Where to Find Eco-Friendly Suits for Women

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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.

Last week I was scrolling through H&M for research for our post on the best nursing camisoles, and was surprised to see that their “Conscious” section includes SUITS. Whaaaaat?

I'd love to hear from you guys where your favorite eco-friendly suits are from — in my experience, basic suits can be one of the hardest things to thrift because there are so many teeny tiny style changes to the structure of the suit (shoulder padding, lapel width, etc.) that finding the right “basic” look is really difficult. And most of the eco-friendly brands I know about don't offer suiting.

But H&M does — indeed, they have a number of slouchy cool suits with single buttons, double buttons, and more (cropped jackets! loooong jackets!) — all in their Conscious collection, which H&M defines as:

We also have Conscious choice: pieces created with a little extra consideration for the planet. Each Conscious choice product contains at least 50% of more sustainable materials — like organic cotton or recycled polyester — but many contain a lot more than that. 

Awesome! The pictured blazer is $34.99 and is available in four colors sizes XS–XXL; the outer layer is partially made from recycled polyester.

Where to Find Eco-Friendly Suits for Women

Wondering where to find eco-friendly suits for women? As of 2024, check out Theory, Ministry of Supply, LK Bennett, and Aday — and for more gender-neutral suiting, try Kirrin Finch and Wildfang, both of which offer extended sizes. NET-A-PORTER has some pricey options like Stella McCartney in their NET SUSTAIN section.

Some Great Recent Eco-Friendly Suits for Women in 2025

Another Tomorrow

lilac pants suit

Another Tomorrow is a bit pricy (OK, a lot pricy), but that's OK!

As we noted in our post featuring three smaller workwear brands to know about, Another Tomorrow is focusing on sustainability.

Their website states:

Our collection pushes the boundaries of what responsibly grown and ethically manufactured materials can achieve. Sensual, strong, and proportioned to flatter many forms, they are clothes suited for the modern warrior and meant to be lasting wardrobe staples.

The brand was created by Vanessa Barboni Hallik while she was on sabbatical from a finance job. Many of their best-sellers come in 8+ colors; they offer US sizes 0-14. You can also find the brand at Saks and at NET-A-PORTER. If you order directly from the site they offer complimentary shipping and returns.

I do like that the suit is 100% wool, and the lining is 92% cupro, 8% elastane — just a bit of stretch! — as well as the fact that it’s been “made with responsibly sourced wool, originating from farms protecting animal welfare and implementing progressive land management practices.”

The blazer is $1390, available in Italian sizes 36-48, and the pants are $690, available in Italian sizes 38-50.

LK Bennett

professional woman wears navy suit with high buttoned collar; pockets have pleat details.

Eco-friendly suits are few and far between, so I’m excited that *some* of the suiting at L.K. Bennett is in their Conscious line.

Although the brand notes that it has “always championed slow fashion,” they’ve committed to further reducing their impact with the LKB Conscious line. They describe these steps as including “the materials we use, the suppliers we work with, and the packaging we wrap and deliver our pieces in.”

This navy skirt suit looks great – I love the pleat details on the pockets and the high neckline. I do wish the skirt had a few more inches on it, but perhaps that’s the model.

(Also: this is an excellent example of wearing flats with a skirt suit, which can be a bit tricky.)

The skirt is $270, and the blazer is $450; both pieces are available in sizes 2-14.

Where to Find MORE Eco-Friendly Clothes to Wear to Work

As of 2024: If you're hunting for eco-friendly clothes to wear to work, check out major brands like Boden, Eileen Fisher, Hobbs, LK Bennett, Karen Kane, Ministry of Supply, Reformation, Ted Baker, Theory, and Treasure & Bond (by Nordstrom). Sustainable luxury brands include Acne Studios, Chloé, Gucci, Loeffler Randall, Mara Hoffman, Stella McCartney, and Vivienne Westwood. Nordstrom has a big section devoted to sustainable style!

Also try smaller eco-friendly workwear brands like these:

Where to Find Eco-Friendly Suits for Women

Wondering where to find eco-friendly suits for women? As of 2024, check out Theory, Ministry of Supply, LK Bennett, and Aday — and for more gender-neutral suiting, try Kirrin Finch and Wildfang, both of which offer extended sizes. NET-A-PORTER has some pricey options like Stella McCartney in their NET SUSTAIN section.

Where to Find Eco-Friendly Plus Size Workwear

Eco-friendly plus-size workwear can be even harder to find! As of 2024, these are the ones we know about — you might also want to check our roundup of made-to-measure clothing.

173 Comments

  1. Any advice from minoxidil users so I don’t look like a greasy mess for the rest of my life?

    After my hair started falling out last summer (!), I finally saw a dermatologist in January. She thinks my hair loss is due to a medication change (stopping spironolactone) possibly worsened by “stress” of heavy bleeding from my crazy perimenopausal crap. I am back on spirono and not anemic now but my hair is still shedding and my hairline receding and I am struggling with using minoxidil as I see where things stabilize (ie. “Come back and see the doctor in 6 months!!”).

    How the heck do you use minoxidil when you are supposed to put it over your entire scalp?!?! My doctor just shrugged. “do the best you can”. No advice. I have long hair. It takes me 20-30 minutes and by the time I’m done my hair is greasy and the next morning… crunchy and nasty. And since I am only supposed to wash it 2x per week …. I am not looking good.

    Anyone figure this out? Are most people not using it everywhere?

    And did anyone have MORE hair loss immediately after starting it? How long did it take you to see an effect?

    ugh.

    1. I just learned that minoxidil is crazy toxic to cats, so it’s probably a no go for me.

      They do make a foam.

