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Oooh, this slingback flat from Steve Madden looks chic. I love the peachy pink leather, and the shiny black cap toe somehow adds a lot of gravitas.
I could see this being a great flat to wear with dresses and skirts this summer — if you have a very casual office, Revolve purchasers are noting this is the best thing to wear with blue jeans and a white button-front for an elevated, put-together casual look.
It's $90 at Revolve, but note that you can also find it in other colors at Zappos, DSW, Amazon, and SteveMadden.com. (Nordstrom has a verrrry similar block-heel version, marked down to $45.)
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
txatty
Repeat from earlier thread
Do y’all have thoughts on Away luggage? My new job is going to include quite a bit of travel and I don’t currently have a carry-on sized bag. I want something that will last; is Away worth it?
OR Does anyone have the Solgaard Carry-On Closet and have thoughts on it?
Senior Attorney
Don’t know about Away, but I have the Monos Carry On Plus and I love it. And their packing cube set is well worth it, too.
Anne-on
+1 – we have two Monos in our family and much prefer them to the Away which I ordered and returned after a disastrous malfunction on a business trip. To their credit they gave me a full refund but never again.
Is it Friday yet?
After reading reviews, I just bought the Monos Carry On Pro plus cubes – it’s going on its maiden voyage on Thursday!
Anon
I have an away. Only have had it for 6 months and it replaced my TJX-purchased soft-sided Samsonite that I had easily for more than 10 years.
TBH, it’s luggage? I mean it’s sleek, hard sided and people do love it and say it’s durable. I’m traveling a lot more for work and my other one was looking pretty drab. But, I’m def not someone who “loves” a piece of luggage. Get it if you can afford it but I don’t understand the crazy hype.
DC Inhouse Counsel
I have both sizes of Away carry-ons, the smaller checked bag and a duffle that slides onto the handles of the roller bags. I got my first carry-on 6ish years ago I think and I think they’re great. I was able to pack for 2 weeks in Europe last summer with just the larger carry-on and the duffle. It’s sturdy and holds up well. I would recommend getting a darker color. I have light blue and my husband has navy, and his looks less scuffed than mine.
JTM
I have the first gen Away carryon and I absolutely love it. I got my husband the Everywhere bag and the toiletry kit for his birthday last year, he loves them so much that now I’m going to purchase them for myself as well.
Anon
My first-gen Away got confiscated by United Airlines because I couldn’t remove the battery! Apparently they have a spottily-enforced policy that you can’t carry-on OR check a smart bag unless the battery can be removed. I flew home with my clothes in a trash bag and abandoned the suitcase in LaGuardia airport. It was crazy. I don’t think that’s an issue with the newer bags, but definitely don’t fly United if you have a first gen bag!!!
Runcible Spoon
I replied just now to the earlier thread that I like the Travelpro crew version (FlightCrew) that you can only buy at specialty flight crew supply stores (not department stores or Amazon), but that is easy enough to do online. They are complete work horses, super robust, and can take a lot of wear and tear with enhances wheels and thicker edge guards and step plates and the like. Also, they are quite inexpensive. Briggs and Riley also have some nice carry-on options.
Anon
Does anybody know broadly what the rules and tax implications are for a company to have an employee or contractor who is a US citizen but is working remotely from another country? Long story short, my husband and I may be moving back to his home country much sooner than originally planned to take care of elderly parents. If we do move soon, I’d like to talk to my employer about potentially doing some work remotely, both to help wrap up projects I’ve working on and to have some income during the time I’d be ineligible to work in the other country. But I don’t know if this is feasible at all and I’m not entirely sure what to search for to find out more.
Anonymous
You have to ask your employer. Mine does not permit working from abroad, even while on vacation.
Anon
My brother works for a company that is very open with their remote policy, allowing just about anything EXCEPT leaving the country. And yet, they have one employee who has been quietly living in Israel for years. I think it will depend a lot on your company, your role, where you are going….
Anon
Yup, I know. I’m trying to figure out whether it would be a reasonable thing to ask.
Anon
Oh, I think it’s a perfectly reasonable ask, especially since you have good family reasons for doing it and aren’t just doing it because you want to live in a villa in Tuscany (I say as someone who wants a villa in Tuscany, lol). My concern would be that if they say no, then they know you have one foot out the door. So I’d wait until your move is imminent.
anon
You don’t get if you don’t ask. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask, esp because you already know there could be a strong “no” response and a “yes” comes with many complications for the employer. Go in humbly and have a conersation.
