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Thursday’s Workwear Report: Short-Sleeve Sweater

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A woman wearing a green short-sleeved sweater and black pants

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

This short-sleeved sweater from Tahari ASL looks like a great layering piece for this fall. Wear this gorgeous green color under a camel blazer for the chilly mornings and on its own for a 70-degree afternoon. It comes in tons of colors, and there are also some petite and plus options if you do a little digging.

The sweater is $59 at Nordstrom and comes in sizes XS-XL. 

Sales of note for 10/16

  • Ann Taylor – 50% off + free shipping on everything!
  • Brooklinen – Friends & Family – 20% off sitewide and 50% off select bundles
  • J.Crew – Extra 50% off 3+ sale styles with code – includes lots of suiting, sweaters, and pants
  • J.Crew Factory – Friends & Family, extra 15% off your purchase
  • M.M.LaFleur – October Sale Event, best prices of the season (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
  • Nordstrom – 5840+ new markdowns for women, up to 40% off
  • Talbots – Friends and family, 30% off your entire purchase
  • Theory – End of season sale is on with extra savings (new prices are marked)

251 Comments

  1. We started with a new cleaning service and they wanted to start with a deep clean. I asked multiple times how much it cost and the lady told me she would let me know after they were done because it was hard to estimate. The regular cleaning rate is $200/every 2 weeks. We stopped using our prior cleaners a few weeks ago but of course I tried to maintain cleaning and did a good run through before the deep clean. We have 2 teenage kids and a cat. Well after they were done yesterday, the cleaning lady asked for $2000!! This was way more than I was expecting – I thought it might be double or maybe triple for a deep clean. I only had $1000 in cash and she said she can swing by today for the rest. Her team did do a great job although they spilled something red in one bedroom. They arrived yesterday around 8:30am and left around 6:30pm with an hour break for lunch. I think we are just going to pay the rest but it really rubs me the wrong way and I feel like I messed up not insisting on an estimate beforehand. Should I do anything differently? I don’t want to start off on a bad foot with her but yikes that is so much, right!

    1. How many cleaners were there? Yeh, if she can’t give estimates or tell you the hourly rate, I would not use her going forward.

    2. Whoa. Requiring you to start with a deep clean is totally standard, even if you’re switching from another cleaning service and haven’t had a long gap. But they should have been able to give you an estimate and that price is crazy, especially relatively to their ongoing rate. 2x the regular rate is common in my experience, 10x is bonkers! But it’s also crazy that they spent 10 hours in your house, that sounds more in line with the 10x cost. Is your house insanely clean at least??

    4. I would no longer use their services, and I probably would not give them any more money.

    6. I wouldn’t keep using them. That was shady behavior. They should have said “our rate for deep cleaning is X per person per hour. For a house your size, an initial deep clean is typically 8 hours of work, but might be a little more or less depending on what we find.”

      1. +1. This is exactly what my service told me before I scheduled the initial deep clean.

    7. Sorry but you screwed up by not insisting on a quote beforehand. Eat the cost and don’t hire them again.

    8. Whoa, that is not okay. MAYBE for a move-out or move-in deep clean. But it’s shady as hell that she wouldn’t give you a quote first.

    9. I can’t avoid it in healthcare; but other than that, I don’t do business with companies that won’t tell me the cost up front.

    10. Yeah it’s crazy you didn’t get an estimate before hand. I say that with sympathy I’ve had that experience before where you realize you got bamboozled

    11. I’ve paid that post construction, but a deep clean is usually about 3x the normal rate.

    12. I’d be uncomfortable with this too. For comparison, my cleaning service requires a deep clean when we start (or restart) services. They do not give us a formal quote for how many hours it will take, but they do tell us that it will be $60/person/hour (MCOL area). The last time it was around $1000 for 2 people, and it took them 8ish hours. My 2400 sqft house sparkled, and it was worth every penny to me in the end, but it was annoying that they couldn’t give me a firm quote.

      1. Thank you for all of the replies. I was up half the night stressing out and feeling terrible that I goofed. It is an expensive lesson to learn. We are going to pay it – I just feel really bad that this happened. But yes, to answer the question above, the house is really clean at least!

        1. I would ask for an invoice with the number of hours billed times the rate.

          It should be the same rate that you pay for your $200 regular cleaning.

          1. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same rate, although ideally they’d disclose the rate difference.

          2. It would be pretty reasonable to push back if the rate was higher. The only figure that was provided by the cleaner in advance was the weekly rate. I think most people would consider that the benchmark for what the cost of the deep cleaning should be based off of.

    13. I would not work with her moving forward.

      In the future, stand up for yourself. My cleaner looked through my whole house before the initial deep clean, and then gave me her price. When she refused to give an estimate, you should have moved on.

      1. Yes, absolutely. I think that is why I am so mad at myself. I should have insisted on an estimate. :(

    14. I would never even have that much cash on me. Can she not take an emt (or is that a Canadian thing)? Did you get a written receipt or invoice?

      I expect that they can’t give exact cost but they should be able to give a range based on square footage, number of people and pets, number of bathrooms etc. And the range should include info on the hourly rate and the number of cleaners.

      1. don’t know what an emt is in that context, but I never have that much cash on me either. I pay my cleaners with an old-fashioned check.

