Suit of the Week: AKNVAS

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burgundy double-breasted pants suit

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional. Also: We just updated our big roundup for the best women's suits of 2023!

AKNVAS is a newer brand for suits, but I really like this burgundy double-breasted pantsuit.

According to the brand's website, it was founded by Danish designer Christian Juul Nielsen. As they note:

The collection focuses on thoughtful, well-designed, and innovative daywear for discerning and dynamic women. Designed to move seamlessly from desk to dinner, with a focus on drape, flattering silhouettes, innovative knits and an elevated palette.

Nice! The pieces are available in sizes 0-12, and both pieces together are around $1200 for a suit.

If you're looking for something more affordable, this very similar sky blue suit from AKNVAS is on deep discount.

Sales of note for 2/7/25:

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
  • J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
  • J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+

78 Comments

  1. I know this has been discussed here before, but how do you know when you’re saving “enough” for retirement and how you balance saving vs. spending once you’re meeting the basic metrics like maxing out a 401k?

    My husband and I each contribute the max to a 401k, and with our mandatory 401a contributions it totals about 30% of our pre-tax income. Our employers contribute another 10% on top of that. We could save more – potentially, a lot more – if we cut back on discretionary spending like travel, but I know many people don’t make it to a healthy, active retirement and I don’t want to save a ton and then never have any chance to spend that money. We live in a LCOL area so although our house is paid off we don’t expect it to be a big asset in retirement.

    1. the thing you want to be careful about is lifestyle creep. i combat that by making automatic investments to before-tax investment accounts, and I save about $1200 a month towards vacations. if you have another big goal like a second home or a new car or even kids/529 i’d start saving some monthly amount towards that also.

      1. Yeah I guess this is sort of what I’m struggling with. We don’t really have specific financial goals. No interest in a second home or newer cars. Kids 529s are fully-funded for public college and grandparents will gift the difference for good private schools. Our travel budget is about double yours, which feels excessive for our income level, but there isn’t much else we want to do with the money and I feel like we’re saving enough and it’s ok to enjoy the rest. But maybe we should be saving more, I don’t know.

        1. I let go earlier than you did. We have a net worth of about $2M, not quite 40, and max out our retirement vehicles. Our 529s and other savings are on track for our goals (covering state school); grandparent inheritance and/or loans and/or we can top it off if needed.

          So, we started vacationing more. We are considering saving up/using our vacation budget toward a second house. We changed careers so we are on cruise control.

          Congrats, you worked hard. Enjoy it.

    2. We saved aggressively until we had $1m invested in the market. Once we hit that threshold, we made lifestyle changes that ended up lowering out HHI significantly, but that dramatically improved our QOL (specifically: a lot more time with the kids for both of us). If we just break even until retirement, we’ll be fine, but we’re savers by nature, so we will, I’m sure, continue to invest, especially once the kids are older and we’re both back up to full time.

      1. Also, “we saved aggressively until we hit $1m” includes paying off $300k in student loan debt (mine) and “lifestyle changes” include leaving big law. I think those things (the debt, the salary, the career path) are relatively normal on this site, but obviously not relatively normal compared to the population in general.

        1. Does that include your retirement/401k savings, 529, etc. or the $1m in the market is purely additional savings?

          1. It includes anything invested in the market, whatever the tax treatment, so 401K, IRA, non-advantaged accounts, etc. The retirement vehicles don’t make up that huge a percentage, though. It does not include the 529s, since I no longer think of that money as ours.

    3. This is hard, as everyone has very different retirement goals / lifestyle. You almost have to figure out your retirement plans first – when retire/where/how live/expected income needs. Then you work backwards and figure out how much to save. Obviously saving more young, means you build more wealth with time.

      But I completely agree that the future is unclear, and these precious years where you are young and healthy and have more interests/energy/?freedom are gold… as are years with children that pass quickly and are never the same again. So yes… invest in memories/experiences…. not pricey house/cars/lifestyle creep that you can’t afford. And time is perhaps the most valuable thing, so when you can afford hiring help for cleaning/lawn care/whatever you hate to do…. don’t feel guilty about doing that.

