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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
We've seen this gray, nubby blazer a lot this season — but something about this Michael Kors version seems extra luxe. Love the gray on gray look, as styled here, as well as the slight peak to the shoulders and the wide lapels. It's $1495 at Net-a-Porter. Michael Kors Metallic-herringbone blazer
Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail [email protected] with “TPS” in the subject line.
(L-2)
Kat
sorry so late, guys — i forgot to hit “publish.” d’oh.
Ru
I’m sorry to be nagging but a Bowflex “Pecs Appeal” ad just attacked me. With a picture of pecs. While I *think* I could explain away pictures of lingerie as shopping for myself, but these…..
sas
Uggh, if a pic of an exercise machine ad gets you fired you really should not be surfing the web at all then.
Ru
I certainly understand your point but it was just a picture of man’s bare upper body with “Pecs Appeal” in bold letters and “Bowflex” in tiny letters. While I don’t think I’d get fired, it looks like I’ve been cruising adult sites at work.
EG
I think that at least some of the ads are being served up by third parties based on your browsing history. It can be difficult to connect some ads to what you’ve actually look at though! You can try to weed through some of the cookies at http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp which will stop that provider from serving you ads. Or, you can look at the cookies in your browser and delete ones you don’t recognize.
Jay
I think this is true. After clicking on the Freshpair site last week, I had Freshpair ads everywhere all weekend. I haven’t seen the Bowflex ad, and I suspect it came up more as a factor of your browsing history than Kat’s control.
Midori
Oh, it’s nice! (Out of my price range, but very pretty to look at!)
What’s metallic about it?
Anonymous
Love it. Too bad it’s WAY out of my price range :(
AIMS
Love the blazer; also love the pants it’s paired with!
AnonAnonAnon
I could not agree more. *happy sigh* one day, I will be able to afford this.
anon
Sorry for the early threadjack, and I know this is kind of a shot in the dark, but I saw a woman on the street this weekend wearing a beautiful grey sweater dress. It was a medium shade of grey, and had horizontal detailing from the waist down. There was a row of X’s knit into the dress (like this: XXXXXX) and then below that multiple rows of detailing of various types. I should have just stopped her and asked her where she got it, but I didn’t. Anyone seen this dress in a store or have any idea where it might have come from?
Target dress
This is not the dress you’re looking for, but it’s a gray sweater dress that I think is adorable.
http://www.target.com/Merona-Collection-Etienne-Sweater-Dress/dp/B003RY0BE6/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton
anon
That is cute! I have had such mixed results with merona stuff though. Sometimes it holds up fine, but other times it falls apart rather quickly.
ST
Ann Taylor LOFT has something that sounds like what you’re describing.
Bonnie
Here is the ATL dress: http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=29368&N=1200007&pCategoryId=3359&categoryId=211&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_211&loc=TN&defaultColor=Charcoal%20Grey&defaultSizeType=Regular
AnonAnonAnon
Love this dress! I just wish it weren’t short sleeves.
anon
This is the most similar one so far. But the detailing was on the bottom instead of the top, and the detailing was oriented horizontally, not vertically as in the ATL dress. I do really like this though, so maybe I will get this one if I can’t figure out where the other is from. I am a little unsure about the short sleeves though. Thanks!
Ellen
I can’t wear a sweater dress. It highlights my rear WAY to much. But it is cute if you weigh 110 lbs. I wish I still did.
kellyn
This doesn’t sound like it’s the one, but close?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Banana-Republic-Cable-Knit-Sweater-Dress-Sz-L-XL_W0QQitemZ280461546764QQcategoryZ63861QQvarZQQcmdZViewItem#vi-content
fresh jd
Hehe, this is like a Craigslist “Missed Encounters” for clothing ;)
Good luck finding the dress!
govvie girl
Thanks for providing a great, much-needed witticism for my thus-far irritating morning. :)
Anonymous
Thanks for providing a great, much-needed witticism for my thus-far irritating morning. :)
divaliscious11
Gorgeous….
AN
agree
AnonAnonAnon
Similar to this? http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=503273&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results
anon
Thanks for the quick response, but the one I saw was all one color, and the detailing was of the 3D type, like in a cable-knit sweater.
