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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.
Um… WOW, you guys. I know I say that a lot about Nordstrom sales, but there are some truly c-r-a-z-y sales happening right now for more conservative/formal office attire. Obviously, shopping isn't anyone's first priority right now, but if you're looking for some solid distraction/shopping-as-therapy, Nordstrom is the spot to go. (Particularly since they have an open-ended return policy (no time limit as long as tags are still on)!) I've picked out a few dresses from major brands that I adore that are 50–70% off, all with tons of sizes left.
Pictured below, $88–$402: 1) Boss 2) Reiss 3) Ted Baker 4) Rebecca Taylor 5) St. John
(Here are a few more links to really cute dresses not pictured: a desk-to-dinner Ted Baker sheath, a cute lacy number from Reiss, a boss dress from Boss, and a stripey sheath from Boss.)
As for the suit at the top of the post — it's a bit of a weird brand (Suistudio) but the blazer is down from $329 to $98! Matching pants in teal and light blue are down to $51–$63. The brand has largely positive reviews, and I'm getting a very Theory vibe from a lot of their clothing (looove these fuchsia trousers, now down to $140). Pink and teal things aside, they also have some great basics, including all of these single-breasted blazers in navy/gray/black, mostly 70% off (around $98) — many have matching bottoms also.
If it's hard to invest in dresses or suits right now, there are some great elevated tees and sweaters in the sale that would work at home and then also segue nicely once we're back to work… love the ones pictured below, all of which have a ton of sizes.
Pictured below, $29–$97: 1) Ted Baker (lots of similar options) 2) Rebecca Taylor 3) Boss 4) Judith & Charles
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Sales of note for 9.10.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Bergdorf Goodman – Save up to 40% on new markdowns
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- White House Black Market – 30% off new arrivals
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Anonymous
Are any of you shopping for work clothes right now? Not a rhetorical question. My industry is business professional attire. I am so tempted by sales (I’m usually in the “Ann Taylor on sale” price range) but I also know I probably won’t need anything new this summer for work as we’re likely WFH, and I don’t actually NEED anything.
FWIW, my firm has guaranteed salaries through the end of 2021, so it’s less of a $ issue, and yes, I am saving more than usual.
Housecounsel
I am not. I have to picture myself wearing the outfit and doing something work-related. I work from home except for mediations, the occasional meeting and monitoring trials and I have no idea when these are going to happen again. But I have been browsing a lot and some of the prices are nuts.
anon
I’ve bought a few things because I am in a good place financially and feel like doing my bit to help the economy. It’s less than I would usually buy and all on sale.
Ellen
I am, even tho I prefer to shop in person and try things on at Nordstrom. I like the new Nordstrom’s in Manhattan, and they always treat me like royalty (practically) ever since Lord & Taylor was replaced by WeWork on Fifth Avenue, and look what happened to WeWork? Life is so strange. I would give anything to be 1 year younger, when there was no Covid 19 (was there a Covid 18 that I missed?), and we could just go out at night w/o haveing to wear masks and stand 6 feet away from people. I do understand the rational for doing this, but it is hard for all of us and my patience is getting thin (unlike the rest of me). So that is my story and I am sticking to it. I just wish I had someone significant to spend time with. It is not fun to be alone in the City — Facetime is not quite the same. FOOEY!
Anon
Nope.
Pink
No; I fully expect to be let go before the WFH order is lifted.
Monday
I’m a health care worker and our dress code is relaxed for the indefinite future. I’m wearing jeans and sweatshirts, and can’t even imagine putting on my business casual clothes right now, let alone shopping for more.
I am actually buying more casual clothes, since I used to wear most things more than once before washing and now have to wash everything after wearing to work. I don’t want to be that hard on wool sweaters, silk tops etc.
SC
I might. I need a new suit, I have a Nordstrom gift card, and I expect to go back to work in early May.
Cat
No. I’m assuming even when the world starts re-opening, I’ll be WFH or partially WFH for some time… and if there’s anything this has taught me about my closet, even in the best of times I really need to stop picking up “cute work tops” here and there out of boredom.
Plus, even with free return shipping, I’m not interested in dealing with the post office – inevitable given even shopping within the same brand doesn’t guarantee consistent fit.
Anon
+1 million to your last sentence. I cleared out my closet in the fall and had 4 dresses in 4 sizes from the same brand that all fit….
Anonymous
No and what kind of bonkers place do you work?
OP
I’m in a countercyclical profession – we do really well (unfortunately) in down times.