        1. EMT is electronic money transfer. Banks all use the Interac system so you can send money to an email address from your bank and then the recipient deposits it into any bank account they want. No specific app, just part of all accounts unless you remove it. Super common to pay for household services (cleaners/babysitters etc) that way if they don’t take credit card (credit card fees are increasingly expensive and emt is free). Also used for pretty much every situation where you can’t tap/apple pay/etc.

    15. That is shocking. The housecleaner I used gave us an estimate up front, and the initial deep clean took two times as long and was two times as expensive as her regular rate (which was $440 vs $220). How can they expect someone to just whip out $2,000 with no warning?! That is a lot of money.

    17. My regular cleaners did this to me and they’re in my house every two weeks! I kept asking and she kept saying she would get back to me… and then did it in lieu of a regular clean.

      Hit me with an $800 bill, which is almost 4x my normal clean. They didn’t tell me that they charge $75 extra for oven cleaning (and I have 2 ovens). I would’ve asked them to skip that; I don’t even use one of the ovens other than for holidays. Harumph.

    18. I would next time ask for her per-hour-per-person rate. Then you can figure it out based on the number of hours people were there. If you had 3 people at your house for 8 hours, $2k might be reasonable depending on your area. If it was 4 people for a full 8 hour day then I think that’s very in line with pricing in my area.

      1. This.

        OP how big is your house?
        How many people?
        Where do you live?

        And honestly…. how dirty was your house? With animals, teens and no professional cleaner in a long time, you need to look honestly at your situation. And I would talk to your neighbors to see what they have paid.

    19. I wouldn’t use this person: that initial fee is bananas. I would tell her “This is unreasonable: your crew spilled something, and I asked you multiple times for an estimate. I can’t use you and I can’t give you any more money; best of luck with your business.” And FWIW I pay $200 bi weekly. My cleaner did an initial clean but it was $300-$400 (it’s been a couple years so I forget exactly how much). Did they shampoo your carpets? Clean exterior windows? Clean up dried cat vomit under a bed? I truly cannot fathom paying that amount unless I was a hoarder and they also decluttered multiple trash bags or there was animal feces or something hazmat level involved.

    20. The fact that she wanted all of this cash is odd. Is this a legitimate business?

      I think a cleaner needs to give an approximate amount for a deep clean like others have said. How many hours, how many people, hourly rate, any extras (like oven/windows)? And when they see something else during the cleaning that they didn’t include in their initial calculation, I’d expect them to communicate that at that moment so that I can decide whether I want to pay that or not.

      If you are considering hiring them for a weekly cleaning (I would not after such experience), I’d confirm again the number of people and hours they will be there, and which services they will perform. Unfortunately, in my experience many cleaners say they’ll clean for x hours, only to leave after x-y hours.

      I told my previous cleaner that I always have things to do if she gets done early – like change bedsheets, filling soap in the bathrooms, watering plants, ironing, washing baseboards, fridge clean etc. She texted me in those cases and we agreed what else she could tackle within the remaining time.

    21. I would ask for an itemized bill before you pay.
      I would push back and negotiate a lower amount.

    22. you could have Ai write her a text explaining that you are upset about the lack of estimate, the outrageous extra cost, and the red spot on the carpet. she might not come back for the other $1,000…

  2. I struggle so hard to find a coat for this fall weather. I’m in Boston. 45 degrees when I left my house and it’ll be 60+ during the day.

    I have a Barbour barn jacket that doesn’t go with my business causal wardrobe (no jeans, think finance bro attire, but for women..). I have winter jackets, wool jackets, but nothing for these 50-70 degree shoulder weeks. I’m born and raised from here… you think I’d have this figured out by now.

    I’m willing to spend money. I had historically used an Eddie Bauer Girl on the Go jacket, which is honestly great on the sidelines of kid sports games or casual weekend wear but a) it’s quite old and zippers are dying, black color looks warn by now, and b) it doesn’t feel polished at all.

    Help? Size medium most likely..

    1. Do you actually need a jacket yet? I’m in the Midwest with the same temps you are experiencing. My blazer is plenty for this weather, or when I lean in to the finance bro vibe of my office, a Patagonia fleece or vest are just fine.

        1. +1. I am in NYC, and I definitely needed a jacket this morning!! I wore my Barbour jacket today FWIW (with a sweater under), but I can wear jeans to my office.

          What about a quilted Barbour jacket in a color like navy blue? It looks a bit less rugged than the barn jackets.

      2. Not the OP but for me, I like a layer. Especially in the morning when it may also be misting a bit.

      3. Yeah, this. I’m also dealing with this and think there’s not really a good coat for this weather. Though when it’s in the 40s in the morning, I just wear my Patagonia nanopuff and don’t wear it in the afternoon. Otherwise, wear a blazer, sweater, or vest and take it off later if necessary.

    2. I feel like this could be a real trench coat situation? I have found Burberry dupes here and there (honestly, the best one was a Sears / JCP one I had in college with a quilted button-out lining) and I feel like they visually look more put together. I have a cotton one that works for mid-temps and a wool one that looks good visually but is very heavy and the lining is wearing out. Banana usually has something good, as does Land’s End; both can have epic sales where I’ve gotten something that fits the bill for what is a reasonable price to me.

