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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
We are normally (really) not fans of orange, but something about this jacket looks so, so luxe to us. The fabric looks unusual, and the detailing at the nipped waist — and the snaps on the front of the jacket — are all really interesting. We'd wear it with a beige or white pencil skirt, perhaps, or maybe even a navy blue sheath dress. It's $2100 at Bergdorf Goodman in sizes 6-14. Fendi Snap-Front Jacket
(L-0)
Sales of note for 10.10.24
- Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
- Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
- White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles
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A.
I swear this is true. I looked at the picture and said to myself, “must be from Talbots.” Then I read the description and realized that this is from Fendi, and costs $2100. This is great news! Because if Fendi is ripping off Talbots, that probably means Talbots has a better chance of staying in business.
AIMS
Love talbots, but if this was from Talbots, the detailing at the nipped waist would be non-existent; nipped waist and talbots do not typically go hand in hand.
That said, I root for Talbots’ survival; and sincerely hope that their decision to go after a younger demographic will mean that a nipped in waist and this type of jacket will be somewhere in their future!
Love this jacket, btw. Absolutely gorgeous for summer.
dee
I tried on a Talbot’s cardigan last week and the small was big on me. Not huge, but I would have been much happier in an x-small. Unfortunately, they don’t make x-small. I don’t really care one way or the other about vanity sizing, but if you’re going to size everything up, there should be smaller sizes to accommodate. I’m not a small person – probably slightly smaller than average, but by no means so small that I don’t fit into mainstream clothes. if their smallest size is too big on me, they’re not going to have much success in going after the younger demographic.
eem
At least on the petite side, they “P” is the extra small. Not sure if there is an equivalent in the regular section.
eem
Ugh …that should be “the ‘P’ is the extra small” … not enough coffee yet I guess
AIMS
I shop in their petites section (and I am not all that petite, but fairly standard, I think). For some reason, the petites section is just much better fitted & generally cut narrower than the regular, esp. with jackets and tops.
I wholeheartedly agree on the vanity sizing frustration though, and do think that they should vary their sizing if they’re serious about attracting younger buyers.
MelD
I agree that Talbots definitely needs to rework the sizing to get a younger demographic. The tops are too big/boxy, the pants have shorter inseams than average, and the skirts have longer inseams than average. I am 5’5″ with relatively stubby legs and the wool slacks I bought from Talbots earlier this year are too short to wear with heels.
As for this jacket- it’s really cute, but I can’t wear this color orange. I can’t imagine spending this much money for a piece that’s such a statement. I feel like it’s just so memorable that one could wear it once a month.
jojo
hey, some of us over 5’10” love skirts with a long inseam. Do you know how hard it is to find something that reaches past my mid-thigh? (;
KZ
dee–try their petites. I have the same problem with their regular sizes, but turns out their petite small fits me well (I’m about 5’6″, so I don’t think I’m that close to actually being petite…). I have to do the same thing with J.Crew because while they have smaller sizes, their regular proportions are all wrong on me.
AnneCatherine
Yeah, I’m not so sure it’s a “vanity sizing” issue at Talbots. (And I’m never sure whose “vanity” is allegedly being appeased anyway; the 4s who apparently are now wearing zeroes or 00s, or the 16s who are I guess now wearing 12s? Because, while I don’t cry into my pillow every night over wearing a double-digit size, I don’t think most women are programmed by society to aspire to wearing a size, e.g, 10, 12, 14, 16, etc. So, even if you go down two sizes, but you are still in the double-digits, I don’t THINK that would compel or inspire anyone to start shopping at a store. “Oh, finally, I’m a 14!!”) (And I’m a 14 by the way). So, I think it is not so much vanity sizing at Talbots, as a boxy-cut, non-body-conscious issue. My sister, a true size 4, was able to pick a size-4 suit right off the rack there and wear it. I’m in the double digits and I often have to mix and match there (larger on top, so I buy the suits separately, which they let you do). But their suits fit me the same way as Brooks Brothers ones do, e.g., I’m not suddenly two sizes smaller at Talbots or something. I am very wary of their pants, which tend to be dorky, and I really only buy skirt suits there, and haven’t had a major issue, and in fact get a lot of compliments on my Talbots suits as compared to, for example, my Ann Taylor suits. However, I will agree that Talbots’, e.g., cardigans and sweaters and tops in general definitely skim the body, and even float away from it, in a weird way. I think it’s that they are used to dressing the ladies-who-lunch contingent, slightly monied, over-forty crowd, but, let’s face it, that set probably has more size 2s and 4s in it than it does 12s and 14s. So, for my 2 cents, from what I’ve observed, it’s not that they make everything too big for the smaller sizes, in some quest to place a size 16 in a size 12 and thereby keep her coming back to Talbots. No, what I think seems to be going on is that their cuts are just generally boxy and, for lack of a better word, “modest” (not to invoke Duggar-ism ). They sometimes send email surveys after you’ve shopped online and I think that would be a good place to let them know, “hey, we want some cuter cuts of clothes!”
