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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 158 Comments · by

Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: Navy Block Piped Dress

The Personal Shopper (TPS) |

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Dorothy Perkins Navy Block Piped Dress | CorporetteOur daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Happy Friday! This lovely navy and white dress (also available in ivory with black piping) looks like something I've seen from a much higher price point. The high neckline, the ladylike hem, the non-body-con fit — all are great. It's $44 at Dorothy Perkins. Dorothy Perkins Navy Block Piped Dress P.S. Don't forget — the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale opens to the general public today, with prices on NEW merchandise marked down until August 4, when prices will go back up. You can see our early access roundup of workwear/bag/shoe picks here — we'll do another one today with what's left! Cardholders who bought with the early access — what did you get? Any early reviews? Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-4)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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

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Comments

  1. Anne

    I think I prefer the ivory with black piping. The navy kind of looks like a stewardess uniform to me- or someone wearing an apron. Which is very odd, because the piping lines are in the same places on the white one, but I don’t get that image there.

    • Ellen

      Yay! Fruegel Friday’s! I love Fruegel Friday’s and this dress, Kat! Great selection! But more importantely, I did NOT know about the Nordstrom’s sale. Mabye I can get my mom to drive me up to see Rosa this weekend after dad talk’s with the manageing partner’s brother, and we can all go to Nordstrom’s together, then she can drive me back to the city b/f goieing back to LI? That would be great!

      As for the OP, I agree that the ivory with black pipeing look’s less like a uniform, but with ivory, it get’s stained much easier. I have to think about what I will wear once I MARRY and moove to the subburb’s like Rosa. She dresses alot now like Amelea Erheart, with coveralls and hat’s and thing’s out of LL Beene, but that I guess she can get away with in Chapaqua, b/c she is so pretty everyone just looks at her and say’s wow! If it were me, peeople would say who is that woman with the big tuchus that is tryeing to look like Amelea Erheart? But I do NOT beegrudge Rosa for it b/c she has alot of responsibility raising the kid’s in the subburb’s while Ed works for Merill Lynch all day in the city. At least she now has the house keeper pickeing Ed up at the station so that she can have more quality time with the kid’s until Ed get’s home! YAY!

      I am prepareing to take time off in NJ next week with Myrna b/c the judge is away also, and nothing need’s to get done on my Manhattan Case’s, which are about 88% of my case load. Mason is covering my other’s, but I hope he does NOT just nuzzle with Lynn all week. The manageing partner told me he would keep an eye on Mason and Lynn to keep things goeing on my case’s, and if any emergencie’s occur, I have my iphone and Macbook air. The manageing partner told me I could bill a MINIMMUM of 6 hours/day for each day I log on to my Macbook Air. He did NOT limit me so I will be able to bill a minimmum of 42 hours automaticeally b/c I alway’s look at the Frisky.com and other websight’s! DOUBEL YAY!

      • Senior Attorney

        “who is that woman with the big tuchus that is tryeing to look like Amelea Erheart?”

        May I just say that Ellen is crushing it this week?

        Signed,

        A Fan

        • Libby

          +1. Keep your knees together in NJ, b/c some guys there are like Mosquitos. You can’t tell they’ve bitten until you later find telltale signs.

    • Red Beagle

      I agree. Also, my first impression of the navy was a spiderweb for some reason, because of how the piping is placed, I think without any piping it would be a terrific dress

      • Anon Worker Bee

        I agree that I would like it better without the piping and I think you would be able to wear it more often. With the piping it might be too memorable to wear a lot.

  2. Veronica Mars

    Anyone have any luck with Talbots washable silk blouses? Do they run TTS? Seems almost too good to be true at the sale price and it’d be nice to add a few more basic pieces to my working wardrobe.

    • roses

      No experience with those particular blouses, but Talbots runs huge but kind of unpredictably so, in my experience. I’ve given up trying to order anything from there. Personally I also think they’re slipping back into frumpy territory after trending towards cuter stuff for a few years.

    • Anon Worker Bee

      I don’t have any silk blouses from Talbots, but I agree that their tops tend to run big/boxy lately.

    • anon

      i followed the Talbots runs huge idea and it backfired slightly: I am a fairly petite 4 (5″4, narrow shoulders and frame) and ordered silk blouses in 2P and 4P. Both are really narrow in the shoulders, boxy in the frame, and SHORT, frequently coming untucked. i would not go from regular to petite again.

      • anon

        Yes! This! Narrow in the shoulders and boxy in the waist! Not sure how I turned into someone who wants to buy the whole Talbot’s catalogue, but I never do because of this issue.

        • LT IT

          +1. I am also 5’3 or so and small frame and I find shopping there to be a challenge. In fact I will try to run out to one at lunch today to try a few things on before I order again. I used to be PM but had to switch to regular S because PM got so boxy but now arms are too long. Still I’m always able to find good basics there – like I love their short-sleeved cardis w a v neck. And at some of the sales prices, I don’t mind paying a little for basic alterations.

