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Frugal Friday’s Workwear Report: High-Waisted Wide-Leg Cropped Chino Pants

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A woman wearing a black high waisted, wide-leg pants and dirty off-white sneakers

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

I really can’t stop raving about all the great pants I’ve been finding at Old Navy lately. I bought these on a whim to get myself past the free shipping threshold during a recent sale, and they’re fantastic. They wash well (although I avoid the dryer to prevent fading), and the high-waisted, wide-leg look is something I’m really loving this spring.

I’m currently wearing these in the office with a black turtleneck and flats, but I’m looking forward to pairing them with some cute spring tops when it’s less gray and rainy.

The pants are on sale for $18.47–$32.99 at Old Navy and come in regular sizes 0–30, tall sizes 2–18, and petite sizes 0–18. They also come in two other colors.

P.S. Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

Sales of note for 3/26/25:

  • Nordstrom – 15% off beauty (ends 3/30) + Nordy Club members earn 3X the points!
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale + additional 20% off + 30% off your purchase
  • Banana Republic Factory – Friends & Family Event: 50% off purchase + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – 50% off select styles + extra 50% off all sale
  • J.Crew – 30% off tops, tees, dresses, accessories, sale styles + warm-weather styles
  • J.Crew Factory – Shorts under $30 + extra 60% off clearance + up to 60% off everything
  • M.M.LaFleur – 25% off travel favorites + use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – $64.50 spring cardigans + BOGO 50% off everything else

174 Comments

  1. I need a dress for my own graduation. (Meaning it has to work with the gown, no big ruffles or things that will make awkward shapes under.) It’s my MA, so the gown is black.

    I want it to be a color (no black or navy). Patterns okay but not huge into florals. Preferably knee-length or longer, not a mini.
    Pear-shaped size 12, budget <$300.

    Thanks! I feel like my regular places have come up empty.

    4. I graduated in December and am a bit older than most of the other Master’s students at my Uni. I’ve had this dress for a few years now (they seem to come out with something similar every year) and wore it. Mine was in a base color that matched my gown & I got lots of compliments. Oops, just saw you’re not into huge florals – not sure if these count as huge. https://www.target.com/p/women-39-s-crepe-puff-short-sleeve-midi-dress-a-new-day-8482-red-floral-m

    5. I have a linen dress from Banana Republic on order that might work if the v-neck is not too low (I can report Monday). Mine is navy, but they have white and a gold’ish color. I recently received a Tuckernuck dress that would also satisfy your requirements. Similar size as you. Boden never seems to work for me, although I have repeatedly been inspired to try.

      1. Not the OP, just wondering if you have links to the BR linen dress and the Tuckerneck dress.

        1. Maya and Lina at BR . I think the exact Tuckernuck dress I have is out of stock, but a lot of their inventory looks alike to me, so maybe I just don’t see it.

    6. learn from my past mistakes and make sure whatever color you choose doesn’t clash with your hood/sash!

    7. Ralph Lauren has some black and cream patterned dresses this year that don’t scream Floral. Maybe also check Ann Taylor.

    8. I like Anthropologie for dresses. Check out the Somerset dress. There are a million colors and patterns.

    10. The fold is having end of season sale with many dresses 50% off plus extra 10%. You might be able to find something within your budget.

  2. Does anyone want to just do the thing with me? I’ve ignored the following life admin things to the point that they feel impossible. For each one I knock out, I’m going to eat a Hershey’s kiss. And I’m posting them here so I will feel like I owe it to all of you to get them done.

    (1) Pay bills
    (2) Reschedule eye appointment
    (3) Balance checking account
    (4) Look at credit card transactions to make sure everything is in order
    (5) Pay off the credit card

    1. I don’t think I have a single bill, other than rent, that is not on some automatic payment schedule.

      1. Same, well property taxes rather than rent. But I do the other things on the list.

      3. I’m the reverse. Mortgage is on auto-pay but everything else no. I dislike giving others auto-debit rights. No big deal to just log on and pay, usually the same day I get the billing notice email.

        1. Same here. Manually paying is one of the ways I stay on top of expense creep. I hate auto debits but for car insurance, homeowners insurance and mortgage. I do it on pay day (today!) 1x/month. Takes 60 mins to get through all of it and update my excel budget/cash flow tracker thing that I keep but then I’m done for the month.

        2. I travel a good deal so automatic payments, with online copies of the bill that I can see wherever I am, works for me.

      4. I used to do this, and then one month the bank pulled two mortgage payments from my checking account. It had to be mortgage payments (aka the largest bill I pay by an order of magnitude). It couldn’t be the electricity or water bill. I went back to paying my bills manually so that I control what flows out of my checking account.

        1. True! All our regular bills get paid by credit card, and we have a separate checking account out of which the mortgage is automatically paid. We pay the credit card bill manually, after making sure everything is fine.

      5. Do you not get bills other than regular ones? Doctor, dentist, other random things I know pop up but can’t think of right now?