Anon
This probably isn’t it, but is pretty: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,2981M_Laundry-by-Design-Sweater-Dress-Cowl-Neck-¾-Sleeve-For-Women.html
anon
yeah, that’s not it. But that is pretty.
Jess
Very pretty! Looks warm.
L
Love this blazer. Love it!!! Wish I had the budget for it.
housecounsel
OK, here is the thought process preceding my threadjack:
Sweater dress = necessity for Spanx = what if my arms/back look blubbery even though I am wearing Spanx tights = HEY, has anyone tried the new Spanx tops with long sleeves, or the camis/sleeveless turtlenecks?
Thanks?
skippy pea
Wear the spanx that comes up to the ribcage. Beyond that you are overthinking this IMO. The top is much much more forgiving even in a sweater dress.
kng
i really love yummie tummies. they’re pricey, but i bought 2 black v-neck tees (long sleeved and short sleeved) when i won a giftcard to their site 3 years ago. both continue to wear well, look amazing, are slimming in a very flattering way, but not confining. i often layer them under sheath dresses and sweater dresses in the winter or under a sweater coat/cardigan to avoid looking bulky.
divaliscious11
This!
Bonnie
You can also go a size up on the sweater dress.
M
Love it! Classic! What kind of a coat do you wear over this kind of jacket, so that everything does not look too bulky?
surrounded by lawyers
I posted the same question a while back! So far I have solved the problem with a) a long, slightly roomy overcoat, preferably with a belt to avoid looking too boxy; b) a belted cape–one of those “I never thought I would…” purchases! Mine is short and has elbow-length sleeve-oids, so it also balances well.
Usually I wear waist-length pea coat styles without belts, and those were looking terrible with a blazer stuffed underneath.
M
Thanks for the feedback!
ERP
I like the shape. I don’t like the grey on grey styling because it is too drab. I also suspect that this might be itchy (w/o knowing if it actually is). Itchy clothes are tough for long days at the office.
Veronica
Gorgeous. Wonder how the metallic threads look in real life – do they sparkle a little in the sun?
Nordstrom?
Does anyone know if Nordstrom (not the Rack) has Black Friday specials? I suspect that they don’t advertise it but was wondering if they have a sale on the sly.
kng
not an answer to your question but today’s groupon is a discount for nordstrom racked (with a very short expiration date)
Nordstrom?
Thanks! Bought that one already. :)
skippy pea
Love the blazer. Not loving the styling though. Lately whenever I have seen turtle neck top, it seems a little bit outdated to me.
LPC
Beautiful. Love the nipped waist. One could own this forever. I have a Harris Tweed jacket that’s what, 50 years old?
Daily Reader
I think this is the first time I love a Monday splurge! Any recommendations for something similar that is more affordable?
L
Ditto! I am looking for a brown one though.
AIMS
Not quite as lush, but Jcrew has some nice tweedy blazers. In gray, green & brown (though I don’t see the brown online, so maybe I imagined it?)
And, all orders over $150 are 25% off right now.
http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/blazers/woolblazers/PRDOVR~29762/29762.jsp
http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/blazers/woolblazers/PRDOVR~29073/29073.jsp
luluaj
Not exactly similar but I just bought this one from Talbots and I love it – http://www.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi25383&mode=search&backurl=%2Fonline%2Fsearch%2FsearchResults.jsp%3Fquestion%3Dlady%2Bjacket%26trail%3D%26pageNum%3D0%26addFacet%3DSRCH%253Alady%2Bjacket%26removeFacet%3D
certainly more affordable!
AC
Not exactly similar but I just bought this one from Talbots and I love it – http://www.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi25383&mode=search&backurl=%2Fonline%2Fsearch%2FsearchResults.jsp%3Fquestion%3Dlady%2Bjacket%26trail%3D%26pageNum%3D0%26addFacet%3DSRCH%253Alady%2Bjacket%26removeFacet%3D
certainly more affordable!
