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Tuesday’s TPS Report: Lunata Amantha Multi Printed Fit and Flare Dress

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Reiss Lunata Amantha Multi Printed Fit and Flare DressThere are some who will say this dress isn't office-appropriate — it's silk, it's floral, it's got layers that might be described as “frilly” — but IMHO I think this is a gorgeous dress and would wear it all the time to wherever I wanted, including the office. I love the ruched waist, the high V, and the hidden side zipper. I might try it with a shrunken blazer for the office. It was $320, but is now marked to $192 at Reiss (all sizes left!). Reiss Lunata Amantha Multi Printed Fit and Flare Dress Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2)

Sales of note for 3/15/25:

  • Nordstrom – Spring sale, up to 50% off
  • Ann Taylor – 40% off everything + free shipping
  • Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – 50% off select styles + extra 50% off sale
  • J.Crew – Extra 30% off women's styles + spring break styles on sale
  • J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off 3 styles + 50% off clearance
  • M.M.LaFleur – Friends and family sale, 20% off with code; use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 40% off 1 item + 30% off everything else (includes markdowns, already 25% off)

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

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192 Comments

  1. Gosh, that’s pretty. I’d have to see it in person to know whether I’d wear it to the office, but either way, it’s simply gorgeous.

    Also, I couldn’t get this post to loan on Safari this morning. It showed up on Bloglovin’ and still hasn’t when I go directly to the site.

    1. I’m on my iphone (using Safari) and when I’m in the Coffee Break post and click the Corporette header then I can see this post but it doesn’t show as a link to the next post in the Coffee Break post and if I refresh the homepage then it disappears.

    2. Ditto – still can’t seem to see this from the thissite home page. Using IE, cleared cookies, cache, etc.

    3. Also could not get it to load on Chrome or Safari until just now. Refreshed several times, and nothing.

      1. I can only get here through clicking “next post” in yesterday’s coffee break. IE.

        2. Me too. Never had this issue previously (even when others were frequently having this problem a while ago).

        3. Ditto – on three different computer (don’t ask), using Chrome Private browsing on two and Firefox on the other.

          1. I love how dedicated we all are to thissite! Trying it from multiple browsers from multiple computers. I have to have my fix!

          2. Thank you guys! The server tuneup guys are on the job to hopefully fix the caching problems. (And, in (promising?) news, they tell me this may be part of a bigger problem with my theme — which would be great to identify if it exists. Ah, experts. Gotta love ’em.)

    7. I can’t see this post on the front page of the site either. Using Firefox. I got to the post via Feedly. The last post I see on the front page is the coffee break belt.

    8. I also can’t bring up today’s post on Chrome. Typing this from my iPhone (which wanted me to enter my name as Ninny, which I find hilarious).

    10. While I was able to see today’s post (7/9/13) at home on my iPad using Safari, now at work using IE9 the most recent post that I see is yesterday’s post about the Ann Taylor belt. I have refreshed, cleared cookies etc and reopened the browser but still cannot see today’s post. I was finally able to get to this page by cliecking the link from Facebook.

  2. Beautiful dress!

    Kat, I am still not seeing the latest post (I got here through the link on FB). Using Firefox 21.0. Also, the ad just above “add a comment” hides the “previous post” and “next post” links.

    Wedding gift question – one of my friends is getting married for the second time. She doesn’t need any of the traditional wedding gifts. What would you get? I was thinking a gift certificate to a restaurant that she likes.

    1. Restaurant gift certificate is nice. Couples massage could also work if you want to gift an experience. I also like to give nice throws or quilts – I feel like those always come in handy and might not be something you’d spend a lot of money on for yourself.

    3. Restaurant gift certificate, massage, or a really nice couch throw are all great ideas. A really nice bottle of wine/sparkling/scotch/port is also great. Most people would not buy that for themselves, so it’s the perfect gift.

    4. For things like this, I usually like things that encourage dates – restaurant gift certificates, couples massages, theatre tickets etc depending on how well you know your friends.

  4. Beautiful! I do find that since I started working out with weights, shoulders like this tend to make me look like a linebacker. It’s a weird thing because I always had really narrow shoulders.

    2. I’m super pear, so this cut makes me look almost proportional ;o) I LOVE it, am thisclose to buying, someone hold me back!

  5. Reporting back on the White House Black Market dress from last week — I picked standard shipping ($4) and it came last night, which was great. It runs a bit larger than JCrew sizes but not enough to size down, IMO. It’s fully lined, and heavy enough to wear in a heavily-airconditioned environment without looking un-seasonable. It’s also long enough — comes almost to my knee — and I’m 6′ tall so that’s AWESOME. Overall, I’m keeping it (but might get it tailored) and very pleased!

  6. I’m not sure if this dress would work on me (something about how the cap sleeves merge into a bodice that seems to have more fabric than it needs).

    But update on shorts for pears (me = narrow side-to-side, but large butt and a bit of tummy). The Gap boyfriend roll-up shorts were good (and are on sale now), but I found them to be a bit big in the waist for me. Old Navy (suggested by many) was the winner — I ordered a bunch in two sizes and found than some of them had wider cut legs than others (may be helpful to some). I found some that were truly perfect and very inexpensive. Many thanks to all for these two suggestions.

    I checked JCrew and Loft and just didn’t find what I was looking for.

  8. It is dawning on me that now is the better time to shop for an October college homing in Virginia. The last time I went, it was still a lot of beer and football and drinking. It was awesome! It is generally warm to hot and I remember getting sunburned.

