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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 131 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Boden

Suit of the Week

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boden-womens-suiting.indexedFor 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. Who knew Boden offered women's suiting? They actually have two styles right now — a ponte knit and then this lovely Italian stretch wool, which has a ton of matching pieces. (We have confirmation of that — a very nice lady at customer service compared swatches for me.) The dresses look amazing (sleeves! ruching! a nice hemline!) and the blazer, skirt and pants all look like great basics. The jacket (Bishopsgate Wool Blazer) is $228, the ruched front dress (Walbrook Wool Dress) is $218,the V-neck notch dress (Farringdon Wool Dress) is $198, the skirt (Southbank Wool Skirt) is $118, and the wideleg trousers (not pictured) (Wideleg Wool Trousers) are on sale — were $148, now $118.40. All of the pieces are available in black and navy, in talls, regulars and petites, in sizes ranging from 2-18. Nice.
boden-womens-suiting-1.indexed boden-womens-suiting-2.indexed boden-womens-suiting-4.indexed
(L-all)

Sales of note for 9.19.24

  • Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September, and cardmembers earn 3x the points (ends 9/22)
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Boden – 15% off new styles
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
  • J.Crew – 50% off select styles — and 9/19 only, 50% off the cashmere wrap
  • J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
  • Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
  • Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
  • Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Anniversary event, 25% off your entire purchase — Free shipping, no minimum, 9/19 only
  • Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
  • Tuckernuck – Friends & Family Sale – get 20%-30% off orders (ends 9/19).
  • White House Black Market – 40% off select styles

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Bewitched

    Beautiful! If only Boden offered a one-time Corporette discount for readers of this post (Kat-hint, hint!)

  2. D

    Has anyone ordered from Boden before? Was just browsing and there’s a pair of shoes I really like but nervous to order…

    • Mountain Girl

      My favorite skirt that I own is from Boden. I’ve never had any problems at all with their orders. But, it does seem that you have a fairly short return window (7 days maybe) if you purchase something from clearance. Just be certain you know the return time frame and you’ll be good.

    • Lady Litigator

      I have had a few nice suits from Boden, and other things too. Their shoes are great quality and are mostly made in Italy. Some items are shipped from the UK, though, so be prepared to wait – however, their returns are GREAT (up to a year on most items!).

      • In the Pink

        +1,000

        I have to say that most of their dresses seem to be either sheaths or empire waists. Not good for curvy figures. That is sad as their construction and fabrics are stupendous!

        I believe there IS a time window for returns on sale items. Read carefully.

    • Eliza

      I’m a confirmed Boden fan. Their pieces are well made and customer service is very good. Some orders are shipped from their US warehouse and some from the UK, so shipping times vary. Great company.

  3. Ellen

    I would LOVE to be fashioneable, but as an attorney who MUST be in court, I have to be conservative b/c I can NOT have peeople stareing at me. I therefore stick to basic thing’s and conserveative CLOSED toe shoes (Anne Klein is my trademark). I do allow myself FIRE ENGINE RED lipstick, b/c the manageing partner wants me to be NOTICED by the judge in Court.

    In Depo’s, I typically do NOT dress up to much b/c I am NOT tryeing to impress anyone. I already have my cleint, and I am NOT big on tryeing to impress the other side.

    The manageing partner and Margie left early today b/c the weather is so nice. They decided to get a 53 FOOT CABIN KRUZER. I told him my dad love’s to go for a boat ride, so the manageing partner will invite our whole family out this summer to the HAMTON”s where his boat will be MOORE’D.

    Robert says he will take me out for food after the MET’s game. I told him I have to watch my tuchus, and he said he would watch it for me. FOOEY! I do NOT want him to be grabbeing my tuchus like that other oaf from school.

    • Leslie

      I refuse to believe that someone who writes so poorly could possibly be an attorney.

  4. Leigh

    How does their sizing run? I’m usually an 8 at Talbots, a 12 at Loft. I’m looking at a dress and have never ordered from them. Is their size chart pretty accurate?

    • Lady Harriet

      I haven’t bought anything new from Boden, but I do have several hand me downs from them, and they tend to run about a size big.

    • Bonnie

      This suit makes me want to give Boden another chance. In my experience, Boden runs true to size but is designed more for straight shapes. The skirts and dresses are fairly long and the waists sit high.

