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Suit of the Week: Boss

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2025 Update: The Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale will begin again around Memorial Day — sign up for our newsletter to stay on top of all the great sales!

The below content is about the 2018 Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale.

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.

I was shopping with my mother this past weekend and spied this suit at Nordstrom — and totally fell in love. (The pictures don't do it justice.) The fun “asymmetrical hidden-button front closure” is really cool, flattering, and professional — it's like a diagonal dash of solid navy on an otherwise pinstriped suit. Love the whole thing.

The jacket (Jadela Pinstripe Suit Jacket) is $575, and the pants (Tilunana Pinstripe Suit Trousers) are $255.

Here's a more affordable option and a plus-size option, both on sale at Macy's.

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!hugo boss pantsuit of the week

LOVE this navy pinstriped pantsuit with an asymmetrical hidden-button front closure -- such a cool feature that's professional and stylish as well.

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+

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

135 Comments

  1. Any recommendations for a temperature-regulating mattress pad? To go on a foam mattress. I see everyone from Target on up has a version. Thanks!

    3. Nothing to add for a mattress pad, but if you want to splurge for a mattress, I ADORE my sleep number. I’ve found that it really does regulate temperature well for both winter and summer.

    4. I have the coolmax mattress pad from The Company Store, as well as their coolmax pillow cover. Both have made a huge difference in my comfort in bed— I like a lot of blankets and used to frequently wake up sweaty. Hasn’t really happened since buying those two items.

  2. I have two weeks off in March between jobs, and want to celebrate the end of my time at biglaw. This will be the first vacation where I don’t have to drag a laptop along in years!!!

    I will be traveling alone, and want a relaxing experience. I want to avoid cities, and want time away from people. I love beaches, hiking, and wildlife.

    Any suggestions on where I should go?

    1. California coast. Do your research but it’s mostly open for business after the fires and floods, spectacular, very safe, and you can have a few different places to stay and do trips from.

      3. Not a reason not to come, but it will likely not be warm here in March, and definitely not in Northern California.

    2. Costa Rica and Hawaii come to mind when I think of beaches, hiking, and wildlife. Where will you be traveling from?

      1. P.S. Congrats on the change in jobs! If you don’t mind sharing, how long were you in biglaw; were you corp or lit; what will your new role be? I’m always interested in hearing anecdata about exits from biglaw.

        1. Thanks. I’ve been in biglaw 8 years, lit, and am leaving for government.

      2. Costa Rica would be great, but I was there a few years ago. I loved it, so other similar ideas would be great. I wasn’t really thinking about Central/South America – Given that have two weeks, I was thinking about going further away. I wonder if there is anywhere that offers similar activities in Asia? But maybe I should reconsider and stay closer to home

        1. New Zealand sounds like it would fit the bill. If you lean more toward hiking than beaches, then Patagonia would be a good option. My experience in SE Asia is that the typical tourist destinations are pretty crowded and lean toward cities. But if you’re not too worried about that, Thailand is great.

      3. Hawaii. Specifically Kauai. Rent a cottage for yourself instead of a hotel.

    3. Costa Rica? I went a few years back for a week and was totally unsatisfied with that amount of time. I would’ve loved to spend 2 weeks there. Beaches, hiking, and wildlife pretty well describes my trip.

    4. You could get all of those things (beaches, hiking, and wildlife) in Costa Rica, if you’re willing to travel inside the country. I think Costa Rica is generally safe for solo female travelers, but you may want to do some research on that.

      1. I traveled in Costa Rica as a solo woman and it felt safe the entire time. I had a fabulous trip.

      2. The Cornish coast in England, although it may be more rainy than you would like. But we did multiple hikes around there of varying lengths, and saw many solo hikers of both genders, some of whom were locals. Spectacular coastline, lots of history, and the Brits seem to love petting zoos/farms where you can see all the farm life – although we did need a car to get to the one we visited.

    5. I would definitely go further away than North/Central America since you have two weeks. New Zealand would be great.

      1. I love the New Zealand and Borneo suggestions. (I would also love to go to the California coast, but want to save the closer trips for when I have less time). Thanks everyone!