Anonymous
I am looking at things. I was struggling to stay in my size before this and am likely to need to size up when we return to work. IDK when that will be and suspect that schools will be closed (maybe June camps also). I can barely remember what work shoes I own (they are at work, unworn; I used to drive in in a pair of black Rothys). At any rate, I am putting things in my cart. I bought some GapFit tops that will cover my butt in leggings, since I want to be more covered when I wear them (vs wearing just for the gym).
BB
No unless it’s something you knew you needed for a while (like you’ve been on the lookout for a navy suit and now found one). Not a budget reason, but I think it’ll take a good 6 months once we’re back before I feel “tired” of my current wardrobe again.
Anon
I’m not. My employer is giving us optional work from home through at least the end of 2020 so I don’t expect to be back in an office before then.
Anon
Nope. I can’t see being back in the office for at least 3 more months, and think my office will likely be more casual at that point. If I was consistently a stable size, I might consider it. But I’m not someone like that, and don’t know what size I will be when this ends.
Anonymous
Sigh. I am at the stage of life where I seem to need slightly larger bottoms every year (and we have 4 seasons, so I seem to be perpetually buying). At least with stretchy items with no set waist, they should last a bit. But it means that I am likely in for a very rude awakening when I try on something with a fixed waist and minimal give. I have told myself to try on things periodically, but with work being busy (+ reading CARES Act + client alerts) and homeschooling and needing to do family meals 2x / day, I have zero time for anything and if I had it, I’d go for a short walk even if at midnight.
Anonymous
I am not buying work clothes now. I don’t see myself going back into the office or resuming travel for quite some time. I don’t want to buy anything that will go out of style by the time I get a chance to wear it. I’m also unwilling to visit the tailor, so I wouldn’t be able to wear anything new except tops and sweaters.
anne-on
+1 – all those dresses are gorgeous, but I’m on the shorter side of average (5’4) and I know they’d all need to be taken up at least 1-2 inches. I’m not visiting the tailor or the dry cleaners at the moment (obviously) so they’d just sit in my closet making me sad along with my other pretty work dresses. I could use a washable sweater blazer though for calls, so may pick up the one from this morning’s post.
Anon
I’m not because I have no idea what size I will be by the time we return to work.
back to big law
I will be the outlier opinion. Shopping for work clothes like crazy because brands are going on sale for prices that are the lowest I’ve seen. I actually ordered the featured suit earlier this week (it gets here Friday, so can’t speak to quality or fit). My law firm is technically business attire, but in reality it’s business formal with jeans on Fridays. I cross-reference Neimans, Nordstrom, and the brand’s own website to make sure I get the lowest price. I’ve bought 6 blazers, 3 suits, 4 dresses, and 3 pairs of heels since self-isolating on March 13. (I am also recovering from covid-19 and for the times that I was awake/lucid, online shopping was the best way to take my mind off of everything).
Anonymous
OMG — I think that you are the first person I can recall seeing here who has had it. I’m glad to hear that you are on the upswing. Can you talk more about your experience? I know two people who recovered from it (got in Feb on NYC trip as far as they know), they just had flu-like experiences (no picnic, but not awful; they are in their 50s and office workers / WFH workers since this all started).
back to big law
Happy to share – mine was horrible. This is long, so buckle up and get ready.
In and out of the hospital, but never had to go on a ventilator luckily. It was 17 days of pure, unadulterated he ll. I didn’t get much of a cough (really only at night), but I had a fever between 100 and 104 every day from April 3 through 19. The body aches were so bad that it hurt to move. The breathing problems were way worse than pneumonia (which I’ve had twice) – I could be sitting down and say 2 words without having to gasp for air. The gastro issues were so bad that I had to have a plumber come out for service (which required so much extra gear that I paid for). I couldn’t go up or down the stairs to the master bedroom, so camped out downstairs until Sunday.
I couldn’t drive because I couldn’t really move my feet or hands quickly enough, so I had to call for an ambulance to take me to the hospital. It felt like my 95 pound rottweiler was permanently sitting on my chest. Now it feels more like my 15 pound pug. The headaches started after the fever finally went away and they’re bad enough to not respond to anything but heavy stuff, not even prescription Tylenol. I feel like I’ve been a zombie in limbo for the whole month.