        • hoola hoopa

          This makes me so sad. I love their style, but the fit is not meant to be :(

          • PharmaGirl

            Not sure about the hips. I have narrower hips and have mostly ordered tops from them because I find pants/skirts so difficult to buy online.

        • AIMS

          I wear a D cup and have no issues with Boden tops for the most part. The only issue I’ve had is with their tunics which tend to run narrow in the hips for me if they fit me in the shoulders.

          • Eliza

            Same. I’m a 32D and haven’t had any issues with tops. Their wrap dresses offer decent coverage for the endowed, too.

          • Anonymous

            I’m a DD and love their dresses, plus I have multiple tunics and tops. I’m hourglass-shaped with a relatively slim build and their dresses fit like they’re tailored. I pay really close attention to reviews and individual garment measurements though, and I’ve definitely sent things back that weren’t flattering. I am a 6 at Ann Taylor and own things in sizes 4-8 from Boden, with 6 being my default size.

    • gov anon

      I’m usually either a 6 or an 8 at Talbots, depending on how boxy the cut is and a solid 8 in Boden. And I am now lusting after the Walbrook dress. Since my birthday is tomorrow I can order it, right? Right?

    • MJ

      I order from Boden frequently, but return a lot of what I order. They usually offer free shipping/returns.

      If you click through on any given item, the exact measurements are available on a secondary tab in either cm or inches. Note that their stuff does run a tad boxy, usually does not allow tons of room for hips though, but is great if you’re busty. I find that I love their talls, but sometimes get the waist nipped by my tailor to make sure their dresses don’t hang like a sack. Also, I generally size down unless it’s for a skirt (to accommodate my hips). So I am one size below my JCrew/Banana/Gap size when shopping at Boden.

      Also note that their blazers do not come in tall, but their dresses, pants do. So that’s a bummer for those of us with long arms.

      • MJ

        PS –I own the Walbrook dress and it’s AH-MAZING. I posted it here last week in response to someone’s “tall sheath dress” query. I look and feel like $1MM in it.

    • Kanye East

      IME, the sizing is pretty standard, but the proportions are wonky. Very large in the bust and natural waist (seems like all of their dresses that aren’t empire waists have very high waists), somewhat narrow in the hips, and short all over.

  5. mintberrycrunch

    Sigh… I love these dresses, but they are sold out in my size in black & navy, and the other colors available wouldn’t suit me. Does anyone have any idea if/when Boden restocks?

    • Sydney Bristow

      I love them too but I am trying to keep reminding myself that I rarely wear dresses regardless of how much I love them. I’m a skirt and top person through and through.

  6. Muddy Buddy

    1. These are beautiful, and I want all of them.

    2. I wanted to post and say thank you to the people who responded to my sad TJ late yesterday afternoon about my “f’up shame spiral” (h/t cbackson for that term)–I didn’t get to check back in until this morning and I figured no one would see my response by then. Everyone hit the nail on the head with their advice and thoughts. I’ve booked a trip for next weekend with NO WORK ALLOWED. I think that will help regain focus and perspective.

    • cbackson

      Good for you! Take some time to be with yourself, and I guarantee that you’ll come back feeling more secure and more confident. And your work will reflect it. And you will be happier. So it’ll be a win all around.

  7. NOLA

    What kind of gift would you buy someone who is graduating from college and starting law school in the fall? Anything that would be fun that you know she’ll need?

      • Cornellian

        amendment to SunnyD’s suggestion: Bluebook WITH A DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION. best thing to happen to my journal experience.

    • TCFKAG

      A coupon for therapy?

      But seriously folks. If you want something a little fun maybe a gift basket with highlighters, pens, note cards that sort of thing, and a gift card to Amazon or the library at their school. Also useful would be a business card holder and a coupon for them to print out personalized business cards at one of those on-line business card places (since law students basically start job hunting from day 1.)

      • NOLA

        Oh, that’s an interesting idea! I already bought some business card holders, but wasn’t thinking about a law student needing one. Should it be subdued colors or anything? I’m not sure where she’s going to law school. Maybe staying here. I’ll have to ask.

      • anon

        Yes to this. A friend of mine gave me hilighters and coffee and also a CD full of her 1L outlines. At the time I was confused, but I sure appreciated them come fall!