Blue
I agree completely with this assessment, and as a 49yo not-thin-but-not-plus-size-either professional woman, am relieved that Talbots hits the mark so frequently.
There are really relatively few options for this (my) demographic. Talbots, Chicos, Nordstrom, Macys. That’s about it. Very annoying.
Eponine
I’ve posted this before, but it’s worth a read for anyone who thinks “vanity sizing” is a real phenomenon:
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/the_myth_of_vanity_sizing/
v
Thanks for that link – very interesting! I know I am too repetitive and annoying on this topic, but I can’t help but think that talk about “vanity sizing” is largely symptomatic of a no-lose situation for women. Not only are we told for most of our lives that what size we wear is vitally important, we’re then told we’re vain for actually caring about it. And then, vanity sizing becomes a way to assure even more women that they’re fat – “Don’t let your guard down just because you wear a “small” size – vanity sizing!” The whole topic is really loaded, and I think it’s good to have people dispassionately deconstructing it.
KelliJ
Talbots needs to do a lot more than change their sizing to stay in business. I used to buy a lot of items from Talbots back in the late 90’s, early 2000s, but haven’t bought anything in a LONG time. Every thing still looks like what I bought way back then. They just don’t update their cuts. Their pants aren’t made to wear with heels. (Seriously, who wears tapered pants any more?) I can’t stand the boxy tops, and to be honest, there is never enough length in the tops. Short and wide tops are not very flattering.
RR
I think you need to revisit. I am 5’8″ with a 33/34 inch inseam, and I can wear some of their pants with heels right off the rack. They also have tall lengths. They did a pretty big rework of their line last year I think.
MelD
Even with the rework, the pants still have a shorter inseam than other brands. Talbots has 32″ and 35″ inseams while BR, AT, and JCrew all have 33″ and 36″ inseams. I am 5’5″ and the 32″ inseam is too short to allow me to wear anything but flats.
Eponine
Really? I am 5’4″, and I have to wear petites at most places in order to get a 29 inch inseam that fits. A 33″ inseam is ridiculously long for “average” IMO.
KelliJ
The inseam for petites in most Talbots pants is actually 29″, some are 28.5″, I’m only 5’3″ and a misses is way too long and way too big in the waist and seat. While the waist fits in petites, they’re too short in the leg.
Anonymous
yup, 5’5″ here. A 31 inch inseam is perfect. Unfortunatly, Im usually stuck with too short (29 in. petites) or too long (33 in regular at places like Banana, Jcrew).
Clerky
This jacket is beautiful, and I really love the color.
However, the model just makes me sad. Her arms are like twigs.
dee
I don’t feel that bad for her. She probably got paid thousands of dollars for said twig-arms. If she wanted to eat she could be a lawyer like me.
anon
ha!
Shayna
There’s something strange about the arms – like someone tried to photoshop off half of their width!
MH
I totally agree Shayna, the arms looked photoshopped. It’s gross, but like dee said, she gets paid lots of money to be anorexic and since I don’t get paid to be anorexic, I’m going to keep eating and looking like a normal person!