On the procedure side, I started with a teledoc because I was short of breath and a little feverish. He sent me to the ER with a referral for covid testing. My area has been hit, but I’m not in one of the big, big cities with a robust centralized area. So the ER tested me for flu, did chest x-rays, took blood, did a CT scan, and then finally did the covid test. Which hurt so much that I could taste the blood. Then it was a 6 days before the results came back positive. My hospital uses an app where you log in and rate symptoms and give your temp. It starts at every 4 hours and the RN will absolutely blow up your phone if you miss a check-in by more than about 30 minutes. Then we went to twice a day by the end of last week, and now I just check in daily. Most of the times I went to the hospital was because of the RN seeing red flags, either through the app or when she would call (because I couldn’t talk without gasping for air every 2 words).
The hospital collects all kinds of samples and data to send to a centralized location for nationwide analysis points (I’m in Texas). I have to go in every Monday. Blood draws, chest x-rays, and a stress test-type thing where they monitor different functions as you sit, stand, walk in different variations. They may be taking plasma on Monday, but it might be another week for that.
This is incredibly long, so if you’ve reached this point, thank you for listening to my still moderately incoherent ramblings.
back to big law
And I still left out my potential point of contact. I’ve been self-isolating since March 13, since I knew I was high risk. I live alone and didn’t leave the house except to walk the dogs and always keeping a street between me and anyone else (also because my dogs are a ss holes). My sister got my groceries and left them on the front porch and I had deliveries. I didn’t wipe anything down because that seemed cray. Welp, that’s the only potential source unless I touched the sidewalk where someone infected had touched it. So no idea, but also no one to notify of potential exposure.
Long story, short answer: I can only compare to what I’ve been through. It’s worse than the flu. It’s worse than pneumonia. It’s worse than radiation. It’s worse than chemo.
go for it
oh my, glad your are on the upswing. yikes!
Anon
Wow!!! Thank you for sharing. That sounds horrific. You really made me smile comparing your chest pain to your dogs. I’m glad you are starting to feel better and I hope that you keep recovering. If you don’t mind me asking, I’ve heard how terrible the test for COVID-19 is. I’ve had the flu test before and I thought they tested in similar ways, swab up the nose. The flu one definitely sucks too but you didn’t say that one was painful. Does this go even further up than the flu test? I’m cringing just thinking about it.
back to big law
No problem at all. The information is so contradictory that I had zero idea of what to expect when I got there. It was terrifying, especially being shut in a room you can’t leave, everyone will only enter the room in full PPE, have to be escorted to and from the car (or ambulance). (Oh and I’m 40 if that’s relevant to my experience.) The flu swab is annoying and hurts but it makes me think I’m going to blow snot all over the doctor. The doctor told me the covid swab is longer and goes a different direction (position?) and further in. It felt like the inside of my nose was being scraped by razor blades, I teared up, and then could taste blood for about 10 minutes after it was done (it’s super fast). I had not mentally prepared for that, so it was especially WTF.
anon
Yikes, I’m so glad you’re on the mend.
To the person asking about the test – I had it too, and it’s really uncomfortable, not going to lie. It’s a long bendy thing that goes up your nose to the back of your throat. Once it felt like it was already scratching the inside of my brain, the nurse told me she had another 3 inches to go. Having that in my sinuses made my tears flow uncontrollably. Then they have to swab it around for the ten longest seconds of my life. It’s not that it necessarily painful, it’s just really uncomfortable. However, my friend went to a drive through testing site and they let her do her own swab. She definitely didn’t go as far back, so who knows how accurate it was (she tested neg.) but definitely more bearable. I also heard that they’re working on a less unpleasant test that only requires swabbing the nose or even the throat (through the mouth), so it will improve!
anon
Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope you keep getting better, and soon.
Anon
Yikes, that’s terrifying. Glad you’re doing better now! Do you mind saying what made you high risk?
CountC
I am also although only a few pieces here and there that are filling wardrobe gaps or that are heavily discounted and that I will use regularly. I am going back to the office as soon as the Governor says we can. I hate working from home. I have an office and I will take the proper precautions. Our office is business casual, but I always err on the side of business vs. others who err on the side of casual.
Vicky Austin
I’m still going to the office (healthcare-ish) and still trying to not look like a college kid on career fair day, so I’ve taken advantage. I am trying to keep it reasonable so as not to overwork the industry.
Gail the Goldfish
No, because I have no idea when we’ll be back in the office or what size I’ll be then. Which is annoying because I had just bought some new work clothes for some work trips shortly before everything went WFH and travel stopped.
Pompom
Same.
I got my new Away suitcase in the mail on March 8th, before a year of business and pleasure trips. It’s looking back at me very forlornly from the closet. #firstworldproblemsbutstill
anne-on
Same, but with Monos, this is normally my busy season for travel. It’s a little weird – this is the longest I’ve been between business trips in easily 10-12ish years aside from my maternity leave.
