Suit of the Week: Banana Republic Factory
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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.
Ooh: I always do like a good stripey suit.
This one from Banana Republic Factory is on a pretty great sale, too — the pieces were $90-$130, but are now marked to $59-$65. (Note that the extra 15% promotion does not apply to the blazer, boo.)
The blazer is available in petite and regular sizes 0-18 — the pants are down to lucky sizes, but if you call your local store they may be able to help you find your size.
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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+
Has anyone dealt with painful cracks in corner of mouth? I believe it’s angular chelitis, have derm appt scheduled for next week. Been happening since Christmas, the cracks reopen when I open mouth to eat or brush teeth. I’ve been staying hydrated and using Vaseline which helps in the moment.
A couple times – it could be fungal, bacterial or possibly due to irritation from your toothpaste. I had it recently at the corner of my nose and it hurt so bad!
Yes, and the only thing that works for me is listerine, put some on a cotton ball and dab it on the corners several times per day. Vaseline made things worse, I think it locks in the bacteria.
I think the listerine works if it is fungal, but if it is not due to an infection/too much moisture this can cause more breakdown.
This happened to me when I had to sleep wearing headgear as a kid; I think I would keep my mouth open all night and the drool situation irritated it. (I slept on my stomach).
Yes, and it’s always when I eat tortilla chips too big for my mouth lol. They go away for me in a few days.
Haha, this happens to me too!
I haven’t dealt with that particular issue, but when my kids had diaper rash the doctors always told us that Vaseline forms an outside barrier to protect, but does not moisturize at all. So try putting a rich moisturizer like Cerave on first, then topping with Vaseline.
Yes. Derm gave me some creams and it went away very quickly. Anytime it comes back, I just put some of the cream (barely used up any in the original tube) on again and it goes away. I’ve found it happens when I’m sick or have horrible allergies which cause me to breathe through my mouth while I’m sleeping.
For me it was vitamin deficiencies and very treatable. Hopefully they can figure out what it is and help you out!
This. Vitamin B2 deficiency can cause this and low iron.
B vitamins for a week and I’m good. It will turn your pee electric green/yellow.
I had this and it was a fungal infection. Doc recommended cream for jock itch/athletes foot and it worked.
My mom gets it from certain toothpastes. When she changes toothpaste, they go away.
I get it when it’s really, really dry.
Dr. Dan’s Cortibalm always clears mine up within a day or so! You can get it on Amazon
My doc says to take a dab of hydrocortisone and smush it with some lotrimin anti fungal and then dab it on a couple times a day. Works for me.
Yes! The derm prescribed a bottle of lotion to dab on with qtip. I said ok, see you later. He said – eh you won’t, the bottle’s huge. Works a charm.
I’ve had that on and off for years. Can be so painful. A nystatin prescription was a game changer.
So, going to the Bay Area to see some friends/family etc.. for a week or two. Haven’t been back in many years, since way before COVID. Since I have been only working from home, and have had some weight gain, my wardrobe is only things like Athleta joggers and Brooklyn “pants” with white T-shirts and comfy toppers/sweaters. Maybe I have a pair of black jeans that fit me… Maybe a jumpsuit…
What do you see me wearing while I am there? Trying to figure out what I need to buy….
Your outfit sounds perfectly appropriate for the Bay Area. We are notoriously casual. I’d make sure you are warm enough and dry enough, which means layering. Fleece + a lightweight puffer should pretty much cover any situation you find yourself in, but you may need to wear them both so make sure you have room in the puffer.
If you want a new outfit or two for the travel, though, you have my permission to do some shopping!
+1 your clothes sound fine for my corner of the Bay Area (Silicon Valley). Wear what makes you happy.
Thanks. That really helps.
I do live in a place that has very cold winters, so I wear very different coats I think. That may be the hole in my wardrobe. I’m not really a fleece/lightweight puffer wearer. Here I have wool coats/more substantial puffers for winter. I do have a puffer vest, but other than that – leather jackets/jean jackets/trench coats for transitional weather.