    • Anon

      I would have appreciated gift cards – Starbucks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or even Staples (or Office Depot). I went through a ton of highlighters, sticky flags, and coffee, and had to buy a lot of really expensive books (and supplements! Let’s not forget the racket that are E&Es and the like). Anything that could have contributed to offset those expenses, I would have appreciated.

      If you want to get a small tangible gift, the OXO Good Grips LiquiSeal travel coffee mug is the best travel mug of all time. Or, perhaps even office supplies. I love office supplies.

      • Sydney Bristow

        I wish someone would give me a Staples gift card just because it’s Wednesday. I want all of the office supplies!

        A travel mug is a really good idea too.

  9. Anonymous

    Do not do business with friends. Even if you think your friend is super reliable and does great work. Just don’t do it.

  10. foot drop?

    I have this in my left foot as a result of a neurological issue that has yet to be diagnosed. It started suddenly a week and a half ago with a numb foot/outer calf. I can’t move my foot upwards or walk normally, which caused a sprained ankle and fall. My doc immediately blamed a herniated disc, but I have no back pain or issues, and never have. No injuries either. My health insurance required xrays before MRI, and those came back totally normal, which doesn’t surprise me. Should be able to get the MRI scheduled this week, but I wanted to see if any of you ladies have suffered from this. Would love to hear some recovery stories or encouragement. The foot drop itself is a symptom of an underlying cause, which can be any number of things, so it may take awhile to diagnose and it’s not a given that it’s a temporary condition. I’m a lifelong runner and this is seriously depressing, not to mention stressful.

    • Anon Runner

      I had a foot drop that was the result of a pulled nerve. Have you gotten fitted for orthotics? This is what my neurologist recommended right away to avoid tripping over your foot and other further injuries. For me, while my foot was numb to the touch I often had the sensation that something was crawling on it, strong enough that it would wake me from sleep. Then a lot of the feeling came back all at once as sharp pain. My doctor thought the pain was as a result of the weight of the foot pulling on tendons, but of course I couldn’t feel this pain while the damage was being done. If your MRI came back normally, there should be no damage to your tendons yet.

      Anyway, I had 1-2 weeks of numbness, then about 80% of the feeling came back within the next 2 weeks and almost a year later it is still semi-numb but I have full control of the foot. I wear orthotics almost all the time due to the tendon pain and was told I’d need the orthotics for exercising for the rest of my life. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten back to running yet, but hope to soon. Also, I had an EMG to check to see if the nerve damage was permanent. This was very unpleasant on the damaged leg, but the same test on the normal leg felt like almost nothing. Based on my experience, I would recommend waiting a couple weeks to see if the damage reverses itself before putting yourself through this test. Best of luck!

    • Kanye East

      You *can* have herniation without pain. Probably 75% of humans on the planet are walking around with asymptomatic bulging or herniated discs. What you’re describing is a classic symptom of L4/L5 or L5/S1 nerve root compression. Of course, it could be caused by any number of other things, and if your MRI is clear, it sounds like you can rule that out.

      There are a few ways to stretch the nerves that affect the lower body; I’m sure you can find some with Dr. Google or YouTube. And look for a good massage therapist; sometimes they can work magic.

      (Oh, and I read a study a three or four years ago that looked at lumbar disc herniation in marathoners; they determined that running had no correlation to increased disc pressure or nerve pain. So if it turns out you do have something going on with discs, it shouldn’t be the end of your running career.)

    • foot drop?

      Thanks for your responses. This is useful information. I actually had not thought of stretching as a way to help nerves, so I’ll check that out. I suppose it’s possible I have an asymptomatic herniated disc…never thought I would be *hoping* for that as a best case scenario.

      Anon Runner, I haven’t gone the orthotics route yet because I’m in an air cast for the sprain for a few weeks. Good to know about the EMG, and also glad you recovered, at least with having control of your foot.

    • Anonymous

      Agree with KE that it still could be a disc problem even if you’re not having back problems. I had tingling that progressed to numbness down my leg into my foot and after an MRI, was diagnosed with multilevel degenerative disc disease. My problem was L4/L5. After a round of steroids, I ended up with 2 cortisone steroid shots in my spine, which got rid of the numbness. Hoping the MRI gives you some answers and a path forward.

  11. Anonymous

    My husband always has flowers delivered to me for our anniversary, and I’d like to have something delivered to him as well. But – he’s a high school teacher, so it has to be something that (1) he likes, and (2) that is tasteful and appropriate for being a classroom teacher.

