Coffee Break: Floral Skinny Belt
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Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine's Day!):
- Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
- M.M.LaFleur – Save up to 25% on select suiting, this weekend only
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
- Boden – 15% off new season styles
- Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
- J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
- Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- My workload is vastly exceeding my capability — what should I do?
- Why is there generational resentment regarding housing? (See also)
- What colors should I wear with a deep green sweater dress?
- How do you celebrate milestone birthdays?
- How do you account for one-time expenses in your monthly budget?
- If I'm just starting to feel sick from the flu, do I want Tamilfu?
- when to toss old clothes of a different size
- a list of political actions to take right now
- ways to increase your intelligence
- what to wear when getting sworn in as a judge (congrats, reader!)
- how to break into teaching as a second career
Love, if only buckle was silver or pewter. Great pick !
I’m in the process of closing on a brand-new condo and I’m so excited! Do you guys have any tips/advice/things you wish you’d known/done as a brand new condo owner? I’m planning to paint before I move in (I have about 30 days of overlap between closing and having to move out of my apartment), but are there other things you wish you’d done before moving into a new place?
Take measurements of all the rooms and windows and jot them somewhere in your phone so that they can be easily accessed. That way if you are out and see something that might work, you can quickly reference them without guessing.
Oh, and install Elfa into all the closets. Game changer.
And find out what size furnace filters you need and switch them out first thing and then do quarterly.
This is so helpful – I never would have thought of that (until 6 months later when they’re gross…)
Change the filters after you paint – if they do any sanding they will be dusty!
Also if you have any recessed lighting, note the size and wattage of those as well.
New floors/carpet if you need and can afford it.
And if you can’t, get your carpet steam cleaned and the hardwood floors buffed. (You can also get tile cleaned and coated.)
Not the fun part, but keep an eye on your building’s financial reports and maintenance scheme. Better to be out in front of any looming special assessments so you can either put money aside or strategize the best time to sell.
As far as the actual move-in process, far easier to purge NOW than to move (or pay someone to move) everything and THEN take stock.
Refinish the floors if you even think they need it. They probably do and no time is easier (perhaps except on your budget) than now.
Start a Google Calendar (or similar) just for maintenance, where you can track everything to be done on a schedule. air filters, water filters, estimated replacement dates for roof/water heater/HVAC system, etc. This will keep you on track in caring for your place, and also give you foresight into the savings rate that will be necessary to stay on top of large expenses.
I cleaned my place myself before moving in, but I wish I’d had a professional come in and do a super deep clean: pull out appliances and clean behind, vacuum out the vents and all of the intense cleaning that you don’t really ever do. It would have been so nice to move into a freshly cleaned condo rather than doing it myself.
Get an electrician in and install outlets where you need them, change out ugly light fixtures, and install dimmer switches on your overhead lights. Worth every penny.
If you have laundry facilities in your unit, change the washer hoses and check the dryer vents.
Help me write an email. We just finished interviewing interns at my company, and one of the ones we didn’t select emailed me asking for feedback about her interview and application. The reason we didn’t select her was that she already has a lot of experience, and we selected someone with less experience to try to help him out. What should I tell her? Her application and interview were both great, but we felt like someone else would benefit from our internship more than she would.
Would you have hired her over this other person if not for the experience?
To me it sounds like you gave the position to a less qualified male over a very qualified female… like many other scenarios in our society.
Uh, Z’s assessment makes a lot of sense. Accordingly, do not engage with this woman. No good can come of providing an explanation. You do not owe her an explanation. Your HR department likely has a policy on this type of interaction and it will probably tell you to say nothing.
Aiiii — this stings and I have been here recently myself.
Maybe just encourage her to reach for a more advanced position (honestly, how are interns advanced???). I feel like maybe this is where you realized that you’re doing it wrong (hey, I’m assuming you’re at least not managing NFL draft picks for the Giants)
I agree. This post was depressing to me. Maybe it was entirely out of OP’s control. But I hate the idea of “helping out” a less qualified man at the expense of a more qualified woman. Grrr.
This. Pretty horrifying you didn’t choose the person best suited for the job.
