Frugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Stretch Twill Pleated Short-Sleeve Shirt
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
This pleated top from Quince has tons of great reviews, and the color is perfect for the summer-to-fall transition.
I’m always in the market for a blouse that can be worn without a sweater or blazer on top and still serve as half of a complete outfit. The gorgeous pleating on this one looks sophisticated and would pair beautifully with trousers or a skirt.
The top is $50 at Quince and comes in sizes XS-XL.
Sales of note for 8/21:
- Ann Taylor – 25% off fresh fall styles! Also, there's an online-only warehouse sale — $20 tops, $25 sweaters, $30 pants, and $40
- CVS – Epic beauty sale, $10 off when you spend $30 (Walmart is having its “Beauty Event” as well right now!)
- The Fold – Up to 50% off, further markdowns
- J.Crew – Last chance summer styles on sale
- J.Crew Factory – 8/21 only: 50% off pants and shorts, and free shipping on all orders
- J.McLaughlin – Extra 40% off sale
- Lilysilk – Anniversary sale, save up to 70%
- Me & Em – Sale! Up to 60% off (new lines just added, exclusively online)
- M.M.LaFleur – Lots of new pieces added to sale (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
- Nordstrom Rack – Clearance, new markdowns up to 75% off! Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss and Rag & Bone, a ton of affordable work dresses from Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan
- Revolve – 20% off most beauty!
- Talbots – End of season clearance, extra 70% off markdown tops and extra 60% off other markdowns
- Theory – End of season sale is on!
Thanks for the sale round up! I can’t tell you how much money you have saved me by tracking the Talbots sales.
Where are you getting c*cktail tables? I’d love a dull (not shiny) metal (since I guess we can’t get real wood in new things in 2026) and all metal or a stone / agate landing spot for the drink in case it sweats (I have coasters but don’t want to be nervous when company comes over).
Ballard
Macys had a bunch on sale
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/trending-living-room-furniture-piece
For those of you who are taking GLP-1s in part for anti-inflammatory reasons, can you tell me more about what’s happened since in terms of how you feel, lab work, etc? I’m just barely into the obese category but have chronic inflammation (on the more sensitive C-reactive protein test) that is likely due to my well-controlled autoimmune disorder. I’m considering whether the other health benefits might tip the scale into trying these medications. Cost is the major barrier. Since all my other lab work is great (cholesterol, BP, all of it) and I’m active and enjoying life, it’s harder to make the case to myself that it’s an “investment” even though it probably is! It’s just hard to afford everything in our lives right now, even with a modest lifestyle. Anyway, would welcome thoughts.
My husband is on tirzepatide for sleep apnea and it’s made a huge difference. Within 2 weeks his snoring was dramatically reduced, and while he’s lost some weight the sleep apnea / inflammation benefits have been huge.
I’ve been on a low dose of compounded semaglutide for a year and a half. Lost 30 lbs the first year and gained back about 10, though a lot of that was more strength training and water retention that goes with it. I think I look better than I did 5 lbs lighter, now that I have more muscle.
I haven’t tried this yet. But a lot of the people who are taking GLP1s only for inflammation are microdosing and (say they are) still getting the desired benefits. So that can really help with costs.
it is not as worth it as has been hyped is my experience.
I just ordered some new underwear. I did not detect from the pictures, on human models, that it would be (on me) a translucent women’s version tighty-whities. IMO, the side seams were moved more towards the side / femur area vs the true side? Anatomical references are failing me. But somehow I want to try again because the goal is always cuteness, even from something that just I see (plus anyone in the ladies’ room at the gym). I was looking forward to a refresh and now I’m hoping I can ruin it quickly and find a better no-VPL replacement.
What?
Boy briefs are a style. I don’t think there is any rule that pictures have to depict the same item sold (one of the hazards of shopping online). Head to the mall next time.
Of course pictures have to depict the actual item being sold. Otherwise it’s false advertising.
That might be helpful for avoiding VPL, since the seams are in an area where the fabric tends to be less stressed vs. the edge of the hip?
Seamless Airism from Uniqlo is your answer here.
I need to recarpet my finished basement, which is where we watch TV, and I am looking for any advice or tips. I am considering a beige or greige tone. Do I take a sample of the current one and head into a carpet store? Anything I should consider? The stairs are also carpeted but I’m not changing that carpet – will that look weird?