AIMS
I normally wouldn’t care, but there is so much grief expressed here anytime someone is even remotely insensitive to people who are larger than the perceived norm, that I can’t help but stick up for the stick thin armed among us (I’m not even all that small elsewhere, but I do have very slim arms naturally). I don’t think it’s all that appropriate to assume that just because someone is very thin, they are anorexic. And moreover, it’s very hard to find jackets that fit well when you have very slim arms as most mainstream clothes are cut a bit more generously and you end up either having to pay a small fortune for alterations or looking like you’re wearing someone else’s coat. So not to be a drag, but there are ways to be thin without being anorexic or bulemic . . . and we all know what happens when you “assume” . . .
KLo
Until I met two of my law school classmates, I would have agreed. But their arms look like this. And I assume they eat.
Shayna
It’s true – we all are different shapes/sizes, but this photo in particular has the model’s arms looking very odd – and uneven — I really do think that this was a case of an overzealous photo editor – no disrespect to anyone’s body type!
Delta Sierra
Four – so far – examples of body-snark? Charming. I thought we were professionals here.
Anon
I agree with Delta Sierra.
dee
question: if you were my superior, and I handed a memo in to you full of typos, and you pointed it out, would that be called “intellect-snark”?
The woman pictured is a model and we are allowed to comment on her body. Just like I am a lawyer and my superiors are allowed to comment on mistakes I make in the work I hand in. If she didn’t want her body commented on, and liked to eat, then she shouldn’t have become a model.
I think the attitude of “This is how she normally looks, quit talking about it” actually does more of a disservice to women-folk then commenting on how strangely thin the model is.
AIMS
You’re implying that b/c she is a model, she does not like to eat (or that she does not eat). Both are faulty assumptions. Just as it is incorrect to assume that someone who is a larger size must eat nothing but pizza & ice cream all day, it is incorrect to assume that someone who is skinny does not eat at all.
And, sorry, but the typo analogy is not at all apt. A typo filled memo is a sign that the writer did not care to check their work, a thin model (even an overly thin one, in your opinion) is not a sign that model similarly does not care.
anon
We aren’t the model’s superiors. If her agency and/or clients have an issue with her look, then it’s their responsibility to bring it up with the model. The reality is that we really don’t know why or how the model has arms that are that thin. I think assuming that a woman has some sort of eating disorder/issue just because she’s very thin or very large does do a disservice to women.
I have one thin friend who had trouble getting emergency medical assistance because the hospital involved assumed her problem was an eating disorder, when in fact it was another diagnosed disorder that should have been readily apparent on her medical records.
jojo
“disservice to women-folk,” really?
I think it takes the discussion down to a different kind of low. I’ve posted this before in other threads, but if you want to body snark, there are other blogs to read. Body snarking has become bad blog etiquette, and I like that ‘rettes rise above it. We shouldn’t tolerate it between commenters or directed at the models in photos Kat posts.
Clerky
Sorry, did not mean to be snarky! I don’t have problems with thin models (I’m a size 2) but this model looks very very unhealthy, and I’m tired of seeing so many models with this type of emaciated look. If she is naturally like this than that’s one thing, but I find it hard to believe she is like this normally. And if she weren’t skinny enough, I too suspect that her arms have been photoshopped. Why?
Shayna
Agree — the attitude that it’s normal to look like she does implies that all advertisements are showing their models as they really are, without airbrushing, photoshopping, etc. We all know that this is untrue, so the criticism is largely of the company/director/etc. for choosing to showcase Fendi’s clothing in this manner.
That said, not discussing body image — why shouldn’t we? Why shouldn’t we consider what is really attractive, and promote a wider definition?
anon
Maybe the woman is sick; I don’t know. I feel for her if she is, and wouldn’t comment on her weight were she my colleague or acquaintance. But she’s not — she’s put out as an icon of beauty for me to see. Even if she’s sick, the question still remains why modeling agencies choose to employ people who look sick. Especially since there is documented evidence that young women who could be perfectly healthy make themselves sick trying to look like this woman. That’s not snark; it is fair commentary.