        1. Doctor and dentist are most of it. I think we perhaps have more medical bills than the norm. We just got a bill for our safe deposit box which included a letter saying our bank is no longer including it as part of our account package. I got a traffic camera ticket (and was ashamed and avoided looking at it). Our kids periodically bring home field trip permission slips and we pay the school online for those. Our synagogue is stuck in the 1980s: it accepts cash and checks for dues and other programming, and mails out physical notices of these things.

    2. (1) All my utilities/phone bills are on automatic payments.
      (2) It takes 5 minutes. Just call them. Did this recently for my dental appointment. Sometimes doing the thing is easier than thinking about the thing.
      (3) I know I should, but I don’t balance my account. I just do a quick glance at the transactions that get posted online to make sure nothing odd is showing up.
      (4) See above. It helps that I kind of obsess over my networth so I log into Fidelity plenty often (where all accounts are linked so I see everything in one place).
      (5) I pay off all monthly balance, so automatic payment as well.

    3. Well you really only have 2 tasks. 1 and 5 are the same thing, and 4 is something you can do in about 30 seconds while you’re doing that task. I don’t understand why you’d want to do 3, I haven’t balanced my checkbook since my mom taught me how when I was 16. Unless you’re writing a lot of checks it’s pointless.

    4. I need to finish my taxes, so i’m with you in spirit on finishing tasks. Good luck!

    5. I recently did the thing – rolled over an old 401k that was underperforming into my new one at my current job. It was faster and easier than I expected and now it’s DONE! You can do it.

      1. A lot of these answers are a bit misdirected. OP was clearly saying she just needs to get these done (not saying that they are difficult tasks or asking advice how to do them) and was asking for an accountability partner. I have some chores waiting for me tomorrow, but can’t play today.

    6. I had a similar list piling up and started on them a couple weeks ago. I have made it through a few and Anon at 9:57 is right: when you address each one, it turns out to be not as big and hard as you thought. I like the Hershey’s kiss idea! Also feel free to come back and post as you complete each one. We will kvell over your achievements.

    7. I am an oddball. I love looking over my accounts and paying the bills. It feels good to review my finances regularly and check off that things are getting paid (that said, I only manually pay mortgage and credit cards, because utilities are on auto pay). And no I don’t have tons of money and sometimes have to slot in which paycheck will go where, but it’s actionable and helps me feel in control.

      But I also love doing laundry, so….

    8. Okay everyone, thanks for the support! I did (1), (3), (4), and (5). I had to leave a message for (2) because it turns out the office is closed today. I’ve eaten my chocolate and now I can get ready for my 1055 meeting.

      5. Yay!! Also, sorry people are being so cranky with you. I get it. Sometimes you just need a little more help.

      6. As someone who also feels weighed down by small tasks and lets them accumulate, enjoy the Hershey’s Kisses! I must try something similar. Thank you.

    9. So with you. I have three personal financial projects I need to finish. Today is a found day, I thought I was going to be traveling and it’s raining so I think I have run out of excuses. I was thinking a small box of See’s, I am very chocolate driven.

    10. I’m in. I need to:

      -complete paperwork to get medical records
      -send flowers to a friend
      -set up my wireless printer to the new router
      -book hotel for an April vacation
      -write thank you cards

    11. I need to finish my expense report, schedule a dentist appointment, and sign my daughter up for ACT tutoring. I sure do a lot of executive functioning for someone who struggles with executive functioning.

    12. Thank you for this post. I just made two doctors appointments, one of which I’ve been putting off scheduling for literally years and it only took five minutes. Sometimes we just need a little push.

    13. Everything is closed today (and I’m supposed to be at off as well but April is so hellish, I’m working anyways). But I finished a book that’s crucial for my own book. I’ve been putting it off afraid it’s too similar and hooray- it’s not!

      My family has been to the beach and to a cafe, so hoping they’ll bring me some cake.

    14. This whole list would take me 10 mins. Doesn’t seem like such an insurmountable thing to need a reward.

    15. I will do the thing with you. Please hold.

      Okay, done! Bill paid and party RSVP’d to. Took less than 5 minutes. Thanks for the nudge!

    16. Oh, good idea. I’m going to finally email the car insurance guy about huge hike in car insurance rates.

  3. I’m in the mood to start some sort of fun 30 day challenge in April. Any suggestions for a fun monthly challenge? My current ideas are yoga every day, a picture every day of something that brought me joy, or maybe 30 minutes of some activity every day.

    1. A poem a day? There are a few places online that will email one or you could get a book to flick through. Hard mode is memorise a poem every day not just read.

    3. I would do yoga every day (or other activity), plus declutter something every day. Maybe that’s one object, five objects, or an area of your home or category of items (one dresser drawer, one kitchen cabinet, your nail polishes, etc.).

    4. This is a minor thing but every time you wear something put it back in your closet with the hanger backward. The 30 day challenge is to wear all your clothes. I do this to help me see what I need to get rid of.