Ru
Totally unrelated threadjack: I’m considering extended-wear contact lenses (the kind you can sleep in). I’ve been wearing glasses for 15+ years and contacts about 9 years. I hate them both but I’m blind and I’m still on the fence about surgery. Do any of you wear contact lenses that you can sleep with? What brand? How do you like it? I guess my google skills are not up to snuff this morning as I had a very difficult time searching for reviews online – any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Anonymous
I wear the Acuvue contacts, and leave them in for 1-2 weeks without ever taking them out. I have been happy with them my whole life. The only time I need to go through them more frequently is when it’s really humid out or I’ve been running a lot.
govvie girl
I second this. I have been wearing Acuvue since the early ’90s when disposables were invented. No issues; wake up fine and swap them out when they start to get dry or irritating. I usually wear glasses in the evening and overnight between lens pairs to provide a break. They also have lenses for astigmatism, which I use in my right eye. As is required for contact lense purchasing, I get eye exams yearly and have not had any problems. You just don’t want to wear them until they crack and turn to dust- that would be bad. :)
Anonymous
Ru, I’m curious – if you dislike contacts, why would you want to get the kind you never take out? Is it because you hate the feeling of waking up in the morning and not being able to see?
If so, my experience is that overnight contacts may be worse. I find when I sleep in mine, my eyes produce a lot of “sleep” and I am literally blinded by a film of it coating my lenses when I wake up. If someone broke in at 3am, I’d be in big trouble. So I never sleep in lenses for this reason. Your experience may be very different, though (my eyes never produce much sleep when I don’t sleep in my lenses).
I’m also on the fence about the surgery, but my brother had PRK years ago and is very happy with the results.
Ru
I’m interested in trying them out. I extremely dislike the whole process of cleaning the contact lenses. I suppose I could also go with dailies, which I’ve never tried either. I’m just getting really tired of glasses – no matter the different types of frames and different weights of lenses I’ve tried, they all rest on my sinuses and it’s just so trying.
nonA
What sort of cleaning do you do? I just pop them out, stick them in the case, and fill it up with solution. Then maybe a rinse in the morning. Just make sure you use the no-rub solution. Its the quickest part of my routine.
Ru
I do the same. I have Avaira lenses and I use Clear Care solution, which is really wonderful – it cleans the lenses so well and they feel like new for the entire two weeks that I use them. I used to wear Acuvue 2 and Oasys and my eyes would DRY out. With Avaira, I feel like I’m wearing nothing at all. Really, I’m just lazy.
M
I wear focus dailies and they are such a huge relief. With extended wear contacts, I would get terrible vision headaches as the proteins built up and weighed down the lenses. With dailies, there’s no cleaning the lenses and my headaches are gone.
MM
I wear the extended wear lenses. I started out with Night & Day brand when I went to this approach, and absolutely loved them for a number of years. I wore them for about 3 weeks, removing them rarely if ever. (The fourth week, I would wear glasses for a few days to rest my eyes, then put in a new pair of contacts.) I slept in them at night, on planes, etc. I could read in bed, and see the alarm clock when I woke. And because they were made for extended wear, they are flimsier than other lenses (which have to withstand handling) and so did not tire or dry out my eyes. I did not have difficulty with build-up.
Unfortunately for me, Night & Day recently changed their formulation. The new formulation is apparently great for the majority of people, but reacts badly with eye chemistry for a small minority. I am in that minority. I have therefore been switched over to a different brand, which I do not like as well and have more build-up problems.
I definitely think you should give it a try. Your eye doctor should give you samples you can try. And if you don’t like the first one, try a second. I tried a number of brands before landing on one, and my life is much much better now that I wear extended wear contacts.
jcb
A few years ago, I switched from gas permeable lenses (which I dealt with for years on the advice of my old eye doctor) to Air Optix monthly soft lenses. I haven’t had any issues sleeping in them, and have to remind myself to take them out for cleaning now and then. I completely forget that I even have them in. So much more comfortable than the gas perms, and I don’t have the issues with getting something under them 5x a day.