Shayna
Agree — we’re not picking on a woman on the subway or a friend… and it’s not picking on someone to discuss the standard of beauty being presented —
s in Chicago
I wasn’t thinking photoshop right away because of the thinness–it’s in the weird angle and size of the elbows. It may just be a combo of an odd twist in posture and strange lighting? Don’t think it’s about whether she’s healthy or not, so much as a photo editor who probably needed a better eye…
Shayna
Could be — Honestly it’s not a big enough picture to tell…
Definitely a photographer/editor/ad exec who could use an “editing eye” or whatever it’s called
Anonymous
Except that if we were discussing the standard of beauty being presented and the model was a size 20 instead of a size 0, I think a lot of people would say we were picking on her.
anon
I promise if size 20 becomes the beauty standard, and lots of young women are forcing themselves to eat when they are not hungry to attain it, I will complain about that too.
Delta Sierra
The photograph shows us an actual person whose job it is to wear clothes so we can see how they look on. The clothing she wears on behalf of the store or manufacturer is fair target for any remark anyone cares to make. Her body is not.
L
I like this, kind of, but the snaps look weird and off to me. I have never actually touched a Fendi-level piece of clothing though, so it may feel better in person. Regardless, I’m not going to spend used-car prices on a jacket!
Blue
Do people really spend that much on one piece?
anon - chi
Some people must, or clothes like this wouldn’t exist, but I think most people here just use clothes that expensive for inspiration.
Delta Sierra
I live on the outskirts of a very wealthy community. It is awash in shops selling, and people wearing, clothes like this. People who spend $2000 the way I spend $200. However much yer basic Corporette reader might not be able to afford them (yet), I think it’s a good thing to include them. To train one’s eye.
Lawgirl
polyester + lurex = lux(ury)? really?
Shayna
For $2100 I was expecting at least 18K gold to be mentioned… so, no :-)
dee
i am with you! i am all about spending large amounts of money on clothes, but for said money I want wool and cashmere, not synthetic materials.
Houda
That’s what I was thinking, at least you can wear a bag or shoes so many times!!
There was a guest blogger here who described some equation to see how much you actually spent per wear… this jacket wouldn’t make it because you’d probably wear it no more than once a month otherwise people will start commenting: there she is again with that orange jacket! not for me..
E
I remember a commenter saying that she and a colleague had bought the same distinctive jacket and had to liaise by text prior to client meetings to make sure they didn’t both wear it!
CFM
Right they talk about it on What not to wear, cost per wear. If you buy a dress for 200, and wear it once every 3 weeks, its like 11 dollars a year or something. But this would be, let’s say you can wear it, at most, 10 times a year? That’s a 200cpw. crazy!
AIMS
You’re assuming this only gets worn 1 year. Also, while I am far from being in the market for a $2100 jacket (orange or otherwise), I would never presume to tell someone else what is/isn’t crazy to spend their money on. If you just got one of those multi million dollar wall street bonuses that we’re hearing so much about, what’s $2100 on a blazer?
There are lots of crazy things we waste out money on (e.g., gym memberships we never use, shoes we cannot walk in & that require us to take cabs, thereby spending more money, etc.). I think it’s only crazy to spend money you do not have/cannot afford to part with; once you have a disposable $2100 (would we all be so lucky) — what makes you happy is your concern, not mine.
Houda
Amen to that !
And I completely agree about personal tresholds varying from a person to another.
I hope someday I’d end up with enough cash not to worry about such things… for now, the 2100 is probably a 9-11 months worth of shopping, so I’d better switch to a Wall Street job ;)
Shayna
Absurd price, bizarre model, and strange fabric aside, it’s interesting… Doubt it would look good on me as my C-cup chest doesn’t usually work with jackets buttoned all the way up… I have had snap jackets in the past though, and they can be a nice, streamlined, look.
Hope Talbots picks up the waist concept!
