Coffee Break: Una Flats
This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A reader was just raving about these shoes from M.Gemi. They came up in a discussion about what toe shape is trending, where people mentioned a lot of shoes we've previously shouted out as reader favorites, but this was a new one to me.
They come in a ton of colors (15!!) and are generally available in sizes 35-42. Something about the higher vamp and elongated square toe feels a bit more sophisticated than a lot of the Mary Jane flats out right now.
(A lot of those colors are metallic leather — great if you're looking for something a bit dressier but still comfortable to wear with a dress. The midnight navy blue is also fabulous if you're looking for a navy flat.)
The shoes are $298, available at M.Gemi. (Another fun data point: the shoe is featured heavily on M.Gemi's homepage, where they call it “the shoe you have to feel to believe.” The product page also notes that it packs flat, which is always nice if you're traveling.)
Sales of note for 8/21/25:
- Ann Taylor – $20 sale types (select styles), 25% off tops and sweaters, and extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 10% off new womenswear styles with code
- Dermstore – 20% off the Anniversary Edit
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off all sale
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off late summer styles, plus extra 50% off all sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything and extra 15% off $100+
- M.M.LaFleur – Up to 70% off new markdowns – try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off.
- Neiman Marcus – Last call designer sale! Spend $200, get a $50 gift card (up to $2000+ spend with $500 gift card)
- Nordstrom – 9,800+ new women's markdowns
- Rothy's – Ooh: limited edition T-strap flats / Mary Janes
- Spanx – End of summer sale
- Talbots – 25% off your regular price purchase, also, end-of-season clearance
- Tuckernuck – Sample sale, prices up to 70% off! (Including lots of this bestselling work dress marked to under $75)
PSA to please, please get regular derm checks and don’t hesitate to go in if you notice a mole changing. My 35 year old family member entered hospice care this week after a few years of a brutal melanoma journey.
There are many stories of noneventful removals & survival with melanoma, but please remember it needs to be taken seriously. He should have his whole life in front of him – not the weeks he’s hoping for.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ve been putting this off and calling the doc now.
I put it off too, because my derm left the practice and I had to make an extra call. I ended up scheduling a full body check on my birthday this fall – not on purpose, but a good reminder that taking care of my health is the best gift
Agree. I was waiting in line by a woman earlier this week who had really concerning looking spread out multi-colored irregular pigmented areas on her forearm. I’m just a student still but I really hoped that she was having those looked at. I’ve never seen something so alarming in the wild. SEUS, so people are outside a lot more of the year here.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
A related PSA if that’s allowed: please protect your children. Apparently if you get one major sunburn in your youth it really increases your chances of melanoma later.
https://melanomafocus.org/news-blog/childhood-sunburns-are-raising-the-risk-of-melanoma-skin-cancer/
But don’t you know sunscreen is way worse? (massive eyeroll)
Unfortunately sunscreens that weren’t broad spectrum were able to protect against burn while still allowing the damage that leads to cancer, leading to false reassurance. But FDA has been warning about only using broad spectrum for decades now.
Oh I was just referring to the insanity of the MAHA movement that says that sunscreen is bad for you. But absolutely agree with your point!
So sorry for your loss. This is also what Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband died from, in his 40s.
How often are you supposed to have mole checks (assuming you having seen any areas of concern)? Once a year?
Yup, yearly. My derm checks my mouth/tongue but I also appreciate that my dentist makes it part of my yearly check up.
Perhaps TMI but I have no shame in reminding people to make sure doctors check their ‘bathing suit areas’ for moles. It’s very hard to self check there and hair can hide issues at first.
+1. I know a woman who died from melonoma. The original cancerous spot was found on her labia. I guarantee this woman never tanned naked or spread eagle. The problem spots can appear in areas where the sun don’t shine.
I think it depends on your risk factors. My derm said I only need to come once every 3 years because there’s never been anything concerning. And I have a lot of freckles but apparently they are all very typical. I know it’s common to go more often if you’ve had areas of concern in the past.
I go every three years, but if something new or weird comes up I go in for a spot check. My partner goes every six months, but he’s had a large basal cell removed, and other sus moles.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ve got my yearly check scheduled and my kids are going this week before school starts. It’s such a preventable cancer, it’s always awful when it gets missed.
And don’t forgo your yearly eye exams even if you don’t need contacts or glasses! Was at my eye doctor’s and he said I was dilated last year so didn’t need it this year, unless I was at high risk for melanoma. Well I am, and you can get a melanoma in the back of your eye, so from now on I’ll be getting dilation during my eye exams even every year.
Ditto colonoscopies and mammograms!
yes! <3 preventative care is so easy to push off but can be truly life-saving
The only thing that keeps me going in when it’s so damn time consuming. Every trip to Labcorp is 90 mins total these days.
Yeah – make sure you schedule an appointment online. At my local site, it saves a lot of time. Also find out the peak hours and avoid them. Unfortunately, the busiest time is early AM and mid day/lunch – the most convenient times.