        1. I’d also put in a plug for Namibia which is one of my favorite vacation destinations. Also if looking at Australia/NZ, maybe consider Tasmania and spend five days doing the trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair (on my bucket list but I’ve never had the time and money at the same time).

    6. Belize! You can do beaches, snorkeling/scuba, hiking, wildlife, in one day if you want. But with 2 weeks, I’d do beaches one week and go inland for the other. There are also ancient ruins to see.

    7. Can anyone comment on the Florida Keys? Are they up and running okay? I’m thinking about heading to Key Largo over Spring Break with my young teenager. I hear there aren’t too many college kids there that week.

      1. I was in Key Largo for a wedding last month. There are still signs of damage, but almost everything was back up and running. A few of the hotels and resorts had not yet reopened, but where we stayed was beautiful.

    8. The Cinque Terra. It’s mainly beaches and limited hiking, but one of the best places I’ve been. I’d also seriously consider Australia, which is a wonderful destination and would offer all of what you are looking for.

      1. Cinque Terre is beautiful and there’s lots of nice hiking (you can hike between all of them). The weather in March will be chilly and rainy though and the beaches definitely won’t be open for swimming. We were there in early May and none of the beach stuff was open for the season.

  3. For those of you that shop at Kohls – what are your habits? Do you have the CC? Do you shop online or in store? I can’t bring myself to enter the fray, and I feel like you only benefit from their sales if you commit to the whole rewards system which usually involves CC. It seems like a few gems have been mentioned lately – the Dana Buchman top below, or the nursing shirts. Whenever I’ve found a great bargain there, like a Citizen watch a few years ago, I’ve used my mother’s card and paid her in cash. Any tips for not getting overwhelmed by the shopping experience there?

    1. I shop there a couple of times a year and shop in store. I usually hit the petites section first and then work my way around other sections. I grab a bunch of items to try on that look good but only end up keeping a few. If I have a day off during the week, I will shop in the morning because it’s not as crowded.

      I have the rewards card, but not the credit card b/c I don’t shop there often enough. I like their housewares section. I got a Food Network brand dutch oven a few years ago for a good price and it’s held up nicely.

    2. I mostly ignore the Kohls cash promotions and search for a certain percentage off (usually 15 or 20) or a $10 coupon. I typically just check my email and/or do a quick g00gle search to see if there’s anything out there.

    3. I get overwhelmed too. There are so many do you have this do you have that prompts at the checkout, and then they give you some stuff that is only good if you come back within a certain timeframe. I’m like, I JUST WANT TO BUY THIS ONE THING.

      Can’t stand it.

    4. I am an occasional Kohl’s shopper but my mother is intense. I definitely think it turns into a cycle of spending that doesn’t work for me, but she seems to get good deals. I do have a Kohl’s card (that’s where you get the best % off discounts) but I think they also adjust their prices based on what the current sale is, so things often end up costing a similar amount no matter what the promotion is. I think the stores are often messy and disorganized, so I don’t go in very often and normally shop online. I do think they have some good brands and products, but I feel like styles don’t change up very often – which I consider both good and bad. I think I was the first poster to talk about the DB shell above, and it’s an awesome shirt. I’ve had decent luck with the quality of their brands, especially for the price. I’d suggest not trying to play the Kohl’s game/sales cycles/Cash, but take a look, use the store card, and see what you like.

      1. Former Kohl’s retail drone here. Kohl’s plays every retail trick to make you feel like you got a deal. That said: Apt. 9, Dana Buchman and Elle are the best in-house brands for workwear. A few pieces in Croft & Barrow, like their cardigans, hold up really well. Chaps is high-quality. The higher-end brands – Nike, Levis, Under Armour, Dyson, a lot of the luggage – are usually excluded from coupons and promotions.

        If you have the patience, the clearance racks have good deals. Housewares are usually cheaper elsewhere. And please don’t blame the cashier for asking you six times if you want a card, they have to.

        1. Should add – I do have a credit card. Shopping online and returns are super-easy.

    5. I have their CC. They mail me coupons all the times… sometimes 15-30% off. I often forget the coupon so I just ask at the register if they have any coupons and I ALWAYS get handed one. So don’t fret if you forget to bring it with you.

      I think they are lower quality but it was a great place to shop for kids clothes.

