ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 82 Comments

Tuesday’s TPS Report: Military Dress

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

Karen Millen Military Dress

This feels like a fresh take on the fit and flare dress: a Nehru collar, a front zipper, and some serious seaming throughout. I like. It's $350 at Karen Millen. Karen Millen Military Dress

Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com.
(L-2)

 

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

82 Comments

  1. This is gorgeous! I am pregnant and really missing fitted, structured pieces like this. Everything I am wearing is soft and round.

    1. This is totally totally gorgeous. If I were back to my regular size, I’d snatch it up. I’m even thinking of buying it as a motivational dress.

  2. I like this except for the sleeves. If it’s cold enough to wear something this heavy plus tights, I’d want some sort of long sleeve. Not sure how a jacket would look over this either.

    1. Completely agree. Cap-sleeves and mini-sleeves make me think the designer is confused – not sure if s/he’s coming or going. And too wishy-washy to take a bold stance.

      Either make the dress sleeveless or make proper sleeves. These ridiculous sleeves are flattering to very few, and still don’t save in manufacturing costs. The labor is roughly the same – the chief difficulty is fitting the sleeve with the shoulder. The materials (fabric) cost differential between these silly sleeves and real sleeves is de minimis. And also, the lack of function here, ugh.

      1. Totally agreed. I have found, since I have built up my shoulders and arms a bit through lifting weights, that cap sleeves and surplice dresses with wide straps make me look broader and less feminine. I hate that! I don’t want to look like a linebacker.

    3. With dresses like this in the winter, I like to add a thin black long sleeve top underneath. It doesn’t even have to be black — heather grey works with a lot of black dresses.

          2. I seem to remember making these as a teenager, for ballet class. We literally took a pair of tights, chopped off the feet and cut a hole in the cr0tch, which became the neck. Voila, arm tights. You could do the same here, put a simple hem at the wrist, and as long as no-one saw the neckline, no-one would ever know the difference.

          3. I wear them running, when you warm up, you strip them down or off….butnotforwork

      2. I like the thin black/grey shirt idea much better than white button-downs that are often suggested. Good idea!

  3. TJ Question: Wearing a orange and yellow-flowered skirt with a navy cardigan, navy top, and camel-colored heels today (tan purse, small gold hoop earrings, delicate locket necklace in gold, hair in a bun), but I feel like the outfit isn’t as pulled together as I thought it would be. Any suggestions for future mornings?

    1. Hard to say without seeing the skirt, but try adding a belt. I feel like my outfits instantly appear 10x more pulled together when I add a belt.

    2. Maybe a necklace or earrings that pull from the colors in the skirt would make it look more intentional?

      1. Thank you! This is one of those “well duh” answers that I can’t believe I didn’t think of. An orange necklace or scarf would obviously pull everything together, and I even HAVE an orange necklace, just sitting on my dresser. *sigh* It’s going to be one of those days.

    3. Maybe match your shirt to your skirt instead of your cardigan? Or bring in a whole new coordinating color with the shirt?

    1. Does your employer have an EAP? If so, I would start there. If not, I would look at what, if any, insurance coverage you might have for counseling and compile a list of providers that are on your plan. I would narrow that list down by location. With a list of counselors in convenient locations, I would start calling to see if they are accepting new patients and what their hours are. When you get a couple that are doable, set up an initial appointment to talk to them about their process, what your goals are, and whether they are compatible with you and your spouse. You might need to meet with a few to find a good fit. Finding the right counselor for you can be tough (and I’m sure it’s even more difficult when it’s for two people), but, in my experience, good therapy can be transformative. Good luck!

    2. I do NOT know where you are, but my freind in Washington just found a good one, and I can get the name of that counselor if you are in DC.

      I need some one like that to guide me thru the probelem’s I am haveing with the so-called men who are in my life. What total looser’s! The onley one with potential is Willem, and dad does NOT like his NAME b/c it sound’s like a rat from a movie. FOOEY! He called again last nite and chewed me out for rejecting Sam. I told him Sam picks his nose and flashed his weenie at me. Dad said I need to find a guy now, and if that mean’s putting up with stuff like that from men, then I should do that, and alot more. He says he will not pay for a big wedding for me if I am over 35 b/c by then I should be abel to do it myself. I told him that he gave Rosa a great wedding and I want the same. He said onley if it happens before I am 35. FOOEY! That mean’s I have to move faster then I wanted to, even if I do NOT make Grandma Leyeh’s timeline.

      Willem called to find out how I am doieng and to see if I wanted to go on the Circle Line cruise. His parent’s are comeing into town and he want’s to show them Manahattan. So I had suggested the Circle Line a few week’s ago. I told the manageing partner and he said I should go and he would go also and pay for it all as a cleint expense. I supose that is OK, but I was hopeing that I would get some info from Willem’s parent’s to convince Dad he is OK.

      I did want to thank the Hive for advise on Sam and Willem, but am torn b/c Sam does have alot of money and is younger, but the nose pickeing is VERY dificult to get over. I am alway’s lookeing at him waiteing to see when he start’s pickeing his nose! DOUBEL FOOEY!

    3. If you don’t think it’s working after a session or two, don’t hesitate to try someone else. You need someone who pushes you and calls you (plural) on BS, doesn’t let any party take over the conversation, etc. If you’re not getting that, it’s not a good fit.