    • Me-Too

      I have two of Talbot’s current silk blouses and I love them. I’m tall (5’9″) with an hourglass figure. I wear them tucked into pencil skirts. Yes, they are kind of loose and flowy– but that’s what makes them comfortable in my opinion. I’ve hand-washed mine several times so far and they’re still holding up well. I wear the same size in Talbots as I wear in Brooks Brothers tops. (So, they run a bit on the large size). I buy a lot of work clothes at Talbots because it’s hard for me to find things that are long/tall enough for me.

  3. Paging Gail the Goldfish

    I just caught up on last night’s thread, and saw the request for recommendations of non-chain furniture stores in Raleigh. I love Wayside and Greenfront Interiors (Greenfront may be one of the warehouse type stores you’ve seen on Capital Blvd just outside downtown — it looks a little sketchy, but isn’t). Both carry NC-made furniture. Whitley Galleries in Zebulon is also nice, although in recent years their inventory has declined in quality (used to be extremely high quality, heirloom pieces, now more mid-level). Finally, Coopers in Cary has a good selection, although I think it’s best for upholstered pieces. Personally, I would stay away from the Glenwood Ave stores, although that’s mostly because they overwhelm me.

    • CLT

      Any recommendations near CLT? Or do I just need to go to High Point?

      I love Metrolina (good for getting silverware also) and my local craigslist. But I have some upholstered pieces that are about worn out after 15 years (yay leather) and will be looking around over the coming months and idea-shopping.

      • Paging Gail the Goldfish

        I can’t provide any CLT-specific recs, but you’re not very far from Hickory and I’ve had good luck at the Hickory Furniture Mart. I like it because there’s a huge range of selection and price-points, but somehow it seems more manageable than High Point.

      • Anonymous

        I’d suggest cococohome.com. They have a showroom in Davidson. Their manufacturer is in Newton NC and they used to manufacture for RH before RH moved production overseas. Completely custom work and I was even able to get leather from US cows. Cured in Mexico but still. Loved my experience there.

        Also check out High Cotton Home and it’s sister companies.

        Also, High Point is great to get an idea of all your options but I had trouble getting a response from salespeople when I was not physically at the store. It’s overwhelming.

  4. tesyaa

    Can anyone recommend a completely flat ballet flat that sort of hugs the foot? I’m not a narrow, but a lot of ballet flats are loose in the heel for me. I usually wear 7.5M. I prefer under $100.

    • Veronica Mars

      I love Bloch flats. They normally retail around the $100 mark, but they’re often marked down to much less than that on Amazon. Bloch tends to run about a half size small though, FYI.

      • TXLawyer

        Bloch is on RueLaLa right now, too! Looks like most of it is between $59 and $89.

        • Carly

          Yes, Bloch–my favorites. They have the best soft suede lining (no blisters right out of the box). And definitely go 1/2 size up from your usual.

    • Anonymous

      If the Coach Dwyer flat is still around anywhere, that might work for you. Most comfortable ballet flats I’ve ever had.

      • tesyaa

        Probably more of a casual flat, even though I’d wear it to work too. Thanks for all the recommendations!

    • Red Beagle

      I have a great Naturalizer pair of flats that are super comfy and look great. Also, Geoxx I think can be found in the $100 price point with sales. A few of the Skecher biker style are good for a casual office or weekends.

    • Lily-student

      Clarks – I’m currently wearing their Carousel Curl flats (with the elastic around them) and I have ridiculously narrow heels but these stay on. (had to put plasters on my heels for the first few wears though, warning)

    • Flower

      I have a pair of Sam Edelman flats that are like that, and they are incredibly comfortable (they also have a pillow footbed, which helps). I have narrow feet in general, and I find they hug my feet well I don’t see my specific style anymore, but they had some stretch in the sides. I always thought I hated stretch in shoes – turns out, I just hate it in cheap shoes (Steve Madden, looking at you). I would definitely get and try other pairs of their flats.

    • TXLawyer

      I just got a pair of Lucky Brand flats on RueLaLa for $39(?) and they are the most comfortable flat I’ve ever owned. I have them in black with a textured leather. I typically wear a 7.5 and I got them in 8 and they fit beautifully!

    • Sunshine

      I love the Clarks Propose Pixie – so much that I bought the tan/nude and the bright pink. It’s supportive and nicely padded in the heel area, too.

    • Liz

      Lucky Brand Emmie flats are great for casual wear. Probably go a half size up. Zappos usually has a good selection. Zappos also usually separates out the leather kind from the fabric kind. I’ve found the fabric kind to be a shade more comfortable, but YMMV.

    • anonypotamus

      I have the same problem (regular width at the front, narrow heel) and have found that the Frye Carson flat really works well. Definitely more casual, and regular price are closer to $150, but they almost always have them in multiple colors/variations on 6 p m for about $70-90. They don’t have a ton of support, but I have found to be very comfortable, and they are definitely flat flat.

