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Updated: Feb 13, 2019 87 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Hugo Boss

Suit of the Week

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navy purple pantsuit for women 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. This jacket first caught my eye in the beige… then I saw the above option and said, oooh, purple! But that is apparently incorrect because the color is “navy fantasy”… even though everything I'm about to link to looks purplish on my screen, at least at first pass. Still: great suit if you're on the hunt for something mostly traditional but a little bit fancy. The brand notes that the “muted microcheck pattern [adds] a rich yet subtle dimension,” and I like the asymmetrical placket with five buttons. The pants are full-length (not cropped! huzzah!) and available in regular and petite sizes, and the dress looks great (it looks like it has a questionable slit, but it's described as a “front double-pleat hem,” which should be OK). It's available at Nordstrom for $278-$495. 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 9.30.24

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Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. anon

    Frequent travelers…..Anyone have ideas for using American Airlines evouchers? I have 2 ($200 each) expiring in a few weeks…..can they be converted to points? Expiration date extended?

    • Anon

      If you don’t have time/money for a whole trip before then, what about an epic lunch/dinner? There is an epic gluten free brunch place in Chicago that I would love to get back to. Anytime I see crazy flight deals there I consider flying out for a brunch. If I had an expiring voucher and no time for an overnight, I’d probably fly to my BFF’s city in the AM, go out to a late lunch, and take a PM flight home.

      Alternatively, if transferable, sell on Craigslist for 70% value?

      • anon

        OP here….yes, that’s what I’m going to do…learning how all of this works….its an AA eVoucher

  2. Anon

    Any good resources for explaining depression to a loved one? My husband wants to understand, but he’s one of those human energizer bunnies, so it’s all just so foreign to him. I’m getting my medication adjusted, but in the meantime, I’d like to help him understand that my not wanting to talk to him or to watch tv or to do anything other than lie in bed at the end of the day isn’t about him, but about having used every last ounce of energy I had to be “on” all day at work.

    • Pompom

      Google Black Dog depression. A few simple metaphors in video form might help get the ball rolling.

    • Vicky Austin

      Spoon theory? There are also related/similar spinoffs that involve Dungeons and Dragons stuff about spell slots or something.

    • Anon

      The “spoon theory” has never clicked with me; however, I have a strong view that mental illness is much akin physical illness.

      Someone with depression may be like an elderly person, who just gets tired more easily and has little ability to put in 18 or 19 hour days. They may be like someone with a broken ankle – functional in many areas, but constantly aware of pain and making adjustments to everyday life to compensate for the injury.

      • Anonymous

        I actually thought spoon theory was about physical illness and was confused to see it recommended here re. depression. I’ve experienced depression once. If I tried to apply the spoon metaphor, I would say that I had no idea how many spoons I had at that time, because I was just staring at them. Seems totally different from the physical illness experience of spoon rationing, running out of spoons, etc.

  3. Clothes for big men

    Spouse has out-eaten his clothes. L clothes used to fit but XL clothes seem to be made for ex-linebackers (who are big, broad-shouldered, and also tall, so like L but re-proportioned, instead of L but larger). Spouse is not-tall — more like 5-10. But firmly XL. He is so unhappy venturing out now b/c he thinks he looks horrible. He does not. He is a not-uncommon size for man his age; but his clothes do not fit and that makes him feel worse. And just going larger hasn’t worked. Any good mall or orderable-from-Nordstrom brands to try? I know he wants to lose the weight, but in the meantime, dude needs at least a few clothes that fit comfortably.

    • Anonymous

      Destination XL but he may be mortified going in there too. But they have clothes that will fit proportionally better. Also Dillard’s has a big and tall shop. Both are online. I’m not aware that Nordstrom has anything like this. Oh and Brooks Brothers as well.
      If you’re on Poshmark that might be a cheap way to get clothes quickly while he works on his weight.

    • Anon

      DH has this same issue. He has actually had really good luck with the Amazon brand Goodthreads. His theory is that they are made for Amazon’s programmers who all have the same body type he has (he is also a programmer. For fancier clothes, DH has had good luck with shirts from Charles Tyrwhite and found things that fit him at BR, J Crew Factory, and Bass. DH has the same issues that your husband has– he’s just a bit overweight and not in the “Big and Tall” category. He also is really self-conscious and feels like most mall brands are made for skinny people.

    • anon.

      My husband is the same and has switched to Lands End (doesn’t fit your mall or Nordstrom parameters but wanted to throw it out there). He now exclusively wears their no iron button downs and pants.

    • waffles

      Maybe Brooks Brothers? My husband is an XL or higher, but in American Brooks Brothers he actually fits a size large in some cuts (in Canadian Brooks Brothers he is a solid XL and is entirely sized out of the skinny fit).

