ByKat Hours Updated
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Suit of the Week: Banana Republic

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. Call me crazy, but I'm kind of excited that Sloan pants come in a ton of colors right now, up to size 20 (!) and with fun matching blazers in some of the colors. This hot pink seems like a great option as a suit for a creative field, but I think even people in conservative jobs will get wear out of them as separates. The blazer is $179 and available in regular, tall and petite size ranges, and the pants are $89, available in sizes 00-20 in regular and petite sizes with multiple inseams. Nice. Looking for something more sedate (and in plus sizes)? This flannel suiting comes in a dark cabernet color, as well as teal, navy, black and gray. This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 12.13

  • Nordstrom – Beauty deals on skincare including Charlotte Tilbury, Living Proof, Dyson, Shark Pro, and gift sets!
  • Ann Taylor – 50% off everything, including new arrivals (order via standard shipping for 12/23 expected delivery)
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – 400+ styles starting at $19
  • J.Crew – Up to 60% off almost everything + free shipping (12/13 only)
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off everything and free shipping, no minimum
  • Macy's – $30 off every $150 beauty purchase on top brands
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off, plus free shipping on everything (and 20% off your first order)
  • Talbots – 50% off entire purchase, and free shipping on $99+

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

28 Comments

  1. Talk to me about how you use your PTO. I’m wrapping up my first full calendar year at the first place that’s accrued/tracked PTO and I have a ton of days left to use. I’d like to spread out my usage more next year, but I don’t really know how to do that? I don’t make enough money to go on a vacation so using PTO to stay home just seems like kind of a waste…

    I also always feel guilty for taking PTO (why?) because due to what I do, someone else has to cover my responsibilities. This is nuts, right? I should take my PTO without guilt, right?

    For reference, I’m on a staff position in a financial firm and very very junior.

    1. Definitely don’t feel guilty. I’m sure you cover people regularly when they’re out, as well.

      I did a staycation recently and it was actually a lot of fun – did some local stuff around my city, got some home projects done, etc. I also use PTO for time off around the holidays to avoid traveling on the busiest days and local travel to see friends and family.

    2. Can you cash out your PTO? If you don’t feel strongly that you need to use it, that could be one way to make sure it doesn’t go to waste.

      I use days here and there to have long weekends or to just take a day off when I need to run errands and want to be relaxed about it. But I’m in a position where nobody has to cover me when I’m out and my boss is very flexible about when I use it, as long as I’m getting my work done overall.

    3. You are being nuts – use your PTO! Is there something you like to do for fun (even if it’s read a book or binge on Netflix)? Do that for a Friday once in a while!

    4. Do your coworkers use their PTO? If you are the only one using all of your PTO and asking others to cover for you I can see how it would be weird, but if they’re all using it and you’re covering for them it only seems fair for them to cover for you when you use PTO.

      I like Anon above’s idea of taking days off to run errands and have a relaxed day. I also sometimes have to deal with offices that are only open 9-5, so I’ll take PTO for that. You might try thinking outside the box about vacation- there are a lot of things that can feel vacation-y even if you aren’t traveling or spending a lot of money! I have a friend who uses some of her vacation time to work on elaborate cosplay costumes, and I’ve always wanted to take a day off and spend it baking Christmas goodies for friends and family or shopping for presents during the day when stores aren’t so crowded.

    5. Think of it differently: If you have 5 days of PTO left that you don’t use, you’ve worked FOR FREE for 5 EXTRA DAYS beyond the amount of work the company was planning to pay you for. Take the days. Or roll them over to next year and spread them out during the year a bit more.

    7. Take it from someone who used to hoard her vacation time — take the time off, guilt-free! I love taking a Friday off to just do my own thing. A three-day weekend is surprisingly restorative.

    8. I think this is a common feeling for junior employees but you need to realize that you shouldn’t sacrifice yourself for your job. PTO is part of your benefits of your job, like having a salary, and you are wasting money if you don’t use it. I adore taking time off to stay home and really veg, watch TV, clean, and sleep.

      1. As I always say when people comment about me using all of my PTO (which we cannot roll over), “I use my salary, too”.

    9. I often use it for short, weekend and extended-weekend trips (so like, Wednesday through Sunday type deals) to other cities in the US – not really lavish excursions to places that are expensive to visit, just like, a few days in Nashville to see a Rifftrax taping, or going to a cousin’s wedding in Colorado.

      Don’t feel guilty, everyone is given PTO so they can take time off, it’s not just for when you’re running off to Hawaii or too sick to work.