What is unreasonable is to get really upset / huffy if they say no.
Anon
First, look into when that other country would consider you to be a resident, depending on how long you’re there. If you’re a resident without work authorization, you can’t work there period.
Anon
Yeah, you really need to ask your employer. Start with HR and they’ll probably rope in legal folks. My employer (large state university) permits anyone to work from anywhere for up to about a month, but after that you have to file formal permission and it’s apparently *really* hard to get permission to work from abroad. (Note that this doesn’t apply to faculty because they’re academic year employees and aren’t being paid by the university over the summer. But it applies to staff and they’re strict about it – you will get fired if you work from a new location for longer than the allotted time without permission.)
anon
+1. The working abroad piece gets very dicey because of the tax implications.
Anon
You will also want to figure out new-country rules. In some EU countries for example this can become really complicated if you’re a full-time employee (not a freelancer) and the company doesn’t have a new-country tax entity.
Anon
In addition to the tax implications, there can be privacy implications. Basically, this is a very complicated thing for a company to allow so its totally fine for you to ask, but you should start planning assuming it’s going to be a no.
MJ
Echoing what others have said:
– if there are no other employees already in that country, your company will risk having a permanent establishment and having its profits there taxed. in order to have its profits there taxed it might have to register to do business there (either create a branch or an entity) or prepare audited financials (which costs thousands of dollars). You may be able to be employed via a PEO, but PEO’s charge your company roughly 15% of your salary as a “commission” for being your in-country employer
– there are security and privacy risks that come with cross-border data transfers
– you may not be eligible to work in that country, even remotely for another country, from an immigration perspective.
– you may have different or no healthcare coverage and retirement benefit eligibility
I echol what others have said–find out first about your work authorization in that country. That will determine whether this is possible at all (and will be good for you to understand in case you need to find a local job). Next proceed to see whether your company is registered there in any way from a corporate/tax perspective and research internally whether any other employees are based there. Then approach HR. The likely answer will be no unless your company has a pretty strong presence there.
Anonymous
has anyone actually seen a shorts suit out in the wild? i feel like they’ve been around forever, but who is wearing them?
Anon
Nope
Anon
Nope, I’ve only seen them worn by models/celebrities.
Anonymous
Only on Real Housewives. But I’m Chicago. We’re not known as fashion forward.
Monday
My last tattoo was done by a woman in a shorts suit. She was killing it, but obviously she dresses for her job as a tattoo artist.
JTM
I’ve seen them, but only worn at social events, not actually for work. I actually think it’s really cute for something like a brunch on the weekends.
Anon
+1
Saw one at a bridal shower. Super cute for social events. Not appropriate for most jobs.
BaltAnon
I saw a real estate agent do a promo video for a $50 million dollar house in a short suit. She also walked into the pool in stilettoes though, so I think that is a good indication of how practical they are.
DC Inhouse Counsel
My friend wore one to our other friend’s engagement party. She’s very tiny and wore it with a crop top and looked great. I agree with JTM that they’re more for weekend/fun events, not for work.
Anon
Only in Bermuda
Anonymous
I bought too much pesto – what are your favorite things to do with it?
Anonymous
savory oatmeal. with a small scoop of sour cream, one or two medium boiled eggs, and a few mini mozzarella balls.
Anonymous
savory oatmeal. with a small scoop of sour cream, one or two medium boiled eggs, and a few mini mozzarella balls.
Anonymous
as a topping on a turkey burger.
anonshmanon
Use it generously on pizza dough, like I would tomato sauce, or do a mix of both. Pesto does well in the freezer, so you don’t have to use it up right away.
DC Inhouse Counsel
I just made a delicious pasta salad with pesto. Makes 3 servings:
-6 oz whole wheat pasta
-half bag of arugula
-2 zuchinnis, chopped into chunks and sauteed
-can of chickpeas
-3 oz mozzarella pearls
-1/4 cup pesto
Could add halved cherry tomatoes if you like them.
Anon
Pizza, pasta salad, as a sandwich spread, on roasted veggies. And it freezes well.
Anonymous
Pizza, pasta salad, as a sandwich spread, on roasted veggies. And it freezes well.
anon
Freeze in ice cube trays, and then pop the frozen cubes into soups and sauces later on.