        1. Upper Midwesterner here, and I have a black London Fog trench coat with a removable lining that I get an immense amount of wear out of, from work to casual. It’s not phenomenal quality, but priced so that I can replace it every few years. This is the time of year to get something like that – in the spring nothing has the removable lining.

          1. Good point that now is the time to shop. It’s tricky, because you don’t get to wear these coats for more than a month or so, but when you need one, you need one!

          2. Anon at 9:43, you’re right, but I find that I can wear something like this into the low 30’s with the lining in, and during summer rainstorms without the lining. And it’s classic enough to last for years.

        2. +1 – I have a Brooks Brothers trench with a removable lining and it’s my ‘dress’ coat for these shoulder seasons

      2. This. Get yourself a trenchcoat. And layers are your friend. I also add a scarf because I feel warmer when my neck and chest are warm.

      3. Agreed.I live in Montreal (similar weather, maybe a smidge chillier) and am currently wearing either a suede jacket or light trench coat as a layer in the mornings.

    6. I have an ancient Brooks Brothers short trench with a swing back that I wear in the Fall and Spring. I have seen similar short trenches with cape shoulders in stores.

    8. Since there are so many from Team Trench here, is there a good current offering of a classic trench with a button- or zip-out lining? I really want one adaptable coat (already have longer puffer for casual wear / dog walking and a dressy coat). Layering a fleece or puffer under feels so in-elegant and is hard to do over a suit or wool sweater due to friction or eventually not being able to move my arms well.

    9. Commiseration that it’s hard to find that middle ground between casual outerwear and fancy and/or wintery. I have a cotton utility jacket in a fun color that is passable with my business casual wardrobe. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on it, so I think it’s working? It’s a few years old, but I found it at Gap, of all places.

        1. I ordered this a few weeks ago and I love it! I feel like it’s a bit on the casual side, but I am pleasantly surprised by the quality.

    10. I added a short trench coat to my coat collection last year and I’m getting a ton of use out of it. I got the Women’s Trench Rain Jacket from Lands End, but sized wayyyyy down per usual from Lands End. Looks like they don’t have it in the XS you’d probably need. So if I was buying right now I’d probably get the Lands End Womens Squall Waterproof Hooded Short Mac Jacket. I like that it has a hood. The medium review is from someone who didn’t size WAY down, which is what you have to do with Lands End.

      1. I REALLY wish retailers would offer a wider color range. That khaki color is the literal worst against my skin tone.

        1. Same! I have an old black one I got from Talbots, but I think there are more color options now

        2. Oh it would be nice in a dark green for sure.

          My long trench coat is dark green and I love the color, but as much as I love the look a long trench is overwhelming on me. I feel like I’m 7 years old playing dress up when I put it on.

    11. I just wear a Barbour wax jacket and call it a day. Yes it’s not necessarily a “work” look, but it’s an outer layer, so whatever.

    12. I’m in PA and just got one of these, which I am wearing today! I have a trench too, but I don’t love the longer length on my 5’4” frame.

        1. This is gorgeous. I live in a warm climate and have to keep telling myself I do not need this!

    16. Same location and work environment and I see mostly Burberry quilted black jackets or trenches.

    17. I have a trench that I really like, but I also have a suede work shirt type jacket from Sezane that fills this gap. And a barn jacket from Talbots that is a nicer fabric than my Barbour one.

  3. What do you think is the most flattering sweater weight and neckline for those of us with larger chests and/or who are plus-size? Unfortunately what I find the cutest (a classic bright crew neck) doesn’t always look the best for me personally.

    1. Have you tried layering a necklace over the crewneck? I find that it helps to interrupt the high neckline so my torso doesn’t read as a vast expanse of bust.

    2. I find v necks or scoop necks the most flattering. Crew necks are the worst. I like medium weight knits that are large enough to drape. And I like sleeves that have some volume.

    3. I prefer something like a shallow v, henley, popover style, or polo collar. Otherwise I feel like my head is just floating above a vast expanse of solid fabric.

    4. I am chesty and I eschew crew-necks in favor of v-neck sweater, preferably of a medium knit with a slightly drapey hand. My fabric preferences are cotton/silk or merino/silk blends or 100% merino, cotton or cashmere, again medium weight so neither clingy nor bulky.

    5. I look terrible in crew necks, and I’m slim with a medium chest. They are flattering on men, usually, not on women. V necks or boat necks are my jam.

    6. For me, a medium-to-heavier weight cardigan worn by itself as a V-neck sweater. It takes a little trial and error to find the ones that aren’t too deep that way, but when I do, it’s the best look on my body.

    11. Boat neck, high v-neck, or high scoop neck. A square neckline looks lovely too. Basically anything but crew neck.

    12. I don’t like v-necks.

      I know that the common advice for my bust size (supersize) is to get v-s, but my cleavage is so high that I hate how they look on me, it’s just an arrow pointing to cleavage.

      Scoop, boat and below clavicle crew are my favorites.
      A small pendant necklace makes a big difference, as does an open second layer

      1. It’s beautiful enough that I’m going to give it a shot and hope for the best! I haven’t seen anything else that I like this much.

    2. I just got this in the mail, and it may be too long for me. I’m 5’4” and normally wear petite sizes. This is hip length.