  5. BR Suiting Blazer Q

    I ordered this and I’m noticing that the bottom hem seems to dip down in front. I think I’ve got the right size otherwise. I’m more wondering if this is how this particular jackets fits on those of you who have it.

    [I will probably keep it as the jacket + skirt + pants on sale was a good price and I would probably wear some combo of the pieces weekly. I’m in a biz-casual work environment but have given up and am wearing suits and busted-up suits because it is just so much easier. Now, if they could just do a black suiting dress without that slit.]

    • Anon Worker Bee

      I also have this jacket and just tried it on and that is also how it fits me. However, I don’t think I would have noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it.

  6. Cb

    Got my boden delivery last night and thought I’d do an order report:
    – cable knit jumper: lovely, cozy fit, ordered a 12 and there is room for a thin layer underneath it
    – long sleeved Breton- fits a bit roomy but perfect for weekend wear
    – soho blouse- ordered my normal 12 uk but this is quite big, going to exchange for a 10

    • Lily-student

      I bought one of their long-sleeved Bretons and loved it so much I bought the short-sleeved one too (in a different colour stripe). I get so many compliments on them, the cut somehow makes me look about 10 lb thinner.

      • Sydney Bristow

        The short sleeve one is sitting in my cart right now in multiple colors. Looks like I’m going to go for it based on your rec.

        • Lily-student

          I have it in Ivory/Papaya (My LS one is classic ivory/navy) and it’s a great colour on me (pale-ish but olive tone, wear Rimmel 100 shade foundation, dark brown hair)

  7. EduStudent

    I wish this dress was available in jewel tones. I have enough neutrals that I don’t feel justified ordering this, but the lines are lovely.

  8. Dry Cleaning

    My husband has been on this kick where he thinks that basically all of his not-grubby clothing needs to be dry-cleaned. I’m talking about mostly cotton blend polo shirts from Banana Republic, and, just recently, a nicer pair of BR shorts (shorts!). The labels give standard washing instructions, but do end with “or dry clean,” which is his justification for it. We have a perfectly nice washing machine that has a hand-wash cycle, which I use with Woolite for most of my nicer clothing (I usually only dry clean suits, blazers, and nice dresses), which works fine, and I can’t see any reason we can’t do his that way, too. He’s buying this stuff for around $40, then spending $6-7 a shot to clean them. He’s a stay at home dad, and having more stuff dry cleaned than I am! (He is wearing them multiple times between cleanings, but still.)

    This is crazy, right? Can anyone point me to an authoritative resource that explains that this is not good for your clothing?

      • Dry Cleaning

        Not really – we’ve been budgeting a joint fun budget, and have found that that works a lot better for us. I’d prefer not to upend that carefully honed system! (Dry cleaning comes out of miscellaneous, though.)

        • CLT

          Maybe, but when drycleaning will soon be > cost of the garmet, it should come out of his clothing budget.

          Also: any chance the ton of chemicals he’s exposing himself to will impact his guy equipment or swimmers? That may nix this habit.

    • tesyaa

      Maybe he likes the pressed look that he gets from dry cleaning. In that case, home washing + ironing would give almost the same result.

      I don’t think occasional dry cleaning is bad for most clothes, sadly. While the chemicals aren’t great for fabrics, agitating in the washing machine isn’t great for fabrics either. I do think that washing gets clothes cleaner (dry cleaning only removes oil-based dirt, but washing removes all kinds of dirt and stains).

    • ac

      This is crazy. Is he dissatisfied with how the items are being cleaned at home for some reason — e.g., washing machine not working well? Is wrinkling an issue — and could the issue be resolved by ironing?

      My husband is a demanding laundry-doer and does send some “or dry clean” sweaters to the cleaners regularly, but (1) work, not casual, clothes; and (2) NOT SHORTS! :)

    • (former) preg 3L

      This is crazy. Is he dissatisfied with how the items are being cleaned at home for some reason — e.g., washing machine not working well? Is wrinkling an issue — and could the issue be resolved by ironing?

      My husband is a demanding laundry-doer and does send some “or dry clean” sweaters to the cleaners regularly, but (1) work, not casual, clothes; and (2) NOT SHORTS! :)

      • tesyaa

        If money is a concern, spending more money on unnecessary services just to get back at one’s partner isn’t a great idea.

        • Shay-Law

          Agreed that when viewed in a vacuum it doesn’t make sense. But when my husband gets on kicks similar to this, tactics like this have worked better than simple conversation.

          For example, we are very budget conscious… but he somehow reasons a triple digit line-item for his micro-brew obsession. The responsible adult in me has had many leveled, well thought out conversations and nothing reduced his spending on his beer-habit (probably because he wasn’t seeing it add up…$12 bomber here… 2 for $10 there….). That is, until I picked up a triple-digit line item for non-alcoholic specialty beverages (currently pregnant).