      1. I agree the quality is lower-midlevel. Better than Target- comparable to lower end Macy’s stuff. (like Style & Co).

        So, Kohls is the only place other than target near me to buy clothes without a half hour of traffic and irritation. I buy shells to wear under suits sometimes, casual/workout stuff and stuff for my teenage son.

        You want to get the credit card (I just pay it immediately after making the charge). You get mailed coupons pretty much monthly, I wait for the 30% off and only buy stuff if it is already at least 50% off (because the markups are stupid high due to all the sales). I shoot for clearance with a 30% off coupon. I’ve gotten tons of jeans for my son for $6.00 and the like. I also do the rewards program which you can link to the card, and try to use the kohl’s cash. Trick with the kohl’s cash is to use it on clearance stuff combined with a coupon.

        Never, ever, ever buy anything that isn’t at least 40% off. You’re overpaying.

  4. I’m finding it impossible to find shoes that don’t kill my feet. Does anyone else have narrow heels and wide toes? If I manage to find a shoes that isn’t smushing my little toes, it just falls off the back of my foot. In any style – tennis shoes, street shoes, hoping not to go full on orthopedic shoes but I will if necessary. Thanks in advance!

    1. Yes! Pumps are the hardest for me but I have ok luck if I put wool in the toe to make sure my heel is pushed back enough. My pumps are mostly wide width Naturalizer and the wide width Karmen pump from Payless. But I’m in Texas so the time between boots and sandals is fortunately short enough that I can fight through it. Sandals and slingbacks are no problem, I guess because there’s flexibility in the heel strap. Sneakers are pretty easy though. Right now I have Supergas but am finding them a little flat so will start that search soon. Also like regular width Skechers. What have you found that works?

      1. How do you put wool in the toe? Please explain, I would love to do this for my slightly-smaller-than-left right foot.

        1. Oh, you can get wool at CVS and you just pull some off. I’m not totally sure the difference than if you just bought a wad of cotton in the first aid section though. It’s just a wad of wool and then you pack it in the toe. I learned of it here, I do believe!

      2. Thanks! Yeah, I’ve given up on formal shoes – I don’t have to wear them a lot. I’m just searching for daily shoes that don’t kill – Sugergas are a definite no-go for me, totally crunch my toes!

    2. I have this problem too, though maybe not as bad as you. My whole family does; we call it “duck feet.” I like the Karmen pumps from Payless except I really wish the heels were an inch shorter. For sneakers I really like Keds (the Payless knockoffs were sadly too loose in the heel but I’m open to other knockoffs).

      1. That’s funny – I just posted below and I also have the Karmen pumps and they aren’t bad. I also wear Keds. But for the Keds I have to load them with an insole and back of the heel pad to keep them on my feet.

    3. Yup, I have your feet. I didn’t even realize mine weren’t typically shaped (!) until reading about this shape/shoe fit problem on this site!

      We have triangular feet. Most shoes don’t fit us. Except mules. Which is why I am the only poster on yesterday’s thread that didn’t make fun of the mules, because they are the most comfortable shoe for me. But yes, that shoe was not attractive.

      The new trend in casual shoes made in stretchy fabric is our friend. I have tried them, but maybe Allbirds for casual? But honestly – I buy shoe inserts that bulk up my heel and put some of those non-slip heel pads in the heels for most non-sneakers. Or I just accept the slip (!). I make sure I break in new shoes, and blisters are common. So I have a full set of various bandaids/protectors for my heel skin.

      But basically no shoe fits me well. Definitely stay away from pointy toed shoes. I look for almond toe in heels/flats, but many of those are a little tight and you just need to try a lot of pairs. I stick with stretchable fabrics and leather. I also bought a shoe stretcher but have yet to try it.

      I have an awesome pair of leather black booties with a block heel and an angular square toe (hard to describe) that are fantastic for me. I have had them for literally 25 years. Obviously not a work shoe!

      1. Thanks! I’ll have to check out Allbirds. Use your shoe stretcher! It’s the only way I’m managing to get by right now until I find a pair of shoes that fits!

      2. I have similar feet, and Allbirds work really well for me, as well as unisex converse low tops.

        I also do well with Stuart weitzman for my work shoes.