AnneCatherine
I love orange! And at first I thought this said $210 and I was thinking, “okay, there’s a splurge I can handle.” But $2,100 for lurex and polyester and rayon??!?! Is Fendi crazy? I mean, not that I’m in any danger of coming up with $2K for a jacket, but is Fendi crazy?!?!
t
I’m East Indian, and I swear this reminds me of a sari blouse – shiny, and perfect under a heavy, silk 9-yards sari – except it is a few inches longer than sari blouses typically are. That said, this is overpriced, even if it were silk, it’s certainly not worth 2,100!!!
3L
How does Bergdorf expect anyone to order this online if they give only one view of the jacket? I’d love to see it from the side and back too…not that I’m crazy enough to order a $2k short-sleeve (or long) jacket in any case.
jojo
I don’t think Bergdorf expects anyone to order online. They care far more about their trunk-show-going and personal-shopper-employing clientele.
Anon
Ugh. I understand it’s “splurge Monday,” but I wish C would feature more staple splurges. To spend that much on a bright orange, short sleeved blazer that can only be worn 4-5 months a year (in most climates), and probably no more than once a month is silly and frivolous.
I’m all for featuring a great investment suit, bag or a pair of shoes (even if I personally can’t afford the price point). If you can afford and choose to purchase a $2100 suit or classic bag, wonderful for you. If you can afford and choose to purchase a $2100 orange short sleeved blazer, you have more money than sense.
Anonymous
as dee says below, i tend to think of the splurge monday (and tuesday and wednesday) pieces as inspiration.
Anon
I understand using the splurge pieces as inspiration for hunting down lesser-priced pieces, but I still think it’s silly.
I’d rather see on Splurge Monday a great example of an item that is WORTH the price tag – a classic trench, a well-made suit, the perfect white blouse, a great bag, etc. (i.e. stuff you should splurge on, as opposed to expensive items to inspire a cheaper look).
Shayna
Agree!
A splurge worth saving my money for as opposed to one that makes me think anyone who buys it must enjoy throwing away money.
A
Well said!
jcb
Oh, I love this, and I have a white pencil skirt that needs it. But too spendy. Mint.com is ruining all my fun.
dee
if you like the orange, i am positive you could find an orange short-sleeved sweater, fancy t-shirt or blouse for 1/20th of the price. I like to think of these types of pieces as inspiration, not actual things I would buy.
ARinFL
I love orange.
Shayna
Me too – my favorite color in fact… but when I wear it, it wears me… I tend to look like a traffic cone :-(
Anonymous
PSA: 30% off at BR today, and 25% off tomorrow (online only); code: BRSPECIAL
Clerky
Thank you! I’ve been wanting to buy a BR dress and just bought it. :)
jcb
Thanks!
JAS
I think it’s really cute, but definitely too expensive for what it is. But, in relation to the discussion on the weekend thread about sewing, I had a friend who would buy insanely expensive items and use them to make a pattern (obviously she was an experienced seamstress) and then return them. If I knew how I might do something like that with this.
Also, love the orange as well as the seaming details.
Wondering
I love the color of this jacket, but this is absurdly expensive.
Thread hijack: I recently had a bunch of bloodwork done because my hair has been thinning over the years and no one could give me an answer or explanation as to why. My gyno recently told me that my lab results are consistent with having PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) and she has referred me to an endocrinologist. I am extremely surprised by these results, as I do not have the classic PCOS symptoms (facial hair, acne, obesity, etc.). No one else in my family has it either.
I am wondering if anyone else has PCOS and if so, if you have a recommendation for an endocrinologist in the DC metro area. I would particularly be interested in going to someone who is experienced with issues of fertility, as I would like to get pregnant in the next year or so and it seems as though PCOS can pose a problem with getting pregnant. Thanks ladies.
AbbyA
I am sorry that I can’t help with a referral, but want to urge you to get a second opinion if the diagnosis is PCOS. My friend’s daughter was misdiagnosed (at Georgetown). My friend reported to me that this is a difficult condition to diagnose as, I believe, it is diagnosed by symptoms rather than any specific test that supllies the eureka moment. Good luck!