    Does anyone have any ideas? It doesn’t have to be through a formal delivery company – the right present can be delivered by a friend of mine during the day to the school.

    Thanks so much!

    • TCFKAG

      How about a giant bag of his favorite candy that he can either hoard for himself or share with his students?

    • mascot

      edible arrangements? a nice plant for his classroom? A candy bouquet? I gave my husband a pinata for our first anniversary (paper) filled with his favorite candy.

    • Meg Murry

      His favorite meal delivered just before lunch/just at lunch? Or do you work close enough to take him lunch? My friends that are school teachers never get to go out to lunch because their lunch period is too short, so could you bring a restaurant lunch (or dessert) to him?
      Other thoughts:
      A cookie basket or edible arrangement (he could share with fellow teachers in the break room?)
      A potted plant for his desk/classrom?
      Bacon roses bouquet? http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Roses/
      Or just slip a card in his work bag or ask a teacher friend to put one on his desk after he leaves the night before.

    • Ellen

      I recomend giveing him a box of Cupcakes from Crumb’s. I read in today’s Wall Street Journal that the stock price of Crumb’s is literaly Crumbeling. That is terible. Here is an EXERPT from the Wall Street Journal article, which my Dad make’s me read EVERY day to become financialy astute: Now he want’s me to eat less b/c of my TUCHUS. FOOEY!

      FROM TODAY’s Wall STREET JOURNAL (THANKS DAD). The dessert became a cultural and economic phenomenon over the last decade, with gourmet cupcake shops proliferating across the country, selling increasingly elaborate and expensive concoctions.The craze hit a high mark in June 2011, when Crumbs Bake Shop Inc., CRMB -12.35% a New York-based chain, debuted on the Nasdaq Stock Market NDAQ -1.19% under the ticker symbol CRMB. Its creations—4″ tall, with fillings such as vanilla custard, caps of butter cream cheese, and decorative flourishes like a whole cookie—can cost $4.50 each. After trading at more than $13 a share in mid-2011, Crumbs has sunk to $1.70. It dropped 34% last Friday, in the wake of Crumbs saying that sales for the full year would be down by 22% from earlier projections, and the stock slipped further this week. Crumbs in part blamed store closures from Hurricane Sandy, but others say the chain is suffering from a larger problem: gourmet-cupcake burnout.

      “The novelty has worn off,” says Kevin Burke, managing partner of Trinity Capital LLC, a Los Angeles investment banking firm that often works in the restaurant industry.
      Crumbs now has 67 locations, nearly double the number it had less than two years ago. “These are singularly focused concepts,” says Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic Inc., a Chicago research and consulting firm that specializes in the food industry. “You’re not going to Crumbs every day.””It’s a short-term trend and we’re starting to see a real saturation,” he adds. “Demand is flat. And quite frankly, people can bake cupcakes.”

      =========
      PS I love Crumb’s!!!! YAY!!!!

  12. Clearly Speaking

    From the photos, I’d say they are targeting the J. Crew set. Not my cup of tea at all.

  13. consulting?

    I also love these dresses. I also kind of love the polka-dotted blouse with the navy blazer–I hope no one will take away my ‘r3tt3 card for admitting it!

    I’m wondering if anyone here has experience working as a marketing or development consultant, specifically for non-profits. I’m in the non-profit world myself and have a lot of both marketing and development experience, and I’ve suddenly started to think about leveraging those skills as a consultant rather than at a single organization. (There happens to be a pretty major consulting firm in my city, so I’m trying to snag an informational interview with people there.)

    If anyone does this–or something close to this–I’d be really curious to hear how you got into it, what kind of skills you think are most valuable, and so on. Anybody?

    • TCFKAG

      If people take away your r3tt3 card for loving polka dots….WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR?????

      Sorry I have nothing else to add. :-P

    • Curious George

      Polka dotted blouse is my fave part of this outfit but I’m afraid with my broad shoulders this look might be too masculine for me.

    • hellskitchen

      Are you thinking a consulting firm’s nonprofit practice or a firm that does only nonprofit consulting? In my experience it’s hard to break into these places unless you have prior business consulting experience or are being recruited out of grad school. Another option may be join a venture philanthropy that gives money as well as consulting support to grantees… you can then apply your skills to consult a wider range of grantee clients

    • ANP

      It’s late in the day so you may not see this but I’ve had that job. I read comments every day so if you post an email address on one of tomorrow’s threads I’d be happy to shoot you a note with everything I know.