Gail the Goldfish
I did, however, buy a couple of new t-shirts in spring/summer colors so I can have happy colors to cheer me up when working from home.
anon
No but I also just found out I’m pregnant so there’s that
Anon
On purpose?
Anon
That’s never a polite question.
Anon
I’m not the one who said it and I agree it’s not polite but I have to say it really made me laugh.
Pure Imagination
Congratulations!!!
Anokha
Congrats!
Anon
Congratulations!!
Anon
Thanks! It’s a very much wanted pregnancy but current situation really takes the celebration out of it and doubles down on the anxiety.
anon
In the alternate timeline where COVID-19 didn’t exist, I had planned on buying another suit about now as my body has finally stablized after having children. Now, I have no idea whether I will be laid off, or when the courts will reopen. I am going back and forth on whether to pull the trigger on a great deal. I am leaning towards buying a suit set.
anon a mouse
I have bought more clothes that I need for WFH, which is to say more leggings and hoodies.
Anon
I am, but my postpartum body is going completely haywire and NOTHING fits.
Lyssa
I’m trying to – I’m still in the office. Our dress code is really relaxed for a while and I almost never see other humans now, but I do really need some new stuff. I’m just really, really bad at shopping online. (Does anyone else find this weirdly difficult? It’s so hard to tell what things will look like, and returns are a pain, and I always want to look at everything then get interrupted and can’t finish the order …).
Small Law Partner
No, but I don’t feel like I need any new work clothes. I had just bought a new suit and three blouses (that’s a lot for me to buy at once) before covid because I had a big trial in March that got postponed.
I’ll likely go back to the office once stay at home is lifted, but my office is also very small, close to where i live, and I have my own office, so distancing isn’t hard. I have trials scheduled in June, July, and August, so if those stay on calendar I’ll need the new stuff anyways and I am going to one of the air travel guinea pigs.
Anokha
I’m only shopping for business casual tops and blazers (which I will definitely be wearing with leggings or joggers)
Misty the Wonderpony
I’ve bought 3 new AT long sleeved Ts in bright spring colors (super on sale) to wear under my three season blazers. My clients only see me on Zoom, so with a scarf or pearls, I still look like I got dressed. And putting on a little face and a blazer gives my morning a little familiar structure.
But under the desk: stretchy pants & leggings, with Steggman woolen clogs.
Finally Made a Name
Nope. I can’t justify spending money on clothes that will be hanging in the closet for months and may not even fit when I have an occasion to wear them.
anon
No way. I have no idea when we’re going back to work so it just seems pointless. I am also holding out hope that our workplace will go more casual after this. I just placed an order with Athleta and Old Navy for some casual summer updates, though.
crimlawyer
When this all started up I went on poshmark and bought a bunch of suits. I think laid off people are selling off their work wardrobes. Or maybe people are using this time to lose weight and restyle themselves. Who knows. I just know I have a bunch of new cheap suits I’d love to wear somewhere
Anon
I actually am buying workwear now, and more than usual. I’m in my first professional job, so I’ve been needing to expand (lol, acquire) my work wardrobe.
Anon New Yorker
No but the only thing I was contemplating buying before the SAH order was a long sleeved black silk blouse and it looks like I will be in short sleeves by the time we go back to the office. I could use a new pair of everyday black shoes (was hoping for a low heel to replace flats) but I can’t really picture exactly what I will want to be wearing right now, nor can I really contemplate spending money right now. My government job is safe but I assume I won’t be getting a raise or COL increase for 3-4 years, so I’m being cautious in spending.
AIMS
I’m having a hard time with this. Not jus with work clothes either. I was getting some kid clothes the other day and was going to get some dressier stuff that would be cute for grandparent bday parties etc and just couldn’t. It’s like what’s the point?
But I also find myself somewhat depressed wearing pajamas or their equivalent every day. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up, I think even if we’re all still stuck at home, comfy summer stuff is so much more varied at least!
Anonymous
I updated my formal work wardrobe last year and haven’t worn anything from it since Feb. I won’t be shopping for work clothes until we get rolling again. However, if I had gaps I would definitely fill them from the current sales.
LaurenB
It bugs me that they are able to do SUCH big sales, because it tells you the stuff is so overpriced in the first place.
AIMS
Or that they’re really struggling!
Anon
I think it tells you that that they’re desperate to move inventory.