I would try to change the stairs if you can. I think it’ll look weird if you don’t. Bring home samples and see how they look in your lighting. Be very clear with yourself about what you’re looking for. Durability? Softness/plushness?
Take a sample of whatever finishes are staying so you can coordinate colors. Warmth matters more than actual colors. Like, if you have a cool gray on the stairs, a warm beige on the floor is going to look weird.
See Marcia Kallim’s site for info on undertones in beige colors.
How much the transition from the old carpet color on the stairs to the new carpet color matters is more of a “how much does it matter to you” question. Is this a high-end house where you need to get the finishes right, including the way to the carpet in the basement correlates with the carpet on the basement stairs? Or is this “just a basement,” and you’re a family that doesn’t need a carefully considered transition from stair carpet to basement floor carpet.
I’m a fan of light-ish low pile carpet in the basement. If there are bugs, droppings, or water stains you want to spot them ASAP. I agree with the the other commenter to focus on warm vs cool rather than color.
If durability is your primary concern and you’re not looking for anything particularly fancy or unusual, I would also look at hardware stores like Home Depot when you’re pricing options. We got our basement carpet there and it’s been going strong for over 10 years and was significantly cheaper than the carpet store options.
IANAL. At the risk of enraging the Clancy silencing crowd here, I need to ask what was Kevin Reddington’s reputation before this trial?
Very good.
“Clancy silencing crowd”?
“Clancy silencing crowd” is one way to put it. “Gross, rubbernecking voyeurs” is another. If you “need” to ask this, Google is your friend.
Disagree. This trial has highlighted how very bad crisis and chronic mental healthcare is in this country. If a relatively well-off woman who says she is suicidal is turned away because she didn’t seem to list things out in the proper planning way, what hope is there for any of us?
I think that a lot of the doctors looked like idiots, which isn’t reassuring to those of us who think of them as top-level providers who know something. I get that they have a lot of schooling. But up against something where they have to use words to tease out what someone who may be an unreliable narrator is saying they feel (so: layers of subjectivity and questionable insights), IDK how any human can make sense of that. Mental status isn’t measurable as a fundamental matter beyond things of no help here (GCS, PERRL, BGL, etc.). When a person calls out for help, we say she’s not sick enough yet and send her along.
As a teenager I internalized the “wearing stripes makes you look wider” messaging and now as I online shop during the work day I’m wondering . . . is that even true? Is that something people think about? Does it depend on the stripe?
Like a breton stripe? I don’t think that’s true and frankly it isn’t something I particularly care about.
Fit is the more important factor imho. In my 40’s getting a proper fit involves making sure my clothes fit my current body, that volume is intentional vs. swimming in things, my clothes aren’t uncomfortable (I’d rather size up than squeeze into a specific size), waist bands/seats are not pulling, pants and arm lengths aren’t too long/short and items hit at the proper places on my shoulder/waist/leg.
I like strips above the waist (Breton tees, etc.) and vertical stripes in dresses. I don’t like stripes in pants because they look costumey or like track pants (Royal Tenenbaums).
As a lover of all things striped, I will say it really depends on the stripe and the cut of the garment. I don’t find that my striped Mariner Ts make me look wider but a wide striped oversized sweater might. I find my pinstripe trouser style pants actually slimming but I bought a vertically striped skirt one time that makes me look like an out of work clown.
Trying again in the AM thread in case there are more responses: please hit me with all your Seoul recommendations: must eats/ must-sees/must-do’s… and the opposite also is very welcome: anything that was overhyped/you didn’t love as I will only have 3-4 days there. Thanks in advance!
We recently moved to an area that is a few blocks away from a nature preserve/open space. We’ve been getting a lot of spiders, mostly in one room, and we’re struggling to find their entry point. I understand that spiders offer ecosystem benefits but we do NOT want them in our bedroom (two arachnophobes here). Any advice for how to tackle this problem? We already had a pest company out for ants and weren’t too impressed so far – they clearly just spray and pray and don’t actually investigate the specific property. Should we be trying another pest company? OTC products?
does cuticle oil or cream help smooth nail ridges? my cuticles are fine but I don’t like the ridges, which appeared a couple years ago. I assume the ridges are age related.