      The doctors managing my endocrine issues were not great. Lara Briden’s Period Repair Manual ended up helping me more. I haven’t read her perimenopause book, but I plan to. I wouldn’t normally refer to someone with her credentials, but academic medicine has a real ‘giving a darn’ problem when it comes to women’s health.

      1. Yes, I am using the foam. 5%

        Thanks for the rec. I am seeing a GYN next month to ?help and searching for a new PCP. All my doctor’s left medicine during COVID….

    2. I started using topical Rogaine for female pattern hair loss about 4 months ago (went back for my initial check up today, and she said I have lots of little baby hairs about to emerge!). She told me to use it over my whole scalp, and I find that easiest with the liquid application. I only use the amount that is marked on the dropper and have a pattern where I kind of hold my hair up so that I can feel the dropper on my scalp and then drag it across in sort of a grid pattern. I do make absolutely sure there is some liquid on the areas with the most hair loss, and other than that, I figure it’s mostly getting covered most of the time and call it good. After I do my grid pattern, I rub it in with my fingers so that it doesn’t drip and it feels like it spreads out more that way. The whole thing takes me just a few minutes twice a day. I think since I use so little of it, it doesn’t make my scalp greasy (I have very dry hair anyway, admittedly). It looks a little damp for about 30 mins but then dries and I can’t even tell I put it on. I use the brand name, maximum strength (the one that says it’s for men and women shouldn’t use it). I also only wash my hair twice a week. I use dry shampoo maybe 1-2 days, depending on my workout schedule and how my hair looks after workouts. I use it twice a day most days, but admittedly sometimes I forget in the mornings, and I don’t use it the mornings I wash because my hair air dries.

      The shedding at first is VERY common. My dermatologist said that this happens because it speeds up what phase the hair is in at the beginning, so all the hair that’s falling out would have fallen out eventually. It just stinks that it falls out all at the same time. The worst of the shed was at about 6 weeks for me, and then it turned a corner, and now I shed less than I did before I started using it.

      I’m also on Viviscal Pro hair vitamins and I got the iRestore helmet. So I’m not sure what’s working out of those 3 or if it’s a combo effect, but 4 months into this regimen, it is working for me.

      1. This is so helpful. Thank you!!

        My Derm told me to use the foam, which get so easily stuck in the hair that it becomes very messy. Your strategy seems better.

        Do you think the iRestore helmet seem worth it? How are you using it?

    3. My derm told me to focus application on the worst loss spots, which for me, is my front hairline. I only apply at night – not at night and in the morning, and so I use two full droppers of the liquid when I apply (which is the same dose I would use if I was doing it twice a day). I apply it at my front hairline, and then tilt my head back so the liquid runs across the rest of my scalp. After a few seconds to allow the product to spread, I massage the minoxidil in with my fingertips, and then thoroughly wash my hands.

      I have not tried the foam because I read some reviews of people saying it made their hair hard to style in the morning and I don’t have the time (okay, really the desire) to deal with that. I had some mishaps with the liquid when I first started using it, but I have it down now.

      Also – yes, when you first start using minoxidil you can go through what’s called the “dread shed” where your hair loss temporarily accelerates. It is extremely alarming, or it was for me, because I started using minoxidil way after I should have (I waited a full year after I saw the dermatologist, got diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia, and had it recommended to me) and losing more hair when I felt like I was already near-bald was terrifying. BUT! I have now been on minoxidil about eight months, and while my hair is not what it used to be, I no longer cringe looking in the mirror, or worry that in a strong breeze my hair will rearrange and people will be able to see how much hair I’d lost. I also cut bangs, which helps a ton if you’re like me, and the hair loss is mostly in the front.

      Try switching formulas – not just mousse to liquid but different brands; I use the Amazon generic brand because it’s cost-effective and I can have it on auto-ship every three months. Hang in there. It took three months of daily use for me to see any real difference in my thinning hair, but I am sooooo glad I got on the minoxidil when I did. Without it I think I’d be in a wig now (which is fine if people are fine with it but not what I wanted to do).

      As an FYI the Reddit female hair loss subreddit can be really helpful when you first start treating your hair loss.

      1. Thank you so much for this reassurance. My Derm did not prepare me for the additional hair loss and it is so depressing. Your advice is so helpful. I love all your suggestions. You are so right…bangs are in my future….

    4. You can take minoxidil orally – can you ask your derm to prescribe the pill form?

      1. This is such a surprise to me. So much more convenient and I would think, more effective? Do you know why/when the rec topical vs oral?

        I will make an earlier appointment to ask about this.

        Thank you to everyone on this thread. You guys are the best.

        1. I commented above but am replying here because I have info on this question, at least from my dermatologist. She told me that whatever treatment works, I have to keep doing it basically forever or the hair will fall out again (and sometimes the treatment stops working and you have to go up a step). So given that, she advised starting with topical because it’s effective for some people and it has less chance of side effects. The pill is actually a heart drug— you take it for hair loss in a very low dose, but the potential for side effects is still there for sure. I do not know if you can take oral minoxidil and spiro at the same time, so that might also be a factor for you.

          I use the iRestore helmet every other night for 25 minutes, usually while I’m just watching tv or reading. It’s pretty silly looking, but it’s got kind of a nice warming sensation, so I don’t mind it. I got the information on it from Dr Dray on YouTube. She is a dermatologist and has some really great video talking about all the options for female hair loss— highly recommend! She is sponsored by iRestore, so that is a potential strike, but it’s literally the only sponsorship she has and I trust her opinion due to her other videos. Jury is still out on it!

          I don’t know if your dermatologist had a reason for recommending the foam. I did not like the foam because it was hard to get onto my scalp without it sticking to my hair. The dropper helps get the serum exactly where it needs to me. I feel like the foam is a good solution when you don’t have much long hair, but having said that, some people do prefer it. That’s just my $0.02.