    I didn’t pay attention to what 40-somethings wear to these things, especially when they have small children in tow. [And I tend to wear sporty or gym attire on weekends, so I have become a different leisure-time dresser than I used to be. I think I may need to go shopping and the “fall” clothes where I live now will be too warm for this trip once the stores change over to that.]

    My initial thoughts:

    DVF Reina dress — maybe with leggings if it turns cool, but I feel like this w/ flats would be OK; not sure if I’ve ever worn a dry-clean-only item to any homecoming event before
    Lilly cotton shift — can also wear with flats, bonus is that it would hide any stains
    Shorts + button down with cuffs rolled for touring children around cute college town

    I did run out and get my Lilly sorority scarf, but I think it might be too warm to do anything but tie on the handles of my large purse (but not a diaper bag any more — yay!).

    1. I think the Reina dress might be a bit much for homecoming. Shorts and a button down would be very comfortable but will also be what the 20 year olds are wearing. How about a jersey or shirt dress? With a sleeveless jersey dress, you can also bring along a chambray shirt and wear it tied at the waist if the temperature drops.

      1. Attn 20-somethings: what do you wear to homecoming? And what do the reunion class people wear?

        The last time I went, it was denim + Justin boots + a fleece for evenings, tied around the waist (b/c beer cools you down, y’all). No stroller.

        Can do denim + tweed Theory blazer + white tee. May need to acquire new boots (post-baby feet are larger; the Justins I’m saving for posterity / days when I get to sit a lot).

        FWIW, for girls, my school was on the preppy / cute side (at least back in the day, so if you were in a t-shirt with words, half of your friends paired that with pearls). I am feeling like I *should* look a bit like a successful grownup (and not any sort of cautionary tale / negative example for the undergrads or for my own small female children).

        1. I second a jersey dress, or dressed up shorts and a button down. Add some statement jewelry in your school colors. I think the big difference with alumni is they have “outfits” – more thought than just a dress or just a top and bottom. Jewelry, scarf, bag, and/or dressed up casual shoes will set you apart. As a recent alum from Virginia Tech, known for our t-shirt and jeans tailgating, I can’t believe I’m posting these suggestions :)

    2. Sundresses and cute skirts are what I see female students in at games, at least in SEC tailgates. I went to a Virginia school and we got dressed up for football tailgates (to stand in a field and drink, didn’t go to the actual game). For homecoming, alums generally dressed up a bit too. Shorts and a button down would be fine for roaming the town. And now I am homesick for Virginia in the fall. Sigh.

    3. I can’t speak to homecoming outfits completely, but unless it’s going to be in the 90’s temp wise the lilly scarf won’t be too warm. I have half a dozen give or take (they’re my big indulgence during the sale every summer) and I wear them even when it’s 100+ out
      My best suggestion for that would be to leave it loose with a necklace instead of wrapping it around your neck.. it looks a little more casual that way but still more fun than just a button down and pearls or a simpler dress.

  9. Question for the Hive: How much do you spend each month on groceries? My husband and I are in a bit of a debate on the appropriate amount to spend on groceries for our small family (husband, toddler and me). By way of background, we try and eat a fair amount of fresh produce and we are a gluten-free family (which does make food more expensive). But I am just curious to see if the amount we spend is low? normal? way too much? We spend over 1200 per month on just groceries, not eating out (we don’t eat out much because of husband’s celiac’s disease).

    1. That’s a LOT but fresh produce is really expensive, especially if you’re juicing it. Have you looked into if a CSA would decrease your grocery costs? Do you Costco for bulk goods? I spend more like $400 for 2 people (DC-cost-of-living) but that includes skipping organics and buying vegetables frozen.

      1. We actually have a share in a local CSA that I love. We struggle with how to cook some of the veggies (kohlrabi?) but we try and make good use of it. We use BJs for bulkgoods but have found with Celiac’s that many bulkgoods are now off limits.

        1. I slice my kohlrabi into matchsticks (or sometimes thin slices with a mandoline), and make a salad with dill and rice wine (or other mild) vinegar. I let it sit overnight, and voila. Salad. Delish. In fact…I should try to find some kohlrabi this weekend…

          It’s also not bad roasted, or chunked into vegetable soups, but…I like the salad the most.

        2. My dad always just chopped up the kohlrabi to eat it raw. But we did that with most of the garden vegetables. I’d treat it the same as you would a radish, which to me also says salad, or dipping stick for hummus.

      2. I wanted to join a CSA, but I didn’t because it’s much more expensive for me than just buying whatever produce I want.

      3. Since I am just buying food for ME, I spend alot on packaged take out food, and then alot more when I go to Fairway’s, but they have the BEST prepared food’s. Some time’s when dad is comeing by, I stop by Fairway’s and buy some Gaspackho, and he loves this in the Summer! I tell him that I made it myself, but he know’s better b/c I can NOT cook anything. At night, when Myrna wants to eat, we either GO out or call in for food. I have to learn how to be a good cook so that I will be marriageable to a guy, b/c now, I just know how to call OUT for food, or make reservation’s at a resturant. I have to convince whoever is goeing to MARRY me to think that I am a great home maker and I can whip up anything. For now, I just have a book full of MENU’s from local places.

        Dad says I have to stop eateing out b/c there is to much sugar and salt in the food that head’s STRAIGHT to my tuchus. Mom says he is right and she cook’s alot. If she has a big tuchus and cook’s, there is no hope for me 30 year’s from now. FOOEY! But If I am already MARRIED, I do NOT care what my tuchus look’s like! YAY!!!!

