Coffee Break: Gabin Bag
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This python bag from Sézane looks great if you're looking for a slightly different tote bag for fall.
I had to doublecheck — they call this one the “little brother of the MAXI Gabin,” but this looks like a fine size tote. I like that it has a inner zipped pocket and an exterior pocket, and I like the longer shoulder straps.
The pictured bag is $420, available in five colors; it has dimensions of 11.4 x 21.2 x 7.8 inches. Its big brother is $450, with dimensions of 23.6 x 11.8 x 5.9″.
Some of the best work bags for women as of 2025 include great totes from Cuyana (with a zipper), Tumi, Tory Burch, Lo & Sons, and Madewell (north/south). Also try this highly-rated organizing insert from OMYSTYLE or these clever pouches with some of the less structured bags! If you're looking for a budget tote (or one in a specific color) check this faux leather tote from Amazon (22K+ good reviews) or this nylon tote at Amazon (23K+ good reviews).
(Looking for a luxury work bag? Here's our latest roundup…)
Sales of note for 9/5/25
- Nordstrom – Summer sale has started, up to 60% off top brands
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event: 30% off your entire purchase, including new arrivals
- Anthropologie – 30% off clothing and accessories
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- J.Crew – Everyday styles from $34.50 — see our full roundup of what to buy for work at J.Crew
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off fall faves + extra 60% off clearance
- L.K. Bennett – 20% off all new-season
- Nordstrom Rack – Season Closeout: extra 40% off select clearance dresses, sandals, shorts, and swimwear(ends 9/11)
- Rothy's – Up to 50% off last-chance sales
- Soma – 5 panties for $39 + 35% off 3+ styles + buy 2 get 3 free panties — readers love these PJs and these no-VPL panties
- Talbots – 25-40% off select fall styles + extra 30% all markdowns — here are all the reader favorites at Talbots
- White House Black Market – 50% off all sale styles (ends 9/5)
How is everyone coping with… everything? I feel like I’m living in a horror movie but it just never ends.
I go to therapy, only read long-form news, avoid all social media, volunteer in my community, meditate, exercise, go to bed early… and I still feel like I’m losing my mind. Community helps, but only to a point. I just want it all to stop, to calm down, and I don’t see how that is going to happen.
Honestly, I’ve been reading a lot of history, and that helps.
It might *not* calm down. I hope it does, but the political & economic stability and safety of the last 50 years are an aberration in human history. If things do get worse, what kind of person do you want to be in a difficult world? What’s really important to you? How and where are you going to be the “single candle”?
Or if LOTR is your jam, I always feel like I need this tattoed on my eyeballs.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
You’ve put into words, concisely and so well, what I myself think and how I deal with it. Thank you. I’m constantly thinking/saying that we’ve learned nothing in the last 50 years, we’re spiraling back towards the crappy 1970s. But human history, past and present, is awash in human tragedy. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care, or shouldn’t try to be better. But it shifts the focus–back to how we shine our light. How am I going to raise my children in this environment? How lucky am I still that my worries are not the same as a mother in numerous other countries in the world that experience daily tragedy that we cannot fathom, even as we experience our own?
I wouldn’t classify the last 50 years as safe. We went from attacks on gay people in the 80s, the repeated violence against black people since forever, violence against women, a rise in school shootings, more and more mass shootings, attacks against Muslim people in the early 2000s, attacks against Asian people during the pandemic, attacks on Hispanic people and Jewish people now. The only people safe (minus yesterday) are heterosexual white men.
Even if I don’t otherwise feel any more unsafe, it is ahistorical to say we are not just as violent as we have always been.
Truly disconnect from social media and the news. Give yourself some distance – even a few hours can really help. I reminded myself that I am not burying my head in the sand, but I live in a world where the news cycle is 24-7 and humans aren’t meant to process all of these details all day long.
The world is full of people who have survived worse and made it through. I find reading books written by or about them to be incredibly inspiring and reassuring. It probably won’t all stop or slow down, but people have built meaningful rich lives in far, far worse circumstances for millennia, and you can, too.