          1. I should also add that my dermatologist told me today she doesn’t usually proactively recommend her patients get one of the light helmets because they’re expensive and the evidence isn’t as solid as she likes, but that it won’t hurt and might help so I should keep using it if I like it. She said one of her colleagues who specializes in hair does recommend them, my particular doctor just wants to see a little more evidence before telling all her patients to get one.

          2. Thank you again for all of this useful information. I totally understand the issues with the iRestore and will think about it. I also went to look at the Dr Dray YouTube videos and that (and Reddit!) will be very useful resources. I just hope Dr. Dray is ok…. she is so ill/unhealthy appearing that it is unsettling to me to watch.

    5. My husband has the iRestore helmet (he also uses topical minoxidil but not the foam). IMHO the helmet helps. My infant twins had cranial shaping helmets for a while and they seemed tickled that their dad also has a helmet. I believe the helmet has a one year money back guarantee, so I think a lot of people send it back after 364 days and get their money back. My husband contacted them six months in and they said “eh keep it another six months. We’ll take it back at a year and give you your refund.” So it might be worth trying.

      1. Wow – what a warranty. Thank you for sharing that. Makes it much more attractive!

        So cute about your twins!

        I’m so glad you guys are sharing that no one is using the foam, since both the doc and the RN told me to get the foam, and from my limited reading, that seemed to be the easier one to apply. I’ll give the solution a try too.

  2. Anyone have experience dealing with a sensitive boyfriend? Mine has gotten a lot better, but he still has a tendency to get his feelings hurt pretty easily. For example, I made a joke about how his friends always tease me by saying “what are you doing with him? You’re way too sweet for him.” He kind of freaked out at me and said “Oh my god! If you don’t trust me at this point, what are we even doing here?” in a very angry tone. He apologized later and I explained it was a joke and that I trust him, which made him more apologetic. Last night though, I made a comment asking if he hadn’t been attracted to me when we first met based on something small he’d said. I’ve asked this before and I’m trying to stop the reassurance-seeking behavior in general, but he got very upset and wound up snapping about “this is the last time we will ever talk about this!” a bunch of times after I apologized. I am trying to work on my side of the street (not seeking reassurance, being careful with words), but I wonder if there are other ways to approach dealing with someone’s sensitivity in a way that doesn’t reward the outbursts but also doesn’t add to them.

    1. Nope. Yall just are not a good fit. He’s sensitive, you need reassurance, that’s just a recipe for disaster.

    2. I’m going to be blunt here. Your “friends” are jerks if they’re saying that sort of thing, and you’re not on the right side of things if you’re not shutting it down immediately (much less mentioning it to him). If you are, in any way, shape or form okay with their assessment, then you need to cut your boyfriend loose and get on with his life. That sort of comment isn’t a joke. He is not being oversensitive.

      1. It was HIS friends that made the joke. I still think it was kinda sh!tty for the OP to say that, though.

        1. Ah, I see… yes – his friends are jerks. Still, bringing up others’ hurtful comments is a jerk move.

      2. It’s his friends, not hers, which I think is a bit different. I feel like this is a pretty common type of teasing among guy friends, even if it isn’t very nice .

      3. The boyfriend’s friends said that, and she needed to shut it down by whatever method works for her. Cold look. Confusion and “I’m the lucky one here.” “I know when I have a good thing and Luke is the greatest.” Just. Shut. It. Down.

      4. OP here – thank you all for this feedback! Super super helpful. I especially appreciate getting called out for maybe have been being rude. For additional context, his friends are always making comments about me being very sweet and asking “what is she doing with him??” I think of my boyfriend as a very kind person, so it had always kind of confused me as a joke. I asked him about it in a teasing way by saying “Why do they say this? What are these hidden things I’m missing?” and he got super upset about it. Does my teasing seem rude here? I hadn’t meant it as a genuine comment (and I definitely don’t think I’m better than him by any stretch of the imagination). I think his friends are just more “fratty” than I’m used to and I kind of wanted to better understand the joke.

        1. His friends are not friends. They are assholes. There’s no joke in it – “funny-not-funny” comments aren’t jokes. If you’re going to move forward with this relationship, or any relationship, you need to have your partner’s back and they yours’.
          Honestly, shedding the sort of acquaintances who act the way his “friends” do was one of the most liberating parts of moving from my 20’s to my 30’s.

          1. OP again. I think they’re assholes too, and have commented to him about a lot of other things that they’ve said that have seemed problematic in general. I’ve tried to be more go-with-the-flow, since he got upset with me previously for lightly commenting that they are a bit bro-y and unkind. Part of ‘going-with-the-flow’ has been trying to joke along when they make comments about us, but it is hard to navigate since it’s so far out from my usual sense of humor and what I’m comfortable with.

          2. Anonymous, I want to say this kindly because I want it to be said to you the ay I would have wanted it said to younger me:

            In romantic relationships, never, ever let a word pass your lips that is in agreement with the negative opinion of your SO held by an asshole.

            This always ends badly. It hurts so hard when the person who is supposed to love you agrees with the garbage spewed by someone who they know is an asshole.

            My husband has a woman in his family who has always been a bitch to him. I come on the scene and she’s an even bigger bitch to me, and ropes her kids into it too. Husband thinks the way to family harmony is to try to get me to understand that she has a point. This went on for months.
            He stopped doing it when I, an almost pathologically mild mannered person, put both middle fingers up to his face, cursed at him, and said that marrying him was the biggest mistake in my life.

            If his kind, insightful parents had something to say about me and he listened to their opinion, I would want to fix it. But taking that heinous hell witch’s side? Die. In. A. Fire.

          3. I’d be removing myself from the situation, then, even if it means breaking up. You can’t control if he remains friends with these guys, but you can control if you want any part of it (I know I wouldn’t).