A friend of mine from law school and the father of another friend both did some medical malpractice defense work – and the laser eye surgery was a frequent offender. I would rather deal with contacts than have even the (admittedly) remote possibility that I will end up with a halo effect marring my vision for the rest of my life. Just my two cents.
jcb
I just realized that this isn’t exactly true – just this past year I was switched to Air Optix, since I tend to wear them every day. I tried out a few other brands in the meantime (Night and Day, Accuvue, etc). Find a good eye doctor and he/she will let you sample a few different kinds to figure out what feels best to you and works for your lifestyle.
Midori
Do you have astigmatism? I’ve worn gas perms for about 12 years now because my astigmatism is so bad, and I decided to try soft toric lenses a year or two ago for comfort. They weren’t much more comfortable, and I couldn’t see worth beans. :-( Went back to gas perms. Are Air Optix better?
SF Bay Associate
I have bad astigmatism and wore GP for almost 15 years. I recently switched to ultraflex toric now and the vision is pretty good. It’s not as sharp as the GP, but I don’t want to claw my eyes out at the end of the day. Acuvue Toric didn’t work for me at all. However, once I started working as an attorney and staring at a screen all day, I went back to glasses and resigned myself to a loss of glamour that my teenage self connected with wearing glasses. I wear contacts on the weekends only these days.
I am also afraid of PRK/Lasik. A coworker of mine recently got PRK and how has 20/10 and loves it. But he has to carry eye drops with him at all times and use them all day because his eyes get really dry now. Yikes. And my SO’s parents are doctors, and they both said something along the lines of “why on earth would you pick *elective* surgery on a major organ??” Who knows how well the patients will see 40 years after their surgeries. Thanks, but no thanks. Glasses and contacts will do.
jcb
I would love to be able to wear glasses, I love how you can play with different frames. But even with the ultra-thin lenses, they are just way too thick for me (-6.5 in both eyes). The rim of the lenses is really noticeable. Sad. Glasses seem like they’d be so much easier sometimes.
CC
Jcb I am -6.5 in both eyes as well but I have the ultra thin lenses, they are not bigger than the wire frame. I’ll try to find out what kind of ultra thin lenses they are, they were expensive but its worth it.
MelD
jcb- I wear Hoya ultra thin lenses with a similar prescription and they are fine with wire frames. I don’t think the lenses were that expensive- around $150-200 IIRC and totally worth it for how thin they look.
anon
Oh! I had given up even trying a few years (hm, maybe going on a decade now) back, I guess there have been advances! I’ll check it out, thanks so much.
Argie
You have to do the eye drops for about a year after you get the surgery b/c the tearing function has to re-heal. So, if he recently had it, he would (and should!) still be doing the eyedrops.
I had LASIK about 8 years ago (senior year of undergrad), after being pretty nearsighted and wearing glasses since 2nd grade. I haven’t had any problems after the initial adjustment. The key, I think, is to make sure you are a good candidate for the procedure you are looking at.
jcb
I have astigmatism in one eye, haven’t had any issues with not being able to see with the soft lenses. But my doctor did say that my astigmatism is pretty mild, so YMMV.
Funny thing – I had been wearing the gas perm lenses since 6th grade (terrible, terrible eyesight) and when I switched to the soft lenses, my eyes changed shape – I even had perfect vision for almost a week! (sadly they kept changing. They are actually a little better than before but am still fairly blind).
Midori
Yeah, the GP’s hold your eyes in shape, like a girdle. After a week or two without wearing them, the eyes will go back to their flabby old selves. My astigmatism doubled (!) after I switched to soft lenses, which might have been part of my problem. I might try the ultraflex mentioned about next time around…
Ellen
I do NOT wear contacts ever since the Sarbanes Oxlee fiasco. I lost my contact case while in school, and then had difficulty getting new glasses. Then when I summered that year, no one wore glasses to the firm outing and I slipped on something. I was SOOOOO embarrassed that I swore I would always wear glasses, even if it made me look a litle like Demi Moore.
i'm nobody
fwiw, most optometrists, ophthalmologists, and eye surgeons I know (including the ones who perform LASIK) wear glasses and would (they tell me) never consider LASIK.
I second the AirOptix recommendation. They’re dramatically more comfortable than anything else I’ve tried (& i’ve been contact lens wearer for the better part of 2 decades).