  14. momentsofabsurdity

    Again hoping other R e t t e s in Boston are safe. A friend just texted me saying they cleared the federal courthouse due to a bomb threat.

  15. Sydney Bristow

    I hate all the student loan companies! My federal loans were sold to a new servicer and they messed everything up and have my payments all 1 month off so it looks like I’m past due even though I’ve already paid for this month. I’m normally pretty good at getting good help from customer service on the phone and am always really nice but firm when necessary and all they could do is submit it to the research department (again) and have them look it over. I originally sent them detailed information about all of my previous payments to the old servicer and the dates they were made and the due date for which bill it applied to and they say there wasn’t a mistake. Not sure what the researcher is going to be able to do differently this time, but hopefully they will get it right and actually call me back like they promised when the research is complete.

    The first woman I spoke to was very nice but didn’t have the authority to do anything other than submit a research request again and I felt bad escalating it to her supervisor but then he was a jerk and wasn’t even able to give me consistent answers and then either didn’t have the authority to really do anything either or just didn’t want to help me. Grrrrrr.

    • JMDS

      Ugh. I’m sorry. I’ve had problems with my servicer as well. When I set up direct withdrawl for payments, they “accidentally” charged me 3 times one month. My payments are pretty significant, so it caused a huge problem. Then they would only refund one payment and credit next month with the other.

      Have you written them a letter explaining everything? I wrote a pretty stern letter explaining how they had exceeded their monthly authorization and so on. Didn’t help all that much, but at least it was documented if you have future problems.

      • Sydney Bristow

        It all started with a letter. The phone call today was because their original response to my letter was that they assigned someone to research the issue and to call them on April 17th if it hadn’t been resolved by then. Supposedly the research was completed on April 8th, but obviously their research person messed something up.

        My original letter listed all of my previous payments like this:
        1st payment due 5/28/2012 and payment made 5/1/2012
        2nd payment due 6/28/2012 and payment made 5/31/2012
        and all the way through to the last payment I made them.

        If the research showed that something was wrong with what I had sent them then I would have hoped there would be a note on my account about the discrepancy. Instead the note just said “Research complete. Next payment due 4/28/2013.”

        A friend of mine had her automatic payments messed up too although hers only went through twice and her bank was able to cancel the second one, which she noticed after it overdrafted her account!

    • Meg Murry

      Yeah, my new servicer sucks too. I got a notice saying my payment was overdue, then spent over an hour listening to their hold music only to be told – no, if you had direct payments setup, your payment won’t be late. Oh really? Then why did you send me the notice?
      Also I hate the fact that they have NO amortization tables or options on their website. There is a link to click to look at “lower your monthly payment” but I can get no information about how adjusting my payment up or down would effect the total interest I’m paying over the life of the loan. How is this “helping” the general public if you can’t give me something as basic as an amortization table and total lifetime cost of the loan.
      Not to mention the fact that their password policy is wacky and requires me to have a jumble of letters, characters and symbols etc that I’m never going to remember. Why do I care if someone hacks into my student loan account? What are they going to do, pay it off? Seriously messed up. I hate student loans and their servicers. And my husbands is even worse, with an even crummier website. Blech, I feel for you.

      • I am a banana.

        I use a website called Tuition.io to figure out how adjusting my loan payments up or down impact the total payment. Not that it fixes the issues with the lender, but wanted to pass along the tool.

    • CountC

      I worked for a student loan servicer for over two years. Those places are ridiculous. Horribly kept records, the sale of hundreds of thousands of loans always getting botched, servicing always getting botched, etc.

      Contact the CFPB asap about it. You may not get an immediate resolution, but it will help all of us long term. And if you poke the bear (at the CFPB), you might actually GET a resolution – you won’t from the servicers.

      • Sydney Bristow

        Thanks for the reminder! Since they are having the issue researched again and I just mailed them another letter and copies of all my past statements and payment records, I’ll wait another 2 weeks for resolution. But if nothing is fixed, I will contact the CFPB.

        • Countc

          In my experience your correspondence will not make it to anyone that has any power. And the likelihood of it making it all in one piece to that person? Very slim.