      1. I recommend you get someone who can balance pre-tax withdrawals against the tax rate applicable when you retire. My Dad initially had me max out my 401K, but then when I became a partner and eligible for the retirement plan for partners, he figured out it was smarter to take the money that I would put in my 401K and invest in NOW myself (post-tax), b/c I will have more taxable income when I retire then I have now once the partner’s retirement plan kicks in plus Social Security and my IRAs which I still have, so if you just think your retirement income will be lower, think again if you are a partner in a law firm b/c all of that is taxable to me later anyway, and I am maxing out on my Social Security contributions very early in the year, meaning I will get a boatload of money if I keep this pace up for the next 20 years, which I expect to once I am the manageing partner. My Dad is a financial genius, as is Ed, who works for Merill Lynch, as he also took a graduate course in accounting and tax, so he knows what I needed to know but didn’t. He says I will be hit with taxes on my 401(k) and My IRAs unless I somehow convert to a Roth IRAs, but even then, I will have to pay money when I convert it, and I have to wait until I don’t make alot of money before doing that, unless they change the law again, which Dad thinks they will b/c they need money from people like me to subsidize all of people coming into NYC for free housing and food. It is all so complicated once you start to have real money in the bank! FOOEY!

    4. I’m going to say it: this is an insane(ly good) amount of savings and trajectory. You don’t say how old you are (guessing 40s since your kids are still in school) but maxing our your 401ks, done saving for college and paid off mortgage? That checks all the boxes. I don’t think you need to stress about saving more. Maybe throw some into an ETF every month (but you seem savvy so probably already have investments), increase contributions to charity, make sure all your long term insurances are in order, and enjoy your kids and your life. I second the posters saying that time is the finite resource for you now, so think if there’s any lifestyle changes you want to make to maximize time with those/doing what you love.

    5. I struggle with this too. I currently max out my 401(k) & Roth IRA, and put $500-1000 per month into a taxable brokerage account. When I feel like it, I put $50-100 into a HYSA dedicated to a down payment. I could definitely save more for that, but it hasn’t been a priority because I like the flexibility of being able to move for my career/personal preference and don’t relish the yardwork/maintenance that comes with a house. I don’t know if I’m doing it right or wrong, but I make the most money anyone in my family ever has so I guess I’m doing great compared to where I came from (grew up poor).

  2. Talbots also has a very similar suit, lined and 100% wool (so it’s much cheaper and not 90% polyester).

    For the rice cooker/easy wholesome cooking question from yesterday:
    My mom has a very basic rice cooker and she makes everything from brown rice to farro to buckwheat in it and throws in veggies like butternut squash or Brussel Sprouts while it cooks (same time) so it all cooks together. It comes out almost like a risotto. She doesn’t really follow a recipe, just eyeballs everything.

    She also does a lot of roasted sheet pan veggies – like crispy broccoli (400 degree oven for about 20 min with olive oil, salt and pepper), brussel sprouts, or carrots (same 400 degree oven but cooked longer). We have both gotten in the habit of inverting our ratios so that if we add grains or pasta or whatever else, it’s about 60/40 veggies to grains. I feel like this lets me eat what I am craving while still making sure I am eating my fill of veggies.

    1. +1 to roasted veggies as a way to eat healthy with minimal cooking. I regularly roast big batches of broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. and then keep them in the fridge to eat on their own or throw into whatever I make for the rest of the week: salads, sandwiches, wraps, pasta, burritos or whatever else. I also use a lot of veggies and beans/tofu/tempeh relative to grains (and always the whole grain version), but obviously if you’re worried about carbs you can cut back on those even more or eliminate entirely.

      1. +2. I am deeply lazy and love love love roasted veggies. Recently I’ve been doing onions and bell peppers and then adding zucchini about halfway thru the total cooking time.