Should I just get something like this? I didn’t think it would be cold enough to be needed….
https://www.32degrees.com/products/womens-ultra-light-packable-down-jacket?variant=40128709656665
Where in the Bay Area are you going, how often will you be outside (I’m guessing a lot)? In my neck of the woods – East Bay past Berkeley – it is getting down into the 30s overnight/early morning right now. I am absolutely wearing things like this even throughout the day, if not warmer options.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll be in the South Bay / Palo Alto and surround. May walk around during the day, will be visiting folks in the evenings in the area.
You are exactly right. As a former New Yorker, now in the east bay, I can vouch for the fact that outerwear is different in the Bay. I recently bought the Lululemon Pack it Down Jacket and it’s pretty perfect for Bay Area life because it’s warm, but collapses into a little bag and is easy to carry around.
I wear a puffer vest from 32 degrees 99% of the time, haha. I’m in Berkeley. I also have a lightweight puffer with sleeves, and a lightweight shell-type raincoat with a hood. I also never have an umbrella on me, which has been a problem recently!
I do have a heavier raincoat with lining, rarely worn, and I also have a full on parka I’ve worn for winter trips to the east coast. The only time I’ve ever worn it here was to go up to Tahoe.
But unlike other regions, I also wear a lot of sweaters and layers in the summer.
I saw this company, Anatomie, online recently but don’t know anything about it.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing this. A lot of it was simple/my style. I was surprised that almost all the travel/comfortable pants are skinny style, but honestly that’s mostly what I wear anyway.
If you buy any, please let us know what you learn.
If you wear makeup I highly recommend waterproof mascara for San Francisco proper. I travel there for business and the humidity is no joke. Avoid materials that hold sweat like polyester blouses and fitted cotton tops.
You’re fine. Just get a Uniqlo puffer to go with it all for maximum blending. This is where fashion goes to die.
I’d suggest layer and comfy shoes. One of the “charms” of SF is no one cares what you are wearing.
I use twitter to follow a couple public health officials during the pandemic. I use the Tweetbot app to use twitter (do not want to contribute my attention to their advertising revenue and want to decide for myself whom to follow and have it presented in chron order, not be pushed “things we think you will like”).
Now that third party apps are not working with twitter, does anyone have any suggestions? What are you doing?
the twitter app has a tab for only people you follow. Can’t you use that?
Use twitter and set to “Following” (latest tweets) instead of “For You”. This is what I have always done though.
You can create a “list” in Twitter – my lists are the only way I’m seeing anyone I follow at all right now. I really wish IG or TikTok would adopt, it’s so great to be able to create lists for the different people I follow for different interests.
Also, a lot of these people have substacks…
I use Twitter in Brave browser.
I don’t actually follow anyone; I just keep private lists and follow those.
I use Twitter for the same purposes, plus National Weather Service tweets. Public health changes are coming slowly enough that I just check the public health experts’ twitter feeds one every few months on my web browser, not logged in.
+1
Is there a tactful way to state in a cover letter that while you’re aware you’re applying to a role posted in City A, you’re unable to relocate from City B? I’d like to apply to a few roles posted in City A and I know the (large) company has an office in my city (City B). I’m hoping it can’t hurt to apply but want to be upfront in my application so as to not waste an interviewer’s time.
I wouldn’t put anything in a cover letter about what you’re not willing to do. I’d just submit your stuff, showing that you live in City B. If they really aren’t open to City B at all, they can just reject it. If they contact you to interview, you could ask at that point if they’re open to the new hire being based in City B. They don’t need to know up front that you’re unwilling to move.
I disagree. Don’t waste my time if you already know that you are not applied for the job as advertised. I have no problem with someone who asks up front if there is flexibility as to location, hybrid, etc., but don’t waste my time unless I am aware of your restrictions.