L
Did you have your thyroid checked? Hypothyroid can also cause thinning hair. Be sure to get a full thyroid panel, not just TSH.
I was diagnosed with PCOS by an RE when I hadn’t had a period since going off the pill (for 1.5 yrs). However, she said it was a ‘soft’ diagnosis (I wasn’t overweight, no acne, etc etc). I took clomid to get pregnant. Then after my first kid, no more cystic ovaries and my period regulated itself as well…so it turns out I don’t actually have PCOS.
Also, if you don’t get your period – are you thin? Do you eat enough? Do you exercise a lot? Another possibility might be hypothalamic amenorrhea, which also sometimes causes hair loss.
Shayna
I have the same false PCOS diagnosis/Hypothyroidism eventual diagnosis story (turns out my thyroid went for the slow decline instead of the full on kamikaze that many women experience).
DC PCOS
Yes, I have a recommendation and also two endos you should avoid. I will email Kat with my contact info – if you email her too, we can exchange. I am loathe to go into personal detail on here.
Wondering
Thank you for the comments. Very interesting to know about the false PCOS diagnosis — I’m hoping that is the case with me as well, but who knows.
DC PCOS – I will write to Kat right now. Thanks so much for the referral help. My gyno has not been helpful.
L – my thyroid is normal. And while I am thin (5’5, 123 pounds), I’m certainly within the normal weight range and have a normal BMI. I do get my period, but it’s irregular (about every 45 days or so). I eat often and never skip meals. I also don’t exercise very much. :)
A.
I could write a book about this, but basically – there are no “typical” visible symptoms for PCOS, that is a myth. Women always think “I don’t have X or Y symptoms, so I can’t have it.” You can have NO obvious (i.e. visible) symptoms and still have PCOS. Also, there is no concrete evidence that PCOS runs in families. Just like breast cancer, a very large percentage of people who are diagnosed with PCOS have no family history.
I have PCOS and have a few of the typical symptoms. I am overweight and have been since I was a child, but I am not very hairy. I went to seven doctors before I got a diagnosis, and this is what my endocrinologist told me:
– If your free testosterone level is more than 14, you almost certainly have PCOS. If your corresponding total testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, estradiol, DHEA and SHBG levels fall within certain limits, that is what cinches the diagnosis. Not weight, not skin problems, not hairiness, not cystic ovarian appearance on ultrasound, not insulin resistance, not irregular cycles. You can have every single one of those previous symptoms and not have PCOS, or have none of them and have it. Very few people who have high free testosterone are symptom-free otherwise, but free testosterone is the “bellwether” level.
– Only 50 percent of women with a conclusive PCOS diagnosis are overweight.
– Most labs identify insulin levels as being “abnormal” at too high a number. If free testosterone is over 14 an insulin level much lower than the so-called “abnormal threshhold” is causing health complications. Metformin (Glucophage) can help even normal-weight, low-symptom women begin ovulating again and also help with other secondary symptoms.
– Weight loss helps some women with PCOS normalize their blood chemistry but not most. My reproductive endo told me that 60 percent of his patients who had undergone gastric bypass or other weight loss surgery still needed medication to manage their PCOS symptoms long-term. Even women of normal weight can experience PCOS-related health complications like dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, and increased risk of stroke. The only way to avoid these complications is by treating the disease. Not by treating the symptoms.
Finding a good doctor to conduct further evaluation is more critical than I can possibly tell you. If your diagnosing doc ran a couple of levels on your bloodwork – like testosterone and estrogen only, without regard to where you were in your cycle – they did not do a thorough enough job. My diagnosing endo looked at 25 different levels, sent me back for three different sets of bloodwork at different times of the month, and in one session had them draw almost a pint of blood so they could assess what they needed to. I don’t know if you have PCOS – the hair loss and irregular cycles are clues you might. But they are just clues, and without comprehensive bloodwork your doctor is making the same guess I am. Find a good endo and ask a lot of questions. In addition to what I listed above in regard to bloodwork levels, he/she should check your prolactin, TSH, LH, FSH, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and do a glucose tolerance test (which is much more indicative of a blood-sugar issue than testing fasting insulin). My endo also checked my blood lipids, did a CBC, and a couple of other things.