        1. I love roasted veg too.

          Sometimes I wonder if all of the olive oil is less healthy though. Otherwise I steam vegetables. Or is olive oil so good for you that balances things? I’ve never talked to a dietician about that. And I both love the roasted “char” but then feel guilty, as we have a lot of cancer in my family and I know that the char is something I’m supposed to avoid.

          What is your perfect “eyeball” amount of oil you use when roasting?

          I also feel like it takes awhile to figure out … for your oven, your temperature, your pan… for each vegetable… what the perfect amount of time/oil etc. is to get things roasted just like you like it. Once you figure it out, it is wonderful, but I feel like sometimes we throw around recipes and make it all sound “so simple”. But it is really easy to make bad tasting roasted vegetables, I have learned! And often when you mix things they all cook at different rates, and of course it depends exactly how big you chop things and what kind of potato etc…

          Cooking is really a learned art.

          1. I never mix veggies. I usually roast more than one at a time, but I make enough of each that it requires a full pan to roast properly and it’s hard to get the timing right for more than one.

            As for the olive oil, I don’t eat meat, very little dairy/eggs, and not much ultra processed food, so I need to get fat from somewhere. I’m all about the olive oil, nuts, and seeds. If you have some reason to be on a low fat diet or are really trying to restrict calories then you want to be reasonable with the amount, but it’s one of the healthiest fats you can use and I find that eating enough fat makes a big difference in keeping me from being constantly hungry.

          2. Olive oil

            Yes, olive oil can be healthy. Yes, olive oil can be less so.

            Extra virgin olive oil as a salad oil or oil you use cold for dressing. Very much a healthy oil. (Unless you keep it for too long, so it goes rancid, or in too much light, so it goes rancid.)

            Extra virgin olive oil as a high heat oil is a pearls for swine situation. Olive oil has a lower smoke point, so you are much better off with e.g. ghee for frying. (Like serving heritage grass fed steak extra well done.)

            Generic olive oil from whatever source. Meh in terms of healty, but so, so much better than a monocrop or rain forest destroying oil (soy, palm etc) in terms of environmental and global impact. Better than seed oils.

          3. I thought generic olive oil from whatever source was probably rancid, olive oil flavored filbert oil!

      2. Can I do this with butternut squash? I have several and don’t know what to do with them other than baked.

        1. I bake butternut squash and then scoop the softened flesh out to use in things like risotto or soup. I don’t want to be carving a whole squash into cubes, it’s just too much for me.

          But when I buy already-cubed butternut squash from the store, then I roast those cubes just like I would any other roasted vegetable. I always add kosher salt to my roasted veggies, but with squash, which can be bland, I tend to use more spices – nutmeg is good, so is cumin, and I love a za’atar spice mix on roasted squash the best.

          1. Yes, this. When a recipe calls for cubed butternut squash, I buy it precut or just use sweet potatoes instead. Not worth the effort of chopping a squash!

          2. Among other things, cutting up hard squash at home can be dangerous – sharp knife + having to push hard is not a great combo.

        2. Butternut squash is great in all forms. Roasted, baked, put in a rice pot, made into a soup, or even into muffins.

          I also recently discovered that it makes for a delicious veggie taco filling with black beans.

  3. I’m the poster whose Dad had the birthday party I could go to. I went to a nursery for some plants, then a concert and had a great time with friend!

    A few relatives were in town for it and they dropped by and it was great to see them. They did ask my why I hadn’t been at other events…which is how I found it there’s other things I hadn’t been invited to join. I’m nearly 40 but feel like such a baby, feeling hurt. He’s nice to me and hasn’t ever said there’s a problem. A relative suggested he’s not coping with my diagnosis but I would have thought that’s a reason to spend more time with me before I’m gone, not less.

    1. I’m really sorry you are dealing with this and glad you had a fun day and sounds like you have supportive friends.

    2. I am so sorry – that must feel so cruddy.

      I’m glad you have good friends who stick by your side.