You are fundamentally capable of the same emotional strength as prisoners of war, survivors of calamity, etc. If that comes for you, you will manage it. Hearing their stories will remind you that they are just humans like you — no stronger, no smarter, no better. So focus on their stories; there is a lot of inspiration to be had.
What are some of your favorite books in this genre?
Not the Anon above but in honor of 9/11, I would recommend “The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland” by Jim DeFede
Recs in no particular order:
The Gulag Archipelago (I was always worried this was going to be one of those massive, war-and-peace style treatises – it’s actually really approachable, short, and a fascinating mix of history and personal reflection)
With God in Russia (Walter Ciczek) – continuing the USSR theme… Written by a Catholic priest who volunteered to serve in Poland in WW2, got caught up, and was sentenced to many years in Siberian prison camps. Of his two books, this one is more focused on his story (vs. “He Leadeth Me”, which is a more post-fact reflection on the spiritual experience); one of the things I really liked about it is how clear his personal/human strengths and weaknesses affect his choices (like, he went to Poland 90% as an impetuous young man trying to prove something to his dad! and you see him mature throughout the story)
Unbroken – This is purely for the “oh wow, people are so incredibly resilient” shock value
Leadership: 6 Studies in World Strategy (Henry Kissinger) – here’s another wild card, because I disapprove of a lot about Kissinger *and* the people he profiles; but it’s nice to be able to reflect on stuff that has a little distance from “right now”, and a good “no one is either wholly evil or wholly good” read.
Factfulness (Hans Rosling) – Fair disclosure, this is a “you’re wrong, the world is actually way better than you thing” book, which might not land well at the moment :). But the global perspective has been really helpful to me – despite the worrying signs, we’ve made an incredible amount of progress at stuff I care about – keeping young children alive, reducing hunger, enrollment of kids in school, reducing deaths by violence. The problems in the rich world are only a small part of the world’s problems.
My favorite one of late is I Am Malala!
I also find value in thinking of those who survived, but what makes my stomach hurt is thinking of all the people who didn’t.
Yes, I’m a little surprised to hear people say reading history is comforting — I read a lot of history, but it mostly reminds me that things can get very, very, very bad, with senseless death and suffering on a huge scale.
Well, yeah, duh. You should be aware of that. The point is that at virtually every other period in history, that was what was normal and the common experience, and look at what they were able to accomplish anyway.
Things have been bad, of course, but it’s nice to remember that people survived, and the world had its good moments, too. So much of today feels “unprecedented” and it can help to remember it isn’t.
Well, you’d be dead then, and your mental and physical health will be irrelevant. Make your peace with death, of course; it’s coming for you eventually in some way.
This is how I feel too. Part of the acceptance of difficult times is accepting that we are all going to die. Counterintuitively, it can help.
Things aren’t going to stop or calm down for a while. Keep taking care of yourself and volunteering/connecting in your community. And supporting journalism, even if we can’t consume it everyday, quality reporting is so important right now.
Small actions like your community volunteerism matter. It’s like the French workers at Renault who painted incorrect lines on the oil dipsticks of the trucks that the factory had to produce for the Germans. They couldn’t stop the invasion but they could stop the trucks.
If everyone stays active and connected in their community, things will get better.
Postal workers in Poland “lost” letters from informants to the Gestapo. They probably saved thousands and thousands of lives.
To answer concisely, poorly! Like others, I do find a weird comfort in historical fiction and nonfiction about people living through things like WWII. I have also really enjoyed leaning into running this summer, and canoeing and camping.
But this brings me to a threadjack – what are people who don’t ski looking forward to this winter? I’m struggling with anticipatory seasonal depression. I live in NYC, and will keep up with running over the winter and am thinking I will lean into museums/cultural events. But it still seems…bleak. Due to work/school schedules my family’s more exciting travel has to wait until April/the summer. What is everyone else looking forward to?
I am canning the last of the summer’s peaches and looking forward to eating them!
I lean into all things winter. Cooking, decorating, hot toddies, ice skating. I go to the local Xmas tree lighting in my neighborhood and visit the holiday markets. I seek out all the cozy bars and restaurants. I wear chunky sweaters. I go see the Nutcracker.