      Quality seems very good.

  5. Is anyone else heading to Ocean’s Calling this weekend? I’m super excited, but a little worried about the weather. Hopefully it’s okay. I haven’t found a great news source to monitor the situation.

    1. I went a few years ago. It poured Friday but was otherwise gorgeous.

      It’s a fun festival, enjoy!

    3. Oh no, they just canceled day one of the festival because of weather. Hopefully Saturday can still take place. Crossing fingers.

  6. Look did I think the is a water bottle professional conversations from back in the day were overblown? Yes . But the kids are now trying to bring ice coffees into interviews

    1. So? I’m on the cranky side of workplace norms usually but that wouldn’t bother me at all.

    3. I wouln’t bring an iced coffee into an interview as the interviewee, but I also think the pearl clutching about bringing a drink to an interview is a little overblown. Particularly because the last several interviewers I had before taking this job about 6 years ago carried in iced coffees.

      FWIW, I’m a 41 year old lawyer at a niche but lucrative boutique firm.

    4. I can be really cranky about the younger generations, and I honestly wouldn’t even take note of this. Literally who cares — it’s a common beverage.

      1. And? Drink your coffee before you come to a JOB INTERVIEW. Then brush your teeth. And then go do the serious thing. Why would anyone defend this? How about a breakfast sandwich? That also ok with you?

        1. I have coffee meetings with colleagues and my network all the time. So having a coffee at an interview seems completely fine. You can sip and chat at the same time. Honestly it’s probably a good thing and makes the interview seem less like a rehearsed performance piece and more if a natural back and forth.

        2. They want to present themselves at their very best. Many people’s very best is coffee enhanced. It follows the logic of the ritual to me.

          I don’t know that there’s ever been good evidence for the ritual fulfilling its intended purpose, but that’s another issue.

          2. You think that the beverage isn’t part of the interview suit. Younger people are inundated with aspirational advertising and product placement where it literally fits the image they think they’re being asked to project.

            You can roll your eyes, but it’s not coming out of nowhere.

        3. I’m totally with you. I also wouldn’t bring an iced coffee to a court appearance. It shows poor time management skills.

        4. You’re drinking through a straw and hopefully not getting close enough for breath to be an issue. I do not get the pearl clutch here at all. I don’t personally like iced coffee so I wouldn’t drink it in an interview or otherwise but have zero issue with a candidate doing this.

          1. Really? The ice clinking, the condensation rings on the tables (or the need to hunt down a coaster), the handshake with a cold, damp hand all wouldn’t bother you?

    5. Adding this to the list of things the youth are supposedly doing that would never even occur to me. Not because it’s “improper” but because why are you thinking about coffee when you are about to go into a job interview? If you *did* think, man I’d sure love an iced coffee at this exact moment, your next thought would immediately be, nope, it will be messy and dripping with condensation and a huge distraction that I don’t need.

        1. We understand the concept, but you want your interview performance to be seamless and with no distractions. You don’t want to have to ask for a napkin, or rummage through your bag to find a napkin (and then discard it somewhere) before you shake the partner’s hand when you walk into the conference room. I’m sure some of this is industry dependent, but especially in conservative law settings, your behavior is also a model for how you’ll act in front of picky and mercurial clients.

    6. I personally wouldn’t bring an iced coffee to an interview but also wouldn’t think anything of a candidate who did.

      1. I’m involved in hiring at our firm, so I do a lot of interviews. To me, it’s not that bringing a coffee into the interview is objectively terrible, but (to me) it would come across as a bit over-familiar/casual for what we are sitting down to do, or like we are peers (I interview mostly students). Best case, it is neutral, worst case, it is a small negative data point against you.

        Even if its totally non-sensical, we see a lot of candidates in a small amount of time. You want to set yourself apart in a good way, not be remembered as “the girl who brought an iced coffee in”. If that person was otherwise an amazing candidate, it would likely be no big deal, or laughed about later as a funny quirk. But if they were on the edge in any way, it might be enough to tip you into the “that was odd, let’s go with the person who seemed a bit more professional” category.

        Also, I am a nearly exclusive iced coffee drinker (and NOT young or cool) so I shouldn’t feel this way, but there is something more…young/casual about bringing in an iced coffee versus a hot coffee, and I really don’t know why. Hot coffee reads more serious/senior to me, for some reason?

        1. I am also an uncool 40 year old ice coffee person but I agree that iced coffee reads young and casual. I don’t necessarily think this is fair, but my sense is that it comes from social media where iced coffee has become a classic example of “little treat culture” and is often represented as an excellent pairing for your millennial/Gen z Saturday morning activities. You drink it through a straw, which is whimsical. If you bought it out it’s a luxury purchase. Visually, it reads as closer to a frappuchino or some drink unfairly judged as “girly” or not for serious people than it does to good old fashioned coffee. Hot coffee on the other hand is ubiquitous, boring, and utilitarian: something you and every other student and desk jockey employee, from the interns all the way to the white-haired c-suite execs, consumes by necessity to power them through hours of long hard work.

      1. Lol, this reminds me of the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Larry was irked at people failing to use coasters. Respect the wood! I am Team Larry. I don’t care if people bring in coffees – we would usually offer it to them anyway when they arrive – but I would be watching where they placed it.