If it’s a big company, it’s going through auto screening. Not sure whose time is being “used.” Truly, if the candidate is a good fit, location at a satellite or remote may be a non issue, especially these days. I would never put it in the cover letter. Save it for the initial interview. (Don’t continue to interview though if it isn’t flexible.)
I look at this also like the old adage of applying even if you only have 9 out of the 10 skills sought.
+1. Don’t take yourself out of the running. Let them see your qualifications and decide.
While I tend to agree that you don’t put it in a cover letter, I would 100% make sure you mention it to the HR rep as soon as they reach out. We have offices everywhere and we are not flexible. If your team is in City A and you’re on that team, you better be in City A. Not every place is like this, but I’d be upfront should you get their attention with your resume.
This was my thinking.
+1. If you’re asked the question (which you should be by a competent screener/recruiter) “are you willing to relocate?” you just say, “no, I’m not,” and they can make of it what they will. If they don’t ask, you can fairly move forward and assume it’s not a deal-breaker for them. If it turns out it is, that’s bad on them for not checking.
Doesn’t applying to a job in another city though pretty much indicate that you’re willing to move to that city? I did this a few months ago and the interviewer was very taken aback that I was not willing to move. Almost like “well then why did you apply then…”
I was suggesting she bring it up before any potential interview, just not in the cover letter. The only wasted time might be in the invitation to interview.
“Doesn’t applying to a job in another city though pretty much indicate that you’re willing to move to that city?”
No, I don’t think so, especially not these days. When I was looking to move I always wrote in my cover letter that I’d be willing to move and included a little bit about my connection to that city. Now I’m applying and most jobs that aren’t local ask if you’re willing to relocate, either in an online screening questionnaire or in the first screening call with HR.
I agree. Pre covid I think it was generally assumed that you would move but now it’s totally different with WFH. I’d bring it up after the first round of interviews or when they bring it up. As far as wasting other peoples time, companies do it all the time and if they see your city on your resume, it’s also their responsibility to confirm your position on relocating.
I don’t know, this would be an irritating waste of time if the City A role is in-person or hybrid and you don’t explain you’re only interested if that could take place in City B or you could be fully remote.
“This opportunity looks like a great fit for me in all ways but one: the location. I’m living in City B and if there’s a chance this role could be based in your office here, or primarily remote, I would love to be considered.”
This script is so good
I completely agree and love this script. I also hate to inform people but a lot of “screening” is actually done by real people and wasting time like this means the whole process takes longer. I hire a lot, work for a company with multiple offices and if I’m flexible on location I say so up front. This would not play well with me.
So screening is literally part of your job. Others shouldn’t have to self-screen and guess what your non-negotiables will be to save you time.
It’ s not like the employers are going to be any more efficient on the flip side. I can’t tell you how many times in my career I’ve seen jobs being recruited for where the position then closes. It’s life. Your time isn’t always going to be more valuable than the right fit for the employer or job seeker.
Hit me with your best recommendations/tips/itineraries for Dublin (4 nights) and Edinburgh (3 nights) in mid-June. 3 adults (one elderly but reasonably mobile) and 2 young kids (2 and 4). We’re staying at the Conrad in Dublin and an airbnb in New Town in Edinburgh. TIA!
Oh fun! New Town is great for just wandering. Go to the botanics – the glasshouses are lovely and it’s such a nice walk. I have a 5 year old and the National Museum has been a hit since he was a baby bet, it has loads of interactive stuff and a play room, etc. Dynamic Earth is supposed to be very cool but this was my parenting fail of the month – we went without checking the opening hours. The garden at Modern One is really lovely. Wandering along the pathways on the Water of Leith.
TY!
No question really. A family member is going through a psychological crisis and dealing with a lot of medical and developmental (not sure that is the right term, but a lot of issues weren’t caught when they were younger and dealing with them as an older person is likely much harder than it should have been) issues, all of which are (IMO) heavily stigmatized. Helping them with all this is . . . incredibly stressful. And their situation seems to be chronic, vs something that will likely resolve quickly. And yet I feel that I cannot talk about this — it’s not really my situation to share and I care about their privacy and reputation (we are in the same community). I spent all yesterday wanted to scream into the void. So I’m typing my screaming here.