          Silly? Sure. But even the most reasonable adults, or responsible marriages, have their moments of insanity. Sometimes, it’s best to fight insanity with insanity.

    • Anonymous

      No advice but I giggled a little because my husband gets on kicks like this too. Luckily his obsession is more with washing things after wearing them for like 45 minutes, but it still drives me nuts.

      • Kathryn

        My fiance has a set of t-shirt and shorts that he wears after he gets home from work, but before he goes to bed. He wears the same thing for 3 hours a night for a week, then washes it.

        He won’t let me put them anywhere but the back of a chair in the bedroom. If we put it back on the shelf with his other t-shirts and athletic shorts, the clean stuff would get dirty! (serious side-eye from me here).

        Just another anecdote about how men can be a little cuckoo about clothing.

        • Orangerie

          I don’t think this is weird. I change out of my work clothes and into lounge stuff right when I get home. I like thick comforters which means it’s usually too hot under them to sleep in long pants, so before I go to bed I hang them up on a hook on the back of my door. Shoving worn clothing in a drawer with my clean stuff would kind of ick me out, too.

          • Kathryn

            We just moved in together and are both getting used to each other’s habits. For the most part, I’m finding the ways we handle the small, seemingly unimportant things differently to be really interesting and eye-opening. We’re going to be setting up some kind of “landing area” for the clothing he wears multiple times but doesn’t need washing yet.

          • Bonnie

            I don’t put worn lounge clothing back in the drawer either. We have hangers on the back of the bedroom and bathroom doors and hang up our worn clothing there. I Febreeze and air out suits there for a few days too before putting them in the closet.

          • Red Beagle

            Ditto. I will sometimes just sleep in my 3-hour old lounging t-shirt but toss it in the wash the following AM. But never put it back in the drawer…

        • Blonde Lawyer

          LOL I’m the same way about my “in-between” clothes. I’m okay hanging up dresses and suits to be worn again but for some weird reason I hate putting my worn lounge clothes back in the drawers if they were worn. I don’t want to put them in the hamper because they will get “more dirty” and I plan to wear them again. My husband has a clothes valet that we now hang some of those types of “in between” items on. I also like to air out things I plan to hang back up to wear again like dresses and suits so the valet is good for that. More frequently though, I just change when I get home, laying the worn work clothes on the bed and then hang them up at bed time.

          • Grumpy

            I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does this (though I don’t have a good system yet). Things that need to be hung up (dresses, certain shirts) get Febreezed and put away. Remaining shirts and pants get…dropped somewhere.

          • Meg Murry

            UnF*ckYourHabitat has a great term for this – floordrobe. Clothes too clean to go into the hamper but too dirty for the drawer.
            Still haven’t found a better landing place for most of it, but at least I have a name?

          • Wear again

            I call mine the “wear again pile.” I actually store it in a separate small laundry basket. Then on laundry day I go through it and see what is ready to be washed. Helps contain the clutter (important for my partner), and I avoid unnecessary laundry or folding/hanging (important for me.)

        • anon

          That’s why I have a lined hamper type basket where I put my “wear again” clothes.

      • Sunshine

        This. I swear I end up washing more of his clothes than mine. And his wardrobe is 100x smaller.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      I prefer to dry clean some things because I can never get them to look the same from ironing than the cleaners can from pressing. Find out if it is cheaper to wash at home and then just have the stuff pressed at the cleaners.

      My husband’s polos frequently shrink in the wash even though they say they are washable. I’m guessing they just shouldn’t go in the dryer. We don’t have a “low” setting. Just no heat air fluff, medium (which gets hot!), and high. So we wash something and then hang it to dry and it ends up more wrinkled and kind of crunchy because it didn’t get the fabric sheet.

      My happy medium has been to wash, hang dry, then toss it in the dryer on medium with a dryer sheet for a timed cycle of 5-10 minutes. Then it comes out softer and in a more normal shape.

      There are some things though that we needlessly just send to the cleaner because it is easier. Button down shirts for him and certain dresses for me are high on that list.

      • tesyaa

        if your clothes come out of the dryer wrinkled, try drying for 3-5 minutes right out of the washer, and then hang. This eliminates about 80% of the effort of ironing, and knits like polos might not even need any pressing at all.

        • Aggie

          This plus a steamer is my entire laundry routine.

          Also, I discovered that the cleaners in my neighborhood runs a press only special on Wednesdays for $1 an item. It is a $20ish per month luxury I can justify for the items that need a little more effort.