The two biggest winter help items for me have actually been to 1) get really warm winter gear – good hat, coat, scarf and shoes make a world of difference – and 2) plan a february break somewhere warm so I have that to look forward to when it’s really cold and windy.
The problem is, at least in NYC, the holiday season is gets us through basically the first week of winter. Then it stays cold and dark until at least the end of March. The holidays are also stressful for me these days due to aging parents.
I started following an Instagram account, Cecelia… something with a B. She lives in Svalbard and really leans into polar night – months of darkness. Got some ideas for making my place cozy for winter.
Start skiing. Seriously. It will help more than you know.
Agree, this is really the only that helps me. I’ve leaned into skiing this time and even bought a fun new jacket for this winter. Now every day that it gets colder I just try to think about skiing in my new stuff.
Fall leaves / trees. Try to get out of the city for at least one weekend to see this.
Cozy clothes and warm winter coats in gorgeous fall colors.
Hot vanilla and chai lattes.
Planning for the holidays. Look forward to holloween/Txgiving etc..
Seeing family.
Inviting friends over for pizza and wine. Keeping it simple.
Movie marathons/festivals at home.
Reaching out to old friends. Even if just a phone call.
Not shaving as much.
Not having to apply sunblock on as many parts of my body.
Snuggling in my new sheets and warm blankets/comforter when I sleep.
Skating! I took lessons as an adult so I could skate with my kids.
I absolutely love winter if only to see the beautiful green hills and to not be sweating my ass off whenever I go somewhere.
I’m perimenopausal and always run hot, and I’m also a nut about avoiding sun damage but hate the feel of sunscreen all over my body, so winter is my favorite season, lol. Also with climate change the weather in my part of the Midwest is usually better for outdoor activities in December and February than it is over the miserably hot and humid summer. January can be pretty yucky but that’s really the only bad month. It’s going to be over 90 degrees this weekend and I’m so ticked off because I’m ready for fall.
+1 to a lot of what people have already said for winter fun: Nutcracker, ice skating, holiday lights (driving and neighborhood walks), holiday events at local zoos and botanical gardens, cookie baking and decorating, hot cocoa, hosting holiday events for adults and/or kids, celebrating Diwali and Hanukkah with friends if you have friends who do those holidays, Christmas markets, store window displays, tree lightings, etc. I LOVE the holiday season in NYC.
I do highly recommend a winter break trip somewhere fun if you can swing in though, especially if you’re spring break isn’t until April. We’ve done warm weather trips in the past but are doing European Christmas markets this year. We don’t celebrate Christmas but I’m looking forward to the food and fun and we got really cheap plane tickets that take off late on the 24th and land early on the 25th because of course no one who celebrates the holiday wants to be flying then.
It’s really hard. Like others, I’m trying to put this into historical perspective. Sometimes that helps, and sometimes it doesn’t. I lean on my like-minded friends for processing and discussion. I literally don’t talk to anyone else about all of it. Leaning into faith has helped some. Mainly, I’m trying to do what good I can. You’re not alone in finding it overwhelming, OP.
I work with a lot of expats from countries with various levels of political stability. They are wonderful for reminding me that life moves forward, and sometimes you just need to treat the horror movie like a screaming toddler in the corner and keep trucking on.
I’ve always been a big book reader, but I’ve leaned into that more. More book reading, less scrolling, more escapism. To some extent the current policies do directly affect me so I pay attention, otherwise I’m really taking the head in the sand approach which I’m not proud of but I’m tired. Which I suppose is the whole point, to make us tired.
I’m not trying to influence anyone, just sharing my own experience. I turn to religion more to cope. The weekly prayers in church touch on world events and are comforting to experience in community, so I feel less alone. The Bible contains wisdom that transcends time and has been used across centuries in very bad times. I think self-care can only take you so far in feeling better if things seem fundamentally wrong, but religion gives me a lot to learn and think about beyond my own limited experience/knowledge or whatever given fad society is marketing to us lately.
I agree with you.
