Coffee Break: Black Croc Okala Pump

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Sam Edelman Okala Pump | CorporetteOur daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. I've bought a lot of stuff through 6pm over the years, and a 20% off discount is pretty rare, so I thought I'd poke around to see what I might buy… These Okala pumps have won a ton of praise from readers and other reviewers (both on Nordstrom, which offers it in many colors) and Zappos, as well as elsewhere). This black croc version looks classic and cool, and is still available in a wide range of sizes. The shoes were $130, then were marked to $85 — but with the 20% off code (6PMCYBMON113020142053), they come down to $70. Nice. Sam Edelman Okala Pump Here's a lower-priced alternative that's currently on sale. Seen a great piece you’d like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com.

Sales of note for 2/7/25:

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
  • J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
  • J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+

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

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84 Comments

  1. What to wear with a short sleeve sweater dress? (Business casual, Friday, chilly office). Blazer seems wrong and cardigan seems like a fabric clash.

      1. This. Long-sleeved tee-shirt underneath, and keep a wrap at your desk if you are still cold in your office.

    1. I would probably wear a blazer. Actually, if I couldn’t make it work with a blazer, I don’t think that I’d be able to get much use out of it. (I get cold pretty easily, so something for the office that can’t be easily made warm is a no-go.)

    2. After trying my short sleeve sweaterdress with just about every blazer and cardigan I own, I found that a lightweight, non-wool cardigan worked best.

      1. I get tempted by short sleeve lightweight sweaters every year, and always seem to wear them for the two days of the year it’s cool enough to wear sweaters but not cold enough to require sleeves. Why do we even make them?

        New rule for life: No more short sleeve sweaters.

  2. Happy Monday!

    Our next DTLA ‘ R e t t e meetup will be Sunday, December 7 at 10am, once again at 26 Beach. It was SO good last time we just had to try it again!

    Come see us for some yummy brunch and excellent conversation :)

  3. I should also maybe take the opportunity to ask a fashion question. I wear knit black skinny pants, like the ones from WHBM, to the office with longer-length sweaters and tops. For shoes, I wear them with various colors of ballet flats…but now it is going to be too cold for those!

    What shoes goes with skinny pants that I can wear into the office? I’m stumped (which isn’t hard for me when it comes to fashion). Link to follow.

    1. If that link doesn’t work, I linked out to the Slim Stretch Black Pant at WHBM. Thanks everyone!

    2. I’ve been wearing my Sam Edelman Petty booties a lot, which I think would go well a straight leg pant. A Chelsea boot might work as well. For something a little more formal looking, perhaps an Oxford? These can vary a lot in looks for your comfort level/office (see all of the oxfords at Frye for instance, link to follow).

          1. I was thinking of linking that very one, but wasn’t sure if you preferred flats. I have the Marissa, which has a bit more of a heel and wish I’d gone shorter. I love the look of the Phoebe.

    1. No specific model, but I think what you want is a coat with Primaloft. My go-to sub-zero temperature coat is Primaloft insulated and it is soooo warm. Getting something windproof/resistant also helps up the warmness. I would browse REI and see what they have with synthetic insulation.

    2. Yes, look for Primaloft, and skip the hip length jackets. If it’s cold, you want something that covers your bottom when you sit, so look for at least thigh length and maybe up to knee length.

    3. Oops, I meant thigh or knee length. Thanks for the suggestions ladies. I’ll do some looking around. Maybe I can find a good cyber Monday price.

    4. I am allergic to down too, but as long as it’s not right near my face I am OK. Provided that you have other layers on underneath, and a scarf between you and the collar, you should be able to wear a down coat…the down is contained in the nylon, which is waterproof (and only occasional escapee feathers jump out). I have been super-allergic to down my whole life (like I make a big deal whenever I am at a nice hotel that I just CANNOT have down pillows), but I think you should be fine, honest. It’s not like it’s right up against your skin at all, especially since you will have a base layer (or two) below it.

      1. I start sneezing and having asthma symptoms if I ride in a car with someone wearing a down coat. I’m a special case. It’s super fun.

  4. Patagonia! I love their jackets, and they have most styles in synthetic. Link to follow!

  5. Has anyone done a project 333 challenge? I’ve been thinking about it, but I have so much clothing that it’s overwhelming to even know where to start. Any feedback on experience, logistics, etc. would be much appreciated!