      2. Or just not carrying or bringing in something that can spill on you, dribble, make it hard to shake hands or open doors. There are so many things that can go wrong and you have the whole rest of the day for a beverage. Something close-able, like a small bottle of water, would be so much easier to deal with. But I wouldn’t even do that. Avoid things that can malfunction and check your teeth to make sure there isn’t lunch or pesto hanging out on them. Put your best foot forward — it’s not all day!

        1. Some interviews are all day! I would definitely bring water to interviews.

          But no messy drinks. No bougie drinks. Just water.

      3. This. I think it’s fine in a Yeti or something like that where the cup won’t “sweat.” But if it’s a Starbucks cup or something like that, the outside of the cup will get very wet and will get water all over any table you set it on – that seems kind of inappropriate. (I love iced coffee but hate this issue, job interviews aside!)

    10. Bringing a beverage to an interview is fine. Hiring is hard enough without rejecting someone for this reason, which is not a good one.

    11. This had me laughing this week – Part of our onsite interviews is a coffee chat for culture fit. We have an in office barista. TBH we’d probably feel bad that the interviewee paid for a coffee out of pocket, when they could have gotten something on site!

    12. Solidarity with OP. I’m surprised that so many of you wouldn’t bat an eye at this. Seems just bizarre to me. I’m an Old, and am feeling it as I read these comments.

      1. I also think it’s odd. It’s not like, the faux pas of the century but still. My breath isn’t the freshest immediately after coffee, for one.

        1. We do so many interviews over coffee it’s weird to me anyone would see this as an issue.

          1. It is obviously different to show up to a wedding with your own cake or wine than it is to eat the cake or drink the wine that is on offer at the wedding. Same vibe here. A host can offer a beverage, and an interviewer is a host.

      3. Same. I’m curious about whether the people who are pro-iced coffee would feel the same way if someone brought in a giant gas station soda.

          1. Fair question, and I think I personally would bring a small water bottle that fit in my bag in case I got thirsty while speaking and didn’t have any water. And no issue with someone taking an offered drink, obviously.

      4. I’m early 30s and think this is a bad look. Reading the room is an important skill. Caffeinate before your interview and bring water if your throat gets dry. But you can survive an hour without a specialty beverage! Unless your interviewer offers it, which is fine because you’re following their lead.

        1. This is where I land, and I am a generation older than you. It’s less about the coffee itself, more about whether the candidate understands professional norms and can code-switch to match the situation. It is not acceptable in my workplace for attendees to lug their giant Stanleys to or slurp their sodas in board meetings, so a candidate who can’t leave their iced mocha until after their interview is not doing themself a favor.

          1. Maybe that is the difference? It would be totally normal in my office to bring your own drink to a meeting, yes, even a soda at a board meeting. If you’re slurping distractingly, of course that’s a problem!

          2. Maybe? Although it seems a gamble to assume an interview will be casual enough to press your luck on something like this. Unless the freedom to bring your iced beverages with you everywhere is a non-negotiable that is more important than a job offer, it’s easy enough to avoid any issues and leave the drink behind.

      5. Yeah, I feel like the whole point of the interview is that you’re trying to put your best foot forward, not “this is me, take it or leave it.”

        Do I generally go to work without blow drying or styling my hair? Yes, but for an interview I’m putting the effort in.

    13. I don’t consider myself particularly crusty when it comes to workplace norms, but this would mildly annoy me too. Your coffee can wait a minute, plus, what if it spills and makes a mess?

      1. Yeah, I have students who drink iced coffee in class and the squeak of the straw…. but I’d prefer it to the energy drinks the rest of them drink. Just smells like straight chemicals.

      2. I’m not so worried about spills but the people I know who drink iced coffee daily are often shaking the ice around in a mildly annoying way. Interviews are not the time to be mildly annoying anyone.

    14. The kids can bring an ice coffee to every single meeting with me ever if they stop informally texting me asking to rearrange their interviews/start dates/etc. before they even start working here.

    15. I feel like people who say they have no problem with this aren’t thinking through what it actually means to tote around an iced drink in a flimsy plastic cup.

      So much condensation everywhere. I don’t want to shake your cold clammy wet hand. I don’t want to clean up the wet ring you left on my desk. I don’t want to watch you mop up water off your hands and my desk and drops off he front of your skirt with a cheap recycled napkin that leaves pilled napkin droppings all over the place.

      The noise is distracting. Fidgeting with your drink. Shaking the ice around your cup. Wiggling your plastic straw up and down and all around so it makes that nails on a chalkboard sound. Slurping your drink to get the last drops. It’s a nightmare.

      1. +1 to all of this. The logistics of it is what would make it a deal breaker for me. You’re shaking hands, juggling a notebook/bag/resume, opening doors, etc. – why would you want to add another thing into the equation?

          1. Yes – Peak Corpore**e in that it provides actually good advice on a detailed scenario.

        2. This is my take, too. I’m a lawyer so interviews typically involve carrying some kind of folio, shaking hands, opening doors, sitting in a conference room. I could see myself fumbling with a having no hands free or having to, what, wipe my hand on my suit? before shaking someone’s hand. Now, I wouldn’t judge candidate simply for having an iced coffee. But I would notice if it contributed to an overall messy performance, like anything else. The fact that it’s iced coffee doesn’t make a difference. I wonder if some of this “debate” is because iced coffee is now coded as a spoiled young person thing.

