. Having a project (or two) going. Currently there’s something creative (making something wearable, but not sewing this time — oh actually there are two of those pending), painting Kiddo’s room, and planning an event/outing thing for my [shared interest] club. Having a creative thing to do/think about/look forward to is so good for me.

    11. Noticing seasonal changes in nature (trees blooming, first fruits of the season, various flowers blooming) and, the kicker, saying the appropriate blessing on seeing it. (There’s an all purpose Jewish blessing for the first time you do something or something else you are particularly noting, but there’s also a special one for blooming trees :)).

    12. I have a tiny–not mini, but just very small–potato masher utensil, rather than an enormous one, and it brings me SO MUCH JOY because it’s exactly as functional without getting tangled in all my other utensils. And it’s cute. Joy.

      1. I have one of those, too, and I love it! It was sold as a guacamole maker, I think.

    13. Birdwatching, cooking, petting my dog or my cats, shopping if I’m honest, going out to a nice restaurant as a treat with my husband.

        1. Haha I saw that too and it’s so true. I’m 39 and suddenly very interested in birds.

    14. for years, I have tried to find ways to make coffee made at home something I liked. In big law, I usually just let myself buy a sbux latte daily but I have tried different machines, roasts, grinds. I tried an espresso machine for half a second before I realized there was no way I was going to spend 15 minutes making a latte every morning.
      I now buy la colombe canned triple latte by the box. It costs 2.24 per drink so 4.50 less than my sbux triple latte. It makes me happier to stop trying to find a homebrewed coffee I like.

      1. for anyone else curious, it takes maybe 5 minutes once you get the hang of it. 1.5 min to preheat the machine, grind the coffee and prep the thingy, 1 min to steam the milk, and 1 min to draw the coffee and clean up. But also, Go You for ditching a habit that you didn’t enjoy!

    15. Good smelling/feeling bath soap. Toasty warm wool socks (because I don’t think spring is ever coming).

    16. I have baked all our bread since the pandemic and it feels joyful and downright magical to me.

      1. Are you doing sourdough with a starter or what?

        I was making the most delicious sourdough for the first year or so of the pandemic, once I got my starter going. Then the starter suddenly died, no idea why, and I didn’t have the heart to do it again. The mess was real too! But I miss the bread.

        1. I’ve actually had zero luck with sourdough so I just use instant yeast for everything. I make a lot of no-knead bread but I’ve branched out into all kinds of things from English muffins to hamburger buns and plain white bread, baguettes, Italian bread, you name it. I like the America’s Test Kitchen Bread book and also you can’t go wrong with any of the recipes on the King Arthur Flour web site.

  3. If you are finding that you have gut issues related to your cycle as you hit your 40s, have you taken probiotics? Do you find they help or not really because it’s hormonal issues? I find that I’m bloated during my period and then it lasts for a week or so after and yet if I take a gas x type thing, I get even more backed up. And then issues around ovulation also. This hasn’t been the case until the last few years. It’s not a big deal but noticeable and I feel like I never know what to eat or whether to just not eat. I have seen a dr who said likely perimenopause and generally advised eating better – so that I’m more regular. Her view is that there is more gas when you don’t eat or don’t eat well. Thoughts regarding foods to eat? Probiotics? Anything else?

    1. Well — have you taken your doctor’s advice and changed your diet? Not saying a probiotic couldn’t be beneficial, but you may or may not need it. I will say that in perimenopause, making sure I’m getting enough fiber and protein at every meal has been key.

    2. I’m only 34 and in the last year or two I’ve had to really change my diet because I just can’t eat whatever I want without consequences anymore. I’d figure out what are the worst foods for you and stop eating them or eat them less.

    3. No specific comments but if you need to up your fiber, incorporate chia seeds. I love chia pudding but it’s pretty easy to add the seeds to lots of dishes.

    4. Metamucil makes cookies. Try having once a day. It makes a huge difference with bloat and also has benefits in terms of blood sugar.