    1. I tried this during a move in the spring. It helps to have a limited color palette, items that mix and match, and a willingness to try. Having said that, it is easier for those with more casual dress codes and fewer activities, as some items of clothing are event-specific. Many of the capsules shown online belong to lifestyle bloggers who can wear jeans daily, for example.

      If you have a ton of clothing, as I still do, the remainder can go into storage. TBH, I still do not know how other women do this successfully in areas with 4 seasons, as I am having difficulty narrowing things down as winter approaches.

      1. One of the “breaking the rules” things the 333 blogger recommends is having capsule wardrobes for different activities that are only for those activities. You could stretch the rules so that scarves, gloves, and coats don’t count towards the 33, and activity-specific clothes (like workout clothes, gardening clothes, interview suits) don’t count either.

        Also good to keep in mind – maybe 33 isn’t the right number for you! Maybe your capsule wardrobe is 50 pieces!

      2. I don’t get this. I have a job with a very formal dress code, otherwise dress casually, and live in a place with 4 distinct seasons. I’m also fairly certain I don’t have more than 40 or so items that I wear all year round, excluding stuff like workout clothes, winter gloves etc, and I usually only have one each of that kind of stuff. I guess I’m just sort of confused by how people have so many clothes!

      3. You could always do a different set of 33 (or 50, or whatever number you pick) items for each season. I actually thought that’s what the original 333 project did. (Or maybe it was only 2 — fall/winter and spring/summer.)

    2. If Project 333 seems overwhelming check out The Vivienne Files blog. She has some really great ideas on how to build a wardrobe working with common colors, etc. It might help you decide on which colors you want to keep as your core colors and work from there. I agree that it helps to limit your color palette but it also makes mixing and matching so much easier that it seems like your choices are actually greater. I eliminated 75% of my closet a couple of years ago and found it frightening and freeing at the same time. I have the final box that I need to send off to Twice (www.liketwice dot com) of the items that I didn’t think I would want to part with but its been almost 2 years now and I think it’s time. My other suggestions, don’t feel trapped by what others are doing. Use there suggestions as a jumping off point to do what works for you. And, if you are really unsure about it many bloggers recommend stashing away your boxes in a place that is really hard to reach and then giving it away or selling after a set period of time if you still haven’t needed it. I found that there were a few items that I did pull out of my box (things like holiday clothes, etc) but overall, my choices were pretty solid and I did end up adding things to the boxes after time. My storage room is pretty open so I couldn’t hide it. I used duct tape to make it really difficult to get into the boxes so that I would have to really WANT to go through the trouble of searching for a particular item. All in all, I am really pleased with my decision to simplify my wardrobe.

  6. You guys, I just got home from a Thanksgiving visit and I am so worried about my mom. She is really losing her memory fast. I’ve gotten used to her having forgotten things that happened years ago, but now she’s forgetting things that happened five minutes ago. It’s scary. We went grocery shopping for T-day dinner, and I had to work hard to keep her from going back to get things we just got on the previous aisle. Then we got home and unpacked it all, and a couple hours later she was making out the shopping list again. Forgot who she’d invited to dinner, and we had to keep stopping her from calling / emailing those people repeatedly. Came downstairs the next morning and delightedly asked “Who cleaned my kitchen up so nicely for me?” Um, that was mostly you, mom. We all helped, but mostly you.

    Up til now, she’s insisted that she’s fine, but this time she told me she is “losing her mind.” And I helpfully burst into tears saying “Please don’t forget me, mommy, I couldn’t bear it, I couldn’t bear it!”

    Wah.

    1. Hugs to you, Parfait. I have no suggestions, but I wanted to cry on your behalf.

    2. This is literally my worst fear. I’m so sorry to hear this :( I wish you the best.

    3. It’s heartbreaking to hear about your mother; I’m so sorry. This happened to my mother’s dearest friend at a relatively young age (around 70). It’s 10 years later and even though she needs a full time attendant, she still lives at home, is happy and is able to enjoy life to a great extent.

    4. I’m sorry. My grandmother has Alzheimers and you could just watch the fear on my mom’s face at this past week that this is her inevitable fate as well.

      If you haven’t already, getting her into the care of physicians (neurologists, geriatric specialists, internists) who can help manage some of her symptoms and get referrals for the next level of care.