        3. I hope the people who recognize all of this aren’t the same people insisting on luncheons as part of an interview process.

    16. I just want to mention that one time I was being interviewed and the guy had horrible coffee breath, and that was way more offensive. The kids are fine.

    17. I regularly dump my iced coffee into my Owala for work to keep it cold all day. Would you have a problem with that in an interview?

      Would you even know what I had in my container? Would it matter to you?

      1. No – it’s not about the actual beverage! If it’s in a closed bottle in your bag I don’t care what it is. It’s about being able to walk in, shake hands, introduce yourself

      2. If you’re keeping it in your bag and just taking a sip if you have a tickle in your throat or whatever, no judgment. If you’re carrying a random bottle around … it’s just weird and unnecessary to do that.

        1. Agree. And I say this as someone with a robust water bottle and travel coffee mug collection, with several in use on my desk at any given moment every day. Those are not for Serious Meetings. For something like an interview, I would stick with bringing along a plain, disposable bottle of water only if I think I will need it to get through the interview. Otherwise I will accept a glass or mug of whatever the receptionist offers, if they offer. But I am capable of focusing on the interview itself for 30-60 minutes without making my hydration part of the meeting, or needing to pacify myself with a fidget beverage.

    18. I wouldn’t do it but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t notice if a candidate brought a beverage in.

    19. I’ve literally been offered coffee at morning interviews. I’m not sure why the temperature of the beverage is causing such an uproar.

      1. It’s not the fact that it’s coffee! Of course they can accept a coffee when offered it during the interview. It’s walking in with a wet beverage and a straw and you are now putting it on my wood table

      2. Because hot coffee is not usually messy, doesn’t drip, and it doesn’t make noise. But why are you now holding an additional thing in your hand?

    20. OK, I started on team WTF cares. But then I thought about this and I would say it depends so much on the flow of the interview. For example, where do you put it? A water bottle i assume can be put on the floor without danger of being kicked over. Is that were the iced coffee goes too? What if you drink all your coffee and have to pee?

      That said…unless the person made it A Thing (eg. spilled it, made a mess, slurped loudly) I wouldn’t have even noticed.

      1. Oh horror of horrors, what if someone had to pee on an interview day??

        If it’s an hour long conversation, I’m assuming people know their own selves and can plan. If it’s a daylong onsite, give the candidate some breaks already!

      2. Not, actually. It’s good advice to save the iced coffee for before or after. It’s simply not worth the risk of annoying your interviewer by fidgeting with it, which I see CONSTANTLY.

    23. Litigation firm and bringing a beverage would be disqualifying. Because the person who brings their beverage to an interview would also take one to court and the judges in our jurisdiction would not be amused. It is not about the coffee, it’s about judgment.

      And if you are offered a beverage, politely decline. Juggling a drink with your portfolio, pen, and handshaking is a juggling act.

      1. This is the correct take, in that it matches the context for the *origins* of the no-coffee-at-interviews take. That person was saying that it was disqualifying for the FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES for which she is a recruiter; she was NOT declaring a universal rule for all interview situations.

        As always, context matters!

      2. Yes. There are so many potential downsides. What’s the upside here, that you get caffeine? Okay, you could have done that before the interview, so do it before the interview.

    24. For me, the iced coffee (or hot coffee) is the treat I pick up at the nearby shop after I successfully nail my interview.

    25. This whole discussion reminds me of a colleague who is always carrying a massive amount of stuff–a full-sized cooler of food (not a lunch cooler), a tote bag full of first aid supplies and random stuff, her purse, her work bag, and a giant water bottle plus another drink. She is always shuffling things and rifling through bags, constantly flustered because her hands are full or something has spilled, and perennially late or slow to move from one activity to another. It is a LOT, detracts from her professionalism, and makes it more challenging to work with her even though she is a lovely person and good at her job. Toting an iced coffee that drips and spills to an interview is a step in that direction.

      1. Food, first aid supplies, and beverages kind of makes this sound medical. But I guess it’s always less professional to have more medical needs.

          1. Why do you think she carries a full size cooler of food (not a lunch cooler), first aid supplies, and two beverages even when she’s inconvenienced daily by it? Even though she’s a lovely person and also good at her job?

          4. I posted the description of the colleague. I am confident that she would have told us all if there were a medical need for this stuff, since she shares all her other medical issues. It’s some sort of weird hoarding behavior.

        2. It is possible to discreetly bring the medical supplies you need. This is not that. Like the iced coffee example, it’s not about the stuff being dragged around but about the judgement of the person based on how disorganized they are about presenting themself.

          1. Discreetly really depends on how much space they take up and how frequently they need to be accessed! Food and beverages just seems so odd unless someone needs frequent access for some reason.

          2. If you’ve never worked with a benignly crazy person, you probably are the benignly crazy person.

      2. This is definitely a genre of person. Sidebar, but my aunt was like that and unfortunately her “stuff” overtook her once she began developing dementia. Her house looked like a hoarder’s but not because she had a compulsive need to acquire or keep things – she just had too much stuff to organize and could no longer organize it once her executive functioning slipped further.