        2. Yes, your ‘teasing’ seems rude. You know he gets upset about it so why ask him? Do you want him to tell you you are better than he is? Why do you continue to let his friends say rude things instead of shutting them down? Is it feeding your ego?

          1. He’d never gotten upset by it before. It was always a thing they all laughed about. It was only when I asked about it that he got upset, which is why I guess I was confused about why the question seemed mean. Also – I don’t think the joke is about me being “better” than him, so much as “too sweet.” They say it as though he’s unkind in private or with them, which I wanted clarity on it.

          2. Dude, read the room. Guys use this stupid joke when they’re not-so-subtly telling their bro that their girl is better than them. Yeah, he’s gonna be hurt when you ask for clarification.

            At any rate, your interactions sound exhausting. And to some degree, you are the company you keep, so if you don’t like the bro-vibe of his friends … well, there’s a reason why he gets along with them.

    3. Eh, there’s something about this dynamic that isn’t great. You’re both fishing for compliments and kind of insulting him (first example)? Yeah, he overreacted a little bit, but I actually think that joke is somewhat hurtful.

    4. this level of emotions-management and fight-apologize cycle is frankly not one I’d be interested in a long term future with. TBH I think you were kind of rude for teasing him about you being better than him, but his response seems way, way out of proportion.

    5. Both of these things are a case where you’re looking for your boyfriend to say he’s the luckiest guy on earth to be with you.

      Unfortunately he’s wired to be defensive about it.

      And if you’re wired to need that kind of constant praise and reassurance, then he’s a really bad fit for you. He’s never going to give you what you need.

      1. OP here — ooh! This is so interesting. Can you elaborate on what similarities you see?

        1. She’s super needy to the point of ruining a good thing with her insecurity and her man is not good at communicating.

    6. I’m very sensitive and your boyfriend doesn’t sound sensitive to me. Sounds more like he gets angry easily, which I think is pretty different than just being sensitive.

        1. He’s a bully because he gets upset that his girlfriend is saying mean things about him? I don’t think so.

          1. I was agreeing that he seems to not be able to manage anger in a productive way.

          1. FWIW I agree with this, too. Bullying doesn’t always mean mocking or physical behavior – emotional bullying (like overreacting angrily rather than simply saying that hurt his feelings) is a thing too.

            tbh you two sound like a bad fit. And if your guy claims he doesn’t like his friends’ bro-behavior but then gets mad at you for having the nerve to agree with him? Cut your losses girl.

          2. “overreacting angrily rather than simply saying that hurt his feelings” this, exactly.

    7. Different take on this: saying OP is “too sweet” for BF would read to me like they’re saying she’s naive or in the dark about something.
      That also tracks with BF jumping immediately to “don’t you *trust * me?”
      I thought OP wanted clarification because she wants to know why they would say that, ie why they would imply that he’s not a sweet guy.
      They didn’t say she’s too smart or too pretty or too sensible. They used a compliment that has these undertones.

      1. OP here – exactly!!! To my mind, saying someone is ‘too sweet’ for someone is by no means saying you’re better than them. Especially with guys in their twenties, I don’t think there’s a lot of people basing their entirety worth on their sweetness or even taking being called sweet as a compliment.

        I just made a joking-ish comment being like “What skeletons are you hiding that would prompt them to always harp on this?” I think of him as a sweet/kind person, so it was disorienting that they kept acting like he’s some different guy with them. He freaked out at me and said some variation of “how dare you not trust me?” and “You are not believing who I am with you.”

        I don’t think he thought that I was saying I was out of his league or anything like that. He never gets upset when they make the comments they do. He was just very angry that I would dare wonder what (if anything) his friends’ comments were alluding to or ask if they didn’t think he was as kind as I think he is.

        1. Um ok then – with this context, he’s worried bc his friends know his past history and are giving you a legit warning. His reaction is … kind of proving their point. Bye. (And work on yourself too.)

        2. Yeah, with this confirmation, I don’t think it’s weird you asked. They could just be immature, or he could actually have some iffy past behavior.
          I think I would find it off-putting to be described as “too sweet” for someone and would read it as dismissive of me. So this is where I connect up with the “friends are jerks” opinions aired so far

    8. Relationships should not be hard like this. Find someone you are more compatible with. If you married this guy it would be a slog. When it’s right, it’s fun.

  3. Any advice for me, as I know I’m stressing more than I should be over something that should be a pretty normal work situation? At my last job (which had started out great), we had a consultant come in and give personality tests. Afterward, it created almost a caste system where folks were defined by these profiles and project opportunities were given or limited as a result. (Think things like “sure, you’ve had X years of successful project management experience and creating order is your second-highest trait, but from now on all projects will be overseen by those where it was their leading trait.”) Then it got incredibly clique-y. There also was a lot of 360 organizational and management reviews, and I feel like I paid dearly–even when I didn’t participate in the anonymous review, I think my boss assumed I did because he told me not to be negative when we had a second one. Despite outstanding performance reviews, he eliminated my position when budget cuts came. Fast forward to now, where I’m (thankfully) working somewhere new that isn’t toxic and is small. But I just learned they are calling in a consultant and I will have to have a one on one to discuss where I think the organization and management can improve. I don’t want to do this or even be around this. I feel unreasonably anxious and worried at just thought. It’s like PTSD or something. I don’t plan to say anything negative, but I’m worried nonetheless. Or do I go in with something really trivial that is negative just to have something to say, so I don’t inadvertently say something wrong on the spot? They haven’t talked personality tests thankfully. Any tips for me on how to get through this? The amount of stress this is creating is just so embarrassing.

    1. I hate these exercises and also have been burned in the past. Make your comments as positive (or vague) as possible. Don’t say anything that can specifically be traced back to you or your department; keep it general. And get out of there quickly.