    2. That seems like a lot. No kiddo yet, but my husband and I spend probably about $600 on groceries a month, on the generous side. We cook every weeknight (and usually at least one or two meals on the weekends) and eat lots of fresh veggies, but we do not buy organic and we aren’t gluten free. I even feel like we could be spending less, but I’ve always decided just not to worry too much about groceries because eating at home will always be cheaper and healthier than eating out (at least at the places we tend to eat out; clearly you could eat at McD’s for cheaper, but we don’t eat there and it wouldn’t be healthier; anyway, you get my point).

    3. We buy a lot of veggies and fruit, fish, not much meat other than the occasional chicken, and spend between $100-150 week on groceries in NYC for the two of us. $1200 seems high and I say this as someone who’s not particularly thrifty when it comes to groceries. I’d say we eat out 2 times a week on average, but I think if we didn’t, it would raise our grocery costs by maybe $30 or so.

    4. i think if you’re not throwing food away or it doesn’t go bad, then whatever you’re spending is “normal” for you. some people eat more than others. my so’s brother could and would eat an entire loaf of bread in 1 meal. but yes, for me, this seems like a lot. i eat out a lot, but try to think about all of my meals in cost per meal or cost per day, and my ideal budget is $10/day. that’s a little over 300/month. also, i have no idea how much toddlers eat, but i can’t imagine it costs the same to feed a toddler as it does to feed an adult.

    6. This seems high to me (more children and they are older), but I also buy a ton of pasta, which is very inexpensive. I waste a ton (husband is not a fan of leftovers, but things like roasts only seem to come in one size). I rationalize this by figuring that a home-cooked meal is likely healthier than restaurant food and cheaper even if we waste half of it.

      1. At the risk of making the final transformation into my mother :)…I’m with you on the roast thing. However, the butchers at my big-chain grocery store here are very willing to split a large roast into two smaller portions for me (so I just freeze half for a rainy day).

    7. I agree that $1200 monthly seems high. We’re 2 people in Toronto, and we spend approximately $400 a month. I keep thinking it should be more like $300 but it doesn’t seem to ever want to go down to that extent. I try to buy fresh produce but mostly seasonal-ish or what’s on sale (I won’t eat only potatoes for 6 months, but I don’t buy cherries in December, for example). I don’t buy organic usually. I do have a separate budget for Costco trips, about $250 every 3 months, for paper towels, tissues, detergent, etc.
      Things that add cost for us: We host guests for dinner once a week, or have a fairly fancy home-cooked meal just the two of us, which adds cost. We also buy kosher meat/chicken and cheese, which is much more expensive than typical. (There’s now only one kosher poultry supplier in our region so prices have gone up even more… hurray for monopolies.)
      Ways we try to reduce: We try not to go out to eat (unless for special occasions or emergency hamburgers/shwarma) and I try to reuse leftovers as much as possible, which can be tricky when leftovers are not enough for 2 people and need to be turned into something else. We also usually don’t have meat/chicken for dinner every night. Check your grocery store for a coupon board.. you can save $1-2 on things like cereal, oil, milk, pasta, shampoo. I buy shampoo on sale – the one I buy is $6 but it goes down to as little as $3 or even $1.50 sometimes, and when it does I’ll buy a bunch and store them.

    8. We spend about $1000/month with 3 young kids. We also eat out quite a bit in addition. The gluten-free stuff can really add up (especially gluten-free flours, etc.). Could you try the bulk bins at Whole Foods or purchasing things on amazon or at costco for the gluten-free needs? (also, GF packaged foods, eg cookies, crackers, etc., are more expensive.)

    9. I spend probably about $60-80/week for me alone – but that is primairly a function of the grocery store where/how I choose to shop – sustainably sourced or local food + organic wherever possible. Sometimes it’s closer to $100 if I’m running low on staples (nut butter, vega, coconut oil, balsamic/sherry vinegar, miso paste, etc.)

      I’m entirely plant-based at home, so I realize this is actually a lot of money given that I buy no animal product groceries, but I am choosing to put my money where my mouth is in term of my opinions on food ethics/sourcing, and I also buy based on what I feel like, which sometimes means spending more than I should for some produce (*cough* cherries/berries in February *cough*) so I could probably do it for less if I cared to, but…., if I’m being completely honest, I’m not particularly fussed about it? I also don’t eat out a ton, maybe once or twice a week? And I have very little waste, which is always surprising to me because I buy so. many. vegetables.

      I also think it’s a function of food just being more expensive here, it was one of the first things I noticed when I moved away from the Great Lakes region. An example- a box of granola I sometimes buy is around $9/box here. In Ontario, when I was home visitng family, $6. Why?!

      Also! Canadians, look at the app Checkout 51, I don’t buy a ton of their coupon items, but, I know many people that would, and you still get back $1 for every trip over $60.

    10. We spend probably $800 to $1200 a month on groceries for our family of four (two adults, two five year olds, one on the way), depending upon the month, travel and evening activities, what non-groceries we need (cleaning supplies, personal care items, etc.) and what we have going on and how ambitious I am with what we are eating (easy, few ingredient recipes or more complicated, multi-ingredient recipes). We buy all meat, dairy, and produce organic, so that ups the expenditure. I had to really think about this because I don’t pay close attention. I go to the grocery every two weeks and spend on average approximately $200 at Whole Foods and $250 at Kroger. In addition, we go to the farmer’s market a couple times a month in the spring/summer and make a monthly trip to Target that inevitably involves some food purchases.