    • anne-on

      This is nutty. Would some of his issues be solved by hanging to dry or by ironing? I do wash ‘nicer’ shorts and polos on gentle and then tumble them for 5-10 minutes with a dryer sheet before hanging them up to dry. This seems to get the majority of wrinkles out.
      My other lazy girl ironing trick is to wet a washcloth (or use a spritz bottle) spritz or dampen the areas with wrinkles, then brush or gently tug the wrinkles out, and lay to dry on a flat surface (over a chair, on an ottoman). I usually do this the night before I wear something and 90% of the time it means I don’t have to iron it in the morning. My husband thought I was nuts until I did it for him on a cotton dress shirt and voila, no ironing needed!

    • kellyandthen

      Could he be missing some of the “luxuries” that came with working outside the home?

      …either way, dry cleaning shorts? That’s a new one on me! They must look fantastic ;)

      • Dry Cleaning

        I was concerned about that, but he didn’t work in an office before – he wore a machine-washed uniform.

        The shorts are nice; they’re seersucker and look really good. I still don’t think that they need to be dry-cleaned, though.

        For all the statements about wrinkling – that’s what I would do, too, but he seems to think that just touching water will ruin things. It’s not everything, thankfully, just the nicest polos.

        Re, Anne Shirley on the budget – it’s sort of an in-between thing – it’s not going to put us in the poorhouse or anything, but we’re trying to get student loans paid and don’t have a lot left over to be free with. We’ve both been cutting back on a lot of things. But it’s not detrimental. That’s why I was hoping to find something that would just show him that it’s bad for his clothes, rather than any other reasons.

    • Anne Shirley

      So, my question is whether this really matters to your budget. If it does, have another convo. If it’s irritating but not harming the financial health of the family, maybe just be happy your stay at home husband takes pride in his appearance? Dry cleaning shorts is weird, but it’s better than all workout clothes all the time.

      • tesyaa

        +1. If the OP is just annoyed, rather than actually worried about the financial hit, let it go.

      • Bee

        Agreed. You don’t get to police *what* your spouse spends money on, but you certainly have to work together on an overall budget. We all spend money on things our partners probably think are ridiculous (I’m looking at you, kate spade), but I would be pretty annoyed if my partner started telling me how I should or shouldn’t spend my budgeted fun money.

      • AnonInfinity

        I agree. It doesn’t sound like this is harming anything, so why not just let it go? If he’s doing a good job around the house and with the kid otherwise, I’d just let him get his stuff dry cleaned rather than adding another task to the to-do list (pressing all of his clothes). Unless you’re volunteering to do all the washing and pressing, I don’t think it’s really fair to expect him to do it if it’s not really affecting your bottom line.

        We all do something like this that our significant other thinks is weird, silly, or extravagant.

    • Anon

      I don’t have any suggestions, but I had a similar experience. When I felt the weather is too warm to wear my cashmere sweaters, I packed all of them and asked him to make a stop at the dry cleaners on our way to Costco. As soon as he came to know that I was getting my sweaters dry cleaned, he said he needs to get his clothes dry cleaned too and started putting all his cotton sweat shirts in a bag. He had slept in some of those sweatshirts during the winter, he had washed them in the washing machine in warm/hot cycles many times before. I started laughing uncontrollably and told him that he could buy a new sweatshirt with the money he would spend on dry cleaning them and why is he dry cleaning them in the first place. He had no answer. As I was getting my sweaters dry cleaned, he wanted to get some of his clothes dry cleaned too.

    • LH

      Can you point out all the nasty chemicals used in dry cleaning? There are plenty of people (myself included) who aren’t fazed by the cost of dry cleaning, but are seriously freaked out by all the chemicals used (which I understand are harmful to the clothes, our bodies and the environment). Especially because he’s a stay at home dad and probably interacts with kids a lot through the day, he might not love the idea of coating his clothes in unnecessary chemicals.

    • Anon

      As a stay-at-home dad, is he the one who does the laundry? If so, I suspect that’s the real reason for the dry cleaning madness.

  9. Carrie

    I hate the new pop-up adds that you have added to this site, where the whole screen disappears and you are stuck in an ad page. Especially with a disgusting Dr. Oz ad, that looks like a male body part, is looking at me.

    The money grubbing is not a good look.

    • fyi

      Just saw your post that I assume went into moderation and it seems that lately any word with the letters “s i t e” goes into moderation.

  11. Target

    I recently bought some great casual summer dresses from Target, specifically Mossimo and Merona brands. I’ve never purchased either in the past. The labels say I can machine wash and tumble dry, which I want to be able to do… but I don’t know if they’ll shrink. None of the reviews on Target’s s!te are helping. I’d rather buy up a size and be able to dry them in the dryer than keep the smaller size that fits me as is. Does anyone have experience washing and drying these brands of dresses?

    • Cat

      Not the dresses, but I’ve had a few Merona knit tops over the years. The fabric is inexpensive and prone to pilling, so I machine wash (on warm) in a mesh bag and then air dry to prolong the life (which is still really only 1 or 2 seasons at most). No noticeable shrinking this way.