    2. I don’t have great advice, but I just want to say that the situation at your last job was not normal at all. Very toxic and bizarre. This is a different situation with different people and a different consultant. It’s not the same. Hang in there.

      1. +1 I dislike most personality tests and that kind of environment sounds awful.

    3. I would just deflect by saying, I’m new and I don’t feel that I’ve observed/experienced enough to comment on that…

    4. Ugh man my last workplace had everyone do the enneagram. And then our director got really into the enneagram and every staff member was typecast according to their results. It was not pleasant.

  4. Does anyone have any great tofu recipes? My partner and I would like to eat it more. Thank you!

    1. I like to cube and fry and pour a can of manwhich (sp?) over to make sandwiches. I actually prefer over using ground beef.

    2. No matter which recipe I use, I make sure to really press it to get the moisture out even if it’s extra firm (like, wrapped in paper towels under a stack of heavy plates for an hour or two).

      1. I did this for a while, and still was getting pretty bland results after pressing and marinating. I’ve upped the amount of marinade considerably, and it’s made a big difference. Basically, if you marinade meat or veggies, you want to coat the surface. If you marinade tofu, it will soak up larger volumes like a sponge, so you have to give it more. I never measure it, but maybe 5 tbsp of soy sauce to a block of tofu?

    3. Ma po tofu (just be sure to use silken tofu). Also with silken tofu: sundubu-jjigae. Still using only silken tofu: chocolate pudding.

    4. I like tofu but hate pressing it. One of my favorite recipes is Budget Bytes Quick Vegetarian Tofu Stif Fry. So easy and delicious, no pressing required.

    5. I have a lot of recs, but only if you like Asian food, in particular traditional Chinese and Japanese food. The most important thing to learn about tofu is that there are a variety of textures, ranging from super soft/silken that it practically melts in your mouth, to firm dried bean curd where the spongy/rubber texture is a feature and not a bug in Chinese cooking. Most tofu you buy at an Asian supermarket does not require pressing – you buy the correct texture for what you’re cooking. Firmer tofus for stir-fries, silkier tofus for soups and stews.

      1. I bake mine but I never thought to slice it before I pressed it. Brilliant! Thank you for sharing the link.

    6. I’m vegetarian and eat tofu a lot. Minimalist Baker has a ton of great recipes and advice on technique https://minimalistbaker.com/best-tofu-recipes/

      Tofu tastes like nothing, so make sure to always cook with a sauce or top with a flavorful sauce. My favorite is Trader Joe’s Soyaki for pan-frying tofu. Honestly I’ve never marinated tofu, just cook it in a sauce of some sort or top with a sauce once it’s done.

      1. Oh also! If you buy firm tofu you don’t *really* need to press it if you’re lazy. I usually just wrap it in a kitchen towel and gently squeeze to get the excess water out.

    7. Mapo tofu, curry with vegetables and tofu (soooo easy), NYT Baked Tofu With Peanut Sauce and Coconut-Lime Rice, NYT Crispy Tofu With Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas

    8. Despite being a vegetarian or vegan for most of my life, I don’t eat a ton of tofu.But once I discovered black salt, I turned into a big fan of scrambled tofu. I cook some onions and other veggies first, then scramble the tofu with black salt, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and a little turmeric and mix the veggies back in and heat until warm. It’s good with beans, potatoes, in breakfast burritos, etc. and reheats pretty well so you can make a batch and have it for several breakfasts.

  5. Help me plan a short porch c*cktail party, where I need one drink to make (there will also be beer/wine) and two nibbles (for 2 couples; duration 1.5 hours). It’s warm enough for outdoor entertaining! But I am out of practice. Open to anything as long as the pieces go together. We’re trying to adult here (but I am 100% OK with Triscuits and easy cheese as emergency standbys for quantity issues).

    1. This is our go-to warm weather drink. (It was originally published in Country Living mag sometime during the pandemic, but it’s behind a paywall on their website.) To say that it’s drinkable would be an understatement. Just buy a bottle of Ocean Spray grapefruit juice, rather than squeezing your own, and whatever you do, don’t get the diet juice – it’s worth the calories. https://imbibemagazine.com/recipe/the-old-man-and-the-sea-hemingway-daiquiri/

      I’m not much help on apps. I made what I remembered being one of my favorites for NYE at home with DH and was let down, so I need to refresh those go-tos.

    2. I like Negronis: One (or two) part gin, one part Campari, one part sweet vermouth, garnished with an orange twist, serve over ice.

      For a nibble, I like dates stuffed with feta and two almonds, wrapped in bacon, bake at 425 for 15 minutes or so.

      1. I bought a small bottle of Campari so I could try making those fun drinks that call for it, but I started with a Negroni that was so undrinkably vile that I wondered if something was wrong with the stuff in the bottle.

    3. Sidecar is my favorite. There are lots of recipes online but it’s basically fresh lemon juice, cognac or brandy, and Cointreau or triple sec. I tend not to sugar the rim because that can get sticky, but that is a traditional touch.

      No one is ever mad at a pitcher of margaritas either, just saying.

    4. Lynchburg lemonade is a favorite of mine (extra bonus if you have flavored simple syrups for folks to add to their own taste).
      Union Square cafe bar buts with double everything but the salt – as written I find the recipe a bit bland, with the extra spices it becomes more like spicy candied rosemary nuts and they are addictive.

  6. Anyone been to Seward or Homer Alaska have any recommendations for dining or outdoor activities to share? Planning a trip for this summer. TIA!

    1. It is not what you requested, but the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward is definitely worth a visit.

    2. Wild Honey Bistro in Homer for breakfast, AJ’s OldTown Steakhouse & Tavern for dinner. During the pandemic they were doing take out and we went and had our meal on the beach and it was the most lovely evening ever. Not sure if they’re still doing that, though.