      1. I should add that I think that individual tastes can drive up the cost. I, for example, adore cheese (as do my husband and kids). So dropping $10-15 on some 7 ounce block of cheese isn’t unusual for us. My husband loves ice cream, and every grocery trip involves 2-3 $10 pints of deliciousness. These types of things add up if you fall into the “foodie” category on more expensive things.

        I don’t worry too much about grocery expense. We eat at home most of the time (including breakfast and taking lunch to work), and we are eating healthy food. We don’t waste much, if any food. This is how we prioritize spending money. I’d cut a lot of other places before I’d give up my stupid expensive cheese. :)

    11. That seems high, but not crazily so considering what you are buying. We spend, I think, anywhere from $600-$1,000 for 2 of us (depending if it’s a stock-up-at-Costco or a go-crazy-at-the-Asian-food-market kind of month or not). That includes alcohol (we drink wine and beer on a fairly regular basis), fairly nice coffee for weekday mornings, TP and paper towels and laundry detergent and cleaning stuff. We go out to eat maybe a night or two a week on average and bring our lunches.

    12. Mr. Anon and I spend about $500-600/month on groceries for the two of us. This doesn’t include restaurant meals (we typically eat at a restaurant 1x-2x a week). This does include all other meals and snacks. We eat mostly organic veggies/fruit, mostly organic and grass-fed/free-range/etc. meats, wild-caught seafood, etc. We are both competitive athletes and enjoy food, and I would rather spend a bit of extra money now on high quality food than extra money later on medical complications that I feel arise from a poor-quality diet. And I fully recognize that it is a luxury for me to have the money to be able to make this choice, and it is a problem that it is not a choice for more people.

    13. My husband recently put me on a food budget (I do all the grocery shopping) of $600 per month because I was spending $900-1000 to feed him and I and my stepdaugher who we have every other week. That also includes feeding my mother in law dinner once a week or so and all of our alcohol (by which I mean cheap wine for me). We rarely eat out and don’t have any high end grocery stores near us. We buy some stuff at Costco and most of it at the local grocery store.

    14. We spend around $550/month for the two of us in the bay area. That includes dinners 5-6 nights a weeks, breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for H. I buy my lunch most days and spend about $180 additionally per month on lunch/coffee. My H eats really low-carb, so we end up buying a lot of meat, fish and eggs, which ups the grocery bill. When I was in school and we had a lot less money we ate a lot more pasta, couscous, rice, beans, cereal, and frozen pizza. WE could spend less now and go back to eating more carbs and processed food and less meat/organic/fresh produce, but as long as we keep it fairly reasonable I”m okay with using discretionary income to splurge on food purchases. We both love to eat so expensive cheese, coffee, ice cream, meat, etc. is how we like to treat ourselves and I think we go out less because of it. Your bill seems pretty high to me, but if you can afford it and you’re buying what you love, there are a lot worse things you could be spending on that good quality food.

    16. Husband and I, no kids, rarely entertain, gluten free and we spend $600/month w/ few meals out. But, we don’t buy anything else at the grocery store but food. Alcohol is purchased elsewhere and not in the grocery budget. Toiletries come from Rite Aid. Pet food comes from the shelter (prescription via the vet their, not their food pantry). Kitty litter comes from Petco. (50% off this week if you buy Arm and Hammer!) So I would imagine if we bought all those other things at the grocery store, we would spend as much as you do.

    17. That’s quite a lot compared to myself + the boyfriend as well as people I know. It looks like, of the people I know in my city, 200-250 per mo is a normal amount pp, just groceries/regular household items and not including eating out. Is there a lot of waste generated (like stuff going bad before you use it up?)/do you combine ingredients throughout the week to maximize each items utility? Also, if you’re whole foods shopping exclusively there’s a reason why its nickname is whole paycheck. If there is a trader joes near you I would suggest giving it a try. Grocery prices are regional though – when I lived in the desert things were astronomical.

  10. So yesterday, as I wait for my yoga class to start, I am waiting in my car. A young lady come out of the studio and gets in her car. She is sitting for about five minutes when I start to get out of my car to get ready to go to class. As I look up to make eye contact with the girl (because I can feel her looking at me), she manually locks her door.

    Once my intial outrage died down (this morning), I began to realize that it wasn’t me and anything I did (and could subsequently fix). This issue lies solely with her.

    Hopefully no one here will ever expereince something like this, but if you do, remember, it’s not you, it’s them.

    1. I don’t think it’s an issue with her either, honestly, although I know it’s awkward. I usually don’t think about whether my door is locked until I see someone standing near me. It doesn’t matter if it’s a man, woman, wealthy looking, homeless, whatever. It just makes me think – Is my car door locked? And if it’s not, then I lock it, even though I know it looks rude. There could be something more to it than that, but I doubt it.

      1. I would think that it was not that big of deal if she hadn’t kept eye contact with me while she did it.

        1. Ugh, that does sound crazy. And if she did it deliberately, she DEFINITELY has an issue. ;oP I’m sorry you had to deal with that. And I really hope I have never inadvertently done anything like this and made someone feel horrible. {{Hugs}}

      2. Yup I do the same thing all the time. I’ve heard enough cautionary tales that I am making an effort to keep my doors locked at all times, regardless of what “type” of people are around. If I were sitting in my car looking at my phone and not paying attention to the people in the parking lot, seeing anyone would remind me that I need to hit the lock button. I don’t think it was meant as an offense to you. Better safe than sorry!

