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Coffee Break: Emblem Flats

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bright red ballet flats with gold buckle

I'll admit it – I'm not always a fan of round toes, especially on flats. Many just seem so mumsy to me! I feel like the best ones that avoid it lean a bit more preppy (because let's face it, preppy mumsy is totally a thing).

These new buckle flats (“Emblem Flats“) from Rothy's look great… but they do come in a pointed toe as well if you prefer. They're part of the brand's extensively expanded collection.

The shoes come in black, beige and red for $155, sizes 5-13.

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)

100 Comments

  1. does anyone have specific recs for a CZ / fashion jewelry ring to wear/use for travel?

    going on our beach-heavy honeymoon in a few weeks and while I’m normally comfortable bringing my real rings, I don’t want to worry about it knowing we’ll be in the pool or beach much of the day. I have a silicone ring I wear to the gym but would like something sparkly to wear for dinners, etc.

    2. I just… wear mine on beach vacations. My fingers always swell a bit in tropical humidity anyway. Consider getting a slim metal band that’s a half-size smaller than your rings to act as a guard if you’re worried about them slipping off?

    3. Etsy has options. I don’t travel with jewelry though, so you could consider that option.

    4. When I traveled for a wedding, I just ordered bright costume jewelry from Amazon and was pretty happy with it. I know it’s not the best store or product but it fit what I needed it for

    5. I just wear my diamond rings out to the pool or beach. I never take off my wedding ring.

      1. I agree on this recommendation and will add that a professional jeweler (has worked for big houses and independently with high end work) sitting next to me at a dinner complimented my Nadri pieces, asked if they were real, and inspected them when I said no.

    7. I have a wedding ring set from Target of all places. It’s nice to have a ring set on vacation, but if it slips off in the ocean I’m only out $25.

    8. Objection non responsive to, like, ALL OF YOU. Or…five of the eight of you. Geez.

      I cosign Nadri.

      1. Some people spend money on things without thinking. It’s worth calling out that there alternatives beside spending money.

      2. Huh? Did you fully read? Only one person didn’t offer a suggestion beyond ‘don’t worry about it’

    9. Melinda Maria makes fun costume jewelry that can pass for real. I have an awesome diamond panther ring from there, and it’s worn well.

  2. For those of you whose fashion style is *happily* stuck in a past year, what year are you stuck in and why?

    I’m pretty stuck in 2015-2018 because I feel like the shapes were kinder to my figure (tall, busty/hourglass). I also felt like the color palettes were warmer and more flattering to my skin tone. The shapes right now are tough to pull off because cropped becomes TOO cropped and baggy becomes a tent when you’re larger up top than at your waist. Also…I liked the trending patterns more (sucker for a floral!). There are a lot of styles from that era that I don’t like (peplums, ew), but there aren’t many styles from this era that I do like.

    1. I’m with you, sitting out the crop top and super-voluminous trends. What I do like- the return of so many different pant shapes (I’m loving being back to bootleg and wide leg trousers!), sweater vests, and lightweight midi dresses for summer – so much easier than minis!

      I would have said I was clinging to the “Jackie cardigan over a patterned shell” 2010s look but now that I think about it, although I still have the full rainbow of them hanging in my closet, I actually can’t remember the last time I wore one!

      1. Pretty sure the Jackie cardigan is coming back in at least more neutral colors so don’t toss those yet!

      2. I’m wearing wide leg pants under duress. At least pants are still high waisted. They look decently good, but are more work than I want in pants—I have to air dry to keep the length and the crease.

        I remain team skinny jeans because you can wash/dry/abuse and they look the same every time. I hate having to baby my clothes.

    2. A sweet question! I don’t know that my style reflects a year, but maybe more an aesthetic? I always like at least one thing that Jcrew puts out, and live in pencil skirts and linen/silk blouses for work all spring and summer. Winter I like sweaters and pants that don’t look silly. Usually I opt for skinny jeans on weekends because I’m doing things outside and find it gross when my pant leg touches the ground.

    3. I long for the 2010-2015 days of dark wash skinny jeans, riding boots, and a fitted sweater or half-tucked slouchy sweater. This outfit is flattering on my pear shaped figure and practical (jeans were all hemmed to one length, the boots kept my legs warm and dry, and I could throw any jacket on top). The current straight leg jeans make me look like a Lego unless I wear an ultra fitted top and jacket. Don’t get me started on wider pants in the rain and snow. It’s much harder to look good and stay warm with the current trends.

      1. I still wear this look and so do most people I know. But we’re an outdoor bunch, so it’s pretty timeless for outdoor activities. Fellow pear.

    4. I had two eras where I thought my work style ate. One was lady suits, where the jacket was worn buttoned over a shell and functioned as a top. I loved those suits.