  4. dieting and dehydration

    I don’t usually participate in diet talk, so I don’t know much about it compared to the average western woman. But my weight seems to continually fluctuate about 10 pounds within a week, according to my home scale. Is that normal?
    I know I constantly battle dehydration, especially because I have stomach problems. But I also recently started switching up my diet, and I’d like to be able to use my weight as a rough tracker of whether I’m getting enough calories. It’s hard to do that when I have no idea what my baseline is…
    Can those of you who know more about this help me out?

    • Cat

      10 would be high for me in the course of a week. 3 is most typical, usually 5 on period week (gradually bloat up, then in the course of like 1.5 days I’m back down to normal).

    • Anonymous

      It’s normal for me. Hormones, dehydration, salt, sugar, lots of things can make you retain water and glycogen temporarily over the course of a week. Maybe you could develop a routine and then weigh yourself at the same time each week so you’re comparing apples to apples?

    • nanogram

      I get the most consistent weight when I measure myself first thing in the morning (post-bathroom, pre-water). Later in the day my weight is all over the map (presumably from salt, etc). Also, there are definitely period-related fluctuations. My weight creeps up for three weeks until it plummets (~5 lbs) in week 4, presumably because I’m retaining less water.

      • Anonymous

        This is how I do it and it varies by a pound or two daily in ways that make sense to me (like I had a large dinner the night before). Never by 5 or 10 lbs.

    • Noona

      Ten would be a lot for me over a week – I’m 5’2 and 175 pounds. I can weigh myself in the morning and be 2-3 pounds heavier in the evening, but anything more than that would be unusual. Are you weighing yourself at the same time of day?

    • Anonymous

      Mine definitely fluctuates with a 5-7lb range. I’m a frequently weigher so I weigh morning and night but I don’t obsess worry about the numbers unless I see like a week of trending upwards.

      Other option is to weigh once a week at a consistent time and wearing the same clothes type. I was surprised when I did WW that my weekly weight at the same time was pretty consistent but I think weight at the same time in the same clothes type is key.

    • NOLA

      I’m not young (so less hormonal fluctuation), but my weight typically fluctuates a pound or two within a week, depending on what I’ve eaten. I agree with the idea of weighing yourself at the same time/day every week. Also, if you want to be sure you’re eating enough calories, try a calorie tracker app like Myfitnesspal. It’s fairly easy. Not perfect, but better than not tracking.

    • dieting and dehydration

      Why would the same point in the week be more consistent? Truly curious, especially since so many of you have suggested the same thing.

      • Anonymous

        I tend to eat out more over the weekend (which can mean more salt, carbs, alcohol) so I tend to be a little heavier come Monday morning than I am on say Thursday. I weigh myself daily, first thing in the morning after using the bathroom so I am pretty in tune with my trends.

          • NOLA

            For me, too, but it’s weird because I tend to eat less on Wednesdays (I have rehearsal in the evening) but it’s also the only day I don’t exercise.

          • Anomanom

            I am always lightest the morning after my off day from working out. So that’s my weight in day haha. My non scientific understanding is your muscles hold on to more water immediately after intense workouts.

      • NOLA

        I tend to follow somewhat regular patterns in my eating and working out. That means that I often weigh more alike on particular days. As for time, your weight can vary throughout a day based on what you’ve eaten, etc. Best to weigh yourself first thing in the morning.

    • Liz

      What if you recorded at multiple points in the day? First thing in the morning, when you get home, then again before bed. You can average the numbers or just track all of them and overall you’ll be able to see a general trend even if there’s fluctuation throughout the day/week.

    • anonshmanon

      Also consider whether your scale is giving you a precise measurement. Is it being moved around on a slightly uneven floor? Try weighing yourself three times with a 10 minute gap without drinking or eating – does it give you the same weight every time?
      The measurements in lots of household appliances are not super precise. Avid bakers sometimes have 2 or 3 oven thermometers for this reason!

  5. BrooklynBetty

    NYCettes! A group of girlfriends mostly lawyers in our late 30s / early 40s are taking out a friend who has been dealing with a really sh*tty tragedy in her family. We are doing a Galentines night out on Friday night. We have a dinner reservation in midtown west but the night is up in the air after that. Any really good recommendations on bars and dancing spots? Doesn’t need to be the fanciest, just fun spots where we wouldn’t be the oldest people in the room. We will probably mostly be wearing jeans / pants, nice tops. I would be so grateful for any recommendations!

    • anon

      Nomad is great for that age group, try Seville (at the James hotel), Oscar Wilde, Nomad bar. You could also go a little further south to the Rose bar at Gramercy Hotel, or go midtown east to Lavo. I would stay away from meatpacking and chelsea, they skew a little younger.