But is it the “best person” when they are over-qualified for an internship?
Overqualified for an internship? If the kid is still in school, she is not overqualified.
How can anyone be overqualified for an internship if they’re a student?
It’s not a job – it’s an internship, with the purpose of giving someone experience in the workforce. We purposely chose the less-qualified person because they need more experience. Clearly, I should have left the genders out…
Internships are also for students to learn about what types of jobs they would like in the future. Its a learning experience for both parties.
If you think she would be bored, that’s fair, but maybe its also a chance for you to give interns more important work. I don’t know your industry, but most companies in my industry treat interns like full employees, and if they want more work or difficult projects, we’re happy to oblige.
I totally understand all of this feedback. The purpose of our internship is to give college students experience in the real world, though, and the female student had already had 4 internships and a job during her time in college. The male student hadn’t had any internships yet. We felt like he deserved an opportunity – it wasn’t based on gender. We also felt like the female student would be bored at our internship, because a lot of the work she is doing is at a higher level than what we ask our interns to do.
These arguments don’t hold weight though. You can’t say you’re leaving gender out of it completely. Read up on unconscious bias. Unless the person making the hiring decision doesn’t know the genders of the candidates, there’s no way you can ever make a decision that completely leaves gender out of the equation. Also the boredom point doesn’t make sense to me. That might be a reason she’d turn it down, but not a reason it shouldn’t be offered to her. You can be honest when you make the offer that she maybe she’d be bored because she’s used to doing higher level work, but it seems like a really unfair reason to deny her the opportunity.
Thanks for your feedback – I appreciate it.
Do you not ever hire interns after their internship is over? Most companies want the best candidate for that reason.
I would tell her that her interview and application were great, but that the company chose to go with another candidate. Wish her good luck. If there’s a chance you’d hire her for a permanent position if one opened up, encourage her to track you job openings and apply in the future (but don’t offer false hope).
Does your company have a policy regarding feedback to applicants? Many have a policy against disclosing specific reasons. I’d be pretty annoyed if I were the applicant and informed I lost out to someone less qualified.
Perhaps you could frame it as not being the best fit for her as it’s more of a “developmental” opportunity for a someone new to the (internship) workforce and with her experience, you felt that the level of work she’d engage with wouldn’t provide an opportunity to develop any of the skills she already has, nor move her forward in any significant way.
I would be so pissed if I got this feedback. If you felt that I wouldn’t learn from the experience, you should have explained that when offering me the chance to decide (i.e. offer me the internship and tell me the potential downsides). But to withhold the opportunity because of that reason ….
Unless this is an internship especially designed, advertised, and funded to provide a development opportunity to new-to-the-workforce students, I just can’t understand your decision process.
Also, as someone who has been given a similar line several times (you worked in big law so you couldn’t”t possibly be happy in a smaller firm…), why did you waste her time interviewing her? You know all of their experiences via their resumes prior to having them come in…
Thanks, everyone, for your feedback. I do appreciate it.
What are your favorite off-the-beaten path must-dos for the Charleston area? (I know there have been a couple Charleston posts lately, but they haven’t been me.)
I’m taking the opportunity to turn a Friday work trip into a long weekend there. My husband’s coming along and is in charge of the restaurant side of the trip, so we’re good there.
I’m figuring it’s sort of like New Orleans, where the old buildings have been turned into pricey boutiques? We have a two-hour walking tour booked for downtown, and DH mentioned something about an open air market like Boston and New Orleans for gifty things, so I figure that takes care of a morning. Any suggestions for the rest of the time that are cool, off-the-beaten path things where I can really get a flavor for the history and connect with locals? We’ll have a car, so we’re not limited to the immediate downtown area.
Check the holiday inn on trip advisor. If they have the same amazing concierge, he can hook you up with a boat trip to Morris Island where you can see dolphins swimming and collect whole sand dollars.
Don’t waste any time any place where the trash from Southern Charm hangs out. They are the Jersey Shore of Charleston.
Kevin!!! I went way back in 2008 but he made the trip.