Ru
I’ve observed all of my opthamologists and optometrists wearing glasses as well, which makes me more than hesitant to consider it for myself.
eh
i don’t know that i’d say you should avoid lasik because optometrists, etc don’t get it done… here’s some anecdotal evidence!
my brother in law is an ophthalmologist, as is his father. they both wear glasses, but my brother-in-law’s sister has always worn contacts and her father is buying her lasik for christmas.
i think for most people, the recovery from lasik and the like are fine, but if you’re an eye doctor, etc and your entire livelihood depends on your ability to see, you’re probably better off not taking the risk.
ex: my brother in law’s first experience EVER with fireworks occurred when he was 22 and dating my sister. he was never allowed to be near fireworks before that.
(in addition, i know that he’s insured as a doctor, so that if he were to lose his vision or use of his dominant hand or something [he does cataract surgery mostly] he would get that insurance money. so…idk, that might be part of why they don’t get lasik, etc.)
AC
I wear these too. I had Focus Night and Day for years and switched to Air Optix about a year ago. I have always worn them longer than I am supposed to (taking them out once every 2 or 3 weeks and switching pairs after 2 months, on average) and I’ve never had problems (fortunately). I do find that if I go past the recommended time for cleaning/switching to a new pair, my vision is not as clear, but I never have issues with discomfort or dry eyes.
Anonymous
One of my coworkers is married to an opthalmologist who does Lasik. He says that if you have ANY existing problems with dry eyes, night vision, or astigmatism, forget LASIK. Unlike a lot of practices, his turns down about 2 of every 5 people who come in wanting LASIK because of the likelihood they’ll have problems – he said it’s better to turn people down than deal with the malpractice suits later. I have known two people who had LASIK and now essentially have no night vision and cannot drive at night. That’s a no-go for me. I will wait until they perfect the technology a little more.
As for contacts – I use Acuvue OASYS but I can’t leave them in overnight. I mean, I can, but it just bugs. I have somewhat dry eyes and live in a dry climate, so if I wear my contacts at night, I end up with major film and crust on the lenses and it’s a pain to clean it off, in addition to being annoying and/or painful. It doesn’t bother me to take them out and clean them at night and then put them in in the morning.
My best friend went to the daily-use lenses someone mentioned above a few years ago and she loves them, she won’t use anything else. And I think she had been through every brand and type of lens trying to find something she felt worked for her, prior to going to the dailies.
Kate
I wear Acuvue toric lens for 1-2 weeks at a time. I only have issues with the “film” that Anon describes if I am sloppy about removing eye make-up before bed.
Anonymous
Just as a follow-up (for another perspective), I don’t wear eye makeup at all and I still get the “film”, so definitely try all the options for yourself to figure out what will work for you!
Miriam
Change to daily contacts! I have been wearing contacts for about 11 years and I recently had a terrible experience with my old contacts, which were the 2 week kind. I kept getting eye infections, probably because I was not being careful cleaning them. The eye infection lasted for 4 months! Now I wear dailies and there is no problem. You should just talk to your doctor who can give you the best advice.
Also, I would not get the surgery because, even though it sounds amazing, it’s not worth the risk. My eye sight is too important. Maybe I will reconsider if the procedure gets perfected, but probably not. The burden of contacts and glasses is not significant enough for me to take that risk.
Ru
Thank you all so much for your responses! I’ll definitely try as many brands as I can until I find what works for me.
eaopm3
Christmas Threadjack (I know, it’s not even the dreaded Black Friday yet, but…)
I am considering getting my outdoorsy, rough and tumble DH a watch for Christmas. I have been searching online and found Luminox watches that look great: stylish but masculine and touted as close to indestructible.
Does anyone have experience with a brand of watch that can compare? I am trying to stay under $300 – but that looks tough with the Luminox watches.