    5. I going for 10K steps a day in April! I’m currently averaging 8500, so not a huge jump but will keep me moving. I’m using the challenges on the Garmin app to complete a couple expeditions, like the Chilkoot Trail and Grand Canyon Rim Trail.

  4. Just want to provide a review on Sheertex. I had high expectations, but the classic sheer tights ripped a huge hole while putting them ON. I was traveling this week and didn’t bring anything else so I had to wear them. Luckily, the hole was near the top so my dress covered it, but the rip caused a run that made its way down the leg throughout the day. The company replaced them for free, but I’m feeling pretty meh about whether I’ll attempt to wear them again. They advertise being indestructible, yet they ripped that badly while just putting them on? They go for $99, so they think pretty highly of themselves. I got them on sale for $35.

    1. Tights for $99??! That’s almost as bad as the Stanley coffee mug I was looking at priced at $93. My eyes rolled out of my head.

    3. I actually like mine but I also bought them on sale. I don’t think anyone would pay $99 for tights! That’s insane.

      1. Same, I have two pairs, I’m usually pretty rough on tights, I machine wash them, and they are still fine. I don wear them that often though.

    4. Thank you for posting this! Their ads have been stalking me for months and I was very curious. I thought it seemed to good to be true and I guess it is.

    6. I got mine for $25 on sale, and I like the semi-sheer appearance of the legs. Apparent snags do indeed “massage” out per the company’s instructions.

      That said, I sized up to make for a more comfortable control top. I’ve worn them three times, and I’ve already got a large hole in the rear end. The control top doesn’t seem to be made of the same tough weave. I’m not impressed and won’t purchase again. I have Hue tights that I’ve worn for years without blowouts.

      1. I have had Hue tights for literal years (maybe some for a decade at this point!) so I can’t see why I’d ever buy anything else. :)

          1. I do, too! I was looking for a lower denier–a bit more sheer. Not worth the impulse purchase for Sheertex.

        2. Any recommendations for plus size brands: both sheer and semi-sheer? I have found Hue brands to be too tight, especially with control tops. No reinforced toes please. TIA!

    7. One different experience to log! I bought mine YEARS ago and they are still going strong. No holes. I wash them in a lingerie bag. I throw them in my suitcase or whatever bag without thinking about them and they live in my sock basket aka I take extremely lazy care of them. I have a pair that are hosiery not tights (sheer nude) so maybe that makes a difference!? Who knows.

      1. That’s my experience as well. In heavy rotation, with both opaque and nude tights. I’ve yet to ruin a pair and some are celebrating their second birthdays. I wouldn’t pay $99 for any pair of tights, but I’ve been more than happy with them for the $35 sale prices.

    9. I didn’t like the lack of compression at the top. I am just so accustomed to wearing Spanx tights.

      1. I like the Spanx too. I feel like my tights are falling off if they don’t have at least some binding at the top.

    10. That’s disappointing. I only wear Sheertex tights every day in the winter and have had no problems. Hopefully your experience is a one-off for you.

  5. I’ve been trying to lose weight for the past 1.5 years and have actually gained 15 more pounds during this time despite feeling like I have sacrificed so much. (very limited alcohol, no juice/soda, no sugar in coffee/tea, almost no bread/carbs/processed food, limited snacks, always choosing the healthier option at a restaurant, always being conscious of what I’m eating).

    I’m left feeling defeated and like I really don’t know the correct way to successfully lose weight. What kind of guidelines can I follow to successfully lose weight? I feel like there’s so much contradictory advice:
    – just count calories vs calorie restriction damages your metabolism and isn’t sustainable longterm
    – intermittent fasting is good vs it’s an eating disorder
    -have low-fat dairy because it has less calories vs it’s bad for you

    Is there anything that is uncontroversially agreed upon to be true? I don’t know what’s real.

    I will follow any plan that doesn’t take a massive amount of time and effort and am willing to throw money at the problem. At this point I feel like I need very clear black and white instructions (like hard and fast rules plus a literal meal plan or something). My own judgment is not getting me anywhere.

    I’m prediabetic for the first time so really do need to do this. I’m now 40 pounds above normal BMI if that helps.

    1. If you’re willing to throw money at the problem, I would highly recommend working with a registered dietician. (“Nutritionist” is a catch all term; dietitians have specific training and licenses.) That gets you off the treadmill of internet advice and into something actionable.

      Add in exercise if you aren’t already doing so. For me at least, if I’m inert, no amount of good eating will keep my weight in check. I need movement and muscle.

    2. Semaglutide – modern science has invented a drug that will cause you to lose weight.

      1. +1 to semaglutide.

        OP’s story is my story in 2022. I had seen a dietician, nutritionist, and personal trainer for 4 years, counted calories and watched everything I ate. For 5 years, I had gained 5-10lbs per year until I was 50 lbs over my previous set weight. This is while testing “normal” for thyroid, other hormones, etc. The game changer for me was semaglutide/tirzepatide – and I am throwing money at this problem, as my insurance does not cover it. That’s fine. While YMMV, over the last 16 months, I lost 1-2 lbs a week while continuing a good eating plan (I did see a registered dietician at the beginning of my journey) and working out with cardio/strength combo. I enjoy food more, while not limiting as much, because I am full faster. It can be hard to find a doctor, but Lilly’s website for zepbound now has a doctor list that could be a starting place.