      1. Similarly, you should make sure she has all of her estate planning documents in order – most importantly a power of attorney & health care proxy (or her state’s equivalent). I’m so sorry for what’s happening to your mom and hope this doesn’t sound too heartless, but the alternatives if you wait too long are emotionally and financially expensive.

        1. Agreed. Now that she’s admitted to the problem, I’d start getting her connected to care and, well, the paperwork of it all.

          I am so sorry. Big hugs and best of luck.

        2. +1. It’s very, very important to get those documents in order while she is still of sound enough mind to agree to the provisions. My ex and his siblings did not do this soon enough when his mother was first showing signs of Alzheimer’s, and it made things difficult later on, not only legally but also in terms of family dynamics with the siblings.

          I too am very sorry for what’s happening to your mom. It’s so hard.

        3. Yeah that’s my next project once I mobilize them into the doctor’s office.

          Wah. I watched my grandma go through this too, and now it is her turn. I suppose eventually it will be my turn, but I refuse to worry about that for another 30 years.

    5. Oh dear. Big, big hugs. One of the things we did with my gramma was post-it notes, and she kept a spiral notebook by her chair. For her, writing down things she did seemed to help, and it made her feel better to know that she could just flip through the book to see if she had done something already.

      Is there anything new out in the pharma world that can help? There wasn’t when I went through this, but maybe years later, there might be?

    6. This is very upsetting. I’m so sorry.

      It is unclear from your post… but has she seen a doctor? Does she have a diagnosis and is she getting treatment? The first step is her primary care doctor for a basic check up, and it is important that a close family member go with her. Then she should see a neurologist who specializes in memory disorders. If you post her city, I can give your recommendations.

      There are many things that can affect your memory, and some of them are fixable/curable. For example, sometimes depression or sleep disorders can have a dramatic impact on memory.

      Please forgive me if her healthcare needs are already being met. I strongly recommend the Alzheimer’s association website for their recommendations on the issues down the road if this is a disorder that will continue to affect her memory/thinking over time. They can connect you with support groups that can be so helpful, in your area.

      It is so hard. I’m so sorry.

      1. She’s been to a doctor but he was no use. He asked her to recite the presidents in reverse order. She got as far as Monroe, and he cut her off and said she’s fine.

        My parents are of that obey-the-doctor generation so they pretty much just stopped doing anything.

        BUT, they are going to make an appointment with a different doctor and I ordered my father to go with her and ask for a referral to a geriatric neuropsych. I said, “don’t wait for the doctor to say you need it, ASK for it.”

        it sucks a tremendous amount of suckage.

        1. Actually, this is a good thing. There is a lot to hope for her as this could be something very treatable. She hasn’t had good care at all. If there is any way you could come back to go to an appointment with them, that would be incredibly helpful. It sounds like this is a bit beyond your father’s ability if he has let her get this far without seeking help.

          A good basic work-up is needed, including checking her thyroid tests and B12 and routine lab tests.
          Then sure – a geriatric neuropsychiatrist (although those are hard to find) or a cognitive neurologist if memory/cognitive problems are her main problem. She will have appropriate testing at that point to help characterize her problem if the blood tests are normal.

          The presidents backwards? He/she didn’t even do a Mini Mental Status Exam (where you get a score out of 30)? Pretty pathetic screening test from a useless doctor… And yet, she probably did better than I would do (!).

          Take a deep breath Parfait. Be hopeful here. And push push so she gets good care.

          1. Wow. I did a lot of work with individuals with memory loss back in the day and the MMSE was the bare minimum. As above, if you post a location (or an email), I’m happy to give you some referrals.

            Also as others have suggested, make a push for the paperwork *now.* it sucks x1000 but will be amplified the longer you wait.

          2. Thanks Brant and Carrie. Referrals are welcome, if you have any in the boonies of east central Illinois (greater Champaign-Urbana area).

        2. Maybe too late for you to see, but can you write up a summary of what you wrote here and send it with your father to the appointment for the doctor to read? I often freeze up when asked direct questions by a doctor, so having something like this written out may help the doctor understand what you are dealing with and be the starting point for better question asking.

    7. keep trying to get her to doctors. it certainly might be just “getting old,” which is the response my mom got from many doctors at first. after 2-3 years of trying, she was finally diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. The diagnosis was not welcome, but it was true. Hopefully that is not what your mom has, but whatever it is, getting a proper diagnosis is important. Some things (like LBD) are not very treatable, but many others are.