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Ellen
You can get a nice Michael Kors watch for less then $300 at Lord & Taylor or Macys or Bloomies. If he’s a real man, he should go for the World War 2 aviator watch with the brown leather band. I gave my BF one when he begged me for his birthday, and he is still thanking me for it in many ways. He NEVER takes it off.
eaopm3
Thanks for the suggestion! I will check it out. Sounds like it’s been worth it for you :)
Anon
There are lots of reasons to prefer the Kors version pictured here, but the Galway jacket from LLBean is a very affordable alternative at $99. It comes in 5 colors, including grey and brown. And at that price, you could get all 5 and have $1000 left to, say, give to a charity for the holidays.
dd
I checked it out and it looks like a really nice jacket. Unfortunately, I’m a small-built person with very narrow shoulders so I highly doubt it would look marginally decent on me. Otherwise I’d be ordering it right away.
EG
A gorgeous jacket, albeit out of my price range. I agree that I wouldn’t wear this with a gray turtleneck, but it would look wonderful with many other colors.
Graves disease
Threadjack: Anyone have graves disease? I just got diagnosed. Don’t really want to zap my thyroid, the problems of being hypothyroid seem as bad or worse as the hyperthyroid problems. Would love to hear your diagnosis and treatment and how its working for you.
AnonAnonAnon
I’m hypothyroid and it is not nearly as bad as hyperthyroid. It’s one pill a day. Once the right level is found (which would take, at most, a year and that’s worst case scenario) you will rarely have to tweak. And when you do have to tweak, it’ll be a tiny bit and it’ll be very easy. Hyperthyroid is dangerous, hypothyroid is not. Of course, listen to your doc. Especially ask which is worse since it sounds like you’ve already been misinformed. But I promise being hypothyroid is not bad.
FWIW, I take a compounded version of Armour (it is prescription only, don’t confuse it or have someone misinform you that it’s the OTC kind) and I love it. Much better for me than synthetic T4 only meds (Synthroid, Unithroid etc.)
Graves disease
Thank you. I fear getting depression, low energy, and gaining weight. I am glad to hear that has not happened to you.
Suddenly Anon
While I agree that hypo is not “as bad” as hyper, it can be extremely stubborn to treat. I am at a YEAR AND A HALF of trying to get the right level of levothyroxine (synthroid, etc.), and still haven’t found the magic dosage to get my thyroid to respond as it should (it is slowly improving, but not up to speed yet). Meanwhile I am fighting weight gain, sluggishness, and nodules on my thyroid.
Anonymous
My mom has Graves disease and got it initially when she was about 30. She took the PTU and was fine for about 25-30 years. The second time she decided to do the PTU again and it decreased her white blood cell count dramatically in a very short period of time. She ended up having to zap her thyroid and is now on the synthroid. I don’t really think she has that much problems with it,but she has to adjust the dosage at times because she can feel sluggish and gain weight.
MPC
I just stepped out to get an afternoon snack, and a good half-inch of my shoe’s sole came off! Now the toe is just exposed leather. The shoes are the basic black Bandolino pumps from Macy’s, cost me about $40 new a year ago. Is it worth it to take them to a cobbler, or should I just buy a new pair? I would want new shoes to be of higher quality, but I’m on an entry-level government salary, so I can’t afford Cole Haan, etc. until after the holiday spending train comes to a halt :-)
AIMS
I just paid my cobbler about $95 to fix 6 different pairs of shoes. But I loved all of the ones I brought to be fixed.
Something like a sole will probably run you about $18 or so (if not more) — I would say if you don’t love the shoes, just get a new pair.
Lord & Taylor is having a huge shoe sale now, with an extra 20% off on top off all already reduced prices and they have a ton of nice basics.
AE
I think this depends on what it would cost you to have them repaired by a cobbler you trust to do a good job.
rg
If they’re not super worn out (i.e. you haven’t worn them a lot), you could try taking them to Macy’s. Big department stores like to stand behind the quality of the products they sell, and if it’s totally not reasonable for them to have fallen apart yet, they may fix for free (Nordstrom almost certainly would, BTW).
Lawgirl
For my money, I’d get me another pair of Bandolinos. They’re often at Steinmart for $25 (if you have them in your area). Also, check out 6pm.com! Awesome shoes. Many Italian & Brazalian names you’ve never heard of, BUT SUCH HIGH QUALITY leather inside and out; even leather soles!. Dang, I sound like I work for 6pm.com! LOL. Check out these suede black pumps — size 9, $23. I have a pair. http://www.6pm.com/lumiani-parvani-black-suede