Looks like he’s out on his own now: https://secretcharleston.com/
He is amazing. Do what he suggests. [OTOH, if you are not the sort to take a boat trip with strangers, mention that and he will listed to your limits.]
The market is full of tacky junk. Don’t waste your time there.
The highlights of our last trip were walking out on Folly Beach to the view of the abandoned lighthouse, dinner at R Kitchen, and breakfast at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit.
There’s a touguide that does family pics (if that is of interest) that was recc’d to me.
Also, go to the tea plantation.
Charleston is amazing- like nola, but fancier. The market is whatever, lots of chotshkis, but lots of other cool stores around.
When we go, we either kayak Folly Beach or the Ashley River (which runs behind the plantations), so I recommend either (we rent kayaks and go solo with a chart, but you can find a guide if you are less confident). At Folly Beach we’ve seen sharks, dolphins, lots of birds, oyster beds, etc. The Ashley River is a little more low-key and an interesting perspective on the plantations.
While not off-the-beaten-path, two of my big recs are eating at The Ordinary and getting a slice of the coconut cake and a glass of champagne at Peninsula Grill. It is super difficult to find a bad restaurant in Charleston, though.
I went to lunch at a new Thai restaurant today. My skin and clothing smell – greasy/food smell. have a networking event directly after work. I am debating whether to kill an hour and run home to shower and change, or just run across the street to CVS to grab febreeze or some other product. Recommendations?
I bet no one is gonna notice. Chew some minty gum.
This. Take a quick walk outside, have some coffee, or chew some gum. No one else will notice, but each of those things will help you to stop noticing it.
Febreze would be plenty.
You can actually spray Febreeze on your clothes while you are wearing them and on your hair. Not ideal, but quicker than a shower and surprisingly effective.
I would far rather get a whiff of someone’s food than a whiff of food covered with fake, chemical-y Febreeze scent.
People have been talking about them, so here’s my experience with those Kiss imPress nailz.
The first set I got were ones where the little adhesive tabs were separate. They were pretty annoying to put on, and my most-used fingers lasted about a day, then I reapplied to those and then took everything off at the end of Day 2. Now I’m wearing the kind w the adhesive on them — short, oval shaped — and I quite like them. It’s only been about 24 hours but they seem to be pretty solidly on! They’re a tiny bit ridiculous, but that’s ok — that’s what make it fun!
Now I want the ones with the polka dots and kitty cats! Seriously, I do my own nails and I’m kinda over it, although the new spring colors are fun.
Oooh thanks! I was actually wondering about them while I was checking out nail polish for my 3yo, I have been wearing alll sorts of weird colors because we “have to match”.
That’s so cute! <3
Thanks for the review! I, too, bought some after that discussion but haven’t yet tried them out. I am glad I got the shorter ones now!
Has anyone tried seed cycling to help with troublesome periods (irregularity, acne, etc.). If so, what was your experience like? Is this a bunch of woo woo or not? I am having a hard time understanding whether this is a science/evidence based idea, but it’s inexpensive and almost no risk so I’m going to try anyways. TIA!
Check out the blog hungry hobby dot net. I think I have seen her post about successfully doing seed cycling. It’s the only place I’ve heard of it so no personal experience to offer.
It is obviously woo woo and not at all science or evidence based. 10 seconds of google would tell you that. The nonsense people will try to sell women on is just exhausting. Have so much fun with your stupid seeds tho!
This sounds like an excuse for some fun DIY trail mix, but that’s about as far as I’d take it.
I just googled it, and it sounds pretty esoteric, is being advertised by either hobbyists or quacks (Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine means you paid some money to learn about homeopathy). One tbsp of food a day won’t change your whole metabolism, the amazingness of the human body is how it keeps doing its thing under so many different conditions, including the varied diets worldwide.
But as you said, it’s probably not bad for you to incorporate some seeds in your diet, and nobody is trying to sell you some rip off branded supplement, and the placebo effect can work even if you are aware of it, so there could be worse things to try.