I worked with a woman who died around this age from skin cancer from tanning beds.
I am so sorry. Melanoma is brutal.
Also if you have dark spots/lines or any lumps weirdness under your nails – less typical presentation of melanoma. My mom had a lump under one of her thumbnails and by the time she finally had it biopsied, it had spread. It’s a horrible way to go, and so easily preventable if you catch it early.
In my state, both my manicurist and my hair stylist have told me their training includes looking for melanoma under nails and under hair, for exactly this reason.
Any recommendations for tinted chapstick/lip balm? I’ve accepted the fact that I actually hate the feeling of wearing lipstick, but I’d love something with a little more color versus just plain chapstick. Bonus points if available drugstore/Target.
It’s a classic, but the Burt’s Bees ones are so good and pretty pigmented.
I really like Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm. I’m fairly pale and cool-toned and I like Pink Blossom.
try the Elf one – hydrocore i think? i have the one that looks like a dark burgundy in the tube but it’s just a slightly winey wash.
I like the NYX Butter Gloss. It is moisturizing and has very light color coverage.
Ethique’s sugarplum stick is amazing if the color works for your tones. Feels like chapstick, has great buildable color that doesn’t feel weird, waxy, or dry.
ooh… this color looks great. thank you!
ooh so many options! from least to most color:
nivea lip care blackberry or cherry are great just a hint of color options
la girl Sheer Tint Lip Balm
elf sheer slick lipstick
milani Color F–t!sh Balm Lipstick
revlon Super Lustrous Shine
if you decide to splurge & want closer to the color payoff of lipstick with actual moisturizing, the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments are perfection.
Do you like the new Fresh Sugar formula — without the sunscreen? I liked the old one but I see it now has a lot of bad reviews.
what are your favorite ways to wake yourself up – and when do you give up and take a nap or switch to easier work? having one of those days. (but: joined the gym!)
if diet coke or green tea doesn’t cut it i just pack it in early. i always feel on these days like a nap would have been better.
I like Taylor Swift a lot, but i seem to be the only one who doesn’t care much about her engagement (i wish her well and everything)
Same. I kinda wished she’d just gotten married under the radar and I could have been distantly happy for her and then forgotten about it. I forgot how much she thrives in the spotlight. Now we’re going to be hearing about it endlessly.
It’s not like she’s inviting you to her destination wedding.
You’re only going to be hearing about it endlessly if you endlessly consume celebrity gossip…
I’m not OP but literally all my female friends between the ages of 25 and 45 reshared her insta announcement post so I think hearing a lot about it is kind of inevitable, especially for millennial women.
Same. I’m 39, I follow mostly outdoor/dog accounts on insta and some other random millennial woman-oriented content and have already seen sooo many posts from these accounts and actual friends. I pretty much just scroll on by. I’m less turned off by people who simply like Taylor and are having fun with that than I am all of the “discourse” about her, who she’s dating, whether she should be doing xyz advocacy work, how rich she is, whether she’s a feminist, whether she’s good, easter eggs, whether she should make statements on xyz topic, the intersection of football and Taylor….that’s what I find really tedious. I stay completely away from celebrity gossip and still encounter these topics.
yeah I have an insta mostly for following travel people and brands, no celeb gossip whatsoever. American Airlines, Disney, Marriott Bonvoy and countless other brands had posts up within minutes referencing it. Like, c’mon this is exhausting. I’m happy for them, but we don’t need every single brand on the planet tracking their every move. I realize this isn’t exactly T&T’s fault (although I do think they both loooove the spotlight), but it definitely sours me on them.
Oh, I’m not on social media. You can quit it, too, if you don’t like it. Or you can mute the friends whose content you find annoying. Lots of ways to opt out if you just put in a little effort.
Also, ew, who follows brands voluntarily? Like girl, you don’t see enough ads in your daily life, you want to seek them out, too?
I follow brands that are relevant to my life because they share news I’m interested in. Like airlines announce new routes on their social media and stuff like that, and I want to hear that info. And yes I’m aware I could quit social media, my point was that you can get this shoved down your throat without following “celebrity gossip.”
It sounds like you are very open to receiving a pretty broad amount of cultural/commercial information via social media, and that means you are open to receiving any and all cultural/commercial information via social media.
Opting out of following people or commercial brands you don’t know and muting the ones who push content that isn’t actually about their own lives will solve your problem. Both of those are vectors for celebrity gossip otherwise, and you’ve opted in to both vectors.
You forgot how much she thrives in the spotlight? What a sad take.
I would rather see endless loops of Taylor news than *gestures* any of the alternative current events
and yet you’re the first one to mention it here!
the old “how do you know someone’s a vegan?” “they’ll tell you” joke seems to apply to people that don’t like Taylor/thinks she gets too much press so, so much more than it does to the Swifties!