    4. I have feet similar to yours. I have flats from Dr. Scholls and Born that work for me. I also like Life Stride. In the summer, I wear sandals with ankle straps.

      Like Anon above, I like almond toe shapes and stick to shoes that will stretch a bit over time.

      I really wanted to like Rothys, but they didn’t work for me. Size 6 was too small in the toes but 6.5 was too long and they kept slipping off my heel.

      1. Born looks amazing, I’m going to order a couple pairs. They’re actually cute, so if they fit that would be a huge win.

    7. I usually buy shoes in a wide with that have an ankle strap. I need the width for my toes and the ankle strap keeps my heel in place. Shoes that I’ve had good luck with:
      Joseph Seibel Tina 17 (I’ve only tried on two pairs of this brand and the Tina worked for me but the other didn’t)
      Clarks wide widths
      Trotters wide widths
      Lucky Brand booties (never tried their shoes)
      OTBT (the pair I have doesn’t have great support but is very cute)

      1. Lucky Brand ballet flats are my summer go-to, at least partly because my duck feet are also a size 5.

    8. I have those feet. Not sure about your workplace (I’m in Biglaw) but after years of trying, the only pumps that work for me are those with ankle straps or elastic backs (see Everlane day pump). I am constantly looking for somewhat fashionable ankle-strap shoes and occasionally they appear. Obviously, the more casual you can go, the more choices there will be.

      1. If you’re still around, check out Altra – it’s a new smaller shoes company. I’ve tried the SL-2 in New Balance and they’re okay, but still not ideal. So far, the Altra is as close to perfect as I’ve found (they were recommended to me by a shoe store this weekend).

  5. Are heels a bad idea? Apparently I need to decide this week the general height of my shoe because my dress will be a special order since I’m so short. I do not wear heels every day, but do for special occasions. What did you do?

    1. I wore heels that were higher than my normal everyday heels height. On the one hand, I loved my shoes and I didn’t even notice my feet hurting on the day of my wedding. On the other hand, later that evening/the following day, my feet were so sore! Wear shoes that you are comfortable in – you’ll be up, dancing, milling around and talking to your guests.

    2. I wore heels for my ceremony, photos, and cocktail hours and then changed into kate spade glitter keds for dancing. I kind of wish I had just worn the sneakers the whole time- my feet really, really hurt at the end of the night.

      1. I did something similar. I wanted heels for photos because my husband is about 7 in taller than me, but knew I couldn’t wear them all night. I changed into sparkly ballet flats from Target, but glitter keds sound so much better.

      2. I did the same thing! Jimmy Choo heels for ceremony and photos, and glitter Keds for dancing! So fun!

      3. I wore shiny Jimmy Choo Chiara sandals, which had maybe a 2 inch heel? I bought the kate spade glitter keds assuming I’d need to put them on at some point, but was good in the Jimmys all day/night (put them on around 11AM probably, wore them until 2AM). I’d say around 1AM my feet started to hurt, but at that point I didn’t care enough to put on the Keds. I returned the Keds and still have the Jimmys :)

        I actually also bought a $300ish off the rack white sparkly short dress, thinking I may want to change into it if my big dress got cumbersome/hot (I remembered when trying it on it being very hot) – I also stayed in my real dress all day/night and returned the off the rack dress as well. I wanted to make sure I would be comfy on my wedding day and had options! I don’t regret buying each but glad I could return both :)

    3. I wore heels and changed into flats for my reception, but this was 8 years ago. If I had to do it over I would wear a lower heel (like 2.5-3 inches) and not change.

    4. I wore flats. I’m tall, and my dress was a sample that somehow fit magically off the rack, but it was JUST long enough (perhaps even a half inch short). I never regretted it because they were super comfortable, too!

    5. I wore flats the whole time. Surprising, huh. I figured why torture myself with shoes my feet aren’t used to, and frankly at my height heels don’t really get me anywhere close to tall.

      1. I wore flats too. I’m just under 5’6″ and had been used to wearing heels during the workday, but my wedding day was a good 16-18 total of prep, wedding, reception, then collapse at hotel. Even though the flats were comfy, my feet still killed me the next day. I can’t imagine how much worse they would’ve been in heels. And what’s more, no one noticed, to my knowledge. Comfort > “style”

    7. I wore 2 inch wedges that leaned more comfort than sexy but they weren’t visible so it didn’t matter. And my feet felt great!