      Resurrect Art Coffee House in Seward. A favorite of Lydia Jacoby!

      1. Oh and for outdoor activities, *the* thing to do in Homer is a halibut charter. Expensive and you will definitely get seasick, but we filled our freezer with enough halibut to last us more than a year, so it was worth it. If you don’t want to do a charter, walking around down on the spit is still fun.

          1. Not that anon, but if you’re my husband, you fish on your last day and bring a collapsible Yeti cooler with you ha.

          2. I know lots of these companies clean, flirt, wrap, and freeze your fish for you on-site, and will mail it to you in frozen packaging. It seems like a freezer-full would be expensive.

          3. *filet, not flirt

            But if you’re my good looking Alaskan nephews with their own fishing boat, you probably also flirt

          4. Fish boxes with dry ice and you check them on the airline. Or the places that will process it can ship it for you, but that’s more expensive.

          5. Please tell me more about these nephews, because it’s true when they say that in Alaska the odds are good but the goods are odd!

          6. One nephew is single, one is in a relationship and it could not be truer that the goods are odd!!!

    3. Seward is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. I highly recommend a kayaking trip to Aialik Glacier. We went with Kayak Adventures Worldwide. It’s expensive, but was the highlight of a two week trip to Alaska that included five national parks and wildlife sightings nearly every day, and is probably among my top five travel experiences ever. We saw a ton of wildlife, from both the kayak and the boat that ferried us to that kayak launch point. Seals, sea lions, sea otters, porpoises, humpback whales, puffins, jellyfish…I have been to a lot of places and have never seen such a density of wildlife like that. The scenery is spectacular. I’m not athletic and thought the kayaking itself was pretty easy. It’s very sheltered and calm where you actually kayak. The boat to the kayak launch is rougher, and I would recommend meds if you get seasick (I don’t). We also hiked the Harding Icefield Trail in the park, which was very fun and scenic too.

      We liked the Salmon Bake restaurant in Seward, it was our best meal in Alaska (which is admittedly not saying a whole lot) and we went there twice.

      1. This is good to know as I was worried about kayaking as a not athletic person! Thanks!

  7. I was in an accident recently where I was sitting in the left lane at a red light and a truck in the right lane made a right turn, swung too wide and came into my lane hitting the side of my car. The young male drivers are claiming that I was driving too close to them, and it’s their word against mine. I want to get a dash cam to defend myself in the future. Any recs?

        1. Also happened to me. The guy who T boned me sued me, the insurance companies settled with 50-50 fault, and it was an at fault on my insurance record for years.

          He sued me because he didn’t have collision coverage and his vehicle was a total loss. It (lying and suing me) worked out well for him because he got 50% of his vehicle’s value paid through my liability coverage.

          1. I got hit in my car in a parking lot by a guy speeding and texting while I was stationary (I had stopped and was waiting to pull into an empty spot once he had gone by). He ended up claiming I hit him and the photos made it look like I had clipped his car while turning. I tried to get CCTV footage but the store claimed there were no cameras. We had the same insurance company and they sided with him. It ended up being an at fault accident on my record and I was fuming over it for a very long time. It also cost me over $1k in repairs. At least I didn’t have to pay for his repairs.

          2. Got hit in the bike lane a few weeks back and the woman who hit me told the officer I rode into her. Officer said it was her word against mine and he wouldn’t assign fault.

        1. So you didn’t ask, but this may help other readers: Always call the police and always get a police report. I know that in some cities police are so stretched that they may not come if no injuries. But I live in a contributory negligence state and a police report in your favor will save your butt like no dash cam can. Local plaintiffs’ attorneys won’t touch a case where their client was at fault.

          1. I have a police report. It includes my statement and the dudes’ statements. It doesn’t assign blame either way.

          2. It has been a long time since I have been in an accident, and I know the standard advice is to always call the police. The last time I had a minor fender bender and called the police (the guy who hit me accepted blame and was not in any way disputing what happened), the police officer (I believe) sold/passed my phone number on to a bunch of companies and the next morning starting promptly at 8 am (or whenever cold calls are allowed to begin), I was besieged with calls from companies wanting to help me sue him or file some sort of claim. I am a blanking a bit on the details, and perhaps this is something that is no longer permitted, but for me, there was definitely a down side to calling the police for something minor. I live in a mid-size city without a ton of crime and the accident was in the middle of a mild, sunny day. Still, the cop was clearly annoyed at having to write up the report.

          3. The police didn’t sell your info. The police report is a public record and plaintiffs lawyers routinely pull them, as do insurance companies. If it’s a celebrity, every lookie-loo is looking also.

    1. Check the field of vision. I think you’d want as wide as possible due to sideswiping / t-boning possibilities. IDK that it helps all that much if it’s not head-on (e.g., you get rear-ended).

      1. Good point, thanks. I figure in this situation at least, I could prove that I was sitting still at a red light and not driving next to them like they claimed.

    2. My recommendation would be to really consider whether you want a dash cam. It would be useful in this situation, but everyone thinks they’re an above average driver, and even very well meaning and careful people sometimes cause traffic accidents. So if you ever rear ended someone when it was arguably preventable or had some other accident, then the dash cam footage would be discoverable in a law suit and would work against you. Just my two cents.

    3. Wire cutter had recommendations a year or more ago – I picked up a small garmin for $100 that sits behind my rear view and needs to sync the footage to my phone. Highly recommend! And yes, it may hurt you from an evidence standpoint if you’re at fault, but then your insurance company just pays the other side faster because they know you’re at fault. Source: I’m an insurance co atty.