        1. This is me, exactly. It was menopause related but absolutely everything I tried to lose weight did not work. Now on SG and have lost 18 lbs. Paying for it out of pocket and considering it an investment in my health.

        2. It’s not really that different from hypothyroidism. If we don’t make enough GLP-1, store bought is fine!

          (And there are reasons well outside our control why we may not be making enough.)

      2. This. I’m maintaining a 125 pound weight loss due to these miracle class of drugs. I’ve never been healthier or happier (47 years old)

      3. If you can get your hands on one of these drugs under the supervision of an actual doctor, not a medspa, go for it!!!

      4. +2. I’m pre diabetic with insulin resistance and considering going on these. They are life changing. I wish they had been around when my dad was alive because they probably could have saved his life.

      7. I lost 60 lbs on tirzapetide. I remember the early news articles were like, “People won’t stay on them forever and then they gain all the weight back.” Whoever those people are never dealt with the crushing mental strain of thinking about food and one’s weight 24/7 and the relief from that the drugs provide. The drugs are a miracle and I’m so glad they’re available.

    3. It’s so frustrating. Based on what you’ve said I’d guess it’s portion size. Getting on semaglutide has helped me immensely with that, though weight loss has been much slower for me than the results I’ve seen reported online.

    4. Forgive me if this is too obvious, but have you talked to your doctor? Gaining that much weight in that time period while honestly trying to lose seems like a sign that something is wrong.

    5. Weight loss is really straightforward (the behavior modification associated with it is not easy). It is all about calories in and calories out. Eat less than you take in. All the various diet (high fat, low fat, keto, IF) Andre ways of achieving this. What works for some will not work for others. Yes there are medical conditions that impact the calories out part (how much you burn), but they are not super common and the ultimately it means your body requires less calories to maintain so you need to consume less than that to lose.

      1. Yes we all know that weight loss = more calories out than calories in. The question is how to achieve this and how to achieve it without feeling miserable or worsening our health. We all know how to starve, but it’s counterproductive to try!

        For some of us consuming higher calorie foods actually improves our calories out and results in weight loss when calorie restriction was lowering metabolism and stalling us. For some of us eating 100 calories of juice will raise insulin and lower blood glucose making us feel hangry or faint, so that we we’re either nonfunctional or forced to consume more calories to remain functional, whereas 400 calories of protein and fat will keep our blood glucose stable until our next meal, making it possible to think clearly or even exercise.

        If someone has prediabetes, it’s already about more than calories.

      2. Please point me to one recent peer reviewed study from a legitimate medical journal saying that “weight loss is really straightforward.”

        1. Right? Because the only high-quality research I can find shows that 95% of diets fail and permanent weight loss is extremely rare. That’s literally why the new class of drugs exists – because there was no solution to the diagnosis of obesity.

        2. FWIW, the above poster said that it is “straightforward” but “not easy.” (Presumably, she ain’t talking about people with thyroid disorders or PCOS.)

          Diets fail because they are presented as an easy fix. Changing your habits isn’t easy. Ignoring all the fun food out there isn’t easy. Exercising for five hours a week (no, window shopping strolls don’t really count) isn’t easy. Waiting for the pounds to slowly get lost (“just” a pound or two a week is often beyond unrealistic – it should be a pound or two a month to start) is the hardest part.

          1. She’s already made really hard changes to her diet and habits and actually gained weight. PCOS and prediabetes have a lot in common when it comes to weight management. Diets fail even when people do everything right.

        3. Different anon, but I didn’t think she was saying it was easy to actually do, just that it’s straight forward in theory. If you lock people up in a prison camp and give them minimal food and force them to work, virtually everyone will lose weight, though some will lose it faster than others. But they’ll be miserable and that’s obviously not very practical (or ethical) as a long term strategy. Your body is very good at trying to balance energy in and out, so the hard part is how to trick it into being happy with burning more calories than you consume for a prolonged period. It seems fairly clear that different things will work for different people and there’s no universal strategy for that,

          1. Healthy weight loss is really different from food deprivation in a prison camp. People who lose weight in prison like conditions experience worse health outcomes and are very likely to regain the weight and then some if they’re ever released from prison camp. Most of us are trying to lose weight to improve our health, not make it worse.

          2. You really want to defend a post shilling calories in/calories out and a string of fad diets in response to the OP’s post about how calories in/calories out and dieting hasn’t worked for her body? Okay.

          3. You think I’m endorsing locking people up in prison camps?My point is that weight loss IS simple in theory, but enormously complex in reality and there’s no universal solution for OP. Even medication doesn’t work for everyone or causes side effects, as you can see in the comments below.

          4. Weight loss via essentially a starvation mechanism =/= successful management of the medical condition of obesity in a context of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and prediabetes.