It was mentioned on the morning thread
Literally one comment with zero replies…
IME the swifties are way louder than people who don’t like her/don’t care. Look at this thread. Someone posted a comment – and even said that they liked her a lot! – and most of the responses are snarky, passive aggressive grips from posters who seem offended that someone might – gasp – not want to hear about Taylor Swift endlessly.
My kid is a bit of a Swiftie and I’m happy she’s happy and Taylor’s happy. The only celebrity relationship I thoroughly love is Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant because he’s adorable and she’s actually around his age. Honorable Mention: Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia (principal ballet dancers).
You cared enough to post here!
Cool story, bro.
Let’s celebrate any good news in the world today! And don’t forget to watch Lifetime’s Christmas in the Spotlight and Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs’ Love Story whenever you have the opportunity! I’ve only seen Christmas in the Spotlight, but wow how inspirational–I’m gonna ask a man to dress as Santa Clause and invite him on my private plane!!
Not sure how it affects you in any way.
I think they’re a good match, that’s about the nicest thing I can say. I thought the caption was beyond cringe, and I find her “I’m so smart, he’s so dumb” shtick really exhausting. I mean, I do believe he’s dumber than a box of rocks, but it seems like a mean thing to repeatedly say about the so-called love of your life. And her pretending to be some kind of great intellectual is absolutely comical.
I mean, she said English teacher, not philosopher.
English teachers all have college degrees.
So do… all teachers?
Including gym teachers!
It was a reference to the “you know how to ball, I know Aristotle” line in the song she used for the post. I don’t think she’s an idiot, I think she certainly could have gone to a decent college and gotten a degree if she’d wanted to (like pretty much every other rich kid in the US), but I don’t think she’s some kind of genius or Serious Intellectual, and she definitely thinks of herself that way.
Obviously she’s referring to a description others have used.
As far as your feelings about it, it falls into the Get A Life category.
Just a vent – my husband is a professor and hasn’t been reimbursed for expenses to the tune of ~$2k for a conference he attended in early June and submitted his receipts for within 48 hours of getting home. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. It’s mostly an annoyance for us (although I feel like at some point they should have to start paying interest — it adds up!) but I truly don’t understand how grad students, postdocs and even junior professors with a higher expense:income ratio are supposed to regularly float this kind of expense for months at a time. There’s no such thing as corporate cards in academia.
Preach. It’s awful and exploitative.
yep – my first job post-grad (at a F100!) didn’t give corporate cards to entry level folks. It was a travel-heavy role and a nightmare to balance, constantly stressed about my card getting declined at a hotel or wondering how to pay my actual bills. It’s made me super conscious of not letting interns or junior employees be in that position!
I’m staff in higher ed and have a ‘corporate card.’ Idk what the professors do
At my university, staff can get cards, but faculty and students/postdocs can’t, which makes no sense because they generally travel more.
OP here and yeah I was talking about professors and grad students. I agree it’s common for staff to have a travel card. I think (?) the reason is that the university is almost never paying travel expenses for faculty and students. A faculty member’s personal grant pays or another university that’s hosting the conference or invited talk pays. Other than very limited startup funds, the university doesn’t really provide any money to students and faculty for travel. Whereas pretty much all the time staff are traveling for work, it would be coming out of the university’s funds.
What a great thing for him to raise to the dean/dept chair/faculty meetings- it’s awful how long it takes to pay grad students who aren’t making much to start with, and some of which have no savings or family support.
He’s got the power to actually make a difference here- advocating to make his purchasing dept pay pre-trip reimbursement for flight/hotel/registration could really help a ton of his students
(former grad student now PI, now stepping off of my soapbox)
Unfortunately it seems to mostly happen when non-home institutions are paying. For grad students he often covers their expenses from his grant, which is pretty much instantaneous reimbursement. But when another university invites you to give a talk and promises to cover all your expenses, it doesn’t really make any sense to decline the money and burn your own (limited) grant money, but then you have to wait to be reimbursed on their timeline.
I’m in academia in the US and have a corporate card. I got it when I was hired as a tenure track assistant professor more than a decade ago. I use it regularly. My professor colleagues at other institutions have corporate cards. Your husband’s institution is an outlier in my experience. Which is to say I hear your frustration! Not being reimbursed IS nuts.
so you know how they always tell you “don’t give your security code to anyone”? i needed to transition an old vanguard account to a newer one and on the phone call with the guy he asked me the security code. i resisted (very apologetically because of course I did) and he found a way for me to fill out the form myself online. but GAH incredibly nervous as this is our largest account.
Oh, you definitely did the right thing though!
It’s safer if you’ve called them first, using the number published on their website. But ideally the message would include something like “you may share this with the representative you are speaking to.”
does anyone else have a problem with your hips popping? i tried to do some hip alignment stuff and now everything is popping.
Mine have since I was about 15. It’s never been a problem and I’m almost 50 now.
My hips got really pop-ey when I started running, and then they started hurting – for me, strength training (esp. clamshells and glute bridges) helped more than stretching