      Also, have you had a colonoscopy? I’d rule anything out before just chalking it up to perimenopause. Colon cancer is happening a lot more frequently in younger ages and processed diets are a risk. Forgive me if this sounds extreme, but I’m a colon cancer survivor who was diagnosed at 45 and only because I had low iron and my primary pushed for testing, otherwise had no family history and only symptom was occasional bloat (I thought the culprit was gluten or hormones).

      1. +1

        A lot of serious GI conditions can have surprisingly mild symptoms.

        I think it’s safer to do some testing first and then suggest diet.

        Doctors do drop balls too .I’m still upset that there was a test that could have distinguished IBS from IBD and prevented a diagnostic delay of decades and a life threatening complication, but doctors just never bothered! I’m also still upset that none of the doctors I saw growing up knew how to test a low IgA patient for Celiac. And so on, I could keep giving examples of badly delayed GI diagnoses.

    5. Honestly I take miralax for a day around ovulation and it makes a huge difference.

    6. No, but I developed severe GERD suddenly when I hit perimenopause, and then gradually had more and more bloating and discomfort issues subsequently. Look into the low FODMAP elimination diet (Monash University has an awesome app). My dietitian suggested looking into it and both my GERD and my discomfort dramatically resolved when I gave up gluten heavy food, and the cauliflower/chickpea/lentil category is a hard no from me. I miss toast so much but luckily I love most rice-based cuisines.

    7. Wash Post had an article about probiotics recently – google it. Not a sure thing and can be harmful for many people.

  4. Trying again for another bite – thank you BB!

    Can any Chicagoans here make a good recommendation for a CPA/tax attorney? (Not for this year but going forward.) Our finances are complex – multiple trusts, small salaries with big bonuses, lots of investment movement – and I think the CPA we’ve had until now isn’t quite cutting it now that things have grown more complex for us. Any recommendations? Thanks!

    1. And the look on her face! She looks like a bratty kid “Yeah, I’m standing on your couch, what are you going to do about it?”

    2. So you can’t see how close the bottom of that coat is to the floor, even on a model.

    3. So you can’t see how close the bottom of that coat is to the floor, even on a model.

  5. Re rich people lawsuits that I don’t understand:
    — not understanding Gwyneth Paltrow skiing crash lawsuit (or her outfits)
    — any updates on the Nelson Peltz / wedding planner lawsuit? the last I read, the planners came out swinging (and good for them) and all of the plaintiffs look like idiots

    1. I love her outfits during the trial! I think she looks elegant and polished. She can’t had that she is rich and a fashion icon from the jury, but I think that she is doing a good job of looking respectful and not flashy. I have loved the tops she has worn. Less so the shoes but lug soles just aren’t my thing.

      1. Per Twitter, she wears The Row a lot. I have no idea what that costs and am pretty sure no one in my city sells it even. Probably my whole state.

        1. Isn’t that the Olsen twins’ label? The ones whose clothes don’t fit and have made dressing like a hobo but in very expensive fabrics their brand? I agree Paltrow’s outfits would look great if she were picking up her kids from school or at a corporate retreat, but I find them very inappropriate for the courtroom. I don’t need her in a power suit, wouldn’t recommend it in these circumstances, but a bit more tailoring and formality is demanded.

        2. bags are around $3500
          a turtleneck or skirt could be close to $1000, maybe more
          Neiman Marcus has lots

    2. What is there to not understand about the ski crash lawsuit? It’s a negligence suit for personal injury. The claim is that she negligently ran into the plaintiff while violating the right of way rules on the slope. She claims the same in reverse. But yeah, the outfits are terrible.

      1. Like is the cost of the suit likely less than the $ at stake? It’s not like car insurance where the drivers insurance company picks up the cost of defense and pays some/ all of any judgment? I was thinking that she is picking up the tab for the lawyers who had to be doing a lot of work before the trial even started. Plus, discovery is very invasive.