I’ve disconnected all I think I can — I think I’m ready to saddle up and get involved again. The world they’re creating with the daily mass shootings and the vaccine skepticism (and the windmill skepticism?!) and the literal rewriting of history is not one I want to live in or raise children in.
I am in my own personal horror movie because two days ago I found out that my oldest and dearest friend passed away suddenly in her sleep. And I’m just reeling. Like, I was taking a shower yesterday and thinking “Well, no more showers for S!” And up all night for the past two nights, just thinking about her.
But… I went to my new-to-me Glee Club this morning and it was wonderful (even though I almost lost it when we got to a line in a song about love triumphing over death). And I was thrilled when the woman next to me turned to me at the end and said “Well, you’ve obviously sung in choirs before.” So I guess at this point I’m just trying to find moments of joy where I can.
I’m so sorry, SA.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I’m sorry for your loss. I hope good memories of your times together surface easily over the coming weeks, months, years.
What are your favorite breakfast recipes to meal prep in advance?
I regularly freeze muffins (with teens I use the ‘mini loaf’ pan size vs. muffin pans), protein waffles, quick breads, and pre-portioned fruit for morning smoothies. I also prep toppings for my yogurt (chopped up nuts, fruit, compote, etc.) and pop them in pre-portioned containers to go with my yogurt (like the Prett yogurt pots but homemade). I’ve also done overnight french toast or pancake bakes if you are feeding a larger crowd. I personally cannot deal with reheated eggs in the morning or the texture of overnight oats.
If you like regular oatmeal, you can make it ahead. It keeps well in the fridge – just reheat it in the microwave for a minute. You can also do steel cut oatmeal in a slow cooker I think.
Egg bites. Pre-baked in muffin tins on the weekend, kept in fridge (or freezer) for quick reheat.
Chia Overnight Oats:
1/4 cup oats
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 cup any milk or water (or half and half)
Top with any fruit you like (I like cherries or strawberries)
I’m in the office T-Th so I make 3 containers on Monday night so they’re ready for me to grab in the morning.
This isn’t something I eat everyday, but when we are headed out on a road trip or an early morning hike, I prep breakfast burritos the night before and wrap them in foil. Then I heat them in the oven in the morning. It keeps the tortilla from getting soggy like in the microwave.
Oatmeal breakfast cookies with blueberries and bananas
I LOVE Budget Bytes’s pumpkin baked oats. So easy, portable, delicious, can eat hot or cold, and perfect with a little drizzle of maple syrup and some walnuts!
You can cook steel cut oats in advance and heat them up in the microwave and add in chopped nuts and fruit (I like walnuts and banana). Yum. You can also freeze homemade waffles and pancakes. I do this when I have a bunch of sourdough discard to use up.
Shopping help please! I have lost all track of trends and fashion and need new sneakers for running errands, chasing kids, etc. My budget is around $150, what shoes would you recommend so I don’t look completely out of touch? Thanks!
I think these are pretty cute and low profile:
https://www.nike.com/t/pacific-womens-shoes-h2vWRN/HM4771-300
ooh, I don’t need new sneakers but I wish I did – I love that green color!
Yes, I wore this in the 80s. Very retro classic.
Similarly, I have these in red/silver and I love them! Lightweight, cute with everything, and I get compliments on them all the time.
https://www.nike.com/t/ld-1000-womens-shoes-Ar5Dab2W/HF3227-600
Brooks just came out with a new edition of their vintage Chariot shoe, and it’s cute and a little less ubiquitous: https://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/womens/shoes/lifestyle-shoes/chariot/1204751B099.075.html
I am wearing colorblocked Nikes as my casual shoe and I really like it. I bought in person so I don’t have a link or name unfortunately.
I got some Gola sneakers that were similar to these and really like them:
https://www.golausa.com/womens-gola-classics-c15/heritage-styles-c252/gola-classics-womens-elan-sneakers-p3126/s20936?cid=USD&glCurrency=USD&glCountry=US&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22857650108&gbraid=0AAAAADl-vVN_3rGyvFPwQnx2VJ0GJjZvS&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5onGBhDeARIsAFK6QJZ3Z54FABHRWiaXPVdUtT-QZ4MNX6GcatZ3x57m-vgKbqnmA9jFJrQaApc_EALw_wcB
My go-to for the past few years were Supergas but honestly, they make my feet hurt.