          I really would contact the CFPB immediately. The service you’ve had is unacceptable and it should have been fixed many times over already.

  16. Closing Dinner

    I’m a junior corporate lawyer, and I’ve been invited to a closing dinner for an M&A deal in Los Angeles. I’m based in Silicon Valley, so it means I’ll be flying down just for the dinner. Any suggestions for what to wear (or for closing dinners generally)? I have a small chest and wide hips, so sheath dresses don’t work well on me, but I could wear a dress that drapes more plus jacket. I’m guessing that a suit would be a bit much. No other female attorneys will be attending.

    • Susie

      A dress that you would wear to work, or pencil skirt. Add a statement necklace to make it more celebratory. The ones I’ve been involved in I would describe as the mid to upper business casual. (Of course I’m on the in-house side, so maybe we get more leeway.) Most of all, have fun and congrats!

  17. Saacnmama

    Related to diet/revise thread earlier today:

    The problem with the “exercise” that most people do is that when they increase their activity, their appetite also increases and they feel they “deserve” to eat more (or treat foods), whereas in reality, the exercise they performed did not nearly burn enough calories to compensate for that reward. Exercise CAN absolutely help you lose weight…you just have to watch what you eat and not reward yourself like a rat who just went through a maze after you finish. In addition, exercise INTENSITY is critical. Walking may work for some, but it’s generally nearly of high enough intensity to elicit an increase in metabolism. Walking as fast as you can and going up hills…better. But to really see a difference, you must exercise with resistance and intensity.

    That’s from Nick Nilsson, whose website I highly recommend. If you can devote the energy to t, check out his Metabolic Surge, which has coordinated diet & exercise.

    • Susie

      Yep, this is the most depressing thing ever. I was never heavier than shortly after training for/running a 50k race, which is just not fair!

      • Saacnmama

        Yeah, running/walking are not ways to lose weight and even if you do enough of it that you take off pounds, you’ll be a shapeless stick! Much better to do exercises that shape you.

        • Susie

          I’m actually quite shapely, just deceptively heavy for my (small 5’2″) size. I build muscle easily, and am quite toned even though most of my toning is through body weight exercises only (kickbox, pilates, power yoga in addition to all the running) not dumbbells. Though I should add that I do trail running, so lots of hills, maybe that helps with the calves.

          • Anon

            Susie – it sounds like you are in good shape and good health. Ditch the scale!!

          • Susie

            Thanks Anon! I am trying to focus on feeling good vs. number on scale, but it’s hard!

    • AnonAZ

      This is why I finally got a heart rate monitor. Then I can see how many calories I actually burned. What I previously thought was a pretty tough workout was only burning about 200 calories. No wonder it wasn’t working! Now my goal is 500-750 in a workout (45-75 minutes), which has already been budgeting into my calorie allotment, so there no “I deserve a cookie for the gym” games in my mind. Its tough but effective.

  18. JMDS

    Anyone done a Keaton Row styling? I signed up last week and am still waiting for my stylist and a some suggesstions. It said 24-48 hours so I don’t know what is happening.

    • KinCA

      I got my first lookbook last week. A lot of the items were seriously so cute and I loved my stylist’s picks. The downside? They were $$$ – like $200+ for a maxi dress, $400+ fpr a pair of shoes, just lots of items would fit in nicely on my shopping wishlist but don’t fit in my actual budget at all, sadly. There was 1 cute $50 printed t-shirt that I wanted to order, but when I went to do so it was sold out in my size. Figures.

      Also, the majority of my items were from Shopbop & Piperlime, which was fine for me because I requested a more casual lookbook. However, I’m not sure how well those stores would work for someone who wants an office-appropriate one.

      • JMDS

        Huh. Thanks. I’ll write again when I finally get my lookbook. I did request work looks, and explained that I wear suits Monday-Thursday, so we will see what they do.

  19. Brooklyn, Esq.

    I just received a last-minute invitation to visit friends who have a new baby tonight. I had hoped to make some food to bring them but won’t have a chance before today’s visit. I’d love to bring something, though. Any thoughts on something I can pick up on my way there? I live in NYC and can stop at Whole Foods, Grand Central Market, or anyplace else…TIA!

      • Anon

        In my experience, new parents love any food that they don’t have to make themselves or clean up after consuming. So, bonus points if you bring a stack of paper/plastic plates, silverware, napkins, etc.