Good luck in getting some more info. I hope you find a good doc who can help you, mine literally saved my life.
Wondering
A,
Thank you for such a thorough response. My free testosterone is 4.2. My LH and FSH levels are normal too. However, my total testosterone (47 H), serum insulin (17 uIU/ml) and DHEA levels are considered high.
In terms of finding a good endo, should I be looking for someone who is an expert in reproductive issues or are all endos familiar in this area? I am not pregnant but hoping to get pregnant in the next year or so.
A.
Those numbers are really not that far outside of normal range – for example, my free testosterone was 16, total testosterone was 85, when I was diagnosed. I know that in some people even slight elevations can cause symptoms, but “normal” free testosterone is 4, so 4.7 I don’t even think clinically qualifies as “elevated.” I definitely think some further investigation is needed.
If you want my $.02 – I saw an endo first and then got referred to a reproductive endo. My regular endo was great, but she didn’t do anything for me my RE wouldn’t have done or figured out. If your periods are irregular and you want to get pregnant, you qualify for a referral to an RE. You have a reproductive health issue, and the RE is the specialist that has the best qualifications to help you with that issue. The only thing is that some RE’s are very concerned about their pregnancy success rates (which are reported to the CDC and then made public) and will be more concerned with pursuing fertility treatment aggressively than they will be with helping you get your underlying health issue figured out. My RE worked for a university hospital system and wasn’t like that, but a lot of private-practice RE’s feel their job is to get people pregnant, period, and don’t want to spend time treating health problems that are not directly related to that goal. For example, you can solve your irregular periods problem (and get pregnant) by taking Clomid, but Clomid is not a long-term treatment strategy for whatever else is going on. I would get some referrals and go to the doctor you feel most confident will want to treat you as a whole person, not just as a person trying to get pregnant. Good luck.
AC
Not exactly the same but MUCH cheaper, if a muted orange short-sleeve jacket appeals to you, J. Crew has a linen suit collection sizes 0-12:
http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/suiting/tailoredlinen.jsp
Anonymous
like this better, except for the sleeves.
AnneCatherine
Yeah the sleeves look like a weird, indeterminate 5/8 length on the dressmaker’s form, but like a normal short-sleeve on the model. So maybe they look better on?
AnneCatherine
Oooh pretty. The name “wet peat” for the grey one is making me laugh by the way for some reason.
KZ
i love to see the names companies come up with for colors (which frequently would leave me unable to guess the color if I just saw the name). I wonder whose job it is to sit around and come up with these things, and how I could get this job because I feel like it would be entertaining.
dee
it’s probably the same people who think up names for nailpolish colors…
AbbyA
An acquaintance who is a fashion consultant just retuned from Paris and reported that orange is the color for spring.
JAS
I found the link to the article about vanity sizing really interesting. But I have to say I used to work at a Jones New York outlet, and out of curiosity one day my coworkers and I did an experiment. We took plain cut garments – pencil skirts, shells, etc – from several years prior and compared them to very similar cuts that were much more recent and all labeled the same size. The newer the garments, the larger they were, even though labeled the same.
Also, what could the rationale of sizes like “00” ( as opposed to 0) possibly be besides vanity/consumer preference?
Eponine
The basic point of the article was that a “medium” is the mid-point size in the range of sizes represented among the customers who shop at a given retailer. If you wear a small, you’re smaller than the average customer at that retailer; if you wear a large, you’re larger. At another store, you might be at the midpoint and wear that store’s medium. Similarly, assuming a size 8 is cut to represent the size of a store’s average customer, a 00 would represent the size of someone 4 sizes smaller. At another store with a smaller average customer, an 8 would be cut smaller, and there might be no need for a 00 so the size range stops at 0.