After substantial purging or ‘kondoing’ of my closet, I’m left with items that I like and spark joy (with the exception of five or ten items waiting to be replaced, or in a holding zone). This is good news, but in the last four months, I’m struggling to put together outfits I love, despite really loving the individual pieces. I’ve purged a lot, but it feels as though I need more items that I cannot find. I’ve been slowly replacing things and trying to add pieces that would help create cohesive outfits. I feel as though I keep shopping, only too come up empty handed, and return everything purchased online or in store. I live in a major city, so I am close to most stores, however, this season, Im struggling to find clothing I like or need. I’m not sure if I am being too picky by looking for elusive unicorn pieces, if this seasons styles are not for me, or if it is harder to find what I need in my late 40s. Not sure what I’m asking, but I feel like I’m obsessing over this, and I just want to buy a couple of dresses, some tops and pants. Why does this feel so difficult?
This is why I don’t/won’t Kondo.
+1
Me, too. If I’m going to clean out the closet, great. But does the t shirt I wear on day 6 of no laundry spark joy? No. Is it useful? Very.
+1. I think she’s feeding a cycle of endless consumption not stopping it.
While having a closet full of things that spark joy is great, I don’t think it’s always realistic. If I had nothing in my closet that didn’t spark joy, I would never wear any pants. I know that’s probably an extreme depiction, but is that maybe what you’re struggling with – trying to find super basic, functional things that still spark joy? If so, can you take the joy out of the equation and just go for “good enough” for now?
I love Marie Kondo and think she’s very smart and empathetic, but I also read a Readers Digest interview years ago the essence of which was, “We live in a world with a lot of choices and it’s so easy to get burned out on them. Here’s a trick: Just pick one.” She was talking about toothpaste, but it could apply to wardrobe basics, too. And then have fun decking them out with your pieces that DO spark joy.
I’m having a hard time finding more specific basics. For example, I could use a light blue draped cardigan or,light blue jacket (blazer or motto style), but I’m having a hard time finding that now, and I’m worried that if I buy a good enough one in another colour, it won’t really work well, and I won’t reach for it, and I shouldn’t have bought it I the first place— and then I will feel guilty because I bought something that didn’t work, and I’m perpetuating the searching, shopping, purging, merry- go round!
Are you using ShopStyle? I find it extremely useful for this task.
Good idea— now that more places are shipping to Canada, I may start using it again.
I think this is a great time to hire a wardrobe consultant. They can help you put together outfits with what you have left and guide you to new things to branch out your wardrobe.
I think you’re looking at “Spark Joy” too literally. Things that fall into that category are also “useful items” (she brings up a hammer a lot as an example – no one gets excited about that hammer but it helps you put up that picture you love) that help give your life balance and peace. So no, your black pants aren’t going to make you joyful, but having a pair of good quality pants that fit you well to go with the items that actually do make you go “I LOVE this shirt” assist in sparking joy and serve a utilitarian purpose.
Having a pair of clean, well-fitting boring black work trousers in my closet on a Monday meeting absolutely sparks joy for me!
I’ve always been a bit of a clothing minimalist by nature, so I’ve never Kondoed my closet, but it’s true, as I get older I find it harder to find items I love. I blame it in equal parts on getting pickier as I age and being a bit out of sync with trends. I keep lists on my phone of the unicorn items I want to add but haven’t found, so if/when I’m shopping, I can consult the list if I’m feeling aimless. Sometimes it takes a few seasons for the clothes I imagined to exist.
So true— I feel pickier as I’m older, and things that fit, or black pants that make everything else look good, are more elusive. I also feel less trendy, while being aware of the trends at the same time.
I read somewhere once that clothing can be classified as cake and frosting. Cake is the building blocks, the basics. Frosting are the sparkly things, the colorful things, the things that might spark joy. Is your problem that you have all frosting and no cake?
I would like to think I have frosting and cake, but I think it’s more that I don’t have enough items anymore. I actually came to the point where I need more stuff, but cannot seem to replace it.
I have a theory, which is that spring is a terrible time to shop for clothes. I recently realized that every spring, I feel like there’s nothing I want to buy, but every fall, I easily spend a fortune on clothes. If you’re feeling despondent about shopping, then consider just sitting tight and saving your money until fall, when there will almost certainly be a new crop of great stuff in the stores.