        1. Ah. The confusion is as to why she didn’t settle. Fair. I think the justification on her side is that she needs to fight this case in order to discourage a barrage of similar suits from opportunistic people. She may also have a desire to make a very public statement that she is not liable for anyone’s injuries here, whether for personal or professional reasons. (I haven’t concluded she is not responsible, so don’t read that into this post.) She is also countersuing to recover the fees she has paid in connection with the case, so there is some possibility she will get that money back. I don’t know what the law is on that issue in the particular venue, but I do know from watching just a portion of the proceedings that the judge, not the jury, will make that decision.
          I will say that as a person who tries cases that are far more complex than this one, I am baffled that the case is taking so long to present, and that the judge gave the parties this much courtroom time. Surely it is the spectacle of celebrity that is affecting that

        2. I think in general, both companies and wealthy individuals are far less likely to settle lawsuits than they used to be. No one wants to create bad precedent (for someone like Gwyneth, she probably views this as a shakedown because she’s so rich) or appear always willing to settle.

    3. Media hype notwithstanding, the Paltrow lawsuit is a run of the mill personal injury case. There was a collision between two people skiing. One of them has a lot of money. The other claims to have been horribly injured and so is suing.

      I have not been following enough to know the liability and damages arguments but the case itself plays out in courthouses all across the country every day – it just normally involves automobiles rather than skiers.

      1. They both have a lot of money. The plaintiff is a doctor and was skiing at one of the fanciest resorts in North America.

    4. I think she looks great. Down to the shoes which seem practical for the location.
      Money is not the point for her – it’s the principle, which is why she is counter suing for $1 in damages and attorney fees.

      NYT has a good breakdown of the whole wardrobe strategy.

  6. Trigger warning: suicide
    My paralegal’s father in law ended his life this past week. I would like to send my paralegal and her husband something to express sympathies etc. and I am not sure what would be helpful. Food? I send flowers usually so maybe not that. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

    1. Food for the family would be thoughtful and appreciated. Flowers are a kind gesture as well unless the family is Jewish.

    2. In addition to food, be explicit about what you can offer her on the job. For example, she can block her calendar for a telehealth visit or an in person visit, and let he know if anyone in the department has some bandwidth to take on projects if she needs to offload some work.

    3. Our team has done Door dash or similar gift cards in similar situations and it was well received.

      1. +1

        A condolence card, and a gift card to use to food is very nice. Especially if finances may be in a issue for them.

        Or check to see if there is an obituary online, and often they indicate where donations are appreciated at the end of the obituary. That is a really lovely gesture, and the family will be touched.

        Not flowers.

      2. I agree with Doordash gift cards – lets them get food of their choosing at their convenience, and can be saved for later if they’re inundated with food in the short term.

      3. +3 to DoorDash card. One of my old colleagues tried to set up a meal train (using a very poorly designed app) and it was just too confusing and we also risked getting our friend food she didn’t want/like (she has two young kids). I opted to just send a doordash card instead. If we had pooled together resources we probably could have gotten a large sum for one app (DoorDash or Uber eats) but now she has a bunch of random gift cards to various restaurants.

    4. I had a similar thing happen in my family. My manager at the time said “take whatever time you need”. That was the best thing he could have given me. I still got my work done, but it was good to know that I could leave early/take a day when I needed it.

    5. My father took his own life when I was 29. I don’t believe a Door Dash (or Uber Eats) gift card would have been helpful at all for our family. We couldn’t even remember our own names. Don’t put the burden on the grieving family to have to order and manage food. Just have something delivered that freezes well. I would also always suggest paper products (i.e. toilet paper and paper towels). We are southern and have a large network of friends….but so many people came over to my parents house to help. It was really nice having extra TP on hand!

    6. Offer her time away from the office. Their family will be a mess, she may want to work to take her mind of the awfullness, or she may need to be at home – take the need to think about choices about that or working away.

    7. Offer time off and take the pressure of her thinking she has to come into the office.

  7. Thanks to those who gave recommendations for anti dandruff shampoo a few weeks ago. I went with Nizoral and 4 washes later am dandruff free and looking forward to wearing my favorite LBD to a work function tonight!

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