Use pesto as pizza sauce
Sunshine
Freeze either this way or in small containers that hold the amount I might use within a few weeks. Defrost as needed. I buy the Costco sized pesto but cannot use even half before it goes bad. So I freeze it.
anonshmanon
I freeze the giant costco jar and just grab spoonfuls directly from the freezer. I keep it in the door of my freezer and it doesn’t get rock solid. You could probably preheat your spoon with hot water to make it glide in, but I just force it in there and pop the rest back in.
Anonymous
I freeze pesto in a ziplock bag and squish it thin and flat. When I want some, I break off a piece of the size I want to defrost.
Anon
I make a spinach lasagna and add pesto to the ricotta/egg mixture – people love it!
Anon
Use as a spread on sandwiches, including breakfast sandwiches.
Anon
Yesss, love egg + pesto combo
Anonymous
Cook eggs in it instead of butter.
Anonymous
Put it on an omelet.
Anon
Grill meat (chicken thighs or pork chops are good), then top with pesto immediately after coming off the grill. It’s delicious. This is from my Jamie Oliver cookbook.
Anon
Grain salad (esp farro) with pesto and roasted veggies
Anonymous
Have any of you done white water rafting? It’s one of the options for a work bonding thing. I’m not very athletic. If I do it, do you have any tips?
Anon
It doesn’t require much athleticism. I’ve done it and consider myself unathletic – in particular, I’m really terrible at ball sports and anything that requires hand eye coordination. There will be other people in the boat so you don’t have to paddle much if you don’t want to, but also the paddling is not very difficult. Much easier than kayaking or canoeing, IMO.
Flats Only
Mostly you just sit there, and paddle when the guide says to paddle. It’s usually not nearly as exciting as videos make it look. Especially for a work outing where you need to take liability into account, you’ll have a nice float and probably not see any actual “white water”.
txatty
I have been ww rafting a few times and I think it is usually really fun. Unless the river is really low and you’re having to paddle a lot it doesn’t take much athleticism.
Anon
Yes, I love it. It makes me feel alive in a way that my indoor life does not. It would be a fantastic employee bonding activity, assuming there’s no punishment for people who cannot or truly do not want to do it. You don’t need experience if you’re going on a guided day trip.
I’m going rafting next week! Can’t wait.
Anon
Sorry, I realized you actually asked for tips. My top tip is to wear a long-sleeved, lightweight sunshirt, an excellent hat, and put your glasses or sunglasses on a retainer. You do that and you’ll be comfortable and happy. Otherwise, have fun and take opportunities that come up (like jumping off a rock into a swimming hole or jumping on a standup paddle board).
anon
I just finished a river kayaking trip, and many of the same tips apply! Have a good wide-brimmed hat, sun shirt, sunscreen, and sunglasses. I’d recommend sandals that actually strap to your feet rather than flip flops. Have a blast!
Anon
I also feel this way. It makes me feel alive like no other activity, even mountain biking. We’re two weeks away from our next rafting trip in CO and I can’t wait.
Anon
I was the one who posted that and I’m also a mountain biker :) Life is good when you get outside, isn’t it? Have a great trip!
Anonymous
Yes, I’ve done it, and I love it. You don’t have to be athletic. If they hand you a paddle, the guide will tell you exactly when and how hard to paddle, while doing all the work to steer the raft.
On some rafts, there are even options for people who don’t want to do anything but sit there and enjoy the ride; no paddling at all. No tips, really, except sunscreen everywhere including on your feet. The guides are very good at orienting you and telling you everything you need to know.
anon
I’m afraid of fast moving water and waves, so white water rafting is my idea of h*ll, and I say that as an otherwise outdoorsy adventurous person who likes ice climbing, skiing and mountain biking. My ex was an avid white water kayaker and I made a good faith effort to get into it, but I’m so relieved I no longer have to!
Anon
You don’t have to be athletic. Enjoy!
Anon
Seeking Italy suggestions! I’m going to Pompeii with my parents, and we are looking for a second stop on the trip. Which of the below would you recommend?
1) Rome
2) Tuscany/Florence
3) Sicily
And within those, where specifically did you go?
Anon
Rome for sure. It has all the biggies – the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Borghese Gallery, and you can spend a day at the Vatican. We stayed near the Piazza Navona and it was delightful.
Anon
I haven’t been to Sicily, loooove both Rome and Florence/Tuscany but would suggest Rome just because it makes much more geographic sense.
I would also do a day in Naples. I didn’t love it the way I did Rome and Florence, but it’s on your direct route (I assume you’ll have to change trains there) and there’s plenty of stuff there to fill a day. There’s a great archeological museum that you would love if Pompeii interests you.