  8. Panko fried tofu is my guilty pleasure. You can look up a recipe but it’s basically sliced into strips and covered in an egg wash with flour and panko, then deep fried. Can be served with anything or simply eaten while standing over the sink as you burn your mouth…

  9. Anyone want to dress me for my upcoming bachelorette in Scottsdale? I forgot what it’s like to live life outside of yoga pants.

  10. Fashion observation on Russia’s military subject to our sanctions (per the DM’s pictures). Collar braid and piping? That’s a lot of look.

    1. I’ve only seen their camo and regular dress and remember them being fairly standard military looks. Link?

  11. In our “doing the Thing” series… I got my first colonoscopy this morning (I am 45).

    It was way less of a deal than I expected. If you’ve been putting it off – go! There was a poster in the hospital with stats that 1 in 16 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer in her lifetime. This exam can literally save your life.

    I am framing it as a part of my essential self care from now on. (Next one – in 5 years).

    1. Interesting. They told me (51) to come back in 10 years. Is there a standard for this sort of thing?

        1. Same. Sometimes I’m 5 years, sometimes I’m 3, but I’m never 10 due to family history

          1. In my case it’s family history so yes, 5 years it is as long as nothing worrying is found. But you are right that for some people it can be 10.

      1. Depends on what they find. Generally I think if they find polyps, even benign ones, you go back in at most 5 years. My mom went every 10 years for a long time but my dad always had to do it more frequently.

      2. I think 10 years is standard if you don’t have polyps or a high risk family history. I’ve had two colonoscopies, one at 50 (which used to be the routine age for your first), and one at 60, and was instructed to come back in 10 years each time.

    2. I have to start getting mine at 40 thanks to family history. Not looking forward to it!

      1. I had to get a few in my 20s. It’s really not that bad. I think this might be an unpopular opinion, but I would rather have a colonscopy than go to the dentist, even just for a regular cleaning.

    3. Anne Helen Peterson had a substack issue on hers, and it was really helpful in demystifying the process.

    4. Anecdotally, I had 1 at 42 and 1 at 50, due to bleeding. Internal hemorrhoids, no issues and the doc said next one at 60.
      However, my BFF.s husband is palliative at 55 with colon, lung and liver cancer. The oncologist said a colonoscopy at 50 would have found the cancer, please don’t skip or stress over the test. They are very easy and the clinics make it as dignified as possible. Running to the bathroom for a couple hours is much more pleasant than a year + of cancer treatment

  12. Looking for advice from the Hive!

    I currently work in federal government and recently made it to 6 figures, which is a huge amount coming from a family of SAHMs and blue collar workers. I am 30 and only have a few higher rungs on the federal ladder that I could achieve, all of them pretty much under 200K.
    After seeing some of the IRA-posts and other financial posts on here I’m wondering: Should I be aiming for 200K? If so, when is a reasonable timeline to achieve that- i.e. what time in your career did that become an option to jump to for you?

    More info: I’m not in legal, I do data-analysis, website building, and HR. I had a goal of 100K by 30, which I hit and I’m just wondering- what should I be aiming for next? Or should I be resting on my laurels a little bit?

    1. If you can (and I think this comes with age/distance from family of origin), get out of your own head about having to meet a certain salary/degree/occupation/GS-level. I can’t quite tell what makes you tick from your post, but what you should be seeking from your career is 1) enough money to pay the bills (why all humans work) and 2) satisfaction. Satisfaction can be defined any way that’s meaningful to you – enough money that you can bathe in gold like Scrooge McDuck, a job that’s interesting, management because you want to lead people, whatever. In my case, I make good money and I have an interesting job with nice people. Ta da! I’m done. I’m totally content. I’ll gladly sit in this same role for another 20 years if they’ll let me. What makes YOU tick? If it’s that you feel like you need to keep earning more and more money to show your family of origin you’ve “made it,” that’s something, but try digging a little deeper there.

    2. That’s a toughie, but if it’s IRAs that are wooing you then you really have to factor in a federal pension. I won’t outlive my pension and it will be about $60k/yr in today’s dollars when I retire. That’s the baseline income until I die. Add in TSP with matching, and it’s a very good deal.

    3. First – go you!!
      I’ve had to switch jobs three times to get the next ‘rung’ in either title or level of company prestige (which came with higher salaries) in my 30’s. Like you I hit 100k at 30, and 200k at 38, I’ll likely max out at ~250 plus cost of living raises at some point in the next 10 years. While yes, it’s not ‘necessary’ for me to hustle this hard my blue collar dad got laid off when we were in high school and my mom’s hustle at her ‘second tier’ job was what kept the bills paid and got us kids through college until they could retire. The sooner you earn those higher dollars the sooner you can build your retirement fund/nest egg/etc. and the magic of compounding interest means its much more valuable for you to earn 200k at 40 than at 50.

  13. So continuing the Hong Kong side discussion from this morning …. My wealthy friend who still lives there is still in touch with me via Facebook messenger. Are her texts monitored or censored, do you think? We are most recently talking about Wordle, so I can’t imagine China would care, but if I were to ask her how things are there now vs when she moved there, is it likely she’d never receive my message on that topic?

    1. My guess is she would get your message, but I would be very surprised if she felt comfortable answering it honestly. Source: friends in Hong Kong

      1. So what would happen if she answered in any way other than “everything is great”?

        1. different Anon but I’d 100% assume her texts are monitored, even if she’s on a private VPN.
          Nothing might happen, but if she or anyone in her family started being very outspoken about democracy and criticizing the CCP she might get investigated. Probably not to the point where she’s been “disappeared” for a while a la Jimmy Lai, founder of the Apple Daily, but possibly more like she can’t get big deals or promoted at work.

          1. Haha my friend is a tai tai but yes, it could probably blow back on her husband and his work.

          2. Ah if she’s a tai tai that makes sense – she has enough money (or her husband’s money) to know that you shouldn’t upset the political structure or else you’ll very quickly not have any money. Or have to move abroad where you have assets the CCP can’t touch.