            This comes up sometimes in relevant contexts in veterinary medicine, like with zoo animals. Yes the zookeepers have total control over the animals’ diets. No it’s not always as simple as caloric restriction if the goal is health and not just “being thin.”

    6. Read The Obesity Code. It skewers the tired, will-never-die “calories in, calories out” myth and provides prediabetes-specific advice.

    7. Have you had bloodwork done to check for things like thyroid levels? I would suggest working with a registered dietician to get help with an eating plan. Also, get in some movement or exercise. Not for the goal of losing weight, but mentally it can really help to move your body and feel stronger.

    8. If I were you, I’d subscribe to a meal delivery service like Factor or Thistle if you’re not into cooking or putting much effort into it. I did that when I had some weight gain after kids/perimenopause and it worked for me. It was nice putting absolutely no effort into feeding myself. You will have to transition to sustaining a healthy style of eating after you’ve done it for a bit, but that’s way easier because you’ll have momentum going into it.

      Realistically there are a million diets/healthy lifestyle plans/whatever you want to call them out there. Many are effective. It’s a matter of choosing what you like best. The universally agreed upon advice is that you want to eat lots of fruits and veg to get a lot of fiber in your diet (25-30g a day) and also get enough protein (how much you actually need is hotly debated though).

      You should also exercise for health. Building muscle can help. The most important thing is what you eat, though.

    9. I think your best course of action is a workup from your doctor and appointment with a registered dietician. Deal with any and all medical problems, even if it does not seem obviously related to weight. Dealing with my sleep apnea made eating well and exercising infinitely easier!

      I think you should find a way to move your body that you enjoy.

      I strongly recommend not reading the infinite amount weight loss stuff on the internet. So much garbage from so many uneducated people pushing their own money making agenda.

    10. I had a very successful experience with calibrate two years ago – bloodwork, a coach to talk nutrition and lifestyle, and medication support where needed. If you have an HSA/FSA you can use those funds. I lost 30 lbs in about a year with them, which was the first time as an adult I have ever managed to lose more than 10 lbs. Also was prediabetic when I started and my numbers are back in the normal range. I have PCOS related insulin resistance that has fought me on losing weight at every turn. The biggest one trick change I made was upping my fat and protein intake while lowering my carb intake though. Full fat options for dairy, adding avocado to things, etc. It help with the feeling satisfied and not like I am dieting. When I stopped counting calories I was more successful, but I know that is not the same for everyone.

    12. Prediabetes makes people gain weight. (There’s a vicious cycle where the weight gain can worsen the prediabetes too, but the idea that the weight gain always came first is outdated.) A doctor can prescribe metformin and/or refer you to a dietician. But the problem with hard and fast rules and a literal meal plan is that with insulin resistance, it’s highly individual how we each respond to meals. Continuous blood glucose monitors are about to be available over-the-counter to help patients with prediabetes learn which meals are spiking blood glucose and which are not for them personally.

      1. I’m on week 9 of semaglutide and it’s done nothing for me. Zero weight loss, zero appetite suppression. I’m also about 40 lbs overweight and have added regular weight bearing exercise since January. I don’t understand the hype.

        1. It’s not really “hype” – it sounds like it just doesn’t work for you (but does for millions of others). Have you tried Mounjaro/Zepbound? Maybe that would work better.

        3. Are you working with a doctor or a medspa? Get thee to a real doctor who will dose it appropriately and also try new drugs if the one you’re on is not working.

    14. Well you’ve successfully pulled together a cross section of all the conflicting internet weight loss advice in the comments so far!

      If you’ve been trying this hard for so long and it isn’t working, I would say it’s time to see a registered dietician. Given the pre-diabetes, I would look for someone with that focus. My personal opinion, to give you another conflicting internet perspective, is that I agree with the commenter above about trying a continuous glucose monitor to work on getting your glucose spikes down. Improving insulin resistance is a great first step to weight loss. But working with an RD while doing that would probably be more effective, as they can help you figure out how to eat to keep your glucose in line with less frustration!

    15. Highly recommend a consult with an endocrinologist who works with a nutritionist. Mine work together on a treatment plan for me – to address my specific test numbers (sugar, colesterol, blood pressure) and overall health. It’s a team focus aimed at getting these markers within healthy guidelines. The nutritionist’s advice has been specific with regard to meal and snack timing, protein/good fat/starch proportions but open as to types of foods within the formula. After a year, my blood work has improved, weight is coming off (and staying off), and I’m actually eating a lot more food than before. Weight loss was not a specific goal, although it was not unexpected. My primary driver has been getting my sugar numbers in check to avoid the difficulties I’ve seen my slightly older cousins experience.

    16. Your diet isn’t healthy. Cutting out carbs will sap your energy. Your body is probably shutting down every avenue it can to retain mass.

      Let yourself eat a balanced diet – lean protein, healthy carbs (like whole wheat and veggies) and sugars sparingly. Do muscle-building exercise and some cardio.