    8. I intend to wear flats for mine. I don’t like walking for hours and hours in heels, and I know my limits re clumsiness. If I were to hem my dress for heels and then change into flats I would spend the rest of the evening tripping over my dress.

      1. @ Flats Only and lsw:

        What flats did you wear? I’m looking for a pair for this summer. My shoes are all relatively staid work-appropriate flats, or pretty but super casual sandals. Looking for recs!

        1. Sadly, they were Ivanka Trump which I would not buy now! They had a simple floral pattern and were almond toe. I’ll try to find a picture.

        2. I wore a pair of silver flats that I found on DSW, since my wedding colors were purple, white and silver. Plus it was easier than matching the champagne(?) of my dress exactly. And I could wear them afterwards, if I wanted, to work.

        3. I wore a pair of gold Ona flats (the ones from Target) for my wedding. Not sure if they would be too casual, but if you’re looking for a pair of sandals, I got the Naturalizer Wendy huarache sandals last summer in muted rainbow tones and I love them so much.

    9. I wore really comfy flats but I’m super tall (5’11”), my husband is slightly shorter than I am, I don’t wear heels often and my dress fit off the rack with me in flats.

    10. I have a vague plan to wear sparkly TOMS. We’ll see. Not like this is happening anytime in the foreseeable future, but….

    11. Wore heels until about 9pm and switched into white wedge sneakers later. That way my dress didn’t drag/I didn’t have to yank it up as they were nearly the same height. It’s not about the heel height for me I guess but more about how wide the wedge sneakers are and with so much more cushioning. My dress was a-line, though, so you couldn’t see them really.

    12. I wore heels for the ceremony and first dances (a pretty cream lace pair I found at DSW). I’m glad I did because there are a few photos from the dances with my skirt swirling up a bit and you can definitely see the shoes. I think they were under 2 inches because I’m a fuddy duddy with bad knees. I then found a low pair of nude cole haan wedge heels – the 40 or 60 maybe? that were close enough in height that I switched into those once all the “formalities” were done. Preserved the hem, but way more comfortable.

    13. At the time (2001), really blocky heels were in fashion, and I wore low ones (mostly because my husband’s a little on the shorter side). I’d recommend that you think about what you would wear *to* a wedding where you expected to be on your feet a lot, and wear something like that – just base it on your personal comfort.

      And congratulations on your wedding!

      1. Thank you! I had the perfect pair of heels I wore for 12 hours of a friend’s wedding festivities, but they only come in black :( Definitely would have been the easiest option, but I’m thinking of going for the same designer/height.

    14. I wore leather-soled Isotoner slippers. All my attendants wore Isotoner slippers too. I saw no reason to be uncomfortable, and I knew I wouldn’t be walking outside very much, so why not?

    15. I am 5’11” and wore 4″ blue suede stilettos, but that is how I roll. I wanted awesome shoes since I love shoes and I wore a tea length dress. I am accustomed to wearing fairly high heels every day though. If you aren’t, maybe stick with something in the 2″ range or flats.

      1. I wore red keds. Long dress, didn’t mind if the world saw them. My mom used to dress me in red keds as a kid.. with blue gingham dresses… yes I looked like Dorothy. I did it for her.

    16. I wore sparkly heels from Aeorsole for my sangeet (dance party the night before the wedding) and wedding reception (wore shorter heels during the ceremony as I took my shoes off for the ceremony anyway, being a Hindu wedding). They were my average heel height (party height, but not sky high) and pretty comfy — they only started hurting when I got to the end of the night and it was time for the after party. I gave them to my mom and walked around the hotel bar barefoot. I then woke up the next morning in the bridal suite hungover and shoeless.

    17. I wore sparkly flat sandals and was so glad I did! If I hadn’t gotten married during the summer, I totally would have worn these “bridal” Uggs I was in love with—my gown was long so no one really saw my feet anyway! The bridal Uggs were white with blue bows and my mother was horrified

  6. I’m an attorney. My assistant is on medical leave. My office has decided not to hire a temp because by the time the temp gets up to speed my assistant should be back. Some of her regular duties have been reassigned throughout the rest of the assistant pool so I don’t have just one person helping me. One is doing my mail and calendaring, one is handling 5 cases, one is handling another 5. For all new stuff (new cases) I’m supposed to use our receptionist.