+1 so true…this is so a part of it:)
Thank you for all the thoughtful replies. I mistakenly imagined the hunt for new items would prove refreshing, and offer renewal for my look and wardrobe. However, finding replacements and introducing new things to the mix is more daunting and time consuming than I originally anticipated. Again, thank you for the food for thought.
My offer was just accepted on a super cute little house! The market in my LCOL market has been insane in my price range. I’ve not been able to get to houses before they go under contract in one or two days, so this is a huge relief! It’s a reno on a 40s era house, which kept some of the delightful old details.
Time to purge and paint, as I would like to have my current house on the market within two weeks of moving out. I am getting old – moving out of the city to the ‘burbs!
Congratulations!!
Yay & congrats! That sounds like a beautiful house.
I just came back from a trip to Sedona, and fell in love with the Southwest style. Wishing I bought more souvenirs. I would like to get a handbag with a Southwest pattern, and maybe a throw. And a geode would be cool, too. Are there online stores for these items that would support the local economy?
This website is one source I know of where you can support the people who truly own the southwestern design aesthetic: https://eighthgeneration.com/. Although they seem to be sold out of bags right now, there are blankets.
Try Sundance Catalog- some really great accessories, shoes, and jewelry. Also maybe Pendleton?
I might post tomorrow since it’s kinda late today- but any foundation reccs for super sensitive and acne prone skin? My skin is olive/red toned and kinda hard to get a good match. I barely have worn makeup the past few years because my skin freaks out, but I could use a little now and again. My go to is the clinique acne line… but it is a little harsh and dries out my skin too.
I wanted to try the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, but can’t find a store with it in stock and don’t want to risk ordering the wrong color.
I can’t speak to the acne part, but I like Milk makeup products for my sensitive skin. They are pretty much free of everything. Most Sephoras carry them.
Bare Minerals
Dr Jart premium bb cream.
I was going to suggest the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair whatever color correcting cream. I buy the little jars and they last a while. It just tones down some of the red and my (delicate, persnickety) skin really likes it.
I have olive undertones and lots of redness and I really like the Cicapair products. I also have been happy with a foundation from the Body Shop – can’t remember the name of the product but my shade is Kyoto Blossom.
I have mildly sensitive skin and have figured out a couple of things over years of battling adult-onset acne. The primary take away for the question you asked is that my cosmetic products are seem unlikely to cause problems. (That said, I tend to avoid combo products, like the foundation/acne product you mentioned.) I would shoot for a basic liquid foundation (Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15) and get good, full coverage application brush (I use the Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush). You’ll also want a concealer and an appropriate brush–make sure to get a concealer that’s intended for blemish coverage, different types (eye circles vs blemish) are varying levels of liquid vs. dry and it makes a huge difference in application.
As for the rest of your skincare regimen, I’d try to go very basic and plain. Let your Rx products do the heavy lifting. So use a plain cleanser, then apply whatever your doc prescribed, and then layer on a plain moisturizer (with SPF if you don’t do make up everyday). It makes shopping boring, but easy. I use a lot of CerVe (night moisturizer), Neutrogena (gentle foaming cleanser), and Eucerin (daily moisturizer w 30 SPF) products.
Also, if your skin is red and staying red even after an adjustment period of a couple of weeks, you may need to step down some of your Rx products. I had to drop the Retin A in the winter, for example, and am just now considering adding it back in (it’s already in the low 80s and sometimes humid where I live). You can also go for an every-other-day application if you need a middle of the road option.
I hope this doesn’t come off as condescending…just wanted to share my experience. I am finally happy with my skin (redness, flakiness, acne, etc etc) for the first time in my 30s and I’m 37!
I have a hard time visualizing how your skin is both olive and red. Olive is greenish yellow which is the opposite of red. I am very olive and very sensitive and love Koh Gen Do Aqua in 213 in the summer and YSL Glow in 02 in the winter.
Maybe she meant she has redness in some areas from the acne/other skin issues?