    3. I don’t know if this will come as an comfort to you, but I am part of a community of people whose partners have chronic illness, and it’s really common that their parents handle it super poorly, while the partners’ parents actually do a pretty good job. Think things like not visiting, not checking in, kids not reaching out to them.

      1. OP here – it does, thank you, although I wish it didn’t happen to others.
        My in-laws (even extending out to cousins!) have been incredibly kind and supportive so I’m glad that others experience the good stuff too.

    4. I’m sorry. In case you need to hear it from someone else, this is about him and not you.

    5. First, fantastic that you had a great day! Well played!

      Second, wow. It is so hurtful of your father to exclude you from multiple birthday events, and then let you discover it through other people. There is just no excuse for that. Loving parents don’t treat their children that way, end of story. Of course you’re hurt. I hope that you can see that for what it is and just write him off. He is going to continue to disappoint and hurt you. Please surround yourself with loving people and live your wonderful life.

    6. I’m so sorry for everything you are going through with your family.

      I was a caregiver for many years for my father after he broke his back and became paralyzed and used a wheelchair. It was really shocking how people treated him… his friends… strangers… the health care system…. even his own family. It broke my heart.

      Fortunately some people, some strangers… some family… rise to the occasion. But it was startling to me how many people ran away, not knowing “how to deal” with it. Or just wanting to protect their own feelings, ?live in denial. The feelings of abandonment this causes is so painful, and makes the trauma of having an injury/chronic diagnosis all the more difficult for the person who is actually suffering with it.

      I had a life changing diagnosis recently, and they are search for an additional “hidden cancer” every day, as I go from doctor to doctor, scan to scan… And what has my family done? Mostly hide. They are worried… scared…. I think? But my closest family has done almost nothing. Not even call me to check in on me. I have to reach out to them and ask for help… so I almost never do….. and then feel like I am bothering them/intruding/stressing them out. So I try to mostly keep to myself.

      Please everyone…. when you have family and friends that you know are ill, or caregiving, or suffering… especially if they are alone… Please, reach out to them. Don’t ask them to reach out to you if they need help. That is just one more task for them to have to do. And they know that if you really wanted to help you would actually be proactive and try to do something.

      Or maybe you just don’t know that. So now you know.

      OP, I am proud of you for your resilience. Hang in there, and keep moving forward. There is no other way.

      1. +1 When my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer, I went with him to a place he used to hang out with friends in the afternoons (a local cafe) and tons of his former friends avoided him and didn’t even say hi. It absolutely broke my heart for him.

        I’m really sorry your family are being horrible to you.

    7. ugh. people suck. It’s a weird kind of hard to have a superficially fine relationship with parents, and then stuff like this happens and you’re reminded actually they kind of suck.

      Re “such a baby, feeling hurt”….I have been there. It’s so hard as an adult, and feels so dumb but yet it still really hurts. Like when my parents completely ignored my 30th birthday. Even worse, we all spent the day together at a family outing doing kid stuff with niece and nephew and sisters. I assumed there would be some kind of acknowledgment or gift or something since we were all together and there was NOTHING. I got in the car at the end of the day and bawled. Honestly, it still burns and I’m 36 now.

      On a related note, I remember posting here about it soon afterwards an y’all were really, really kind and made me feel less crazy for being upset. Thanks for that.

      1. What!? The whole day and not even an acknowledgment. I feel for you, that’s absolutely rotten. At least I could plan to spend the day elsewhere and it wasn’t my own birthday. I hope you’ve had a wonderful birthday every year since and have a smashingly good time on your 40th in a few years.

        Everybody’s kindness does make it feel easier.

    8. Oof :( I’m so sorry. Please be gentle with yourself. You’re not a baby for feeling hurt. This is a big deal and would make anyone feel left out and hurt. By someone who is “supposed to” love you unconditionally, no less!!