Anon
+1 it’s been a while since I’ve worked in retail but sales would get progressively steeper as new inventory was expected. It wasn’t uncommon for certain items to be sold at less than cost if they hadn’t been sold in time.
Seventh Sister
I work in a business formal place and I bought a suit from the sale yesterday. It’s by Boss for Women (a brand I usually stalk until the piece I’ve wanted for months finally goes on sale). Hopefully it fits/the skirt isn’t too short. The discount is EXTREME. Then again, I’m in a countercyclical area of law so even if the poop hits the fan at my office, I’m pretty sure I’ll have some use for the suit in the future.
Anonymous
D*ng. Boss is my spirit animal for workwear and I was previously grateful and I feel that it fits someone who is taller than 5-4. Can you comment on fit / body type? I feel that it is just what I’d prefer, but I generally stick to Banana and AT because they carry petite jackets and dresses. I know that 5-4 isn’t that short, but my natural waist seems to be just below my armpits, so dresses tend to have their waist maybe 2″ below where I need it to be.
Seventh Sister
I’m almost 5’6 and very short-waisted. It’s a good brand for my body type (I carry all the extra weight in my stomach). I’ve never really felt like it’s a brand that only works for the particularly tall. It’s a German brand and I feel like their sizes are geared towards slightly taller and broader people than a lot of American brands. I have had most of the things I’ve purchased from Boss tailored through Nordstrom, but I do that for pretty much all of my suit purchases anyway because I have proportionally narrow shoulders.
Hope that helps!
Seventh Sister
I have no idea when tailoring will be possible given coronavirus, but I’ve always really liked the Nordstrom tailors and I feel like they do a better job than my dry cleaners, but are not geniuses like the guy that did my wedding dress.
Small Law Partner
Boss is one of the few suits that fits me and I am not tall. I’m almost 5’2″ and a slim/athletic 105 but somewhat broad shoulders for my size. I have to get the pants hemmed, and the jacket taken in around the waist a bit – I have to buy a size 2 to fit my shoulders rather than a 0. Skirts and dresses are the right length, but I have super long femurs.
Anon
I am working on spreadsheets today and listening to a podcast while I work, Case Closed, about the Sneiderman murder in Georgia. All I gotta say is, any impulse I’ve ever had to get flirty with someone I work with is now GONE. The story is very much about how a workplace affair goes horrifically awry. Worth a listen if you enjoy true crime podcasts.
pugsnbourbon
Ooh thanks for the rec. I’ll check it out!
Pure Imagination
We just won a huge contract that I was instrumental in shooting for and writing the proposal for and it’s my absolute dream public health subject to work on – what an amazing piece of news in these dreary times! You have no idea how much this turns my burnout around…
shots shots shots
congratulations!
Monday
That’s awesome! I hope you can find a way to celebrate.
anon
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing happy news, go you!
Pure Imagination
Thank you! My boss didn’t want to bother and didn’t think we would win because we have less subject matter expertise here compared to other areas, but I’ve never been so glad to have pushed for something at work.
Walnut
Get it!! Nice work and walk with extra swagger in your step.
Anonymous
Congratulations!! It’s wonderful to hear some happy news.
Finally Made a Name
Congrats to you!
pugsnbourbon
Go you! Woohoo!
Pure Imagination
Thanks all. This really takes the edge off of worrying about not having enough work.
MagicUnicorn
So exciting! Congrats!!!
Anonymous
Last weekend I ordered delivery from a local restaurant (for the record, they were not taking orders directly and only through third party apps, I tried). It was estimated 20-25 minutes delivery time. The food didn’t come until exactly 2 hours after I placed my order, and it appears that what happened is the restaurant waited 1.5 hours to prepare my order, and then it was promptly delivered. The food was hot when it arrived. Am I being reasonable for wanting a refund? I was starving and already ate by the time the food arrived, had requested cancelation after 1 hour and didn’t get a response.
Anon
I think you are well within your rights to not tip or ask for a refund of the tip because you received terrible service. But it doesn’t make sense to ask for a refund of the food. You got the food.
Anon
I’d ask for a refund but leave the tip. The tip goes to the delivery person, who it sounds like is blameless here.
Pure Imagination
The same thing happened to me using Doordash. I decided not to use it anymore, but we still tipped the large amount we had specified since it wasn’t the delivery person’s fault. I wonder if the apps have some weird thing where they don’t transmit the order promptly?
Betsy
Honestly, my default right now is to let it go unless something is really egregious. Everything is hard right now, especially working in a restaurant. People are still figuring out new ways of doing things and you don’t know why your order slipped through the cracks. Consider it your good deed for the day and let it go.