      The second era was the drapey long cardigan over silky blouse and ankle pants era. I wore this with low heels. Sometimes I wore a pencil skirt rather than ankle pants. This was my lewk until everything went to hell in 2020.

      Both eras were more feminine than how I dress now, which is casual, preppy, and washable!

    5. I’m just steadfastly ignoring “fashion” these days and just doing my own classic thing. And that’s what it feels like most people are doing, too. I’m just noping out of this moment in style.

      I watched one of those Nordstrom videos where a store clerk talks about an item, and presumably somebody approves those clerks. The clerk was wearing baggy acid washed jeans, black grunge style belt, a short sleeve olive green ribbed mockneck top, and a delicate white shrug that tied in the front under the bust. It was so unflattering and unpleasing to the eye that it felt aggressively, intentionally so. Call me when this trend cycle’s over.

        1. This attitude (“fashion victim”) is so mean. Who cares what people who like the trends are wearing? It’s not hurting you, and they’re having fun with their clothes. And yes, some of the styles are consciously for fun or comfort of the wearer and not for anyone else’s eye.

          1. This is a fashion blog. Any of us is allowed to say we don’t care for certain styles. Especially since we tend to be a different group of people than those adhering to the current cycle, who as far as I’ve seen are 20-somethings who don’t have to conform to a corporate norm.

          3. I can look at pictures of myself dressed in the trends of previous eras and think I was a fashion victim. I really felt I couldn’t leave the house without shoulder pads under my t shirts as a teenager. I won’t even start on the high bangs.

          4. I don’t think you know what fashion victim means. It’s someone who adheres to the trends of the day no matter what–and will look dated accordingly a few years out. Most of the Instagram influencers fall in this category solidly. It’s not mean. It’s the truth. When you’re old enough to have lived a few rounds of trending styles, you’ll get it.

        2. Yesssss things will look so dated in just a year or 2.

          But it’s all so wildly unflattering. The Nordstrom videos are a great example. I felt like in the past at least we thought we looked cute.

          1. See, the funny thing about this whole conversation is that “flattering” is a truly subjective term. The people wearing current trends may be looking at someone still rocking skinny jeans and think how unflattering a look it is. If someone put thought into a fit, she thinks she looks cute regardless of what you think.

            I’ll say that I have noped out of skinny jeans, any kind of pants tucked into boots, ballet flats (twice now!), tunics, peplums, and probably scores of other trends over the years. I’m enjoying a lot of what’s current, like wide leg pants, volume, longer skirt lengths, cropped tops as long as I’m not showing skin. But I’m in my mid-50s, and I’m sure to a young person I look hopelessly outdated. I’m okay with that.

          4. NYNY, “flattering” isn’t a subjective term. There is a science to beauty. You have the actual math of the golden ratio / proportion / the Fibonacci sequence. The reason Greek temples are classics that have been emulated for centuries isn’t because they’re old, it’s because they’re scientifically pleasing to the eye / mind. Conceivably the architects behind Brutalism thought their buildings were attractive, but thinking something doesn’t make it true. The same principles apply to fashion and beauty. A person can wear disharmonious colors and oversized pants with cropped tops and THINK she looks cute, but scientifically, according to the laws and math of nature, she’s a hot mess.

      2. I sat out grunge and I’m sitting out whatever the hell this cycle is. Not my vibe.

    6. I have a super short torso – my bottom rib and the top of my hips are on the same plane – so 85% of cropped tops are normal length on me so long as I wear high waisted jeans. I dread going back to long tshirts. Although I suppose I could just get them tailored, not sure why i never thought of that before. Huh.

      I also liked the long cardigan/skinny pants/patterned shell/low heels or ballet flats cycle. It was easy, comfortable, and pretty cute. I dont wear it anymore, since it feels more dated. I go with straight leg jeans, pullover sweater, some form of boots or clogs these days. I did get a long camel hair coat that I love and feels very stylish without being too much.

      I would have so much fun with the current styles if i were 20 years younger. Mostly becuase I would be going out and about and having a reason for dressing snazzy. Now I am mostly wfh, gym, or going to pick up takeout.

    7. probably ~2007 or so… coincidentally the year I met my husband, got married in 2009. I’ve realized a lot of my cultural knowledge also stops around then, and then we had kids. I know hardly any movies or music from the 2010s. Just started “waking up” a year or two ago, ha.

    8. My favorite era was wrap dresses and pencil skirts. Heck, dresses period. And I miss long t-shirts. And the cropped sweaters are just not nearly as flattering as something that actually hits the waist.

      I do like the fancy buttons on all things J Crew. But I also recognize that I’m going to need to be tossing a lot of things in a couple of years because they will seem so, so dated very soon.