        1. Also on a side note I said “type” in quotation marks because I really don’t think we can judge whether someone is dangerous or not by their appearance. The sneaky thieves are probably the ones who dress nicely and look friendly so that they can trick you into trusting them!

    2. H and I live in Atlanta and admittedly there is a fair amount of crime here. But last Friday we were walking out of Kirkland by a very thugged out car being driven by an enormously muscular man when he locked his doors as we walked by. Given that H is pretty average size and waspy, and I’m 8.5 months pregnant, I laughed so hard I nearly peed myself. But honestly, it wasn’t offensive. It’s just being proactive.

      1. I live in Atlanta and someone was just shot at the end of my street, while walking her dog, at 6 PM.

        Not feeling so safe during my early-morning runs, I have to say.

        1. That’s awful. (Was it a botched robbery? I hope she survived, ugh.)

          Are there other people who run or walk their dogs in the early morning that you could join up with?

        1. Seriously. Him locking his doors? Not offensive. You referring to the car as “thugged out”? Offensive.

          1. Honest question, what is the offense at “thugged out”?

            I do understand Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler’s offense, but I am missing this one.

          2. 70’s Lincoln towncar, jacked up, rims, tinted windows. Had I said recheck truck, no one would have taken offense. Fact is, stereotypes exist for a reason. This was a thug car and saying that clearly described the vehicle.

          4. Ah, I would have used thugged out to describe a redneck truck (because that’s what thugs drive around here), I guess I can see it now.

          5. I find redneck offensive too. What is with all the racial language here the past few days?

          6. This site is becoming unbearable. Everyone is constantly offended by literally everything!

          8. Ugh is right. STFU {this site} points that out in a very funny way. Although clearly “funny” is in the eye of the beholder.

          9. Actually stfu this site finds everything offensive. I’m sure she will have a post on how racist the term thug is. The world lawyer is racist and offensive too. You cant call people who break the law criminals, its offensive. The name of this site is sexist and racist!

          10. I had no idea there was a commentary on our commentary. She does seem to find everything offensive, even when the posters aren’t intentionally being offensive…but that’s the real world, right?

            I can’t remember the exact phrasing, but it was one of Gerry Spence’s books that talks about how everyone is biased, and by recognizing the bias and seeing how that colors other’s thoughts about you (or your arguments), you can be a better trial lawyer and maybe even a better person.

      3. That is hilarious. “Thugged out” and “redneck” aren’t racist; they’re just descriptive terms.

        1. “Thugged out” is racially loaded.

          Redneck is not.

          And saying “why do you [POC] always have to make it about race?” is a microaggression.

          We’re better than this, dudes.

          2. How is it racially loaded? I don’t even know what race it’s referring too. But I saw a car just yesterday on those wheels with hydrolics and tinted windows. Is that not a thugged out car?

          4. How is “thug” racist? I don’t even know what race thug refers to. I thought it referred to anyone who acts like a thug regardless of that person’s race. Kind of like calling someone a douche.

          5. Everything is racist apparently. And Kayne is obviously more enlightened than you.

          6. I wasn’t aware of thug having racist overtones, except possibly historically (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee) but I don’t think anyone here was thinking that OP meant they were Indian. In all honesty, I think I’ve used “thug” or “looking kind of like a thug” to refer to black men, white men, Asian men, and Latino men. To me, it’s like saying someone looks like a “tough.” (And, btw, “redneck” definitely implies race. I’ve never heard of a non-white redneck and usually, to me, it also implies a white person who’s possibly racist against black people — and, yes, it’s totally biggoted because it’s classist and, I guess, urbanist in that it’s usually used by wealthier urban people as a derogatory term to describe the “unenlightened” poor country people.)

        2. When someone says “thug” I think of, like, a mobster’s bodyguards, or someone acting menacing in a dark alley with a tire iron, or maybe a big-for-his-age high school bully. Is that not what the term means? I don’t want to use a word that’s racist but I really don’t understand why this would be racist or who it’s racist against, and I would appreciate it if someone could please clue me in.

    4. Really, you have no way of knowing if racism is the cause of this incident or not. When a store is full of white people and the security guard suddenly becomes hyper alert the moment little black me walks in the door? Yes, that’s probably racism. But I always try to keep my doors locked and my bare bones car doesn’t do that automatically lock them like my old car used to. I will lock the doors whenever I become reminded that they aren’t locked, which is when anyone walks past me.

    6. One of those “lists” that gets passed around the internet with “safety tips for women” included a line that has, for whatever reason, stuck with me: that women tend to get in their car and do other things and just sit there without locking their doors or paying attention to what’s going on around them – i.e. it would be very easy for someone to just walk up, open the passenger side door, grab your purse and run off.

      I have no idea if this ever actually happens, but reading that on the list made me realize that I OFTEN do that – get in the car and spend a few minutes fiddling with my phone or making a list or something, with zero situational awareness. Whenever I realize that I’m doing it, I lock the doors just to be on the safe side. (I wouldn’t sit down on a park bench, fling my purse a few feet away from me, and then get completely absorbed in another task, but that’s essentially what you’re doing when you sit in an unlocked parked car completely focused on your phone.)

      Well, I realize that now I sound paranoid (and honestly, I’m not), but I’m just suggesting that perhaps she has read the same list and seeing another human being (regardless of race, age, gender, etc) jolted her memory.