Anon
Under normal circumstances, I’d complain, but you didn’t call and cancel your order. You should pay for the hot food you ate and cut the restaurant some slack especially given the current situation.
Anonymous
This.
Anon
I would be wondering if it was the restaurant or the app. Maybe the restaurant got started on it right away, but the app sent the order in after a delay?
Anon
Did you ever pick up the phone and try to call someone? If you didn’t really try to cancel it, I wouldn’t complain. And I would assume it’s the app and not the restaurant.
anon for this
May be too late for you to see this, but I work in corporate for one of the big delivery companies. Literally everyone was ordering delivery last weekend, so (combined with various COVID-related issues) there were a lot of delays across the board. Sounds like this one was on the restaurant, but you can definitely report that your delivery was late – most companies will give you some sort of refund or credit. It won’t impact the tip that the delivery person receives. Don’t feel bad for asking for some compensation – we’re happy to provide it to keep you a happy repeat customer!
St. John
I suppose I am in the St. John (aspirational) season of my life: older, senior (at work, not IRL), and increasing in size. I’m not shopping now, due to not knowing what size I will be when I am back in the office and because a lot of my clothes were awfully snug in March. St. John is stretchy! And a lot of it is 55% off now at Nordstrom. I feel like when we get the greenlight to go back, this might not be a bad way to hedge my bets. 55% off in St. John is more than I tend to spend, but before recent size fluctuations, I kept things forever, so a good work outfit (ideally — a plainish black dress) would be an appropriate expense for 2020.
BB
I have some St. John pieces that I bought in my 20s (about 10 years ago). I LOVE them. They can dress up and down to business casual or even blazer + jeans. The stretchiness makes them super comfy too. I also find that they’ve really upped their game in the past decade and definitely not only for the 50+ crowd anymore in terms of size.
Anon
I feel like if you’re going to go for St. John, go for one of the beautiful jackets. That’s the look. And I love it so I’m envious.
Anonymous
I had thought that at first, but my worry is that sometimes the jackets look too St. John, if you know what I mean. And I really may not fit in my dress or outfit to wear under it.
Just a jacket is a look for Zoom meetings only!
Anon
Looking like a St. John jacket is a feature, not a bug.
anne-on
Ha! Love this. And hard agree.
Jane
I bought 2 St. John suits when I was 28 years old in BigLaw. Got them both at a consignment shop. Ten years later, I still love them and think they look fantastic. They’re also as close as I can get to wearing pajamas to court.
back to big law
I’m team go-for-it! If it’s the style you like (fwiw, I love their jackets), I think it’s a great time to splurge because the discount makes it still feel like a bargain.
Anonymous
I buy St John and have dealt with size fluctuations by buying pieces that work as separates. Their blacks always match from year to year, but their blues never do.
Anon
Long story short – small law firm, one owner, one long term office manager. Office manager is the only one going in the office and is rather stressed. She’s taking it out on the staff and being very rude to the assistants that have no option but to go through her for certain things while they work from home. My assistant told me in passing about one such occasion. Not to file a complaint but more like “can you believe she said that?” Owner knows this is going on and kind of laughed it off saying everyone is afraid of office manager right now. Afraid as in she might be grumpy and yell at you.
Now my assistant is hesitant to ask office manager anything. I need her to keep working through office manager. There is no work around. Office manager is also in a way sort of my boss too — she manages the office. She does the HR tasks and the billing, etc. I don’t really feel like it’s my place to go to her and ask her to be nicer to the staff. I could ask the owner to address it but since he already knows and hasn’t addressed it I’m not sure where that gets me.
Walnut
Is there anything you can do to mitigate the office managers stress? Any tasks or projects that can be moved to the back burner or done by someone else?
Anonymous
Address it by having a conversation with the office manager. Ask her if she’s okay/having a problem with your assistant that you can help her resolve. Pretend you’re helping her out of the goodness of your heart because it’s starting to interfere with work. Tell her you’ll monitor interactions with your assistant more closely to ensure everyone is respectful and on-task or whatever. Document it by email or something and have the assistant email/message her requests in the future if you can … use this documentation to escalate the problem to the owner if it isn’t resolved.
Anonymous
Me again … if the office manager is usually normal just have a conversation with her about it from a place of concern and listen to her and respond accordingly. That might be all it takes. It’s a difficult time for everyone right now and maybe she doesn’t realize her behavior has changed/is being noticed or maybe she has legitimate frustrations. All this to say … just talk to her even though it will be slightly awkward/uncomfortable. Not even as a boss, just as as a colleague to put it on her radar.