      I’m glad you were able to have a fun day. Please know that this is not your fault, but is 100% on his inability to deal with his own emotions in a healthy way. I’m not sure if that’s helps for now, but it’s the truth.

  4. if you are the kind of person who eats the same things over and over… what do you go to when absolutely none of your usuals sound good? i’m on a GLP so also slightly nauseous a lot of the time and food in general doesn’t sound good.

    1. I have a chronic illness and I’m frequently nauseated and in pain. My go-to when I don’t feel like eating or cooking is peanut butter on whole wheat toast, usually with apple slices. Other options: cold cereal (usually cheerios or the generic equivalent), chips and salsa (with refried beans and guac if I can stomach it), popcorn and applesauce, hummus on a whole wheat pita (plus chopped veggies and pickles if I’m up for it). Apparently I like crunchy, salty, and sour things, but nothing too rich or strongly flavored.

    2. Plain bagel and cream cheese, cheerios with milk, peanut butter on an english muffin, broth based soup and pita bread.

    3. ‘Always slightly nauseous’ is basically my life. I eat a lot of raw fruits/veggies and then try to get in protein any way I can manage it – cheese sticks, cheese quesadillas, cold cereal with milk, PB&J, handfuls of nuts, etc. Anything without much of a smell, preferrably cold, is usually safe. One thing a nutritionist taught me when nothing sounds good is to ask yourself ‘cold or hot’ and then ‘sweet or savory’ and then ‘crunchy or smooth’ as a way to ID something you can tolerate. So: cold, savory, crunchy might be a cheese stick, baby carrots, sliced peppers, and pretzels for dinner. I also tell myself something is better than nothing and try to eat at least something with protein, or if I can’t manage that a drink with sugar (usually tea with sugar and milk, or a gatorade/soda).

    4. Green smoothies and then something crunchy and kind of bland, like Bevita Breakfast Biscuits or crackers or rice cakes.

      Green smoothies, through a straw so I can drink it very quickly. It helps me feel like I’m still getting nutrients. DH has Athletic Greens that I am very casual about drinking, but I recently tried it with orange juice and it is so much better.

    5. My chronic gastritis means that I never have an appetite and that I’m always nauseous and have stomach pain.

      I pretty much live off of oatmeal, cereal (special k or cheerios) and green yogurt (I like chobani peach). I know it’s not good for me but it’s what I can manage.

    6. Scrambled egg or steamed egg
      Rice
      Mashed sweet potato or purple potato

      Fairlife high protein milk. It is really tasty, and you can even warm it up and put a drop of vanilla extract in it, maybe some cardamom and it is just like a delicious treat. And the high protein is so great that even if I only drink the milk, at least I am hydrating and getting quite a lot of nutrition.

      1. Second the Fairlife milk, for getting protein easily if dairy is not a problem. It’s good, and I also add vanilla or almond extract.

    7. Is your GLP dosage OK or would an alternate one be better? If you’re so nauseated that you’re eating a lot of bread and other carbs, that’s not great for long-term health.

    8. I eat grits when I don’t feel well in the GI, whether that’s nausea or gut issues. Not cheesy, but often with some butter or smart balance spread. But I grew up eating grits so that’s a comfort food for me. If I feel well enough, I top with an over easy egg. So good.

    9. I can relate. This happened to me on a GLP-1. I went with whatever actually sounded good That varied week to week and was rarely one of my usual go-to’s. Some weeks it was chicken noodle soup on repeat. Sourdough toast. Or if I felt like something from a favorite restaurant sounded good, I got it. I did try to supplement with protein as much as possible; often that ended up being a Fairlife Core Power or Fairlife Nutrition Plan shake. I knew it was important to take in calories so although not ideal, I would do juice or other drinks with calories. It’s probably going to be very individualized as to what you actually find tasty. I did a lot of trial and error.