  5. Anyone bored at work and up for a shopping challenge?

    I’m looking for a dress to wear to an early October wedding (not black tie). I’d like to find one that’s emerald or forest green. I want something that’s not too summery because it’s technically fall, but since it’s early fall I think I still have a little wiggle room. I kind of like the idea of sleeves, but they’re not necessary. I’m willing to spend up to $400 if it’s *amazing*, but obviously cheaper is better. Oh and I’m in my mid-20s (so not a mother-of-the-bride type dress).

    This doesn’t seem like it should be terribly hard to find, but for whatever reason I keep striking out.

      1. This is absolutely gorgeous. Maybe not dressy enough, depending on the wedding, but beautiful!

      2. Why do Ted Baker dresses look so gorgeous on the Nordstrom website but SO unflattering to the models on the Ted Baker website?? I even find some at Zappos and they look awful. I always desperately want them when I see them at Nordstrom but then go to the website and they’re definitely not flattering. I guess I have to actually go to a physical store for once…

        2. Just had to share – I wore my new leather jacket today on the commute and felt SO AWESOME. Plus I saw some cute guys on my way to work! Woohoo! :)

      1. Oh my, this is awesome. If anyone finds anything similar but cheaper, please post!!!

  6. Any suggestions for an awesome set for a 16 y/o girl? Her wish list says Magnetic Nail Polish, Nail wraps which isn’t particularly helpful.

    The 2nd option is a panda all-in-one, please don’t make me go and purchase such a thing.

    1. Panda all-in-one! Get it! Yes! Any 16-year-old willing to dress up in a panda suit deserves one, imo.

      2. Apparently this is a thing? I’ve seen loads of teens dressed up in animal rompers lately. Their house is freezing cold so perhaps she just needs it to keep warm.

    2. My stepdaughter REALLY wants magnetic nail polish. It’s all the rage right now in our area (and also in case anyone was wondering, the painting your 4th nail has now trickled down to the teenage set). It’s available at our local Walgreens in a little set, but we’ve seen in in individual bottles at various places as well. Basically you paint your nails and run a magnet over it and it makes a kind of mildly 3D design. I’m sure you can G gle it.

    3. The Sally Hansen nail wraps are good. So just go pick out a couple of those (you can easily find the metallic ones). And just pick up some OPI polish. You could even include a cute manicure set.

    2. Ooh, I think this one is perfect! I wish I had somewhere this dress, I’d buy it for myself in the dark blue.

    1. Very pretty! Which color are you looking at? Any of them would go fabulously with grey pants/skirt, and the blue one would also go with navy or black, depending on how dark the blue is.

      1. It’s beautifully made! The navy is my favorite, but I was worried that navy + brown over a black base might be a bit much. It’s a fairly dark navy. I do have navy suit pieces (pants, skirt) that would look good, but I’m not sure what to wear it with beyond that.

        1. I would get some grey pants – grey goes with everything and I wear it all the time. But if you have navy pants and skirt to match it to, that would be enough already, since you wouldn’t wear the blazer more than once a week anyway, right?

        2. I just want to put in a plug for Jack Wills blazers. I have one very similar to this (it might actually be the same, I’m not sure), but in moss green with a wide, dark red windowpane pattern. I absolutely adore it and it is part of my fall/spring casual uniform, as outerwear. I wear it with jeans or with black pants or skirt, and have also been known to wear it with burgundy. It is one of my ultimate favourite wardrobe pieces and I’m hoping it will last me forever.

    2. I have it in gray, and I wear it with jeans, as well as brown, olive, gray and purple. It’s a really nice jacket.

    3. That blazer is gorgeous. I love tweed.

      Are you looking at the charcoal color? I have one like that. I wear it with black pants all the time. It also works with navy, brown, khaki, jeans, or basically any other color. It’s a neutral.

      Don’t worry too much about the brown buttons. I think they casual-ify the blazer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear it with black pants and black shoes. People mix brown and black all the time these days. IMO, it’s one of those rules (like the one about white and Labor Day) that isn’t always followed by everyone, and I think people look just as good when they don’t obey the rule. I’d add a mustard-colored top and you’d be off to the races.

  9. Total wardrobe fail today. I somehow put together the outfit that makes me look EXTRA pregnant. My plan is to tell the bosses at the end of this week/beginning of next. But didn’t mean to be this obvious yet. Grrr.

      1. yes, or take tips from tv shows with pregnant stars: carry a bag of groceries around? stand behind potted plants? hold a large purse or binder in front of you slightly awkwardly? get another person to stand between you and the camera all day?

        1. Ha, yes, and also wear a coat indoors all day, and be careful always to stand behind a table or other furniture. Or invent a storyline about how you started stress eating (ahem, Daphne from Frasier).

  10. Thanks to all who responded yesterday to my wedding outfit help query yesterday. I am still looking for the perfect fitted top, but y’all have given me lots of good ideas and now I know my parameters. I think going to a dept. store with the skirt and trying on a bunch of their light colored tops may do the trick. Thank you all! I feel even more excited now. So funny how being excited about an outfit increases one’s energy level and happiness overall :-)

    1. I just wanted to chime in because I was thinking about what people said, and someone said that all sequin top would compete with the dress. But then I was thinking, if you had a cardi or that sweet simple jacket over the sequin top, then you would just see some sparkle peeking out and I think that would look amazing with that skirt! Anyway, just my thoughts, good luck finding the right thing and CONGRATS!! Have a wonderful day!!

      Also, you had better report back on the whole day afterwards or you are banned for lyfe. ;o)

    4. I was beginning to worry that my IT people had caught on to my habits, and that maybe just my workstation was having trouble. Heh – glad it’s not me!

    6. I got waaaaay more work done today than I have in weeks. This tells me I may have to cut myself off…

Comments are closed.