    7. I really, really hope that she didn’t lock her door because she was making assumptions about you based on your race. That said, we can’t look inside people’s heads to read their motives. We don’t know if she was just skittish, just being cautious or, if she was a racist jerk.

      Without knowing, she is still well within her rights to lock her door upon seeing you or anyone.

      We have said, in the flipside of these situations, that if you feel unsafe, then your safety trumps someone else’s feelings. In this, I’m sorry you felt insulted, but her personal safety trumps your feelings. Just as we can’t look into her head and see her motives for locking the door, she couldn’t look into your head and read your motives (that you weren’t going to do anything to her.)

    8. Didn’t we just have a post a few weeks ago unanimously encouraging a woman to lock her doors and not worry about offending whatever bystander had caused her to become aware that her door was unlocked? I believe The Gift of Fear was mentioned quite a few times.

  11. I have a similar dress I bought at Anthro from the Hi There by Karen Walker line. It’s dark blue with yellow flowers. It’s surprisingly great for work! I usually pair it with a collarless blazer that hits at mid hip. I think the darker colors mitigate the girlishness of the floral print.

  12. Can anyone recommend tupperware-style containers that DO NOT LEAK? I like to bring cucumbers in vinegar, cole slaw, soup, etc. to work for lunch, but I can’t seem to find any containers that don’t leak (and there’s nothing fun about vinegar all over your lunch). I have some with lids that twist on and even those don’t prevent leaks. Today, I put the container into a ziplock to try to protect the rest of the lunch, but then the baggie leaked. Grrr. Any recommendatios?

    1. Rubbermaid glass containers have leak-proof lids that I’ve had good luck with. Also, canning jars should be leakproof if you tighten the ring all the way.

    2. I’ve had pretty good luck with a couple of styles from Target that have flip-down clips on all four sides. One brand that works is Sterilite, the Ultralock variety. I think Snapware is the other brand but I’m not sure.

    3. We have a bunch of Snapware Glasslock and like them. No leaks, easy to wash, safe for freezer and microwave. I think we got ours at Costco.

      1. Me too. Ours are two years old and haven’t leaked yet. I put soup in them for lunch and stick them in my briefcase next to my laptop. Nary a drop escapes. Costco has them on coupon periodically.

    4. I have AMAZING plastic tupperware from the Container Store–maybe the Klip It brand? Like goldribbons, I think the key is the flip-down clips.

      And they come in really small sizes, too, so I often use smaller ones for salad dressing, tzatziki, soy sauce, etc.

    5. Thanks everyone! I never considered the clip down ones because I thought they wouldn’t be as good as twist on. But I will definitely look into those! For people who recommended them, have you had good luck even with things like broth-based soups (i.e., very liquidy)?

      1. The closest I’ve come to very liquidy foods are broth-based sauces for meat, and they don’t leak. If you wanted, you could probably just fill the tupperwares with water and test them out before taking off all of the tags, etc., to make sure they’ll perform up to your standards. At Target you can buy just one or two and see how you like them — you don’t have to buy a bunch.

      2. I haven’t put a broth based soup in mine, but it was fine with a butternut squash soup.

      3. Beware – I got some like that from Homegoods, and the clips are all breaking after about a year. You get what you pay for, I guess.

      4. Lock & Lock is my hero. I’ve frequently carried soup in them and never had a single leak.

      5. I’ll second the recommendation for the clip-down versions. Costco was carrying a set the last time I looked.

    7. I bring a container and your container of soup and fill it at work. I keep a can opener in my desk. I’ve spilled soup in my bag way too many times. :(

      If it’s homemade, a reused jar might work. I’ve given up on tupperware.

      1. For soup, I re-use old jam jars (the Bonne Maman kind are a good size, with a wide opening, and look nice too)

    8. Lock and Lock containers, all the way (clip-down style and completely air-tight). I can fill one up with soup and throw it in my purse with zero worries, and they keep food fresh for longer than I would have thought possible. I have several big sets from Amazon and buy additional lunch-sized containers from there as necessary.

      1. Missed this before I posted above. I cannot say enough good things about the brand.

    9. I am pathetic. I put my containers of liquid in ziploc freezer bags just to be safe.

  13. Ladies – I’m travelling to Miami for work Wed – Friday – any suggestions for solo lunch/dinner spots within walking distance of the Miami Intercontinental Hotel?

    Thanks!!!

    1. That’s downtown, which is kind of a restaurant wasteland for dinner. But, the Metromover (free people mover) stops right there, so you can take that over to Brickell, which has tons of options.

      For lunch, there are a lot of options on Flagler St around Miami Ave.

  14. RR’s comment about cheese and expensive ice cream above sparked a question for me:

    What is something that you almost ALWAYS think is worth spending money on?

    Or what “expensive/luxury” items do you think are usually worth it?

      1. +1000. The money we spend on maid service is money very well spent. It makes me happy every day to have a clean house, and doubly happy on the weekends (when I’m doing things — fun or functional — that are NOT cleaning my house).

      2. For me, the milk doesn’t need to be organic, but it does need to be hormone- and antibiotic-free, which usually ends up being organic anyway.

      3. Agreed on the housekeeper! It is amazing to me how we can completely thrash our 720 square foot house in the week between cleanings.

    5. Starbucks chai latte. I am super cheap with my groceries but I’ll treat myself to Starbucks once or twice a week.

    6. Maybe this isn’t exactly what you mean, but growing up we always had generic brand food. I’ve learned what I can and cannot live with when it comes to generics and brand name cereals and soda are worth every penny to me. I’m fine with generics for most other items.