      1. Wrap dresses never worked on me but I’m #teampencilskirt forever. They’re classic and easy.

  3. My passport expires in May 2027 which means I need it renewed before December 2026. This may sound super paranoid, but I really wish I had renewed it early before the election. I can’t help but worry if things are going to be worse in 2026 than they are now. With the total chaos happening in government right now, should I even try to renew it early now? I’m honestly afraid to be without a passport and as soon as you send in your application for the new one, the old one is invalid. Further, to apply early, I have to send my old one in. I can apply online in May 2026 and keep my current one as an ID, but not for international travel while awaiting my new one. If that SAFE Act passes, I’ll need my passport to vote.

        1. But if you “lose” it, it’s invalidated immediately. If you do regular renewal you can continue using the old until the new one arrives.

      3. Not true. My husband and I renewed at the same time and his was good for way more than a year at the time.

    2. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard from people who’ve done it post inauguration that the wait if you pay for expedited was only 2-3 weeks. I would expect a backlog for many government services as more people are laid off + ensuing chaos — I would do it now.

    3. If you are talking about online renewal, you will not be eligible to apply until one year prior to passport expiration. When you apply, be aware that you should not try to travel on your current passport once you have submitted your online renewal. I don’t know if there is an eligibility restriction on how far in advance of passport expiration one may apply.

    4. I don’t think this is a …. practical worry.

      Do you have a Real ID?

      My passport is expired NOW and this isn’t even on my list of worries.

      1. How quickly are they going to be processing renewal applications if staff are being laid off?

        1. Certainly fast enough that you do not need to be worrying about renewals 25 months before the passport expires.

          1. Delays of “months” are precedented, but the current circumstances are not. Twenty five months still sounds like a very long delay, but I’d also want to renew before they start getting weird about birth names vs. married names if that’s a factor for someone.

          3. I’m a dual citizen with Russia and it took me 3 years to get my Russian passport renewed last time. Thankfully I didn’t really NEED it because I normally travel on my US passport anyway but I couldn’t travel TO Russia without a valid Russian passport.

        2. I thought this was a part of the government that is fee funded. This would mean layoffs don’t reduce government spending. But I could be wrong.

    5. I hear you. We rushed to get our newborn a passport in the last days of 2024 for that reason.

      1. respectfully, is there something about your particular circumstances that is worrying you? do you think the US is simply going to stop giving everyone passports?

        1. Right, like this is not a thing that’s going to happen. Republicans travel too. LOL.

        2. Different poster, but I expect all interactions with the federal government will take much longer because they are firing so many employees.

          1. That is correct. We also got it for the baby so we can leave quickly if we need to. If we never need to, great. There’s no harm in having it.

            I’ll also point out that you never know the entirety of someone’s circumstances from brief comments here.

        3. Not the poster above, but my kids are brown-skinned, naturalized citizens. I want them to have as many proofs of citizenship as possible and I have encouraged each to always carry his passport card. The fear is real.

    6. This administration horrifies me on a daily basis, but I think this worry is overblown. Will passport expediting times increase? Maybe. But they’re currently VERY fast (like 2-3 weeks if you pay for expedited), so I can’t imagine you having any problem getting it renewed within 6 months, and you can avoid being without a passport on election day.

    7. I think it’s prudent to renew early, especially if there’s any chance you might need to travel abroad frequently or with little notice in the future. Delays in processing passports can happen due to tons of factors and it’s quite reasonable to anticipate that massive firings of the federal workforce will lead to long delays in passport processing.

      My experience is that you can renew a passport as early as you like.

    8. If the Safe Act passes a lot of people who don’t have passports now will need them to vote. I would stay ahead of that potential wave.

        1. A Real ID license will work – the SAVE Act specifies it in the list of acceptable IDs (also, passport, military ID along with proof of place of birth, government photo ID along with proof of place of birth).

    1. I have a paper calendar. Nothing fancy, just the prettiest one they have at my book store. Each December, I write birthdays from the previous year in the new planner.

      You also can set a recurring event on any electronic calendar of choice if that’s your jam.

    2. I have a freakishly good memory for birthdays. I still remember the birthdays of friends from elementary school that I haven’t talked to for 30+ years. But for the people I actually want to send a card to, I set a calendar reminder a week in advance, because I’ll almost certainly remember that it’s their birthday on the actual day, but not necessarily far enough in advance for the now very slow USPS.

    3. I only have a handful of friends that I’m close enough with to buy gifts for or save the weekend for their celebrations, and I remember their birthdays. For everyone else, Facebook reminds me and I post on social media or send a text on the day of.

      1. Google calendar, which is the only calendar I use, with the “birthday” box checked so it shows birthdays. I put the person’s birthday into their Google contact, and then Google calendar populates the birthdays pulled from contacts.

