Frugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Floral Puff-Sleeve Split-Neck Top
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
I have a big gap in my wardrobe for short-sleeved work blouses that can be worn without a topper, so I was delighted to come across this puff-sleeved shirt from Loft. While I am always trying to branch out from black and white, a top like this one is just so easy to wear.
Pair it with your favorite trousers or midi skirt and you’re ready for just about anything in the business casual realm.
The top is $34.97, marked down from $69.95, at Loft and comes in sizes XXS-XXL and XXSP-XXLP.
Sales of note for 8/14:
- Ann Mashburn – Seasonal sale, up to 50% off – we just included them in our updated Top 10 Brands for Comfortable Heels!
- Ann Taylor – 25% off all suiting! Also, extra 60% off clearance — readers love this blouse and I always love the variety of colors/textures for this jacket (it's a great separate)
- Anthropologie – Extra 40% off sale!
- The Fold – Up to 50% off, further markdowns (new lines added)
- J.Crew – Up to 30% off
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off sitewide, extra 60% off clearance
- J.McLaughlin – Summer sale, up to 50% off
- Lilysilk – Anniversary sale, save up to 70%
- Me & Em – Sale! Up to 60% off (new lines just added, exclusively online)
- M.M.LaFleur – 20% off pants (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
- Nordstrom Rack – Clearance, new markdowns up to 75% off! Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss and Rag & Bone, a ton of affordable work dresses from Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan
- Saks Fifth Avenue – Take 25% off one item (ends Mon)! Great selection of Veronica Beard, L'Agence, Vince, and more.
- Talbots – End of season clearance, 60% off all markdowns. $24.99 pants and jeans
- Theory – End of season sale is on! Love all the colors their best-selling sweater tee comes in, and some colors are on sale.
- Tory Burch – Private sale, ends 8/19!
I feel like I’m a bit of a cultural imposter in BigLaw (state U grad, kid of teacher and farm equipment mechanic). My state’s U was likely not in what this board thinks of as a flagship. But if you are from one of those states (NC, VA, etc) where your college is like that but you go to Duke, etc, can you explain to me how that thinking goes? Plenty of co-workers always want me to know that they got in to X (in my mind: could have gone at minimal cost) but went elsewhere for much more (and then still had funds for law school). I feel that I’m smart, but in a book smart and street smart way that has a culture gap.
As someone who went to a fancy private university: If your colleagues are still talking about undergrad they’re snobs. Nothing you can say will impress them or make them rethink their opinion of state schools.
Is your imposter syndrome limited to the college topic? Or do you feel out of touch in other ways?
To answer the q of “why would you do that?” pay $$$ tuition when you could stay in-state for $? Your parents have the money to send you to the school that you liked best or that was higher-rated (even if not by much).
However, anyone who is still talking about their own college admissions process a decade later is a bore.
I’m intrigued by the mention of Murphy cabinet beds from yesterday. We have a (used daily) home office that needs to double as a guest room and we’ve been toying with whether to do a pullout couch, a futon, or a bed, but a bed will definitely make it very cramped. We used to have a futon that my husband loved but I didn’t, so it’s not my first choice. We don’t have overnight guests often, maybe a couple times a year. Can anyone recommend a specific cabinet bed that you’ve loved?
Compared to a futon or fold-out couch, literally any cabinet bed will win.
This is kind of a specific request but I have a pair of hiking pants that I bought in 2017 that are still great. Unfortunately, they’ve been discontinued and I can’t find any more pairs on eBay. One thing that makes them great is articulated knees, which I didn’t realize was something I needed but it turns out it’s so helpful with my body type and lifestyle. In googling, there aren’t that many other brands boasting this functionality. Has anyone come across any great women’s hiking or lifestyle pants that have articulated knees?
LL Bean offers them.
Swix has a running pant with articulated knees on their website right now. The “force pant”. I have ski pants from the same brand with articulated knees that I love.
One thing to add to the discussions that occurred yesterday about feeling economically pinched. I keep looking at my budget and wondering where $500 I would have liked to direct to savings (beyond 401k and back door Roth) went.
Answer, an out of pocket GLP-1. I am so thankful for it, I look at the health problems that run in my family and it’s a gift to be at an age to take advantage of it, but it’s definitely taking the place of the non-tax advantaged retirement savings I used to do. Well, can’t enjoy retirement if you’re sick!
If you are in a business formal work environment, do you still wear pumps?
Happy Friday all-
I asked for advice and reassurance after possible bed bug bites earlier in the week.
I think I’m in the clear!
I’ve kept both my couch and materess uncovered and off the walls all week. And, set alarms to wake up and shine a light in the middle of the night.
I did have a few of the existing bites on my arm develope some more redness, and there was a couple of hours of itchyness.
I put small marker dots near the bites I had already found, to track anything that might appear later.
And nothing! No new bumps or bites or itchyness. No signs of anything new all week. And no signs of bugs themselves.
I’m going to stay vigilant for a while longer, but my living room and bedroom will go back together this weekend.
Thank you to everyone who commented, I’m so relieved!
Just hearing that I was doing what was right in the moment and acting reasonably was a great help.
Oh good! I know it’s so stressful. My bed bug bites were the itchiest bites I’ve ever had in my life, large hard red bumps. Your sounded a little different, but I’m sure people react in different ways. My boyfriend didn’t get bitten at all at the time!
Looking for advice on divorcing a a narcissist/controlling ex. I left last year after the abuse started to become physical towards me. Now he’s essentially refusing to get divorced. He’s already fired one lawyer, who according to my lawyers is a harda** and probably could have gotten him a lot. It’s been almost a year, I’m at my wits end and it’s the lawyer fees are piling up with no result.
The situation could not be more straightforward. I’m not asking for anything from him, except the divorce, half the value of assets acquired jointly — which are minimal and were truly 50/50 paid for/in while we were married. We both have government pensions, which an actuary has valued as essentially equal in PV term, so I’m asking to waive rights to them. Custody proposal is 50/50 because my understanding is it’s unlikely I could get anything better from a court. He’s refusing to negotiate on the draft agreement or discuss anything.
I know the next step is filing and court ordered mediation, but I’m concerned how much that will cost me if he continues to refuse to engage with anything and I’m the one paying for my lawyers to try to move things along.
You have to force his hand, and that means court-ordered mediation. I’m sorry you’re in this situation. I saw this happen to a loved one, and it was awful. But she’s thankfully divorced now.
File. If he ignores it and defaults, great. Easier for you.