    8. Parfait, I’m late to this thread but hopefully you will see this. My mom is going through the same thing. She’s declined so much in just 12 months. I don’t know if your mom lives alone or if your dad is still alive. My mom is alone, and she moved to independent living a year ago. I advocated (among my siblings) for a place that you buy in with a “life care bond”, and then the facility provides all the care for one monthly rate until death. My mom elected not to go that route. She’s paying about $4500 a month for independent living (with meals but no assistance), and if she needs nursing home or memory care, she’ll pay about $12000 per month. She’ll be destitute in no time. If she had gone to one of the other facilities and paid a low six figure life care bond (less than $200K), she’d get the nursing home care and memory care at the same low monthly rate (e.g. $4500). I don’t know what to do and it’s so frustrating that we didn’t choose the option that would take care of all her needs. Just FYI.

  7. Threadjack: My sister and her husband are expecting their first baby in January. I’d like to get them, as a Christmas present, something that would make baby-having life easier; I’m thinking a gift certificate for housecleaning or meal delivery of some sort that they could use whenever they wanted. They’re in Mobile, Alabama (far away from me), so I’m thinking something national would be best. I see that Merry Maids and The Maids have gift certificates available, but I’m not really clear on how it would work (how much I should give and what that would translate into, how they would schedule a service, etc.). I looked for meals and was similarly confused.

    Has anyone ever given (or gotten) a gift like that? How did it work? What kind of service would be most appreciated (bear in mind that these are people who would not normally use a housecleaning service of any kind)? Any recommendations for companies?

    TIA!

    1. While I love the idea of having someone gift me a house-cleaning, I think that it would be practically difficult to do so. I used a service for a while as my cleaning person and they had to come quote me the job once, and then the first time they came they charged double as an “initial cleaning fee.” I think meal delivery – or even a gift certificate for some type of place that did delivery in their area – would be easier.

      1. Yes. Those national cleaning services are very expensive compared with an independent housecleaner, not least because of the “initial cleaning fee.” Plus, scheduling can be a hassle. OP, I think both your ideas are great and would have appreciated either one, but meal delivery seems like it would be much easier to execute, and require less work for your sister. Is there any way you can enlist one of her local friends to find out about a meal delivery service or a couple good restaurants that do delivery or takeout nearby?

    2. Yay! I do NOT have any specific recommendation’s but what I RECOMMEND is for you to call the LOCAL Chamber of Commerce in Alabama. I am sure they could recommend a SERVICE where people come IN and CLEAN.

      You can also check the INTERNET, and you can see there are Merry Maid’s, and you could TALK to them about a gift certificate.
      http://www.merrymaidsmobile.com/?bc=1463488097&c=1463488092&matchType=b&provider=google&keyphrase=home+cleaning+services&creativeId=16673487450

      Also, I looked and found Maid’s A La Mode — and they look good! I would use them personaly. YAY!!!
      https://www.maidsalamode.com/

      So it seem’s there are plenty of choices for you and your sister once she has the baby! Make sure to p’ost picture’s of the baby once born in January. I am VERY JELOUS b/c I want a baby also! YAY!!!!!

    3. I did a general search for meal delivery services and did not really find anything that seemed right (i.e., there were holiday/special occasion services, or prime rib dinner for 4 or things like that, but not really just what I would consider normal dinners), and it was impossible to judge the quality. There’s also something like Dream Dinners, but I think that you have to pick up (which I guess could still be helpful). I don’t know anyone in the area to really ask. Anyone have any suggestions for national services that deliver meals?

      1. How about asking them for the names of their favorite restaurants that deliver in their area, and giving them a gift certificate?

      2. If they have some local restaurants that are their favorite, call each and ask to speak to the owner and tell him/her what you are trying to do. They are in a small enough city that there probably isn’t a national service that will do the delivery, but the locals may be willing to work with you. You could schedule 2-3 different local restaurants to deliver a few individual meals on different nights once the baby is born. I would have loved this as a present!!

    4. My brother and SIL had a baby around Christmas two years ago. Groupon had the most amazing deal on Omaha steaks (but it was whole meals–sides, desserts, meats, etc.). I got them a big one of those and it stuffed their freeezer just perfectly with nice, portion-sized, yummy meals. They loved it!