        1. Google calendar with a reminder 2-3 weeks out, so I can remember to get a card.

    6. I put them in Google calendar but really the ones who care seem to start working it into conversation about a month in advance with increasing frequency as the date approaches

    7. About 15 years ago a friend gave me The Redoute Birthday Book. It’s hardcover and the paper is nice. Each double page spread has a week of dates with room to fill in people’s names on the left side and one of Redoute’s flower paintings on the right. I use it for birthdays, anniversaries, and significant death dates. It’s pretty, useful, and I think of my friend when I refer to it.

    8. A perpetual calendar! You can find them on Etsy. Sometimes they are called birthday calendars. Very popular in the Netherlands, and I’ve often seen them in guest bathrooms.

  5. I keep reading stories about RTO – how many people are still working from home 5 days a week? I do but I’m not sure how lucky I am.

    1. I am. Even before the pandemic my field was trending towards 100% remote–we couldn’t hire anyone to work in person after about 2018.

    2. I am and so are two others on my street. We’re all remote workers from where our employers are located. I think that might be the key to full WFH these days.

    3. the only person I know still fully WFH works as part of a global company (so was on calls for all meetings even when commuting and their manager was always half the country away). The local office closed permanently during Covid and it really made no difference.

    4. I’m a small town probate & estate planning attorney. I’ve been in the office full time since about June of 2020, although my court appearances went from something like 90% in person to 90% remote.

    5. DH and I both do. He has for most of his career because he is in sales. I have since 2020.

    6. I am. I work for a university a few miles from my house in a non-student facing role. In 2020 they converted a ton of office space to dorms and classrooms so they don’t have space to claw us all back. The head of my department is obsessed with RTO so he leased private off campus workspace but so far I’ve resisted going.

    8. I’m 100% remote. The company I left was 100% remote. The company before that (was there 8 years) was in-office a few times a month and has since lessened from that. And the company before that was in-office two days a week (was there 15 years). I think there are a lot of folks still remote, and many who have been in remote or hybrid situations long before Covid was a thing.

    9. My current job and my last job are now in 5 days a week, which is MORE than we were in office pre-pandemic :(

    10. Me, my company doesn’t have an office in the US. I’ve been with them since 2010. Once a year we have a big global in person meeting that’s about a week long. The location swings from US East Coast to US West Coast to Europe. Everyone flies in, we meet, dine, network, and leave.

  6. I’ve mostly been trying to do walking or strength training (with very short bursts of HIIT when I’m really ambitious). My core is weak and my balance sucks. Would adding yoga, barre, or Pilates help with those? Which one?

    1. I vote for pilates since one of its purposes is to build strength, where that’s an incidental goal for the others.

        1. Okay. It would be easy to add on to a lifting program that neglects core and balance

        2. what the what. I’ll admit I’m not familiar with this specific program if that’s what “strong lifts” is referencing, but if you’re doing squats, lunges, deadlifts, etc, you’re using your core.

          yoga, pilates and barre will all strengthen your core. pick which one you enjoy the most

    3. I’d try barre or Pilates – barre has more ‘balance’ work than Pilates but they should both help with the core. I personally was not a fan of the local pure barre and liked my pilates studio instructors much better but I’d try both and see which you prefer.

      1. Pure Barre was not for me as well, and only really “hard” pilates classes did the trick. I’m thinking more like solidcore than traditional pilates; there’s a studio in NY that is much tougher than solidcore and does a great job of strengthening my abs+lower back. I’d recommend pilates only so long as they are the tough classes, otherwise yoga may be a better fit.

    4. I love yoga for my core/balance, as well as for the mindfulness/flexibility etc….

      I also just do simple balance exercises all the time at home. Whenever something is warming in my microwave, I stand on one foot in a yoga position until it stops. Or while I am waiting in line for something, talking on the phone while standing etc…

      1. I added “stand on one for while brushing my teeth” and felt a noticeable difference after a couple weeks – every bit counts!

    5. Ive done all three and also strength train. While I’ve taught yoga for 5+ years and am clearly biased towards it, but I will tell anyone that Pilates is the best for core.

      Side – I also think that barre stretching at a barre is the best stretching.

      I would put a flow vinyasa flow yoga practice will be the next best for core. My yoga teacher pitch – Yoga also is a great movement practice to get into since it ages really really well – you can continue to do it in different forms pretty much throughout your entire life, and there are so many varieties to try you will probably find one you love and if you get bored you can move to a different style. Pilates has less offshoots and I didn’t fall in love with it the same way I did with yoga.

      But…. I constantly steal Pilates core moves when I’m teaching my vinyasa flow yoga classes, so for your specific question my answer Pilates.

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