      If you feel like your PTO needs a purpose . . . You could maybe use your PTO for a restorative day of rest the day after you know you’ll be up late, like if you were gonna watch the Super Bowl you could take the next day off. Or use them for when errands or housework have piled up and you need a day to get things done around the house, maybe before Thanksgiving if you need to prepare the house, or pack, or take time to make a really incredible dessert to take wherever you’re going. Maybe take PTO for a day of Christmas shopping, or clothes shopping for yourself!

    10. I am big on traveling, and so that is what I prioritize with my PTO, but I have to say, I love just wandering around in my city when everyone else is at work. I read over coffee at local fancy coffee shop, I go to the gym mid-morning, I have wine with lunch, I go to a movie at 2pm. There is something glorious, at least to this worker bee, about feeling like I am relaxing and do not have to work, even if it is just one day.

      Also, if your work is hectic, I recommend taking off random Wednesdays. Long weekends are great, but there is something nice about just breaking up the work week and recovering for a bit.

    11. Could you make a list of the to do in your area and then work through it? Museums, historic sites, hikes, bicycling, etc. don’t cost much and are so restorative.

    1. Since you are the ONLY person actually commenting on this post about the actual suit — I purchased a BR suit in the black super 100 wool and it is FABULOUS !!!! They mark everything down to 40% off like every other week so it really is a great bargain. If you are a card holder you will get an extra 5%-10% on top of that. I’m kind of curvy and a little petite so I had some light tailoring done and the pantsuit looks like a million bucks. So worth the money! I’m trying to decide which one(s) I want to buy next.

  3. Hey cat socks, it’s NOLA. I realized that I had never gone back to see if there was any follow-up about the heated cat bed. I think a heated pad could work well for what you describe. If the cat needs to be more enclosed, a teepee style bed works well. I have an outdoor cat whom I would love to bring in, but she just doesn’t want to. I’ve brought her in for storms, but she’s obviously scared and doesn’t want to stay in. I have no place to plug in outside. I keep a fleece bed bed on a little shag rug for her in a corner of my porch, protected from the wind by a planter. She will snug back in there if it’s cold. Otherwise, she doesn’t seem to be bothered by the cold (although, admittedly, we only had a few days of freezing temps last year). I should get her one of the self-warming beds. They’re inexpensive and they do work!

  4. I am about to replace my (ten year old) MacBook Pro. I am wondering if/how yesterday’s announcement of the new Air coming out next week will affect prices on the existing Pro. I had pretty much decided on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the least storage model for about $1200. But I’m wondering now if that might get less expensive with the new Air option. I haven’t bought a Mac in a decade and don’t remember how this works– anyone have any insight? Should I wait to buy?

    2. We all have MacBook Pro’s at work and I have a MacBook air at home. My dad has an Imac. If you carry your computer, get the air, not the pro. I personally do NOT carry anything and I have the air at home and the pro at work. When I go to court, I bring the pro with me, but rarely use it. I think I look smarter having it up in front of me. open, as if I am goeing to look something up, but most of the time, I can do oral argument from the papers in front of me w/o having to look anyting up. The bailiff helps me if I need to carry any files out to my UBER, which is a vast improvement over Mason, who just hung around and oooogled the women on Chambers Street. FOOEY on him!

    3. I know you didn’t ask. But I’d love to warn someone else. Consider 15 over the 13. My company gives us the newest of everything (one of the nice things on working there). The smaller ones frequently overheat (our external IT groups even admitted) and the keyboard is brutal to use. I usually love going smaller and lighter with things but this was one move that’s been miserable. You also lose the USB ports, which is a huge pain anytime you’re presenting somewhere or just want to charge your phone for a sec. And I don’t feel a noticeable difference in weight. So truly any upside was nothing.

  5. I may be looking for a unicorn, but are there any good scarves that aren’t HUGE? Most of mine are from Gap or Target. All are thin, but warm, but I hate how bulky they get underneath my coats. I’m looking for something shorter than a regular blanket scarf.

    Also, I would love to find one in deep emerald, teal, or eggplant. Like the color of that J. Crew dress that Kat posted earlier would be perfect.

    1. I have pretty good luck finding solid colored scarves at World Market – I have a medium-length one and an infinity scarf from there that I love.

  7. I got a promotion yay! I will be working with top executives in a large company.
    I need a laptop bag that is professional, not cheap looking but won’t break the bank either.

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