      Side note, hooray! It appears the sticky names are back!

      1. Agree wholeheartedly on brand name cereals and soda. Sorry, Diet Dr. Topper, but you will never replace my Diet Dr. Pepper.

    7. Cheese. :)

      And books. I cannot resist books. For myself or for my kids. I cave every time they ask for a book.

    11. I buy most of my groceries at Trader Joe’s these days, so I’ve learned to make do with cheaper even for things I absolutely love, coffee, cheese, etc. And for clothes/home goods I shop at thrift stores and discount stores.

      But always worth the splurge: chocolate, croissants, a weekend cappuccino, organic cotton jersey sheets, amazing summer tomatoes, kevin murphy hair products.

    12. name brand, full fat cheese, good coffee, name brand tomato sauce. Amazon prime.

      Also, this isn’t a small luxury, it’s a big one- but (assuming I can afford it) I never regret spending money on visiting my family.

    13. Hormone free, antibiotic free animal products (meat, dairy products, eggs), and organic fruit and veg for the “dirty dozen”.

    14. Good opthamologist and gastroenterologist – was willing to go to doctors that didn’t take insurance and pay with flexible spending for these two docs. Well worth it for my situation.

      1. YES! My dentist is “out of network” and I pay so much more but he is soooooo much better than any in-network dentist I tried. So worth it to me. He is also hot. Bonus.

        1. Ahh, bonuses. My gastroenterologist has late hours on certain weeknights and if I’m the last patient of the day, he will sometimes bring his very well-behaved, large ultra-furry dog who’ll hang out with me in the waiting room. :-)

          1. My chiro brings his dog too! Makes my day. He is right downtown and patients frequently stop in just to “visit” the dog on their lunch break.

    15. Cruelty free meat. My grocery store has regular meat and then Nature’s Place that is Organic and Humanely raised/slaughtered (as far as my research has told me. I’m sure there may be others that differ.) Nature’s Place is a few dollars more a pound but worth every penny to me. The deal w/ my hubby, who is less concerned as I about the animal’s welfare, is he can pick one “great deal on sale” meat per week that isn’t Nature’s Place. We typically eat chicken, pork and beef each week so one of the three can be “regular.” I’ve noticed he now prefers the taste of the Pork and the Beef prices are usually pretty similar so some weeks all three are Nature’s Place. He originally had trouble swallowing, no pun intended, that the bill would be $10 more a week when I suddenly decided I wanted more humane meat.

    16. Good coffee. I did a big research paper in college on coffee trade in South America and how severely cheap coffee screws over the farmers (if they got a decent livable wage, coffee would be ~$20/lb!). I started buying the expensive, organic, ethically sourced coffee despite being in student-poverty myself and now I can’t go back to the taste OR the idea of Folger’s, though I sort of wish I could.

      I figure that the fact that I love the cheap, mushy, preservative-filled white bread somewhat makes up for it.

    17. Fur coats. The quality goes down a lot when it is cheaper.

      Fetal bovine serum.

    18. Shoes that don’t hurt my feet and bras that actually fit and don’t fall apart in three months. My day-to-day life is SO much better just with these two, even if it means that on most days my shoes and bra together cost more than 10x what I paid for the rest of my clothes. Also worth it to me are nicer toilet paper, tissues, non-sugary peanut butter, and real butter instead of margarine or shortening. In fact, because of the butter, homemade baked goods are always worth the extra time, effort, and (sometimes) money over store-bought.

    2. I’m only on day 3, but omg I can’t lift my arms today. That means its working something successfully right?

    3. I tried it the other day because it was mentioned here. I could barely walk for the next two days. Looking forward to getting back to it.

  16. I have an opportunity to take a trip to Lisbon this fall, probably for around 4 days. I know nothing about Lisbon or Portugal – anyone here ever been? I may have other vacation options, too, and am just not sure Lisbon is a must-see.

    1. I was in Lisbon for 9 days last month. I went for a seminar so didn’t really have a choice in the location. To be 100% honest,though I enjoyed my time there, if you’re just going for vacation, I think there are better places to go. It is a nice city, great food, reasonable prices, and some interesting historic sites but I feel like there is more to see and do elsewhere.

      1. Thanks. Having trouble getting my comments to post so I don’t know if you’ll see this, but if you do, I wanted to say thanks. That’s how I kind of feel about Lisbon – not quite sure why I should want to go there. Will have to do some thinking.

    2. I thought Lisbon was beautiful but I enjoyed the northern town of Coimbra even more. It’s about a two-hour train ride from Lisbon. Being in Portugal feels a litte more foreign to me — in a good way — than Italy or France because I know less about the culture and almost nothing of the language. So my visit there really felt like I was going to a brand-new place and I had no expectations or things on my “must-do” list.

  17. I am hosting a girls night at my house tomorrow. We usually meet up for dinner or heavy apps and wine once every month or so. There is usually 5 or 6 of us. Any ideas on what I should serve? I am thinking cheese/crackers and a veggie tray, but I’d like to also have something a little more filling, and some easy to prepare dishes that somehow feel fancy. Thanks!

    2. Spinach artichoke dip can be easy and delicious! It’s hot though, so might not be great for this hot weather. Also fruit salad, jello, cold pasta salad, cold potato salad… I found a great recipe for potato salad that’s quick and easy; I think it’s called vegan potato salad and should come up if you google it. Basically just vinegar, mustard, spices, and potatoes.