    • ABC

      Pick up dinner from the hot bar at Whole Foods? I brought lunch to my friend’s house when I met her new baby and she was thrilled.

      • Kiki

        The hot bar / prepared foods is how WF uses up all its non-sellable / damaged/ expired inventory.

        • mascot

          I actually like that they use their likely unsellable produce/ products. Why waste perfectfully edible food just because it has some blemishes? Better to use it up or donate it rather than toss it.

        • ABC

          I eat from the WF hot bar at least twice a week every week….and I’m still alive / have never gotten food poisoning.

          • Anonymous

            thw whole foods I used to go to was awesome food bar- the one I go to know is terrible. Very cardboard-y

    • Meg Murry

      Is she b-feeding? Oatmeal cookies – good for the supply, and good to eat one handed :-) Or the frozen bowls of steel cut oats, if you know she likes oatmeal.
      Basically anything that can be heated up quickly (or eaten cold) and can be eaten one handed. I also appreciated things like granola bars, Lara bars or Cliffbars, and other things that could sub for a meal in a pinch.
      You could also just give them a call/text and say “I’m stopping at the grocery store for you guys. Do you need bread, milk, peanut butter, breakfast cereal, paper towels, toilet paper, etc”? I was only around the corner from the grocery store, but it was always such a production to get out of the house to pick things up, so whenever someone asked if they could bring us something we usually answered with a staple that we had just run out of/were almost out of. People were amused, but it was far more helpful than another cute baby outfit for the baby to puke on (not that I didn’t appreciate the outfits later, but in the early days not running out of TP was more important).

    • Anon in NYC

      I think anything that your friends can just pop in the oven or microwave is always a good bet, plus also anything that they don’t need to prepare but can keep well for a few days. Like, a roasted chicken, or already prepared kale salad, or some fruit, cheese, and crackers. When my BFF had her first baby I sent them a gift box from Harry & David’s with pears, cheese and crackers, and other snack items. She said they made grilled cheese sandwiches, and all the little snacks were great to have on hand when she realized she’d forgotten to eat and was ravenous.

    • Brooklyn, Esq.

      Thanks for all the great ideas…I ended up getting stuck at work, so my husband picked up a few things. I’ll keep all this in mind for the next visit!

  20. 30th birthday gifts?

    I have the thoughtful, sentimental part of my sister’s 30th birthday gift in the works (can’t say what it is here in case she reads!), but I want to be able to add some fun things that she can unwrap, things she wouldn’t buy herself. Any gift ideas? She’s very easy to shop for (she likes clothes, jewelry, Starbucks, music, etc.), so it’s not so much picking something out as it is narrowing it down and coming up with something original.

    • ABC

      Does she go to any specific workout classes (Pure Barre, yoga, Soul Cycle, etc)? I loved when a friend got me a package of classes at one of my favorite studios for my birthday last year.

      • Anonymous

        +10000. This would make me so happy. Even better if you came with me one time!

    • Meg Murry

      Does she Pinterest? Any jewelry, clothes or accessories on there you could buy or be inspired by?

      • Sydney Bristow

        This is the easiest way for me to find gift ideas for specific people too.

    • petitesq

      I did a list of 30 things I love about my sister for hers. A friend of mine adapted that idea for another in our crew and had 30 of her friends submit a photo and something they loved, and turned it into a photo book.

    • AIMS

      What about 30 small, silly things? They don’t have to be expensive — lipgloss, nail polish, pair of fun earrings, a deck of cards, $5 starbucks card, a mug, flip flops, romance novel, keychain, framed childhood photo, etc….

      • 30th birthday gifts?

        Thanks, all — these are great ideas! Love the idea of workout classes and 30 small, fun gifts.

  21. Saacnmama

    Looking for a clothes steamer/steam iron for my nephew’s college graduation. I got the idea from this site over a year ago, but they haven’t been discussed in a while. Idk if new models have come out or old models are now made with differen parts. So

    Do you steam iron your clothes?
    With what machine?
    What are its best & worst features ?

    • mascot

      I got a handheld steamer for high school graduation, never used it. Got a stand-up steamer several years ago, used it to remove wallpaper and nothing else. My trusty iron with a steam feature is much more useful, especially for creases in mens clothing. Get one with an auto-off feature for safety purposes. We’ve had the fancy Rowenta ones, although I didn’t think that they were that much better than a nice mid-price full featured black and decker or equivalent.
      Oh, and my steam dryer rocks for just generally rumpled clothes, but I still use an iron to get creases in pants legs and sleeves.