        1. I hardly carry anything and still really struggle with organization off ADHD meds; I agree it can be an executive functioning thing.

      3. That seems like a lot!
        I remember that I felt like a mule when I was still pumping at work, and I only carried my pumping bag plus a larger leather tote with my work laptop, water bottle, and personal items. My locker at work (hot-desking) was where I kept everything, from extra clothes & shoes, office gym bag, first aid kit, snacks. That thing was stuffed!

    27. I think it’s not about the type of beverage, but about the distraction and logistics extra things in your hands create.

      When I have an interview, I want to have only a handbag/purse with me, ideally large enough to hold my resume and all the personal items, including a small water bottle if I expect this interview to take longer than an hour.

      That way, my hands are free to shake hands, open doors, grab a chair to pull it out to sit etc. If at one point and for some reason, I take off my blazer, this goes over the bag/same arm.

      I cannot imagine having to carry a beverage to balance, having to put it down somewhere to shake hands, or carrying any other extra item, for that matter – thinking, umbrella, big wintercoat etc. Ideally, the interviewer or receptionist would offer a place to hang/keep this stuff. For a Starbucks cup, I’d also unconsciously worry about where to throw this away once empty.

      But I’m also a clumsy person, and the more things I carry, the likelier it is I drop or spill something, or simply forget it somewhere.

      TLDR: I keep it simple, and not carry a drink in my hand.

    28. The last time I interviewed in person, I brought in an iced coffee in a leak proof water bottle and enthusiastically got offered the job.

    29. Heh. I am a musician and it has been drilled into me that you never bring any beverage with you to work other than water in a spillproof sealed container that does not make noise if it falls over. Woe to the person whose Stanley cup gets kicked over under a chair, or whose Owala tips and clatters. Iced coffee is unthinkable.

    30. In a fairly conservative field, but it literally would not even register with me if someone brings an iced drink.

  7. I have a lot of art (mostly painted by myself and my kid) that I would like to display around the house. We have plenty of wall space but I struggle with what system to use.
    I’m looking into gallery hanging rails with wires/string, since it seems the most flexible and I could play around with different heights and arrangements. Most of the art is not very heavy or large.
    Anybody have something they like and was somewhat easy to install?

    1. The other flexible option is Command Strips. They don’t work well for heavy art but work pretty well for lightweight frames.

      I don’t know if you have house cleaners, but I had to go around my house and straighten every single picture after they would come, because everything would be knocked off kilter during dusting. The nice part about command strips is everything stays hanging straight.

    2. We have a wire system and it is great. You can easily move and change up the art without holes in the walls. My boyfriend installed it – I can ask about the specific brand if you want.

    4. I’m biased – I really dislike gallery hanging rails. An interior designer I follow has a thing for gallery hanging rails with wires and strings and they always seem to be slightly crooked. It looks so finicky and off to me all the time.

      I’d sooner do a gallery ledge. At lease you can level the ledge, and then display the art by leaning it against the wall. At least it’s all level then.

      But really – If you have a lot and if you have regular drywall, just start pounding nails into the walls. You don’t have to anchor it, and if you want to move it two inches to the right the frame will cover the hole. I have a room that is floor to ceiling gallery walls on two walls. Someday if I ever want to redecorate in there I’ll have to patch the holes, but it’s really not that hard.

      1. Please at least use a picture hook; it’s no more difficult, it’s a smaller hole, and it holds more weight than just a random nail (I hope that is not what you mean).

        My tastes are by far the opposite of yours when it comes to a gallery ledge vs. a hanging rail, but maybe it depends on the general style and architecture of the house. But I hear your reasoning on just hanging pictures right onto the wall.

      2. Agree with all of this and I also have to use the hanging system because of plaster walls and the always slight crooked is impossible to solve for and I hate it.

          1. No not really, trust I’ve tried – when you’re hanging off picture rail mouldings it looks bizarre. You just live with an old fashioned, slightly crooked look.

  9. Has anyone ordered clothing from the brand Unsubscribed? I am being influenced by pictures of cute dresses.

  10. Does anyone else love the Pitt but find the acceptance and decorum a little unrealistic? IRL an autistic woman in that setting would be bullied so much.

    A colleague of mine was talking about how much she loved the show and in my head all I could think of is how awful she is to our neurodivergent colleagues.

    1. I’m only a couple of episodes in but do we later find out that the blonde girl with the autistic sister is herself autistic? It seems like she is but she hasn’t come out and said it yet (where I am anyway).

      But she kind of does get bullied? The brunette girl with the caked on foundation and inadequate blush bullies her and the young girl whose mom works there, and the white farm boy to a lesser extent.

      I liked that Ken doll resident expressed his appreciation to blonde autistic girl when she was treating the autistic guy with the sprained ankle. She didn’t have the best bedside manner with another patient in an earlier episode so I really liked that she got to redeem herself and show off her soft skills.

      1. I feel like she is the classic high-achiever in a small town who is very smart and quirky. In 2026, she is autistic in a big city if her parents get her evaluated. In a small town and prior, she is just in the gifted program. She decorates the gym for prom to be a good team player but does not go to prom. She edits the newspaper. She is the valedictorian, but this year, they let the class president give the speech because he’s more charismatic. She goes to a SLAC for the scholarship and maybe joins one of the less-prestigious dining houses there where there is a good D&D game.