    I’m trying to balance what is reasonable for her to figure out on her own and what I should be showing her. The other staff are getting frustrated because I ask her to do something (draft an appearance, about as basic as it can get) and she just goes to them for help. All she has to do is go into my electronic case file, open any other case and look at an appearance. Or google the court website and forms and grab one there. In an ideal world, sure, I’d email her a blank form and ask her to fill it out for me. At that point I might as well do it myself though.

    I remember being a brand new lawyer and not knowing how to draft an affidavit. A senior attorney asked me to write one and I asked him for a sample. I remember him just shaking his head at how green I was. I know everyone has to learn somehow but I’m struggling with what I should explain and what I should expect her to figure out. Basically, this is why they didn’t hire a temp.

    1. After a minute to chill, I realize this post came out really b!tchy. I’m annoyed at some other stuff and vented here rather than at the poor receptionist.

      1. This is a much better place to vent than @ your receptionist. Props for that!

      2. Good on you for realizing that. I think you are expecting way too much from a receptionist.

    2. Not a lawyer, but is this stuff that a receptionist should learn if not covering for your admin (i.e. Is it normal for receptionists to do this type of work?) It seems like the receptionist would do better with mail/calendaring and that assistant take over drafting, etc.

    3. Maybe give her examples to work from, e.g., “I need you to prepare an appearance for me in this case. If you look at case file XYZ, you’ll see an example of an appearance in the same court. Use that as a model. You can literally cut and paste it and change the identifying information.”

      She should be using other resources to figure out the answer first but might not realize that. This is your chance to coach her.

    4. I’m a receptionist and I would have NO IDEA what “draft an appearance” even means, so I don’t think that it’s insane that she doesn’t know either. I don’t work for a law firm, but still.

      Can you have one of the other assistants show her how? Or see if you can switch the mail/calendaring tasks to her, since that’s more in the receptionist wheelhouse/scope of duties?

      1. Yeah I think there’s an element of this likely being not at ALL what the receptionist signed up for… so it’s going to be a bigger leap for her than for someone who is expecting to be doing legal-adjacent work.

    5. This seems insane to me. One of the other admin assistants should be handling this stuff, it is so outside a receptionist’s wheelhouse. Seems very unfair to her, of course she doesn’t know how to do it. She probably doesn’t even know what she’s supposed to look for in another case file to figure out what to do.

      I can see why you’re frustrated but this seems ridiculous to expect of the receptionist.

  7. This is a fun question. I’m looking for really tasty sandwich bread that is healthy. I’m in DC. We love the sourdough bread from the bakery at Whole Foods but I think my kids need something a little softer for sandwiches at school. A lot of the sandwich bread we have tried is pretty tasteless and lacking in fiber. But we definitely can’t do that artisenal bread where you break your teeth trying to eat it.

    For anyone in the Boston area, When Pigs Fly bread is amazing. Sadly they don’t deliver to DC.

    2. I just buy Brownberry sliced bread at the grocery store. They have a ton of options. Goes on sale a lot where I am. I often get the high fiber (double fiber) one, and they used to have a high protein one I used to get.

    3. For sandwich bread from the grocery store, we use various Pepperidge Farm or Arnold’s breads

    4. The Firehook italian loaf is pretty good–italian bread should be soft and not hard shelled–and you can find it sliced. I used to pick it up at Rodmans in upper NW/Tenley all the time, but they are available all over the DMV.

      This is also a great excuse to go into a carb coma at Bread Furst in Van Ness, trying everything. Sure, you can’t make a sandwich with a canele, but you should try it, right? Right.

      1. Caveat: not sure how “healthy” any of my suggestions are. But that’s your call!

      2. Ha, when I was talking about the type of artisinal bread you break your teeth on, I was actually referring to Breadfurst! I love their pastries but can’t get on board with their bread. Granted, I only tried one whole wheat loaf and that was enough to turn me off. If there are softer Breadfurst breads to try, let me know!

        1. I, too, love their bread, but yes, can run totally crusty! Their baguettes are fantastic day of; need softening anytime after.