    • CountC

      I love my steamer! Go to Amazon or Overstock and read the reviews. That’s how I picked mine. I don’t know whether mine is great or not, because I have no frame of reference, but it works fine for me. I HATE ironing, so this thing has made me infinitely happier in the morning.

      Make sure you get him one that has both a bar and clips to hang things from. I knew mine didn’t have the clips, but I was being cheap. I just got two giant binder clips and use those instead :)

    • A.

      my sig other has the Rowenta professional, which is great, but takes up a lot of space.

      I have the Jiffy 2000 which I love. It doesn’t have the fancy back bars like the rowenta, but the simple metal pole does its job and since I have my clothes on appropriate hangers, it’s not an issue. has a small enough footprint to shove in the closet when I have company, but usually holds my clothes for/from the week.

  22. O.

    After I had a baby, a friend brought me a bag of a bunch of different premade foods from the Whole Foods deli counter. I loved it. We ate that stuff for lunch and dinner for about 3 days. It was great because there was lots of variety, it was easy to eat cold, and it was grab and go. Bonus points if you include things pregnant women aren’t supposed to eat. I devoured a shameful amount of Brie the week after giving birth.

  23. Aria

    My boyfriend and I work for the same company and I recently got transferred to headquarters across the country. My bf has spent the last few months trying to move here because he’d rather be in headquarters, he wants to be closer to his family and he wants to be with me (and has told me he wants to be in the same city with me no matter what). He was recently told that the company wouldn’t move him here for 2-3 years, by which point I might have been moved again since I get moved roughly every 2 years (I also make 3x what my bf does, so we’ve already discussed that my career will take precedence). He’s really upset, but the reasons the company expressed are actually good — he’s learning more where he is now and will ultimately be in a better position to rise within the company if he gets a few more years of experience there.

    So how do I discuss this with him? The Type-A lawyerly side of me wants to tell him that he should do what’s best for his career and that we all had to pay dues to succeed. But the other part of me doesn’t want to risk sacrificing a great relationship (and someone I could potentially see marrying) because I just don’t see how long distance for 2-3 years could work, especially if I get moved again. Do I tell him to do what’s best for his career, even if it means our relationship suffers? Or do I encourage him to look for jobs here with other companies, even if it means his career takes a hit?

      • nikoo

        long distance relationship is not working I tried! Tell him your concerns, exactly like here.

    • Anonymous

      Do you want him to be with you? Your post reads ambivalent to me. I think you need to answer that question for yourself first.

    • Susie

      Echoing the above, only you can answer what your priorities and tolerances are. If it were me, I would make the long distance work (though I know people have differing opinions on this). It doesn’t hurt for him to look for possible opportunities near you, but I would prioritize career over proximity to a loved one, which is different than prioritizing career over the relationship. With modern technology and all, long distance still sucks but is certainly easier now!

    • Anon

      I’ve done 5+ years of long distance. The end is in sight! It’s no fun, but we’ve made it work. It has the added bonus of making you really appreciate the other person when you do get to spend time with them. If it’s meant to work out and you both want it to, my experience is that long distance is something you deal with, not something that that ruins a relationship.

    • Anonymous

      Long-distance does not have nearly as much bearing on the success of a relationship as people make it out to be. Long-distance relationships absolutely can (and do!) work. They may at times have their own sets of challenges, but it is really not going to be that bad. Time will pass. :)

      Now, the more important thing is for you to figure out what it is that you *want*.

    • BB

      I’m going to chime in and add another vote for the: Long distance does not necessarily destroy strong relationships. I did East Coast + Asia long distance for 2 years then MA + CT long distance for another 2.5 years. Finally living together now…oh, and we got married in Year 2. :) It sucks, but time will definitely pass.

      I think the more “problematic” part is that you are not committed to the location for the mid-term. This makes it more difficult for him to find a job that can further his career since there is the uncertainty there.

  24. lawsuited

    It looks like Boden doesn’t ship to Canada….unless some Canadian ‘r e t t e has found a loophole?

  25. Kerrie

    I have the Breadwinner blazer and skirt from Boden (to wear as a suit), and I LOVE them! The fit is fantastic and the details/quality are really nice.

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