    • ELS

      I have a bunch of summer jersey dresses from Target and haven ever noticed a shrinking issue.

    • Sydney Bristow

      My Merona knit dress washes great. I let the laundromat do my laundry so I have no idea what settings they are using but it hasn’t shrunk and still looks great after 2 years.

    • Baconpancakes

      I’ve never had them shrink, but I generally don’t tumble dry a lot of my ponte (which most Mossimo dresses I’ve bought are).

    • Maddie Ross

      I personally find it’s hit or miss, which isn’t helpful I know, but I have had Target items shrink the past. The ponte items are usually pretty shrink-proof. The 100% cotton/jersey dresses have shrunk though. Usually not to the point that they are unwearable — just enough that when you wear them after laundering you notice they are a bit shorter.

    • Carrie

      Honestly, I never dry my clothes in the dryer anymore, except for cotton pjs etc.. I hang up everything to dry, after a quick tumble to remove a few wrinkles. Why risk it?

      The result? My clothes stretch out less, retain a vibrant color longer and consequently last longer. Even the cheap stuff.

      • Lyssa

        I’ve been hanging just about everything on a rack for the past several years, too (except junky old stuff, towels, sheets, baby clothes, that sort of thing), and it’s definitely better, and I feel good about saving electricity. A 10 minute or so tumble before hanging does as good a job of de-wrinkling as a full dry would, IMO.

      • anne-on

        This. My mother taught me to hang up anything ‘nice’ to air dry. Basically sheets/towels/undies/bathmats/pjs are the only things that go in the dryer. Everything else gets hung up on a folding rack. With this method my clothes last for a pretty long time…until my toddler gunks them up beyond repair.

      • Lily-student

        I only ever tumble-dry sheets, towels, and sometimes hoodies in the winter. Habit borne from when my parent’s tumble-dryer broke when I was about 17 and my mum didn’t bother getting it fixed, and then when I went to university and had to pay to tumble-dry the habit was embedded.

        Bonus: most of my pencil skirts air-dry crinkle free. Score!

      • Target

        Call me crazy but I would rather buy two of the same cheap dress than forgo tumble drying my casual clothes! Everyone has their thing, and my dryer is my thing. I’ve made my peace with it, and I don’t feel that bad about it. There are other ways to save more energy – for example, per EWG, if you eat one less burger a week, it will save as much energy as line-drying your clothes half the time… (a convenient factoid for me, since I’m a vegetarian).

        • tesyaa

          No criticism for using the dryer, but hanging will eliminate the possiblity of shrinking a garment that fits or unpredictable shrinkage of a garment in which you size up. (Murphy’s Law, but when I buy something with intent to shrink, it never shrinks in the right places).

        • PolyD

          And this is meant purely out of curiosity – why don’t you like hanging things to dry?

          I’m like many of those above – pretty much sheets, towels, underwear (not bras!), nightshirts, and old t-shirts or sweats I just use for sitting around the house are the only things that go in the dryer. Everything else gets hung up to dry. I am fortunate to have a large closet, so dresses, shirts, pants get hung wet (damp, really, my washer spins out most of the water) in the closet, gym clothes and bras go on a rack. I figure the stuff that dries in the closet has to end up there anyway, so it’s not like I’m making an extra step.

  12. Work "Summer Party" Attire?

    We have an annual summer party. The vast majority of the office is men and last year (my first of such events) they wore your basic Vineyard Vines/Brooks Brothers uniform. The two other women wore skinny white jeans and a flowy tops. White jeans terrify me, don’t look right on me and won’t be worn. Maxi dresses are tough to pull off for me, too. So, what’s a comparable outfit?

    I wore dark jeans last year, which (barely) worked, but this year I’m not sure and I’d like to feel more “appropriate”… we’re in someones backyard, but will have a very nice catered dinner. It’s a mid-afternoon and straight through the evening kind of event. I expect the men to wear the same thing as last year. Help!?

  13. appliances - help!

    I just moved into a new condo, and need to buy several appliances (oven/stove, washer and dryer). The amount of information on choosing appliances is overwhelming, and I am tempted to just set a budget and pick whatever fits into that.

    Does anyone have any advice on choosing appliances? Does having a higher cost/better brand name really make a difference in the long run? Should I pay a lot of attention to the features (e.g., front v. top loading washer), or are they mostly gimmicks?

    TIA!

    • Clementine

      If you’re in the US, this is the time to get a subscription to Consumer Reports/ Consumer Reports on-line. My grandmother swore by their recommendations, as do my in-laws and my engineer husband loves reading their reviews.

      I usually read Consumer Reports, narrow it down to 2-3, read up online, and then look for sales. Also, in my area we have a Sears Outlet that sells appliances at a really great price. We got a high quality front loader washer and dryer for 50% off the sticker price. The reason? The washer had a small dent in the bottom corner and the dryer had some minor scrapes to the finish on the top. These minor cosmetic things didn’t bother me at all, and I appreciated saving more than a grand!