          Their levain and pain du campaign (?…je ne parle pas francais) loaves are big enough for sandwiches and can be sliced and the crust isn’t too crusty. I had the utter JOY of having Mark Furstenburg himself select and slice my levain when I was visiting in December. I told him I was bringing bread for a party–there was a roast that needed bread for sandwiches–and he suggested that. I may have had a fangirl moment.

    5. Dimpflmeier has a number of yeast free (which is why I use it), gluten free and other types. I don’t know if they make other types but the stuff I use is a square shape, shrink-wrapped and then in the bag bread in the bread section of the supermarket. It’s soft enough for sandwiches but has a hearty texture and taste.

      3. I like Dave’s, too; I buy the thin-sliced loaves, which are both thinner and a little shorter, so half the WW points. Depending on your kids’ ages, the smaller size might be better for smaller sandwiches.

    7. I like the soft multigrain rustico bread from trader joe’s. The name pretty much speaks for itself as far as a description :)

    8. Do you have a Great Harvest Bread there? Their honey whole wheat bread is the perfect sandwich bread- reasonably dense and whole grain, but still soft and sliced for sandwiches. They also have a decent multigrain that’s seedier, but still good in sandwiches, though kids might not like it as much.

    9. Maybe late here, but Rudi’s Whole Wheat Honey Sweet bread is usually available at most health-ish markets and pretty good for non-freshly baked bread. It’s pretty good for make ahead sandwiches.

  8. My boss has a brand new boss (old one was fired). It’s the new grandboss’s second week and she asked to have a meeting with me to discuss my projects.

    I respect and like my boss a lot: he has been incredibly supportive of me for promotions and in general. My work happiness level is way better than it’s ever been before. But he has also dropped the ball on some things that have affected my biggest project (as in I warned him about potential problems, and he either didn’t act in time or made another choice than my suggestion that then backfired).

    I have a feeling my boss’s boss is going to ask me why things are delayed, or why thing X isn’t happening as planned. The real answer is “because Boss didn’t deal with it when I told him to, in the way I told him to.”

    I really don’t want to throw him under the bus, though…he wouldn’t do that to me. Yet I also don’t want my new grandboss to think these screw-ups are my fault. Any suggestions about how to handle this delicately?

    1. Speak in passive voice as much as possible? You have to be careful though to try not to make it sound like you’re talking that way to avoid accepting your own responsibility rather than in order to avoid assigning blame to any specific third person.

    3. I think you could find a way to tactfully defer some of the details to your boss. “Yes, that project is behind. Boss has some additional detail on that – we made a decision a couple months ago to do [X]; Boss could give you all the context behind that decision.” I wouldn’t mention that you suggested doing things differently or that you warned your boss in advance. I think you could stick to a “just the facts” approach without offering assessment or judgment about whether or not it was the right decision. If Grandboss keeps pressing you on it, you could also suggest that it might be beneficial for the three of you (you, Boss, Grandboss) to have a conversation about the project.

      Afterwards, I think you could mention to boss, “Hey, the delays on project XYZ came up and I told Grandboss that you have the most context on that – she might ask you about that.”

      Ultimately, your boss made some mistakes and I think you have the right instinct to not throw him under the bus, but I don’t think giving an objective description of why something is behind and then suggesting that Grandboss follow up with the decision maker is throwing someone under the bus.

      1. This. “You would really have to talk to Boss about that” – over and over and over again.

  9. (Crossposted to the moms site)

    Would be interested in hearing your experiences with postpartum weight loss. With my first baby, I gained about 30 lbs during pregnancy, exclusively nursed/pumped, and easily lost weight to the point where I was down to 10 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight about 6 months pp. After I stopped nursing (around 15mo pp), I slowly gained until I was back to my normal weight and stayed there until getting pg again.

    With my second, I gained about 35 pounds, did combo feeding, and have been stuck around 9 lbs above my normal weight for the past 5 months or so. I’m currently just nursing evening, morning, and at night. I would like to continue nursing through the end of the flu season at least, and probably until around June when baby is 15mo.

    I’m wondering if I can expect any changes to my metabolism/ability to get back to normal weight once I finally stop nursing. This has been so different from the last pregnancy so am curious what anyone else’s experience has been.