  5. For people who have struggled with loss of focus and concentration and attention due to external issues like a very ill family member, where it goes on for a long time, when did you decide or how did you decide whether to go on leave or not? I don’t know that I would be able to come back if this becomes an extended leave and I’m struggling with the decision-making. I still very much enjoy my job in theory.

      1. It is, but it’s a high intensity job, and I’ve been doing it for a lot of years now, and I don’t know that I have the fire in me to sell myself in the future again, and I don’t know if that’s visible to other people.

    1. I think there’s a difference if you’re operating at 75% at work versus 25%. If you’re at 75% you’re fine, try to ride out the job as long as you can. Don’t let balls drop and keep your commitments, but it’s ok if you’re not moving forward or advancing. If you’re operating at 25% and it isn’t because of actual interruptions like doctor’s appointments, I’d see a psychiatrist for depression.

    2. This is very hard.

      In my situation, I knew that I could never do the caregiving hours that were needed and keep working, so I did FMLA. Only once I started FMLA, and could see where things were going with my family, did I make longer term plans for an extended leave. Things changed suddenly in my family’s situation, so I had to just decide and do.

      My job was totally intense, very long hours and there was no way I could have sustained it while trying to continue caregiving on the side, which was killing me. But my family situation was also so serious that we would have needed to hire around the clock care immediately for a very long period of time, which was also not only crazy expensive (unaffordable), but also not practical as you almost need to hire an additional person just to MANAGE all of the caregivers, appointments, hands on medical care at home, buying all the things/paying bills/cooking food, driving to all appointments, implementing the doctor’s orders etc… It can be a massive amount of work, that most people do not realize until they are in it.

      I knew I wouldn’t be able to return to my same exact job if I left. But I knew I was very employable and my future would be secure in my field even with an extended leave. Although transitioning back of course would be a challenge.

      So for me… there was a clear choice that had to be taken.

      Every family is different of course, and every caregiving situation/need is different.
      I was also the only one who had the expertise/flexibility in the family, although my siblings assisted… some.

      It was very helpful for me to join a support group for caregivers. It helped me figure out how to draw some of these lines, and I picked up mindfulness training to help learn to relax with breathing exercises etc… and I had some simple stress release outlets (favorite foods, bad TV, brief walk in the sun…). It’s amazing how much something chocolate and Real Housewives of NYC could help me survive another day, week… month…

    3. It was a long illness, the better part of a year. At first I took a leave, but I was monitoring email and responding to questions & doing some work while I was officially on leave. Then I dropped down to part time for several months. I found I liked that better – having work to do gave me something to focus on and some sense of normalcy. I went back to work full time not too long after my loved one died, and that was tough but I needed the income so I had to make it work.

  6. BREAKING: The Detroit Police Department says in a statement that they have taken a suspect into custody for the death of Samantha Woll, the president of a Detroit area synagogue.

    The statement does not name the suspect.

      1. “Investigators are treating her death as arising from a domestic dispute and not extremism, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation”

      1. I appreciated the update. It was a big news story a few weeks ago and I’m glad for her loved ones that they have someone in custody.

  7. based on the first thread, i’m curious – does the hive remember if/when you hit certain milestones? 1 million net worth, student loans paid, 5 million net worth, etc.

    Hubby’s loans paid by the time I was 33. We’re 46 now and right around 4MM for net worth.

      1. including property and any debt – i always thought that’s what net worth is

    1. There lots of posts here about folks paying off their loans. Occasional “I hit $1million” in savings posts.
      If I ever reached $5million it’d be because I hit the lottery, so yeah, I’d remember.

    2. Sort of. I remember we paid off our mortgage during Covid because we saved so much money on not traveling or going out to eat. We paid off our loans in our 20s when I was in Big Law and I remember it actually feeling kind of anti-climatic, but we were lucky to have a lot of family help and scholarships so the loans were pretty small.

      4M net worth at 46 is incredible. I don’t think I’d be working anymore if I had those stats.

      1. +1

        You’re super successful.

        Time to lean back and really think about how you want to spend the rest of your life.

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