I hear you.
When I have been in your situation, what helped me the most were discussion/support groups I found for those medical problems/disorders and caregivers/families of those individuals. Usually you can find them just poking around online. If mental illness is included, you can check your local NAMI family support groups, or even just call and talk with their support staff. That helped when I had specific questions and/or just wanted to vent.
I also learned that most things are actually NOT stigmatized as much as you might think they are. What is true is that there is a ton of ignorance surround most of these issues. Remember, that most people mean well, but don’t always know the right thing to say/do. Support can come from the most unlikely of places (and often not from your “friends”, unfortunately). And sometimes by you freely bringing up these things with friends you trust, can get people to reveal their stories/experiences when you had no idea….
I went through this, and it is very difficult. The person with whom I usually consult on everything was the person having issues, and so was not available to consult. Is there even one person in whom you can confide and with whom you can discuss?
Totally and completely feel you. My sister is bipolar and went from “normal” to massive psychological breakdown requiring a year of intensive inpatient and outpatient care, plus subsequent years and years of help. She was like, 27.
She’s very high functioning now at 35- lives alone, has a job and a dog. She just….can’t…some days. She has weight problems she never had due to the bipolar (meds, depression, etc); she has health problems related to the weight problems. She has anxiety/dating problems related to her weight and overall mental health. She will be like this forever. It’s so hard.
I need to beef up my wardrobe to go into my business casual (more casual than business) office a couple of days a week and the Talbot’s sale is calling to me. Does anyone have go-to pants at Talbots? Other recs are welcome but I definitely need pants.
I just bought the perfect chino and it fits perfectly. Usually I get a curvy cut if it’s offered, but the curvy was sold out in all colors so I tried the regular and the fit was spot-on. I’m a size 8, 5’6″, fwiw.
Do they require ironing?
Depends on how casual your business casual is, LOL. I’m more of a “take stuff out of the drier as soon as it buzzes and it’s good enough” kind of person.
The fabric is pretty sturdy, so it doesn’t look rumpled as soon as you sit down for the first time.
They’ve had their Chatham and Hampshire pant styles forever so if you find that one of those fits you (and I believe they also have a “curvy” fit in both) you’re good to shop online forever. The Chathams come in more fabrics and colors but too clingy for me sadly- Hampshire fits my pear shape.
I weighed in at the doctors office today and even though I knew I had gained weight, it ended up being a lot more than I thought (like double digits more). I’ve decided to get a scale for home use for the first time. Does anyone have any recs? What about a scale that includes muscle & body fat percentage, etc? Are they accurate? If you have one, have you noticed it decreases dysmorphia/other bad feelings since you’re getting more of the bigger picture instead of just a weight number?
I think simple is best – just weight. But then, when I weigh myself it’s in the morning as I am stumbling out of bed and into consciousness and I can only handle one number.
Also, I swear my doctor’s office’s scale adds a few pounds.
It does…. clothes/shoes/your angst…
I agree with simple. I just bought this one on recommendation of Wirecutter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0871WJ4NY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
I like the arboleaf scale, it syncs up to an app and includes BMI, weight, body fat, muscle composition, body water, skeletal muscle, etc. It seems accurate in the sense that it’s very consistent and the app has lots of graphs to show changes over time which is great.
A scale can’t accurately measure body fat don’t bother.
I have the Posture Body Fat scale. It uploads the data to my phone via bluetooth. Overall, scales are good for trends but not necessarily accuracy – e.g., body fat decreasing over time. As someone with tendencies towards bad feelings (as you put it), I found weighing myself every morning to be helpful because I realized how much variability there is day to day and more data tended to make any one datapoint less significant.