Anon
She’s always been a difficult person but not usually flat out rude. I’m also not her favorite person either but I think I should say something to her at some point soon. Thanks for the feedback.
Bette
why does the office manager have to go into the office? it doesn’t seem unreasonable for her to be more stressed than the individuals that can work from home.
Anon
She would rather work in the office than at home and we need one person to get and scan our mail to us, put things in the mail for us, deposit checks, etc. She prefers handling billing from the office. Most stuff we can do through e-filing right now but a few things we can’t. For those things the lawyer writes the pleading, the assistant writes the cover letter, she prints both and signs and puts it in the mail.
Anonymous in Texas
To the poster this morning who is obese and asked for suggestions on weight loss, have you had your hormones checked? I’ve posted about this before and it’s been a real game-changer for me. I’m mid 40s and for a few years I just could not lose any weight. I’d exercise, eat well, but the scale wouldn’t budge. A friend of mine told me that her hormones were out of whack and once she got them where they’re supposed to be the weight came off. Sure enough when I had mine checked, my testosterone was so low that it didn’t even register. It’s been about a year and I’ve lost 20 lbs. It’s not over-night, but once you get your hormones working the way they’re supposed to, then when you diet/exercise the weight will come off. If you haven’t already, get your hormones checked and just see if that might be part of the problem. Good luck!!A
Anon
That was me, I have had bloodwork done multiple times for various things – including all kinds of tests when they were trying to figure out my wonky esophagus. I have specifically brought up thyroid numerous times, because my mom, maternal grandmother, and maternal aunt ALL have thyroid issues that they are on medication for. The tests always come back normal, though!
Again, I can’t express enough how grateful I am for everyone’s comments. I woke up this morning feeling overwhelmed and in tears, and I’m ending the day feeling more in control and calm about the situation. I’ve gone on two walks today, I received a sous vide that I ordered last week, so I’m resolving to make some healthy lean proteins with that, and I ordered the books that everyone recommended. I now feel like I at least have a plan, and I can do this. So thank you all, again, very much.
Anon
Did you have any symptoms of low testosterone, other than an inability to lose weight?
Senior Attorney
I was just eating lunch while waiting for a Zoom meeting and I spilled food all down the front of my white shirt.
That is all.
Finally Made a Name
Solidarity. I’m wearing a scarf because I spilled coffee on my shirt right before a Zoom meeting.
Anonymous
SA – thank you for the laugh (and I really hope no stains!!). Been there. Things that would’ve made me crack a smile a couple weeks ago are making me belly laugh, and this brought back all the times I’ve spilled down my front or sat on chocolate, etc.
Anon
How ’bout sitting on a deviled egg?! That was a doozy.
Senior Attorney
Haha I feel better now!
Becca
Guys, I would really appreciate any thoughts you have on my mom’s situation. She owns (outright, mortgage long paid off) a small building in our large (not NYC) east coast city. It consists of a 2-floor apartment upstairs and a downstairs commercial space which has always been used as a small restaurant/cafe.
Thankfully her apartment tenants are still paying rent and I imagine will continue doing so (both doctors).
But the downstairs tenant, who my mom was already having some issues with (his lease started in Nov, so he’s fairly new), told my mom he could not pay rent April 1. He sent her a check for $500, which is nowhere near the full amount. She has offered to give him 1/3 off his rent if he pays on time, but he has basically said “I don’t know if I will be able to pay, I’ll let you know.” She has no recourse and I am terrified the city/state will try to actually freeze rent payments so that landlords are having money taken out of their pocket. Am I right that none of the stimulus relief is for people in her situation? She will eventually get the $1,200 check, but the rental income is her only income and this is really stressing her out. TIA!
Anonymous
Yeah this is the reality of her business. If the economy collapses her tenants might not pay rent. Even if she can evict this one, she might not be able to re-rent it.
Anonymous
No one is taking money out of her pocket. Being a landlord is running a business. It is not without risk.
becca
Of course you always risk tenants not being able to pay. But the government unilaterally canceling your tenant’s obligation to pay rent (not just freeze evictions for a period of time)? Yes, that would be the government taking money out of her pocket and giving it to someone else.
Anon
No that is making sure people who lost their entire income are not thrown out in the street and homeless.
AIMS
Wait, has any govt actually said no one has to pay rent? Or have they postponed evictions? Because that isn’t the same as you acknowledge. I just had this conversation with a friend who runs a business that’s basically shut down since the pandemic and she doesn’t know how she is going to pay her may rent. She knows she won’t get evicted right now but she’s terrified for what happens down the line.