      • BrooklynBetty

        Thank you so much! Any of those places good for dancing? And how early could we get dancing?

        • Anononon

          Ha ha, this is so a me question. I like dancing but I like to do it early!

        • anon

          Not sure if you are still checking, but the only place that is good for dancing of the places I listed is probably Lavo, they have a club type situation going on in the lower level. I’ve seen people dance at Seville as well, their DJ is pretty good, but the dancers were the outlier the times I’ve gone. I also thought of another place, Bathtub Gin (in west Chelsea, borders meatpacking so has some of that crowd, but trends sliiightly older). They don’t really have a dance floor, but every time I’ve stayed late, we end up dancing because the DJ is so good.

          Early dancing is probably a no go anywhere you go, things don’t tend to pick up until after 10.. I will repost in today’s thread as well.

  6. Mattress recommendations

    My parents are part owners of a vacation house and want to replace the mattresses… recs for a good mattress in a box that won’t break the bank?

    • Anonymous

      I know a lot of people who bought the Zinus Green Tea and are still happy with it.

    • Anonymous

      I recently got a Saatva. They’ll deliver/set up your new mattress and remove the old one for free – which is a huge plus for me because my bedroom is on the third floor.

    • Jules

      My 24-y-o DS got a Zinus for his first pseudo-adult apartment and really loves it. Of course, his comparison was a sagging air mattress on a wood floor . . .

    • Anon

      The problem with mattress in a box places is that they don’t take the old one away. Which we figured out stupidly with my son’s bed, and had to call Got Junk to come get the old one, and that ate any savings we had from buying online. Are there mattress stores near your parent’s home?

  7. Anonymous

    What are your favorite chocolate-brown pants or skirts? I just had a style consultant do my colors, and chocolate-brown came back as a better neutral for me than black. I only own black and navy pants and skirts, so I’d like to add one to my wardrobe.

    • Anonymous

      I don’t think I’ve ever seen dark brown for women. Most of my “bad” colors I wear away from my face, so black pants should be OK if you have good colors near your face. Maybe just stay on Team Navy?

    • Anon

      Brown suits say 80s and 90s to me. I second the idea to just using that color on top but black away from your face/hands/arms.

    • Vicky Austin

      I have only drooled over these, never owned them, but I also enjoy brown and I had my eye on the 5th Avenue pants at Dillards, some of the fits of which come in a color called “coffee.” It seems a bit more…peat-y? to me than chocolatey, but it may be what you’re looking for.

    • Anonymous

      During the course of my time not shopping for dark brown clothing, I have never come across it, so it probably doesn’t exist.

      JK. I think it will be tougher to find dark brown pants in spring/summer, but they exist. Ann Taylor, Talbot’s and Lafayette 148 have all carried brown suiting in the last few years. Max Mara had a few great options for brown wool pants in 2017. (I didn’t seek them out in 2018, so I don’t know.) For a search like this, I’d use shopstyle.com.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      I love chocolate brown, but it is really, really hard to find and never seems to be in fashion (don’t care, I’ll wear it anyway). I have brown suits from JCrew and Ann Taylor, but they are both from years ago (and no longer quite fit, but I keep hanging on to in case I lose a little bit of weight because this color is so hard to find). This is something you just have to keep an eye out for and will pop up at random times.

      • Katie

        I have a pair of lovely chocolate brown trousers from Gap, of all places. They’re probably 7 years old at this point but I baby them because brown is a great color for me and hard to find. I think Brooks Brothers will have dark brown at times, and Talbots is consistently a good resource.

    • Anonymous

      Dissenter – brown fits in lovely with the upscale country look discussed this morning and will blend with tweeds and stuff if you roll that way. It may not be in but I’m stalking brown pants and skirts on Poshmark.

    • BrownForEvah

      I also look much better in brown than in black. Unfortunately, we’re a select club and brown clothing is tough to find. Have you tried camel? It works well on me (and may be a universal brown-wearer thing) and is much more prevalent. Also, I wouldn’t worry too much about it not being a trendy color. Cut and decoration date clothing much faster than an unusual neutral.
      No idea if anything from this post is still available but thought I’d pass it on:
      https://youlookfab.com/2018/09/12/trend-chocolate-brown-is-back/

    • Anon

      I have some pieces in Eileen Fisher color Clove. I like them. I have pants, a top, a skirt, and a cardigan. I mix and match them with off white and red and other slightly warmer colors.

    • Anonymous

      I’ve found that chocolate brown comes in and out of style – when it is out it is almost impossible to find. Stock up when it is in (which it seems to have been about 5 – 10 years ago – all of my chocolate brown pieces date from then, and they are slowly dying!).