      • Traditionalist

        I second the Consumer Reports recommendation — but if you have a library card, check with their online resources because they probably have a subscription you can use, so that you don’t have to purchase your own. Just another reason I love my local library!

        • Pest

          Thanks for the advice about the library resources. I was going to subscribe to Consumer Reports and sure enough my local library has it online. I can’t wait to see what else they have.

    • Baconpancakes

      How long will you be in the condo? Energy efficient and low-water use is worth it environmentally and financially if you’ll be there for a while, and getting something other than the cheapest brand will increase the condo’s resale value. Better brand names do tend to make a difference – especially when they come with longer warranties, because they do last longer, with fewer problems. Front loading is significantly more efficient, and and energy efficient dryer will actually make a huge dent in your electric bill. But you probably don’t need ALL the gimmicks -I saw one dryer that specifically had a shoe drying rack and cycle.

      • rosie

        We actually have that removable drying rack in ours (not the reason we got it), and I’ve used it a couple of times to freshen items that I want to steam in the dryer but not tumble, like sweaters (and yes, we have the steam settings…not sure how great they actually are, but I like the idea of them and do use them on occasion!).

    • rosie

      We read reviews on Home Depot online and Consumer Reports. I was mainly interested in getting something relatively energy efficient and something that didn’t have terrible reviews. There was one washer that was a good brand, but multiple reviews said it chewed up clothes–I was mainly looking for stuff like that to avoid.

    • Senior A t t orney

      I’m in the same boat. I don’t have a ton of advice on how to decide among the bazillions of options (I’ve just been asking everybody I know what they have and whether they like it, which has been reasonably helpful), but I do have a money-saving tip. I read an article online by Clark Howard about how he did his research and then made the actual purchase at the scratch-and-dent store. Turns out Sears has an online scratch-and-dent store where you can buy pretty much any appliance you want for up to 50% off, as long as you don’t mind, say, a scratch on top of the fridge where you won’t see it anyway. It’s http://www.searsoutlet.com and when I’m ready to buy I think that’s where I’m going to buy.

      (Edited to add apparently the double t’s in my handle were what was throwing my posts into moderation. That’s just crazy…)

    • Bonnie

      Buy Home Depot or Lowes coupons on Ebay. The stores honor each other’s coupons and it’s worth spending a few dollars to get 10% off. You can also get decent discounts for slightly dinged floor models.

  14. Flower

    I have the Sloan BR black skinny pants, and I find them perfect for the in-between of jeans and formal. Wear with a nice top – fancy! Wear with a more casual top – BBQ!

    I think a nice jersey dress or shift would be good as well, but it would depend on what you have in your closet.

  15. Tinderella

    Just joined Tinder, after the end of a serious relationship, mostly to get the little boost of self-esteem from matches and flirting. None of my friends on Tinder take it seriously – so I was a little surprised when I started chatting and a guy asked if I was ok with a relationship with a younger man (by 2 years).

    How does everyone else use Tinder? Any tips/suggestions/hilarious stories?

    • loco

      Tinder use varies widely – some people use it for super casual relations, but I have friends who have started serious LTR on it as well. It just depends on what you’re looking for. Generally, the ones looking for super casual things will be obvious (‘hang out tonight?’ or will include their snapchat or insta). I’ve gone on a few first dates from tinder but none of them turned into a relationship. My current SO I met on coffeemeetsbagel, another app which gives you a new person every day, but is like tinder in that you check ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Another variation on tinder that is more for dating/relationships is hinge.

    • TO Lawyer

      I will fully admit that I LOVE tinder. I find it really fun and generally low stakes. And I agree with loco – it depends on what you’re looking for – I’ve met and dated some really great guys (as have some of my friends) but also met some guys that are just looking for a casual thing – which is pretty evident.

      Have some cute pictures of yourself and just have fun with it – I find it’s a pretty great ego boost at the very least!

  16. BB

    Is it crazy for me to shell out $400 for a second pair of these shoes I already own? I really love them (nude suede 1″ pumps with a round heel), and haven’t seen them anywhere else, and I’m kind of worried that they’ll stop making them in a year or two, my current ones will break, and I’ll be left stranded. It just feels a bit weird to me to shell out that much for shoes that will literally be sitting in the back of my closet for potentially 2 years.

    • tesyaa

      If you are sure that you will want to be wearing the same style 4 years from now, it’s not crazy at all. They might or might not look dated in a few years, but if you know you will love them, go ahead.

      Unless you are contemplating pregnancy, of course, because some people do find their size changes after pregnancy.

    • Anne Shirley

      Yes. 2 years from now, your feet may be a slightly different shape , and fashions will have changed. I’m not convinced nude suede has staying power.

      • BB

        Hmm…didn’t really think about my feet possible changing size (although I’m definitely not planning on being pregnant). That’s definitely something to consider.