    3. Shrimp cocktail is always a good option — a little fancy, and very easy to prepare. If you have Trader Joe’s nearby, they have really terrific frozen hors d’oeuvres. Their frozen flatbread pizzas are also good, filling, and slightly fancy.

    4. We do these on a fairly monthly basis, and recent hits include:

      Prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, drizzled with a bit of vinegar and olive oil

      Ratatouille tart using frozen puff pastry from Smitten Kitchen (or any of her savory quiches/tarts)

      Chicken satay w/ peanut sauce

      Dishes of almonds and olives from the grocery store deli

      Tomato/mozzarella/basil skewers with olive oil and salt

      Flatbread/pizza using Trader Joe’s dough and pesto/olive oil and other toppings…

    6. Bruschetta is really easy. A good, really filling recipe is a goat cheese, arugula, roast beef, and olive + roasted red pepper tapenade. I’ve made it a couple times (no cooking required, except to toast the baguette in the oven for a couple minutes) and it’s always a crowd pleaser.

    7. Roasted baby potatoes with blue cheese dip/fondue or French onion dip
      Grilled vegetables (in rounds or spears – even on a grill pan) with a balsamic drizzle
      C*cktail sandwiches with prosciutto/salami, roasted red peppers, fresh mozz, leaf of basil
      White bean “hummus” with crostini or crackers

  18. Hi — I am traveling to DC for due diligence over the weekend. I am largely an observer, there due to subject matter expertise. What to wear? Thanks!

  19. Well, I’m packing up the kittens to take them back to the rescue this morning. They all got fixed last week and have recovered beautifully and are all better so it’s time for them to find forever homes. But I kind of fell in love with Buffy, she is an amazing kitty, so this is harder than I expected. :o( So, say goodbye to the Scoobittens! And wish them well finding their new homes. (hope I don’t keep crying ALL day…..

    1. Aw, zora, that is so tough. Good work taking such good care of them! I’m sure they’ll find a happy forever home.

    2. Awwww, I’m sorry you have to let them go, but what a generous thing to do, fostering the kittens. :-)

      I hope they find really good, loving homes. Whoever adopts them will get kitties who’ve learned about how kind and loving humans can be!

    3. sorry you’re sad! but you did such a great thing by taking care of teh wee kitties.

  20. I’m not looking forward to this interview with a lateral candidate: she showed up wearing wrinkled, dingy pants and button-down shirt. No jacket. She’s a local candidate so it’s not like she’s traveling and her bags got lost. According to the receptionist, she smells of BO. Did she roll out of bed?!

    I’m in the Silicon Valley but there are minimum standards for attorney interviews. I don’t ding people for cheap or ill-fitting suits, non-matching suits/blazers, ugly ties, bad haircuts, and not-polished shoes. At least those people put in the effort.

    1. I recently didn’t hire someone because he came to in interview wearing a shirt that looked like he bought his shirt a year ago, lived on it and then wore it to meet me. Just gross.

  21. Am I the only person that doesn’t get what all the hype is about? I ordered a Theory suit and after trying it on, immediately packed it up and sent it back. I thought the fabric was so-so but I was especially disappointed that the pants/skirt weren’t even lined. The material felt cheap and clingy and looked like it was maybe 1 step above The Limited. Definitely not what I would expect for a $200 skirt. Thoroughly disappointed.

    1. I 100% agree. I hated that the skirt was like 75% spandex and unlined — how is that office-appropriate?! Theory’s great but not for suits.

    2. I agree with you; I want to like Theory (esp when I go to the Theory outlet) but I’m not a fan.

    3. On a related note, what other brands would people recommend in this space (i.e., the very plain, ostensibly quality suits in the price/quality bracket slightly above J Crew/BR)?

      1. I agree that theory suits aren’t all they are cracked up to be. I have a number of pieces by theory that are great.

        FWIW, when I bought my suit via my Nordies stylist, she didn’t pull a single Theory suit. I was kind of surprised. My suit is a Hugo Boss (not sure which line–but the suit and jacket were just a little more expensive than a Theory suit). Almost all of the suits she pulled for me were that same Hugo Boss line.

          1. I think a lot of retailers are changing inventory — tried to do a Hunt yesterday on gray suits and there were none to be had (well, so few that it wasn’t worth posting about).

    4. +1000

      These so-called “mid-priced” lines get some treatment in Elizabeth Cline’s _Overdressed_. Great margins for the corporation that owns the brand, because they’re often made in all the same terrible sweatshops described elsewhere in the book (and, of late because of that horrific building collapse in Bangladesh). But because they’re not a “cheap” brand like OldNavy, they are marked up ridiculously high for retail sale.

      Having tried on some truly poor-quality Theory suits, I know I’d never buy one. Seriously, Banana Republic’s really discounted suits were of comparable quality, for about 1/2 or 1/3 the price.

    5. I am not an entrepreneur but sometimes I get so frustrated shopping I think should just start my own company making high quality, mid priced suits for women. It seems like there is a huge gap in the market but maybe there isn’t a lot of demand? Has anyone else noticed this? It seems like there are tons of options for men in this range but hardly anything for women. I would love to see a Suit Supply for women!!

      1. Definitely. There are a few shops out there who do this, but I’ve found them hit or miss.

        I’ve got one off-the-rack suit from bluesuits (www.bluesuitsonline.com) which was good enough but not super, although they offer a bespoke option and I’m thinking of giving them a shot the next time I need a new suit.

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