            Are you of Chinese descent? Just curious, since just talking about HK or Taiwanese independence can cause family feuds.

          3. No I’m an Anglo but she taught me the term tai tai (way back when, describing what she aspired to be!). We were besties in college.

    2. I have a friend in Thailand, and she will never, ever put in an electronic message of any kind anything that could be construed as a negative comment about the monarchy.

      1. We are white Americans who went to Thailand on vacation, but even as tourists we repeatedly warned not to say anything negative about the monarchy – in writing or even orally – because you can go to jail.

  14. repeating from long weekend thread with hopes for advice:

    we have learned that an elderly couple (mid 80s) are cat hoarders. she hoards other items as well but this is obviously so much worse.

    they are in nj and live in fear of being arrested for this. they will not let anyone in their home for repairs or medical emergencies and it is becoming increasingly dangerous. she has dementia and mobility issues. he is sharp but cannot walk without help. c

    there are family issues of course. they have 2 sons, one is a nearby but has mental issues, he is the one who brought all the cats and thinks he’s some sort of savior. the other thinks everything is fine even though there literally nowhere to sit in the entire house.

    this could all blow up at any moment. does anyone have advice on how to help? the first thing i need to know is how to keep them from being arrested because they won’t consider help until they know they won’t go to jail. do i contact a criminal attorney?

    thank you

    1. I am not trying to be rude, but you got good advice on the other post you made, it seems you just didn’t want to take it. Also, people asked you to provide more information about how you are connected to the elderly couple and you’ve refused to provide it. This isn’t a blog where you can get free legal advice, as I’m sure you’re aware. Just to reiterate what you’ve already heard – all you can really do, especially if these people are not related to you, is call Adult Protective Services, Animal Control or the humane society in their community. You’re not going to convince them to stop hoarding cats by talking to them. Calling an attorney is not the correct first step. I am not an expert in this area but have watched enough episodes of Hoarders to know that if they reach out for help, it is much less likely they will be charged criminally. But if the cats are in bad enough shape that there are animal cruelty issues they probably will face consequences. For sure you are not helping them by delaying getting them help, FWIW.

      1. OP here. i cleared my cache but still didn’t see any comments hence repost. I’ll try from another device, I wasn’t being rude or shopping for more replies.

        sorry!!

      2. You can call law enforcement and/or the Humane Society (basically the same thing in these circumstances) or you can stay out of it. Those are your options. Pick one. You might TRY Adult Protective Services, but they are really concerned with abuse and it does not sound like that is at issue here unless you think one spouse is abusing the other.

        Sorry to be unsympathetic but asking the same question again is not going to get you different advice. Unless you have some relationship with these people other than concerned neighbor, your options are limited.

    2. The Humane Society or whatever the local animal society is there has experience with this.

      This is my personal bias, but I’d like to rescue as many cats as possible without their knowing, or before involving anyone else, if that could be done. I mean, while spending time considering help and keeping out of jail — can at least *some* cats be rescued?

    3. This is bonkers. And by this I mean you. They aren’t going to be sent to jail for cat hoarding. Call the humane society and report them.

      1. not bonkers at all. people do get arrested for animal hoarding as a quick Google will show but way to judge!

        1. Come on… they are not going to haul off an elderly couple in their 80’s to prison, one with dementia, for having too many feral cats. This discussion is ridiculous.

          OP.. let it go. You could call the Department of Aging and have a social worker come out to do an assessment, if that is what the husband would like to do and he agrees to set up a meeting. Let someone with the appropriate training, resources, and assessment abilities take it from there.

          Do not call Adult Protective services, or the Humane society. Wrong angle.

      2. When animal hording moves to animal cruelty and neglect, and you’re not dealing with 1 animal but 100, yes they can be sent to jail. I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but OP is correct to think about their potential criminal liability here. Especially if they’re true hoarders with the accompanying mindset. Separating hoarders from piles of dusty newspapers can be impossible. Separating them from living (or half-alive) animals who have become avatars for their mental illness is sometimes beyond impossible without big systemic intervention.

  15. It is hump day of chemo IV and despite the sunlight and pretty view I am CRABBY. I am ready for February to be over. Give me an escape. Even if it means spa music.

    1. I hope you feel better soon, Curious! I saw your update and am so happy your results are good. Hang in there, you will get through this!

      If you can watch TV, for an escape in the middle of winter, nothing beats watching Monty Don for me. He has some amazing series about French Gardens, Italian Gardens that are extra “escapey” but anything of his really, I find both nurturing and transporting to a sunnier, greener, and kinder space.

    2. OK I used a forbidden syllable and ended up in mod so reposting without it:

      I hope you feel better soon, Curious! I saw your update and am so happy your results are good. Hang in there, you will get through this!

      If you can watch TV, for an escape nothing beats watching Monty Don for me. He has some amazing series about French Gardens, Italian Gardens that are extra “escapey” but anything of his really, I find both nurturing and taking me to a sunnier, greener, and kinder space

    3. Hang in there, Curious! I’m not sure what to suggest as an escape other than a couple of escapist books I’ve read recently (ok it was more than a couple- Mary Robinette Kowal’s entire “Lady Astronaut” series), and maybe Quordle (the next unholy evolution of wordle)

    4. Hiiiiii Internet friend and fellow February exhausted soul. Five days left of February. We’ve got this.

      I also looked more into the Icelandic Spa today. It’s only $50 to get in. I thought that was excellent value, especially since we’ll just never leave after we get in once.

      Possible other Distractions:
      Streaming: Inventing Anna on Netflix. EXCELLENT binge. Yellowstone – I was late to the game and devoured it.

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