Basically, the point is that sizes do not represent an absolute value but rather a continuum based upon the sizes of the store’s customers. So it’s not vanity sizing, but adjusting the cut of clothing so that a medium continues to represent the average-sized customer.
lk
Ugh. Cindy McCain would love this. I do not.
A.
It does seem very Cindy McCain!
AN
Exactly what i thought! But I’m sure she’d rock it:)
KelliJ
Still a splurge for me at $416 but I like this orange jacket much better. It’s at Piperlime.
http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=49588&pid=764480&scid=764480002&mlink=55266,1757372&clink=1757372
EG
This jacket seems designed to encourage a barrage of orange-safety vest jokes–roadside workers, hunters, etc.
AnneCatherine
And, while I know we’re all somewhat down on Talbots today :-) —rightfully so for their boxy cuts!!- don’t forget that 20% all items (including sale, clearance, and outlet), plus free shipping on any size order, ends today at midnight.
75
Why are we talking about medical matters – shouldn’t we be talking about fashion? A top like the orange one shown would never be appropriate for work – anywhere! But it is beautiful, and if you are intent on buying something like this (why?) it should be purchased with coordinating skirt or pants to make up the whole outfit.
3L
I wanted to say something before but shied away because anyone who voices a criticism of the C blog community gets heckled. This blog increasingly goes off into a hypochondriac direction with everyone complaining of their conditions/symptoms/aches/diseases/deformities/allergies/health issues. I know it’s a support community but it’s really depressing and not why I visit this website. I hope we can stay on work fashion and more professional and fun topics.
BEC
I totally agree. There are other, more appropriate forums for such things.
Anonymous
you could just not read the stuff that doesn’t interest you.
AH
I think the people who comment are just as well within their boundaries to critique the things that don’t interest them and say something to that effect. I’ve heard the same solution you’ve suggested in the comments before and I don’t see why it is more valid than voicing some criticism.
Full bias disclosure: I was shot down for not wanting to read about someone’s anniversary lingerie. Oh well.
If you want to talk about something, go for it, without apology. But someone might just comment on it! It’s a blog, after all!
3L
I don’t read it, but I had to scroll through an awful lot of PCOS and hair thinning posts before getting back to the main thread. I thought I had landed on WebMD for a minute. Perhaps Kat can launch a spinoff board called C-MD.
anonymous
was it really that bad to scroll down a little bit? you make it sound like trekking through the desert
AIMS
On fashion: a muted orange blazer may actually be approrpiate in quite a few offices (including mine). A matching suit like this should not be worn by anyone whose name is not Nancy Reagan.
Shayna
haha I can totally see her in a full on suit – although I work with a woman who pulled off a rust orange skirtsuit last week — unlike me (I’m so pale I verge on deathly… and as I’ve said here before, it’s not in that kind of sexy True Blood vampire way, either), she has a beautiful caramel tan complexion – a definite “autumn” (yes, I was envious)
Wondering
Sorry ladies! Did not mean to be a downer with my post. Your point is well taken, but I know I’m not the only one who posts off topic and the group here is always such a great source of info. Perhaps Kat could start a separate “open thread” during the week as well.
Lucy
I dont think you should apologize. Get well.
Louise
Agreed. I see this site as a place where women of similar educational and financial backgrounds can discus many things. If some of those topics are medical, so be it.
Those who want to only talk fashion might do well to re-read the tag line of this blog: A Fashion AND LIFESTYLE Blog for Overachieving Chicks.
Major medical issues aren’t a lifestyle any of us would choose, but stuff happens and this is a safe place to discuss it.
Delta Sierra
What Lucy and Louise said.
anonymous
yes, agree. Fashion “and lifestyle.”
Wondering
Thanks ladies. :)
Jane
Actually, my favorite part of the whole page showing the Fendi orange jacket is the “cropped distressed jeans” shown at the bottom right, for — gulp!! — $665. Good grief!!!!
housecounsel
It’s an orange short-sleeved jacket! I stand by my opinion that short-sleeved suit jackets are on women what short-sleeved dress shirts with ties are on men.