        The style is pretty classic. It’s probably more of a tan/beige suede (slightly darker than nude for me) and a very basic work pump, so I don’t think the style will be a huge issue. I wear them right now with any outfit that isn’t navy/black/brown/dark gray. I wish the manufacturer (Varda) had an online photo.

        Thanks!

        • anon

          My feet have changed size without major weight change or a pregnancy. Huuuuuge bummer.

    • TXLawyer

      Your feet aren’t going to change size (at least not considerably), I say go for it! I do this with running shoes I love (usually $120) because every other year or so they make a new model that I inevitably don’t love quite as much!

    • Flower

      So – my feet have shrunk in the past year. I realize this isn’t normal behavior, but I’m about a 1/2 size to a size smaller than before. Part of that was some weight loss (about 25-30lbs), but my feet hadn’t gotten substantially larger from the weight gain that I noticed, so….just another perspective.

      • kellyandthen

        This happened to me, too! Same amount of weight lost, same size loss in feet.
        I also discovered that I truly do have narrow feet and when I can buy a 9.5N or 9.5, not a 10M. I have walked out of so many great pairs of shoes since losing weight, it’s an annoying side product!

      • BB

        Uh oh. I am totally targeting about 20lbs weight loss right now. I will have to see if I can find anything from when I weighed that much back 3 years ago and make sure my shoe size hasn’t increase…I don’t think it has. I think I’ve been 9-9.5 forever.

    • ss

      If you do get them, don’t leave them in the back of your closet, wear them in rotation with your current pair. Unless you have ideal storage conditions, bad stuff happens to unworn new shoes – leather picks up mold, soles with rubber/ plastic content dry up and get brittle – whereas rotating extends the useful life of both pairs since they’ll have time to ‘breathe’ in between wears.

      • Maddie Ross

        Agree with this. My I have two pairs of my favorite pumps (the Stuart Weitzman Platswoon) in both nude for me and black. I rotate them so they wear more evenly and can breathe between wears, even if I want to wear the “same” pair several days in a row.

    • Hollis

      Post a link please! I would love to see what pair you love so much! Also, like others have already noted, my pregnancies made my feet wider and longer and gave me a bunion on one side. Good times.

  17. Sydney Bristow

    If you collect United miles, just a heads up that the shopping portal has 10 mes per dollar at Nordstrom right now.

  18. anon-oh-no

    I got this Elie Tahari dress at the NAS and I totally love it (Item #806909). I purchased a similar one last year in black (this one comes in black and navy) which I like a lot even though its a bit body con. But this one has a bit of pleating in the middle that is perfect. it doesn’t add weight to my midsection at all.

    It has sleeves, is a great knee-length, is lined and is very comfortable.

    It does have an exposed zipper in the back, but I don’t mind them at all.

    http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/elie-tahari-hallie-elbow-sleeve-knit-sheath-dress/3730424?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Navy+Yard&resultback=4651&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_12_C

  19. Maddie Ross

    Question re Rag & Bone booties — I love the Rag & Bone booties that were everywhere thing spring and are in the NAS in black. However, I do not love them $350 worth (even in the sale). Has anyone come across anything similiar in a less expensive style/brand? I would still want leather, but am thinking like the $150-200 range at most for such a trendy style.

  20. McGiggles

    Any suggestions for reputable shops on etsy that make custom made engagement rings? TIA!

    • Veronica Mars

      Not an etsy seller, but David Klass does fantastic custom work and seems pretty well-reviewed on the Pricescope forum (diamond addicts). What in particular appeals to you about etsy sellers? Is it the expanded choices of stones, design work, etc? If you give me a little more to work with, I can offer more suggestions. I’m too obsessed with jewelry for my own good.

  21. AIMS

    This is a cute dress though not really my style, but I just wanted to say that I LOVE the way it’s paired with the orange (suede?) shoes.

  22. no habla espanol

    Does anyone have any good suggestions for brushing up on a language? I’ve never been fluent in Spanish, but I used to speak well enough to carry on a conversation. I haven’t used my Spanish regularly for years, though, and I’m losing so much of it. Some people in my office have expressed interest in doing a monthly Spanish lunch, but I’d like to brush up a bit before organizing it. I’d also like to avoid dropping $300/$400 on computer software. Thanks!

    • Anon Worker Bee

      Duolingo is free, has several languages, and the Android app is very easy to use. I often do a lesson or two on my phone while watching TV in the evenings.

      • BB

        +1! Someone on here recommended this to me about a year ago. It’s been great for picking up “enough to get by” on trips to Rome and Quebec.

    • Parfait

      I second Duolingo. It’s fun, and lets you test out of earlier levels if you already have some knowledge.

  23. Emmabean

    My ring was designed by my fiance and made by Brian Gavin. From what I understand, they are lovely people. We are going to buy our wedding rings from them soon, too!

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