NYCer
If you’ve never been, I would do Rome.
Anonymous
Rome. But if you are going to Pompeii you are close to the Amalfi Coast, so can you do that as well? Pompeii was just a few hours for me. Well worth it, but not a full destination.
Anon
+1 I would fly into Naples (there are non-stops from EWR on United), spend a day or two there, do a day trip to Pompeii and then the rest of your time on the Amalfi Coast. Rome is *easily* worth a week on its own so I’m not sure I’d try to combine with Pompeii/Naples/Amalfi, and Pompeii is interesting but really does not take more than a day.
Anon
I’ve been to all of these, and from that perspective, my personal favorite is Sicily. But I wouldn’t go to Pompeii and skip Naples.
Gail the Goldfish
You pretty much can’t go wrong with anywhere in Italy. Are you flying in/out of Rome? If so, I’d just do that to minimize travel, though I kind of like Florence better (haven’t been to Sicily). But again, can’t go wrong with either. For Rome, the major sites if you haven’t been before–Forum, Colosseum, Vatican museums (do an early access tour or a night tour to try to avoid crowds) are musts, I also like Villa Borghese and the Capitoline museum, and the Capuchin crypts are interesting (but creepy). Oh, and the Pantheon, but that doesn’t take long. For Florence, Duomo (climb the dome if physically capable), Uffizi gallery, Galleria dell’Academmia (David statue), Medici chapel, sunset from Piazza Michaelangelo, Palazzo Pitti and Boboli gardens, Bardini gardens (depending on season), and the Galileo museum is pretty interesting.
Eliza
Florence is a great city. If you find yourself there, don’t miss Santa Maria Novella. The church and grounds are beautiful and intimate, and their store/apothecary is like the original Sephora/CVS, dating back to 1221. They were around selling elixirs for the plague at one point. It was a one of the highlights of our trip to Florence.
Anon
Florence since you can see Pisa also.
anon
was in italy with my tweens for spring break and we went to pompeii (my older one is something of an ancient greek buff so i thought he would enjoy). we loved it and we spent the night in naples before and love that too. we took a 1.1 tour with an archealogist if your group skews nerdy/academic/ wonky like our’s it was worth every penny! Google Eliana Sandretti. we also spent a day in capri. other than that the rest of the trip was rome 101 (vatican, colisseum…)
Senior Attorney
I know I’m always recommending her, but if you go to Florence and environs and want a private guide, my friend Claire is an American expat and is just great: http://www.claireintheworld.net
Anon
To the woman who posted earlier about her husband’s white lie – if you’re comfortable, tell us the lie! This group was really helpful with me for a similar situation, and can help you figure out whether it’s an actual red flag or something within the bounds of normal.
OP
Okay, so this is going to sound ridiculous (and I feel ridiculous the more I think about) but I will go ahead. Some new band names that popped up as recently listened to on our shared Spotify account. I texted to ask him about it because they were some weird names and we’d just been talking about new music. He sent this weird response about how the AI DJ recommended it. And then another text about why he thought they recommended it but he didn’t like it. Something about his texts seemed off to me, and I went through his text messages. Lo and behold, a bunch of text messages with said female coworker about this particular music, including which songs he liked. And also some other past messages effusively complimenting her (but all in a work context, including on recent trips). I don’t normally go through his texts or get suspicious, something just felt wrong. But when I told him he said it was a stupid white lie and nothing has happened. Which I believe. So maybe not standard white lie territory but the implications are why I reacted the way I did.
Senior Attorney
If this were me, especially if there were a history of “white lies” about this female coworker, my Spidey Sense would be tingling like crazy. I mean, why lie about it if it’s so innocent? (And I am the least jealous, least suspicious person in the world so…)
Vicky Austin
In fact, I think OP’s spidey sense *IS* tingling! She clocked something being wrong with her husband’s response from the beginning.
Anne-on
Agreed with talking more with her husband. I’ve seen this from both sides – colleagues in financial services who had wives who really hated that their husbands travelled with/worked closely with women despite those women having zero interest romantically in those guys (I feel like this is a lot less common but it does happen).
The other side of course is that the husband IS being overly close/flirty with the colleague, knows it, and is trying to downplay it and not admit to the behavior.
Anon
I agree, this is pretty weird. And I say that as someone whose husband has a bunch of female friends and I’m completely fine with it. But lying about something like this suggests he’s hiding something. My husband would not hesitate to tell me if a female friend recommended some music – it’s not exactly scandalous or private.