Paging shots shots shots.
I work in a comms role and have been getting pestered by one sales team to share the promo materials for the equivalent of our 2026 industry Oscar. I am running out of ways to nicely say – ‘The 2026 award hasn’t happened yet, we do not know where we will place, and there are no materials to share.’ I do not know how much clearer I can be and yet I’m on my 4th(!!) email and multiple chat threads about this. Yes, I’ve offered other relevant stats (including our current 2025 rating!). But they only want the updated version of this one. Sigh.
As I mentioned previously, that information will not be available until November. I’ll circle back around with you then.
I would tweak this slightly to “As I stated in my emails on [date], [date] and [date], that information will not be available until November. . . .” I would send the same response, updating the email dates, every time the inquiry is made.
Would you really?
Only if she’s trying to get fired. OP, sales wins over marketing, figure out how to get them something.
Im an accountant so I might not be on the right track here but….
They are telling you they are anxious about this award. It’s important for their careers and it will help the company if they win something.
So, while it isn’t your job to help them directly, I would speak to your manager and share what you are hearing and asking how you can support their goal.
Tell me about Land’s End Starfish Pants — are they work appropriate or casual? Yoga pants material or more like ponte? I wish they had some reviews.
Casual and to my eye, definitely too casual for most workplaces.
Not for the office. The seams are obviously sweats / legging esque.
The ‘pintuck’ ones can be worn in the office, unfortunately it seems like they only have one style with pintucks right now and it comes in two dreadful colors (poopy orange and white).
i’ve always thought they were “giving up” pants but a lot of people here have liked them.
They’re sweatpants with good marketing. They’re not office pants at all.
Girl, those are sweats for your Grandma.
Only if your workplace is a yoga studio.
what color denim is “on trend” this fall? regular blue or lighter. overcome with options.
I feel like darker blue is always on trend for fall, and lighter is more for spring and summer
Dark wash blue
I’m trying to help an elderly relative find and purchase some expensive medical equipment. I have been searching online for the best quality, FDA approved device that has the specs for her needs. Surprising to me, I found the best item/price from a small medical supply company that specializes in this type of equipment – in Canada. We’re in the US. It is nearly half the manufacturer’s list price, currently on sale (~$2000).
Is there any way to confirm what the tariff could be on this item and/or if some additional duty could be added when it passes the border? I contacted the medical supply company and they stated this will be exempt for duty/tariff based on its HS code, and that since this product is actually US made it would be exempt anyway (!). But as I have never ordered from this tiny company before, I wish there was some way to confirm this before having my elderly relative charge this much $$ to her credit card.
Sorry if this is an obvious question, as I don’t usually buy things shipped from outside of the country. And times are crazy now so…
I would find a different one in this country.
Honestly, if you couldn’t afford to lose the $1000 I wouldn’t risk it – given the uncertainty on tariffs, risk of the company pausing shipments, etc.
Obviously depends on the device, but I have sometimes just…bought non FDA approved stuff/the not-officially-a-medical-device version, if that’s an option. Don’t do this if it’s dangerous
If it ships quickly, do the math. Worst case if its not included in the current trade deal, you deal with a 35% tariff. Is it still cheaper? Your post suggests it’s 50% cheaper, so easy call.
+1.
As a Canadian, it doesn’t surprise me that it’s cheaper here. Epipens are about $150 CDN which is about $110 USD vs $600 + in the US.
If you’re concerned about product quality – many medical devices are regulated by Health Canada and you can check licensing here: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medical-devices/licences/medical-devices-active-licence-listing.html
As to whether it’s a legit store, search the province’s name and Registry of Companies which should bring you to the provincial listing for all registered companies in that province and you can check if the store is registered. If you’re concerned that the website might be a fraudulent representation by a third party, just search the registered address and then do a quick call to the store.
I’ve had multiple packages from Canada significantly delayed because of Trump trade war. If you need this on any reasonable timeframe, I would pay the markup to order from somewhere in the US.