        Her sister must be more impaired if she lives in a group setting, but she also seems to do OK for herself.

        1. His back story IRL is interesting — both parents worked in an ER or as an EMT. UNC-Greensboro drama alumnus and his prior credit before this was like one episode of Law & Order.

    2. IDK — my hospital / ER / EMT people are all so strictly business that they just want people who won’t flip out in a crisis (because it’s all crisis) and are competent. I feel like they really don’t care about whatever else there is about people.

    3. I have a kid who is Dr. Mel and I hope that there is a Charge Nurse Dana (etc.) in her future. She likes The Pitt but isn’t a total stan like I am.

    4. I’m not a doctor, but I’m an administrator for emergency medicine in an academic medical center and in my organization, the culture is very accepting of everything except for b.s. Many of our faculty members and trainees are neurodivergent, and no one is bullied. I can’t speak for other specialties, but emergency welcomes everyone. Side note: All of our doctors are *obsessed* with the Pitt.

        1. It’s unrealistic that the administrative conversations would happen in the ED on shift, but the content is pretty accurate. I mean, the administration is clearly set up as the villain, but the issues raised, like ED boarding because of unstaffed inpatient beds, are legit and should be more widely understood.

  11. Can this week just be over already?
    Anyway, looking (again, may have posted this last year) for a casual navy blue jacket. Not denim, not a structured blazer although can be in that style if it is softer or just not so formal. Have checked all the usual retailers including used like Vinted and Depop. I want to be able to wear it indoors so not as heavy as a coat. You know, something in the “little cute jacket” category. Not really wanting a sweater-jacket. More along the lines of the style of a denim jacket but just not denim! Any suggestions?

    1. Check out the Style & Co Women’s Corduroy Jacket at Macy’s. There are 2 blue colors. (Same style as a denim jacket but different fabric).

    2. I have Banana Republic Factory’s knit pique blazer in navy and it’s definitely more formal than a denim jacket but I regularly wear mine with jeans and t-shirts. It’s very comfortable.

    3. What about a moto jacket? I have a grey Athleta Belvedere one and an Ann Taylor (?) faux olive green suede one I get a lot of use out of. There is a cute Saint & Sofia one moto-ish but it’s only left in one size (6).

  12. Shopping help needed! I am speaking at a conference in 3 weeks held at a popular coastal resort. I have just confirmed with the organizer that this is definitely an “everyone will enjoy the pool” vibe at this conference, so I need a work-appropriate swimsuit + coverup. Everything I have is for social or family pool-going!

    5’2″, busty, softer around the middle than I’d like, size 8 or M. Any suggestions for me?

    1. You don’t have to get in the pool if you won’t enjoy it with colleagues. Ie, even if that is the vibe, you still don’t have to do it.

        1. Yes, oh please, do not get into your swimsuit with your colleagues unless you want them to picture busty you in your swimsuit until the end of time. You want them to remember you for your talk, your expertise. Not your body.

          I am a scientist, one of few women in my field, who learned the hard way about this.

    2. J Crew has lots of one pieces that have decent coverage.

      That said, there is a zero percent chance I would go swimming at a work conference!

      1. I am normally absolutely in this same boat – hence my question to the conference organizer who told me “there are no events planned as everyone gets there, because the resort is the event, and people *do* swim/waterslides/swim up bar/etc.”

        Plus, selfishly, it’s a really nice pool and I’d hate to miss out on a pool experience just because I’m feeling weird about swimsuits. Hence my desire for a nice one + coverup that won’t undercut my job!

        1. Please do participate!! It bums me out so much to see women skipping the fun pool time for swimsuit reasons. You can find a decent suit and cover-up.

          1. +1. I love a good pool! IDGAF if it’s a work event, and trust me, my body is mid at best.

          2. “Fun pool time” what? With work colleagues? Not a thing anyone should be interested in.

          4. Staying at a different resort is actually a great idea if you are bent on having pool time.

          5. I was in the pool at a defense attorney conference. A respected attorney was getting out of the pool from a tube and his trunks got pulled down far enough that I saw his white hairy crack. I am just saying.

          6. I am the prior poster who said there was a zero percent chance I would go swimming with colleagues… It has nothing to do about being self conscious about my physique. I am thin and look great. I just don’t need work people to see me in a bathing suit, and vice versa. Not my idea of fun, regardless of how nice the pool is. But it sounds like OP thinks it would be fun, and that is totally fine too!

    4. I’m 5’3” and busty and I like Athleta’s cup sized swim. I used to like J Crew’s shirred once piece suits with the v neckline, but I’m not sure they’re still selling them. I’ve been wearing linen dresses as coverups but I’m not the most fashion forward. I’m usually chasing kids around who “don’t need a floatie mom: I can totally swim!”

    5. I’m close to your size. I like the classic Summersalt one-shoulder one piece. Also have good luck with Lands End suits. I would just pick a solid color.

      1. Agreed. My family pool suit is a simple Lands End one piece that I’d also wear in a work-adjacent context. No one cares or judges if you’re wearing a basic black one piece suit. In this context, I’d prefer to blend in than stick out. Or I’d prefer to stick out with a fantastic coverup.

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