Anonymous
You snooped his texts over this? Just divorce him
Anon
OK I wasn’t one of the commenters this morning. To me, the white lie happened because he either knew his relationship with coworker was inappropriate in some way, or because he knew you thought it would be. I think it’s worth not brushing this off but sitting down and talking to him openly and honestly and see if you can reach consensus about what is and what isn’t an appropriate level of friendship/ relationship with coworkers.
For me, that’s not zero. Most of my coworkers are male, and I’m good friends with many of them. But I would also be able to openly say to my spouse, without a moment’s hesitation, “Oh, Mark recommended that artist.”
The fact that your husband felt the need to lie about it is the red flag, not the text with a coworker. That’s what I’d delve more into.
Anne-on
+1 to this. I have close male friends/male coworkers that I meet up with for meals/drinks when traveling or when I’m at a conference/in the office. It’s just the reality of my heavily male-dominated industry(ies). If it ever got to the point where I felt weird talking about these men with my husband, or if he got jealous about any of them I’d want to examine why that is myself or be open to hearing his thoughts.
Anonymous
+1 to the last sentence. This is a weird thing to lie about.
Senior Attorney
Yes, this. The contact is fine, it’s the lie that is problematic.
Anon
I think this sounds like has a crush on her and would like to test the waters. He was feeling guilty about it and tried to lie / cover since he knows there’s something wrong going on. If it were neutral, he would have said “oh, Sasha recommended it to me…”
I disagree with the other posters about the texts not being a red flag in themselves. I think giving song recommendations and then reporting back which you like is a bit flirty. If it’s someone you feel nothing toward? No problem. But if it’s someone you’re attracted to, I think that type of exchange is inappropriate and a way of progressing the relationship forward.
Talk to him openly about how you guys want to handle crushes, attraction to other people, and appropriate boundaries. You’re not crazy and don’t gaslight yourself. Him lying about this (unless you have a history of being paranoid and jealous and he was trying to pre-empt that) is a red flag.
Anonymous
You know yourself, and you know him. Is either one of you overly sensitive here, and that contributed to his lie-in-the-moment? (Examples: Do you easily get insecure in the relationship and are you quick to call him on anything that makes you feel insecure? Does he feel really insecure about anything that borders on him ‘getting in trouble’ and he’d resort to hiding rather than risk having you upset?)
Are both of you acting in character, or is something off? (example from his side: Are “effusive compliments” exactly what he does all the time — men, women, kids, salespeople, waitstaff, etc.? Or is it out of character for him to send messages full of effusive compliments? Example from your side: You’re troubled enough that you’re posting on a forum; is that like you? Do you rarely have ‘something is off’ feelings and when you do, you’re usually right? Or do you have a quick imagination and can easily convince yourself of things that just aren’t the case?)
Anom
Is this shoe an obvious Chanel knock off?
Anonymous
Absolutely. Knock-off is Steve Maddens middle name.
Anon
Nah, just Chanel inspired.
Paging Meredith
I was late to this morning’s thread, but check back at your morning post for London theatre recs.
Meredith
Excellent, much appreciated.
3L
What should I wear to a summer associate event at a gym? Due to a recent injury, I can’t actually play any sports but I’ll be there to hang out. Regular workout clothes anyway?
Anom
If you’re not participating, then ok to wear whatever you’ve worn to the office. If you’re not in the office, then presentable casual clothes are fine. Figure that any associate who is going to be there but isn’t participating in the workout will be in their regular clothes.
Explorette
Depends on your regular workout clothes, mine would not be recommended! Non-matching, whatever happens to be on top of the pile, haha! I’d lean towards athleisure wear, or jeans and a tshirt. Keep in mind most gyms are kept cold, so not great for hanging out in when you are not working out.
Anonymous
Wear what the coach would wear – tee shirt, joggers, sneakers.
Anon
Joggers, trainers (could be something less sporty) and tshirt. I would wear work clothes but definitely athleisure so you can participate a bit if you want.
Anon
I’d wear athleisure or your workout clothes, just so you don’t feel like you’re sticking out at the gym and since that will fit the vibe of the event. So for me that would be a new-ish pair of leggings and a workout top that is flattering but not too tight or cropped (since it’s around coworkers) and sneakers. If you don’t really want to do workout clothes then I’d wear jeans or linen pants with cute sneakers/flats and a casual top. Definitely pack a sweater since gyms run cold when you aren’t running around.