I bought a Wyze smart scale. I don’t know how accurate muscle and body fat percentages are in terms of actual numbers, but I like looking at the graphs to see how things have changed (hello fluctuation around my cycle!). I’ve been weighing myself for a month now and haven’t noticed any bad feelings but I’m trying really hard to view it as data rather than a reflection of any self worth or personal failings.
I have a Fitbit scale that syncs with the rest of my activity data and makes it easy to track over time. It seems fairly accurate (fluctuates a pound or two from day to day and a few pounds less than at the doctor, which makes sense when you account for clothing). It does do body fat, but I don’t pay much attention to that, as I don’t think it’s that reliable. Like someone else said, when you measure every day, it’s just one more number among many, not something to really obsess about. I look at it along with my steps and heart rate and sleep and all the other Fitbit exercise data, and if it starts trending up, I put in some extra effort to get back to my normal, but it’s not something to feel bad about.
+1 to measuring daily to make it seem like less of a thing or a big deal.
I have a friend who has a scale that syncs to her phone. She weighs herself before she puts her contacts in so she doesn’t actually know what the weight says and then checks the app like once a week to se e whether her weight is stable or trending or trending down.
I have a renpho scale and am happy with it for weight, but am deeply skeptical of its ability to measure muscle mass, body fat, body water, etc. Partially because body water is rated identically when I wake up parched to after I’ve hydrated over many hours. Also because my muscle mass AND body fat percentage tends to stay the same even when I’ve lost a little weight. So take those features with a big grain of salt.
A very good friend of mine is a late-in-life lesbian (married for a long time, came out about five years ago). She’d love to meet other ladies like her, 50-something, single, available for dating and possible LTR. Where does one go to meet ladies like this? Most gay bars in Los Angeles are geared towards men. Meet-ups tend to be either women already in relationships or 20-somethings. What can y’all recommend? Halp!
Not at all joking when I say that any of the big Episcopal churches in LA would be a good option if she’s Christian.
Hard agree. Also I wouldn’t discount online dating – a dear friend met her lovely same-sex spouse that way a few years back.
She tried it and it seemed to be mostly wackos. She’s not in to religion, alas, as there’s a very large, very active, very everything Episcopal church in town I recommended to her already.
Yeah, I’m not surprised about the wackos in online dating. Maybe a choir? Hiking meetups? Volunteering?
Go on social media and praise JK Rowling. She will find her people.
wut
There are very few gay bars left in the country that are primarily intended as spaces for women and non-binary folks, but one of them, Gossip Grill, is in San Diego which isn’t terribly far away. The one time I visited there were plenty of Gen-Xers. Some regular gay bars will have a weekly or monthly women’s night, or there are sometimes pop-up events.
Dating apps are an obvious option, and I’d specifically tell her to download Lex. It’s part dating app, part community app, patterned after old school newspaper classifieds and meant only for queer women and non-binary people. There are a lot of posts by Gen-Zers but you can filter by age. She can post what you asked and will likely get tons of recommendations from other queer women specific to her location, or at least commiseration.
While queer spaces tend to be dominated by men, there’s a lot of overlap between feminist and lesbian spaces. Volunteer opportunities with organizations like Planned Parenthood or NOW might be another good option to meet people, or feminist book stores and book clubs.
But hands down the best way to meet queer women is through other queer women, so I wouldn’t discount making friends with women in relationships – they probably have single friends (or exes, lol).
Hinge or Bumble
A friend of mine who was always a closeted lesbian but never married to a man finally met her first same sex partner by taking an art class at a local women’s college! That relationship didn’t last, but that woman introduced her to the local lesbian community, and that’s how she met her now long-term partner.
Thank you so much, ladies. I’ll ask if she knows about Lex. We plan to take a language class together when scheduling permits, and I try to get her to go with me to the local museum. She’s not *un*happily single but she wouldn’t say no to trying to find Ms. RIght.
I think going to meet ups is a great way to integrate into the community, even if they are younger or in relationships. I heard from my former boss that the lesbian community is small.