  8. I too have a fashion question. I come from a very brand-conscious culture, and over the holiday found myself in a setting with several people carrying Coach/Michael Kors bags and at least a couple carrying Prada/Chanel. I was embarrassed to pull out the small (Vera Bradley) cosmetic bag I use for all my personal “purse” stuff from my extremely functional (Land’s End) diaper bag. (I drop the cosmetic bag into my “nice” work satchel after the weekend to take to work.) Then I had to grab my “purse” from the diaper bag while my husband took the baby (we were already out when we separated to run errands), only to find my hands really full since it doesn’t have any kind of strap.

    So I need some kind of wristlet/crossbody bag that will fit in my diaper bag. I don’t need it to be any specific brand, but I don’t want to appear tone-deaf in cultural settings. I read the earlier post about levels of handbags with great interest, but I need more specific help.

    1. How often are you with the brand-conscious culture? Were you just quietly embarrassed or were others actively noticing/commenting on your less expensive choices? (I know, it’s easy to say “ignore it” when you’re not there.)

      For specific suggestions, Coach often has a lot of wristlet/slim cross body options in the $100-200 range.

      1. I was quietly embarrassed, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t notice and were just too polite to say anything. Thanks for the recs!

    2. Honestly, I think you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about your functional bags but if you want something a bit nicer, Coach has nice wider wristlets that can double as wallets. I’ll link one in reply.

    3. Thanks, ladies! I’m looking now and hope to make a purchase really soon!

    4. Kate Spade has a lot of clutches, wristlets, and small crossbody bags that would tick the right boxes. AND they are 30% off today. I’m a huge fan of this one: http://www.katespade.com/COBBLE-HILL-mini-carson/PWRU3681,en_US,pd.html?dwvar_PWRU3681_color=001&cgid=ks-gifts-under-200#cm_sp=gift110314-_-footer-_-under200&start=6&cgid=ks-gifts-under-200

      I love, love, love my Hammitt bags. This one may do exactly what you’re looking for: http://www.hammitt.com/collections/cross-body/products/josh

      1. I have the cobble hill and I like it but I’ve noticed that EVERYONE has it lately and it’s kind of casual. I like it as a crossbody weekender but I wouldn’t use it professionally.

    5. You have a lot of wristet suggestions, so here’s a crossbody suggestion by Tory Burch:

      http://www.toryburch.com/amanda-cross-body/50009092.html

      I just bought recently at a Tory Burch store so they might be available there and I see they’ve been marked down!

      It’s a little bit bigger than a wristlet and has a few built in card slots. I love the convenience of the small cross body thrown into a large bag.

    6. I already said this over the weekend but I’m obsessed with the Lo&Sons Pearl. It’s pricey but worth a look.

    7. My comment got eaten before I could post it, but my advice (if you can’t just ignore these people) is to buy yourself a well-made, good quality non-“designer” name wristlet/convertible cross-body. It doesn’t sound like you care about brands for the sake of brands and, honestly, this is not something you can ever win. The Prada bags will still judge the Michael Kors purses and it’s all just.so.dumb. Take a look at everlane for some alternative ideas.

      1. I like the LLBean Town and Field Tote for a nice non-label tote – if you want a bag that size when not a diaper bag.

  9. I’m a fed considering applying for a position as an ausa. This would mean going from a gs pay scale to a different scale used by the usao. Does anyone have experience with this? I’m concerned about a huge pay cut. How negotiable are usao salaries? Would really appreciate any insights/ advice!!

    1. Niether do I! FOOEY! So, I spoke with my law school professor for you. He said that if you are a good litiegator and they want you, he thinks you should be abel to just quote a price and then they just shoe horn you into the appliceable pay grade. On the OTHER hand, if you are not that experienced, you will have to take whatever OFFER they give you. FOOEY!

      Therefore, I recomend you talk to the person who is interviewing you and first figure out if they are goeing to give you an offer. They will tell you what they can pay you, and if it is OK, take it. If it is not OK, you should stay where you are, b/c you know how much you get paid and how much you need. YAY!

    2. In theory, the pay is negotiable, depending on your level of experience, education, and networking skill. However, oftentimes they will simply choose whoever accepts the minimum salary offered, in practice, so unless your networking skills are amazing (e.g., you’re a retired Marine with a purple heart for taking a bullet for your country), you probably don’t have much that you can use to say, pick me, and at a higher salary!

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