Even if they think the device will be exempted from tariffs, is there a feasible way to ship it? Last I heard, Canada post wasn’t shipping to US addresses because of the chaos the tariffs are causing. In the current situation, I would look for someone shipping from the US, even if it’s more expensive.
I have family in Canada. I have things delivered to a mailbox and collect in person. I drive up for the weekend to visit family (friends works too) and put it in the trunk, packaging discarded.
EpiPens are a fraction of the cost as is ADD medication. When I couldn’t get Vyvanse here my aunt drove down like Batman each month I couldn’t drive up with my child’s prescription. God bless my family because it was $600 for a months supply and I had to call every pharmacy in the area. I was very stressed and exhausted. With Canada, $50 doctor appointment followed by about $60 prescription charge. No wait, no drama (except for my child’s great aunt driving down in my uncles black corvette, hence the Batman reference) and a fraction of the cost.
cute bag – does anyone have it?
Shopping help: I’m looking for an emerald green dress that can be worn for church, brunch, baptisms, things of that nature. Most of my closet is from 2018-2021, so I’m hoping for a current look. Not sure what that is. Price ideally under $200.
quince has some in a tealish green – trying to remember where i saw an emerald green recently.
https://us.boden.com/products/pip-zip-up-ponte-midi-dress-emerald-night?variant=47312994894076&tc_ch=ps&tc_ve=goog&tc_so=pmax&tc_me=cr&tc_ca=ss-drop-offer&tc_au=&tc_cr=na&tc_campid=US+-+Performance+Max+-+WW+-+FP+-+Active&tc_adgroupid=&tc_kwid=&tc_matchid=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21221688172&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5onGBhDeARIsAFK6QJa45br3Ozrknh2NAy2rWydQKagEFuoi2HAvBkA9YSFB-2Qj6iqOLyYaAn3hEALw_wcB
Got me going down the Boden hole again!
It looks like Boden has a number of green dresses to choose from!
I seem to have an inverse relationship with my hair: the more time I spend on it, the more unkempt it looks, while if I ignore it for days on end it looks amazing. Unless I intentionally ignore it in hopes that it will be nice for an event, then I just look like a disaster.
My haircuts usually come from the local Supercuts. I am very intimidated by the idea of trying to find a salon that works for me (and the associated pricing, especially if it is a bust) but I feel so frumpy and need to do something to have grown-up hair instead of this disheveled mess. Where do I even start?
For clarity: I have a much shorter style and much different hair texture than my peers. There is no one with hair like mine in my circle of friends, so asking for salon recs from them doesn’t seem like it would be very applicable.
Short hair needs a good stylist not Supercuts. Start asking around anyway for recommendations where you live and see how they do shorter hair.
I think you just need to jump in and spend some money. A good haircut from someone who knows how to work with your type of hair will probably make a huge difference. Also, if your hair always looks worse after you style it, maybe you are not using the products for your hair type. I’d ask for advice at the salon about that.
There’s really no reason to feel intimidated by a salon. Not sure what market you’re in, but I’m in Houston and a standard salon cut can range from $40-80-ish. My place is around $60 and I’ve never had a bad haircut and I’ve tried a bunch of different stylists there. So if it’s the cost that is worrying you, you should be able to get a good cut in most cities for under $80 pre-tip. As far as how to find a salon, just check out Yelp or Google reviews or specifically look for a salon that specializes in something if it’s relevant to you (i.e., a curly cut, a specific ethnicity, etc.). My bf has been growing his hair out and hit an awkward phase and called my salon to ask for a recommendation for someone who specialized in medium length men’s styles. So if you find a salon with good reviews, you can also just call the front desk and tell them your specific issue and see who they’d recommend. I also only get my hair cut about twice a year (although you’ll probably need it more frequently with short hair), so it’s a minimal expense for me.
If you’re not happy with your hair right now, I think you’ll feel so much better after a professional cut. Most stylists are super friendly and not intimidating at all and want you to be happy with your hair. They can’t work magic and still have to work with what you’ve got, but they may have some good ideas or tips and tricks to make yours more manageable. Good luck and don’t be intimidated!