    • Anon

      And actually, Kat’s pick for this post would probably look great on you if you look good in chocolate.

    • Anon

      Last one MM Lafleur has a color called Fig that is like a cool brown. I have a top and matching skirt in it and I find it less wintry feeling than true chocolate. I wear it for presentations pretty often because I know it’s one of my better neutrals.

    • Anonymous

      Brooks Brothers and Lafayette 148 have had some brown trousers — and this year Élie Tahari had a black jacket with a brown plaid print. I also found a Lafayette 148 riding skirt in brown.

    • ND

      Aritzia has some stuff in a colour they call Modern Brown (last season so not as much left) that might be worth a look.

  8. Anonymous

    What do you do when a pair of jeans comes with a funny smell? My new black skinnies from Wit & Wisdom smell horrid even after washing them.

    • anne-on

      I’d start with a cup of vinegar plus a few tablespoons of washing soda and a tablespoon (max!) of your regular laundry soap. Wash, and air dry outside if at all possible. If that doesn’t work swap the vinegar for amonia, that usually cuts the gym sweat stinkies for me like nothing else.

    • Anon

      Try soaking overnight, unless they’re mostly cotton. Sometimes synthetic fabrics don’t absorb water that well and hold smells unless you soak them.

    • Anonymous

      Also can try the fresh scent things Tide and others are offering these days. You put a small amount in with your laundry detergent and the laundry comes out scented. Or Sports Tide may be another option–that’s gotten stink out of synthetics for me.

    • Liz

      Can you hang them outside or in a sunny window for a day? Sunlight does wonders to reduce weird smells. I would hang them between the curtains and the window for a day with 2-3 dryer sheets to create a nice-smelling, sunny box.

  9. Anonymous

    Any tips for waking up earlier? I used to be an early riser, and for some reason after moving about 5 months ago, I’m just…Not. My alarm goes off at 7, I have this horrible snooze button habit, I get out of bed at 8, am at work (dressed, showered) by 8:30. I’d like to be at work by 7 ish but there is no real carrot/stick here, just personal preference. Telling myself to “just do it” isn’t helping.

    • BabyAssociate

      Set your lights on timers so they’re on when your alarm goes off (I use Phillips Hue light bulbs), have you alarm play the news and not just music.

    • Anon

      No suggestions but so much commiseration. I was going to start fresh today. Alarm set for 7… didn’t get up until my dog insisted at 8:10. Trying again tomorrow.

    • Anonymous

      I like my sunrise alarm. I also like to set an alarm to play a song that increases in volume and intensity over 30 seconds or so. And I find those watches that wake you up based on your sleep cycle incredibly helpful.

    • jwalk

      Focus on the positives of getting up earlier. It’s definitely going to be rough for the first couple weeks and you’ll just have to muscle through it, but if you can find something you honestly like about getting up early, it will be an incentive to keep the habit going. I decided to get up earlier just to be more productive, and I found I really really like having the extra time in the morning to, say, have tea and read the news instead of rushing around my house so I don’t miss my train. Even if I am tired, knowing that I am giving myself time to not stress about getting ready is enough for me to get out of bed on time.

  10. Boston!

    Boston ladies, help! How easy is it to get to/from Logan airport from Longwood medical area using public transportation (the T?) for someone who is unused to public transportation and has difficulties walking for more than 5-7 minutes?

    • Anonymous

      You can do it without walking much but it takes a lot of switching. Airport/silver line bus -> south station where youbswitch to the rest line. Take 1-2 stops and switch to green line to longwood.

    • Anonymous

      It will be very difficult for someone who doesn’t navigate public transit and can’t walk very far. For someone more mobile, it would be easy- if a bit time consuming- green line in bound (pretty close to the hospitals in Longwiod) with direct, well-marked transfer to the blue line at Govt Center then shuttle bus from the Airport stop to the terminals.

      Take an Uber, Lyft or cab.

  11. Burnout

    Any suggestions for what to do on a mini vacation between jobs (long weekend)- this is a huge change for a recently engaged finance manager, overseeing ten, to a senior role managing two. I should note I’ve been burnt out for quite some time and love in Boston area. Help me out corporettes!

    • Leatty

      Montreal! Visit a Nordic spa while there – the most relaxing experience of my life!

      • Anon

        Trying to go from Boston to Montreal and back in 3 days while prepping for a new job seems really stressful and not at all relaxing.

    • Anon

      Portland, ME is a great mini-vacation spot! Great food/drink scene and I can’t recommend the Mercury Inn highly enough. There’s just enough to do to fill a long weekend without feeling rushed or conversely, bored. It’s a 2 hour drive or 2.5 hour train ride.

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