      1. This is dangerous advice for a prediabetic who doesn’t know whether “healthy carbs” like “whole wheat” are spiking blood glucose far above healthy levels and for too long.

        1. The OP says she is eating almost no carbs. That’s unhealthy, and it’s not “dangerous” for a prediabetic person to eat vegetables or whole wheat in any amount.

    17. Somewhat related – for those who have tried semaglutide, how are the side effects? I’m really glad this class of drugs exists and I think it could be a game changer, but I can’t deny that the reports of side effects do trouble me.

      1. Been on Mounjaro for 18 months and have no side effects. I know 4 other people these class of medicines and only one experiences nausea but it’s not severe enough of stop or take an anti-nausea medication like Zofran.

      2. I am on SG and a little nausea is the only side effect. It does not get in the way of my day, and passes very quickly.

      3. I’m not on it, but my understanding is that the big side effect is that it can slow gastric emptying. I have lived with slow gastric emptying for decades so I know a lot about that. A lot of doctors aren’t knowledgeable about slow gastric emptying and that may be causing problems for some people, but I hope they’ll be catching up now that it’s more common. It’s important to know that if you’re fasting for a test or for a surgical procedure, you may need to fast for much longer than is typical to achieve an empty stomach because stomach emptying is delayed. That’s the big concern I’ve seen so far since if people aren’t given updated instructions, they may be at risk for aspiration during surgery. But this was always true for patients like me, so I feel it’s really time that medicine adapt to the reality that not everyone empties their stomach at the same rate for whatever reason.

          1. Yes, patients shouldn’t have to be the ones to think of it, but it’s often overlooked.

            I also get Tirosint instead of generic levothyroxine, which costs more, but apparently absorbs better in the situation where “take daily on an empty stomach” may not be 100% happening. Obviously only relevant to thyroid patients, but there are small things that come up that it helps to know about. Knowing about Zofran helps too for sure.

      4. Having spent quite a lot of time on the Reddit boards Wegovy and Zepbound, I can tell you that the side effects range from none to “I ended up in the hospital because I could not stop throwing up.” According to the studies, the most common side effect is nausea and occurs in about 44% of people. Others include diarrhea (30%), vomiting (24%), constipation (24%), stomach-area pain (20%), feeling bloated (7%), heartburn (5%), belching or gas (6%). That said, I have noticed from Reddit that many people find that eating fatty foods or too quickly is a big contributor to feeling ill and the nausea ranges from mild to severe. There is no way to know how you will react until you try it. I will only caution that the beginner doses are subclinical for a lot of people and the really dramatic weight loss reports are often from people who have 100+ pounds to lose. Remember to look at percentage lost rather than absolute numbers.

        Personally I started with Zepbound because I could not get Wegovy. The tables are now turned and Zepbound is “backordered” so I switched to Wegovy, which my insurance covers and which was unexpected delivered three months after it was ordered. I prefer the Zepbound, but I do not prefer it $500 a month worth.

      5. I was on Mounjaro for six months last year and lost 30 pounds. I’ve been off for a few months and have managed to lose another 10 on my own. The appetite suppression helped me change some habits (I know now that I don’t need snacks or breakfast—just a good lunch and a light dinner. Black coffee is fine. I don’t need to reward myself with treats) and challenge some norms about what I “should” be eating and when. Also per a commenter above, The Obesity Code is a life changing book.

      6. I’ve been on Mounjaro/Zepbound for 11 months. I’ve had minor side effects, especially in the beginning, but otherwise they are very manageable at least for me.

      7. I have been on a low dose (25 mg) of tirzepatide for about 3 months and I’ve lost about 8 lbs total, with a couple lbs of muscle gain – so I’ve probably lost 10 lbs of fat. It’s pretty slow weight loss. I’m reluctant to increase my dose mainly because of two significant side effects: 1) terrible constipation, which is not at all normal for me. I have to be extra conscientious about eating fiber and I also take a fiber supplement daily; 2) the slowed stomach emptying seems to also dilute the effectiveness of medicines. I take oral HRT and a prescription NSAID and neither works as well as they did before tirzepatide.
        I’m also almost 55, so I worry about rapid weight loss causing skin sagging. For me, the slow weight loss is exactly right.

        1. Fiber can make slowed stomach emptying worse, so it can be hard to get a strategy that works for both stomach and colon (I actually eat low fiber but take extra magnesium for colonic motility, but I’m not on a GLP-1 analog).

          1. Interesting. I’m the commenter you replied to, and I’ll relook my strategy. Thanks for the info!

      8. My very close friend lost 40 pounds over the course of seven months. She’s not like the posters above who tried everything first, this was her first thing to try. Things seemed overall pretty well. But last week she had to go into the ER for emergency gallbladder removal and has been recovering since. Her doctor thinks the Ozympic may have been a factor, but there’s no certainty. There is a lawsuit out there where people are complaining of the same thing. It’s all anecdotal, but since that’s what you’re asking for here, figured I would share this.