OP, I think your mom should be happy that she owns the building with no mortgage and has some good tenants. If she has to wait to kick this guy out till the fall, she should still count her blessings. It’s a lot worse for a lot of people right now. It’s unclear from your post if the downstairs tenant is the commercial tenant or not but I would think if it, the protections against will be lifted sooner than later. Also, def. check re: stimulus, I would guess it’s not just the neediest cases getting relief (see e.g., Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse getting $20 Mill).
Anon
+1
Anon
My parents are in a similar boat and from my review, none of the federal programs helped them. I don’t know if any state programs would help in your moms situation.
Becca
Ugh. Thank you for your response, I’m glad I am at least not overlooking anything completely obvious.
I know when people picture landlords, they picture a big, bad corporation that can afford to forego months of rent. But that is just not true across the board.
I have to imagine that it would not be constitutional for a city or state (or federal for that matter) government to declare that tenants do not have to pay rent for a certain period of time? it’s one thing to freeze evictions, another thing to erase rent payment obligations. Either way, I think my mom will have little luck getting all of the back rent even when the economy is up and running again – this tenant’s business is not doing well.
Anonymous
I really, truly empathize. But what would your mom like to see happen? if they tenant can’t pay, the tenant can’t pay. Absent the current pandemic situation, she would have to go through the eviction process, right?
Is she in an area where the state has declared that tenants do not have to pay? If not,if the end game is she wants to be rid of the non-paying problem tenant, she should start the eviction process now and anticipate it will take far longer than normal. Unfortunately that is the risk in renting property (commercial and residential). It does sound like she’s ok in that her residential tenants are still paying. And, in a worst case scenario she could take out a loan against the property since it is owned outright.
Seventh Sister
Has she considered trying to renegotiate the lease? I know it sucks, but he probably won’t pay all of the rent that’s owed and she may have a lot of trouble getting a new tenant in the same space. While I don’t know what the economy was like in her area before coronavirus, I live in a place that was going great guns and there was a lot of vacant commercial space.
Seventh Sister
Actually, I’m not sure it’s unconstitutional for the government to cancel someone’s rent obligations. It’s not particularly clear, mostly since this kind of economic turmoil hasn’t been seen in a long, long time. Also the tenant could file for bankruptcy and get a discharge of the rent obligation.
AIMS
I think there is a huge difference between a discharge in bankruptcy and canceling a private debt. There are lots of reasons a landlord may not be able to collect but ‘govt says you don’t have to pay a third party’ is unlikely to be one of them.
Anon
Our city has put a moratorium on evictions. We are also allowed to notify the landlord if we can’t make ONE month of rent; that rent must be repaid within six months, no late fees or negative consequences, starting in July. So there’s help, but it’s not a cancelation.
anon
The planet money podcast had an episode on this topic two weeks ago, basically interviewing up the chain from tenants to landlords to mortgage lenders to the govt which backs the mortgage lenders. I believe they said something about that a relief bill for landlords is in the works, but I don’t know if only landlords with mortgages would qualify (so not your mom). But my takeaway is that this IS on the radar for politicians, they just haven’t gotten to it yet.
Anon
I would like to buy my mother some comfortable summer clothes for Mother’s Day. She is a size 18 and is in her 60’s. Does anyone have suggestions for brands that are casual, but still flattering?
bored
I ordered some things from tentree (for a quarantine chic look) and I feel stupid and am returning everything. What are people wearing for comfy casual clothing? Looking for a good looking jumpsuit in particular and sweat pants that don’t look sloppy. Not sure if this is just wishful thinking.
bored
I’m sorry was not trying to hijack your post!
Senior Attorney
Talbots?
Anonymous
My mom is a similar size and likes Lands End.
Pure Imagination
What about Modcloth? Some of the styles skew young, but there is plenty of size-inclusive stuff available and lots of pretty dresses/skirts.
Anon
Coldwater Creek, J. Jill are the first two that come to mind.
Anonymous
Soft Surroundings
Poetry (find a promo code, possibly in a catalog)
Anon
Maybe try Karen Kane. I’m that size, and their clothes fit me, they have some soft materials and some cute prints, and generally some drapey-ish clothes that I could see someone in that age range wearing.
Anon
Ooo! Pretty!
Anonymous
My mom and aunts in that age group are all into Chicos. They have an athleisure line that gets a lot of wear in their circles.
Anonymous
Misook?