        1. Gallbladder issues are a known and disclosed risk of the drug. From what I have read, it is actually a side effect of rapid weight loss, but it is important to know that this drug, like every other drug, has potential side effects.

      9. I’m on Ozempic and under the care of my PCP. We have regular check ins, and always a check in before increasing dosage.

        I’ve found a theme in the reported awful side effects – either not under the care of a PCP or it’s compounded or prescribed by a medspa or, and my favorite, starting on WAY too high of a dose. This medication needs to be titrated. I had a friend start it at a high dose because she wanted to shed 15 lbs fast, so assumed a high dose would do that more quickly, and it went disastrously. She got it from a medspa, so the oversight was next to zero.

        For me and anyone I know who is taking it under similar circumstances, the side effects are pretty limited. Occasional upset stomach/GI situation but I also know the trigger foods – basically greasy, trashy food makes me feel… well, like trash. I have a little bout of nausea day after taking my dose but it passes quick. I’ve never thrown up, never once considered seeking medical care. I’ve never taken anything to treat side effects. I net feel way better over the course of a week (mentally and physically) than I did before taking the medicine.

        If you take it responsibly, I think you’re likely to do really well.

      10. I’m one of the unlucky ones who seems to be having bad side effects. I was on it for 3 months just fine. Came back from Thanksgiving and took the same dose I had before, from the same vial (it’s compounded) and proceeded to have colonoscopy-level diarrhea for days. All of December was like that, so I only took one more shot before I stopped. The hunger came roaring back so I went back on it by late January. But it isn’t as effective as it was the first time (the hunger isn’t there like it was when it came back, but I’m hungry a lot more than I was when I first took it, along with food noise and booze noise). I’m still f’ing around at low doses, though, trying to get 3 weeks under my belt with each before I go up, and every time I have another bout of bad diarrhea where I feel like I can’t leave the house/toilet for 2 days.

        I’m considering switching to tirzepatide but the local place quoted me $999 for about 6 weeks worth, which is going to be too expensive if I’m losing as slowly as I was the first few months on semaglutide.

    18. Meds. Go to a weight loss clinic at a hospital near you, and discuss Ozempic, Wegovy, etc. There is a reason these are in the news almost daily, and it sounds like you will qualify due to your medical situation. Stop trying to do it on your own and fighting biology. Be kind to yourself, and make that call today.

  6. Re: looking “current”. On Tuesday there was a thread about an outfit to look “current” for a podium presentation and quite a bit of discussion about one of the suggestions that followed. I was surprised to see many commenters suggesting that dresses, as a whole, don’t look current. Do we really feel this way? While I, like many others, wear pants 4-5 days per workweek, I certainly wouldn’t look askance at a woman wearing a professional dress for an important presentation. Wondering if I need to re-calibrate my sense of what’s “dated”.

    1. I would think a dress is normal for a presentation too… but I’m late 30s and not really up on trends.

    2. In the post the other day, the problem was the suggestion that the OP wear a jacket over a wrap dress with nude-for-her heels. That is SUCH a 2010 look that it was an easy target.

      Wearing, say, a navy sheath with a waist-length jacket and basically anything other than nude-for-you heels is perfectly current.

        1. gray, tan, cognac, navy suede (less flight attendant than navy leather with navy), oxblood

    3. Short answer: no, and I definitely still wear a dress in certain work situations.

      Longer answer: I think there is SUCH a wave of big trends right now involving pants, with wide leg pants and oversized blazers and other items, and there just aren’t as obvious of trends with dresses, so if someone is explicitly trying to look “current” around a younger generation like that poster was, achieving that really works best with one of the new pant styles and building from there.
      I think shoes are another issue. Honestly I agree with someone yesterday that post pandemic classic heels do look a little dated, but the shoes that are current don’t look quite as right with dresses as they do pants.

      2. I agree with all of this. I like dresses too but the OOP asked how to be current, not just acceptable. Important distinction.

    4. I don’t think dresses are dated but I also don’t think they’re current.

      Also, there are many professional situations where I do not care about looking current.

    5. I wouldn’t really look askance at anyone for not looking current, but a lot of styles were trendy in previous years and feel overdone and off trend now. Fit and flare dresses, color block dresses, floral dresses, and jersey wrap dresses all look like time warp to me right now (this doesn’t mean I don’t wear the dresses I have, but I wouldn’t go acquire one to wear to give a presentation).

      If someone were wearing a structured, well tailored dress with a longer hem length in a single column of color, to me that would look more timeless right now.

    6. I have been thinking about this post as well! I even went out and looked at pantsuits because I feel like that was the consensus. It’s the oversized “boyfriend” style jackets I can’t handle. I feel like they look sloppy worn with wide-leg pants. Some part of the outfit has to FIT!

      1. I’m 5’2, and the oversized, long jackets looked terrible on me the first time around.

      2. I’m 5’9 and oversized jackets look terrible on me. They turn me from “fit 40-something” to shapeless and schlubby.

      3. I’m 5’2 and hourglassy. I like the boyfriend style jackets if everything else I’m wearing is very fitted/skimming. think skinny pants/jeans and a form fitting top. I wear that type of outfit a fair bit these days, and just acknowledge that given my frame some part of what I’m wearing needs to be fitted/body hugging otherwise i just look like a blob engulfed in clothes.

    7. There is nothing dated about dresses (particularly as we move into spring). I think a lot of people feel that way because opaque tights are starting to look dated but sheer hose are not (yet) back “in” so it was hard to wear dresses in the winter. The problem was with OP’s proposed outfit and the fact that she wanted to look current.

      But then I do not aim for trendy and think any one part of her outfit would have been fine (even the wrap dress). But it needs to be combined with different shoes. (I think wrap dresses with jackets always looked odd; but like many other trends – hello big sneakers with big socks and pretty dresses – it was fine when it was on trend and is now back to looking off.)

      1. Yeah I’m kind of off of dresses in winter right now, unless it’s midi sweater dress with boots.

        I think that sheer black tights (not hose) are current, but I haven’t found a pair I love yet.

        I pretty rarely wear non-athletic shorts, so I do wear a lot of dresses, rompers, and skorts in the summer.

        Pants are so much more fun now than they were 5-10 years ago. I love wearing pants because I have so many more options and feel like I can really dress to my tastes, style and body shape now. So much so that now I only wear leggings when I’m working out in winter.

        1. May I ask (because it has been confusing me for a while) what is the difference between sheer black tights and sheer black hose?

          1. The dernier. The hose will be lighter and more delicate, the tights will be more densely woven and stronger. But in reality, there’s not much distinction. I rarely see “sheer black tights”–unless the person means crochet, lace, or fishnet tights, rather than opaque black tights like from Hue or something.

      2. I live in New Orleans, and I wear dresses everywhere between April and October. What feels current to me is a more casual look–longer hem lines, flowy fabrics, cotton or linen. Also, as much as I love gem tones, I think a more muted, earthier color palette seems more current right now. I agree with a poster above that heels seem dated, especially with this type of dress.

        Unfortunately, those dresses wouldn’t be appropriate for a professional presentation. There are timeless professional dresses, and I wear them for work during the summer. But if I wanted to look trendy or current for a work presentation, I’d probably go with a pants suit in a newer cut.

    8. I live in Orlando where we have access to high end stores. I see women in dresses with blazers every day in court and women wearing skinny jeans in the wild. Ballet flats seem to be out but I will still wear my black cole hann with the gold bling when I am dressed up for something like the theater because they don’t hurt my feet and they are still cute.

      1. Someone mentioned ballet flats being out yesterday, but fwiw the fashion blogs I follow have been highlighting a specific type of ballet flat with kind of a square toe and straps over the top of the foot as the new “in” shoe for sprig. Maybe not something universally in the wild yet, but that’s at least the message. I have no skin in this because I don’t actually like the look of them, just reporting. Your classic round toed, scrunched up heel ballet flats agreed = no.

    9. I think the point of that post was that the OP specifically wanted to be current. I might still wear a sheath dress and pumps to a presentation in my conservative industry, but in that case I’m going for “classic and projects authority”, not “current”. I think specifically, the wrap dress with flowers suggestion was neither current nor authoritative. I like a floral wrap dress myself, but it’s more a wear to church or brunch look, and nude heels have been dated for a while now (I still have a lovely pair of beige leather pumps which I will wear with certain outfits, but again it’s not particularly current).

    10. I agree with the other comments. A dress with nude shoes can look professional and good, but not “current.”

      I wear a dress and matching blazer to court frequently, but looking current is not my goal. If I want to look current, I would choose a different outfit.

    11. I think it’s a couple things:
      –Pants are just more “in” right now as a general rule
      –Skirts, especially long full maxi skirts, are more “in” than dresses, but big long maxi skirts aren’t appropriate for most offices
      –WFH / Post-pandemmy business casual rules and expectations have shifted. A shift dress + loafers might have been a “smart casual” outfit in 2019 and is now reading as “formal” in 2024. Most people are WFH or experiencing a steep drop in the level of dress at the office. I’ve been in a few times and seen people in leggings as pants, shower slides, well-worn windbreakers indoors, essentially pajama pants, and all kinds of stuff I wouldn’t be caught dead in. But presumably they aren’t getting dinged for it. The holiday party had people in sweatshirts with a funny holiday slogan and jeans!

      Most dresses feel formal if they’re appropriate for business casual–sheaths, shift dresses, fit and flare and a-line would be really the only dresses I consider appropriate. Sundresses, tent dresses or spinnaker, mini dresses, wiggle dresses, maxi dresses, etc–those are all outside what a typical office considers inside dress code (usually).

      I think seeing someone at the podium in a sheath dress is now reading as old fashioned and socially conservative–like they’re a member of congress or a start up CEO at a TED talk or something. Pants are reading more approachable and modern I think overall.

    2. I got one of those today. I didn’t know what to say, so replied Happy Friday back.

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