    1. IME, it’s harder with #2. While I don’t recommend this, I took the last bit of baby #2 weight off when baby #2 gave me a stomach virus and it took four days for me to feel like eating again.

    2. Here’s my experience, for what it’s worth:

      With baby #1, I think I gained about 40 lbs. I exclusively nursed/pumped and about 4-5 months in, we discovered baby #1 was allergic to dairy. I cut out dairy and baby’s eczema cleared up. Bonus was that I ended up about 5-10 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m not advocating cutting out dairy but I’ll be honest, the weight flew off after that. I nursed baby #1 for about 18 months or so until I got pregnant again.

      When I became pregnant with baby #2, baby #1 was still nursing occasionally so I can’t speak to if/how weaning changed my weight/body. I gained about 40-50 lbs with baby #2. The weight came off slower the 2nd time around mostly b/c baby #2 wasn’t allergic to dairy so I went back to eating dairy. Baby #2 self-weaned at about the 2 year mark and I didn’t really notice a change (good or bad) to my metabolism. I did get most of the pregnancy weight but I wasn’t as lean as I was after baby #1. I also ended up doing P90x (baby #2 was a year old) and liked that I was able to develop muscles. (At one point, I was able to do 6-8 unassisted pull-ups for each of the pull-up exercises.)

      I was happy with P90x but I felt like I could still lose a few pounds so I finally got a food scale to see exactly how much I was eating. This was about 2 years ago. (Note that baby #2 was about 6 yrs at that point.) I wanted to do a reasonable and sustainable cut so I reduced my calories by 100-150 per day. On weekends, I probably ate at maintenance due to eating out or at get-togethers. Over a 3 month period, I lost 9-10 lbs.

      I’m turning 40 this year and I know as my body ages, it can be difficult to keep off the extra weight. But at the same time, as you get older, you lose muscle. It’ll be interesting to see how my body will change or is changing, even now. I have gained some back weight back but mostly because I foolishly extended my calorie deficit for too many months and ended up binge-eating. I’m back on a cut but I’m giving myself 3-4 months and then will eat at maintenance for a bit after that.

    3. I’ve only been through it once, but I actually didn’t lose all the weight until I stopped breastfeeding. I had that last 5-10 pounds that didn’t leave. I was also combo feeding. It was contrary to what everyone told me about breastfeeding being so great for weight loss. I just think everyone’s experiences are different.

  10. I am attending two weddings in June on back to back weekends, one in DC (cocktail attire – bridesmaids are in dark mauve), fairly low-key, afternoon church wedding followed by reception, and one in Durham, NC (“semi-formal”, bridesmaids are in royal blue), 6PM chapel wedding and 7:30 reception. For the NC wedding, I also need a dress for the rehearsal dinner as my husband is the best man. I should also note I am super busty (amplified by nursing at 6 mo. pp currently) formerly a size 14 but probably now closer to a 16 or 18 to get a dress to fit in the bust (even down 25 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight). Prefer dresses with sleeves or at least straps to accommodate real undergarments, and v-necks are infinitely more flattering on me. I went through pretty much the entire Nordstrom selection and didn’t see anything I loved. Any advice or dress-hunting? Looking to keep it under $150 a dress. Is it too early to be looking – a lot of the dresses seem winter-colored to me still. I am tentatively thinking I want to go with bright and happy colors, as the navys and blacks don’t read as appropriate to me for a June wedding, but maybe it’s okay for the evening one? Help!

    1. Here are a few options that may work:
      https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/1330586/adrianna-papell-pleated-jersey-sheath-dress?color=STEEL%20BLUE
      https://www.dillards.com/p/sangria-plus-surplice-v-neck-applique-chiffon-dress/507009396?di=04984342_zi_ice&categoryId=666049&facetCache=pageSize%3D96%26beginIndex%3D96%26orderBy%3D1
      https://www.dillards.com/p/tahari-asl-plus-double-bell-sleeve-shift-dress/507546874?di=05161199_zi_blush_pink&categoryId=666049&facetCache=pageSize%3D96%26beginIndex%3D0%26orderBy%3D1
      https://www.dillards.com/p/sangria-plus-v-neck-printed-fit-and-flare-dress/507696176?di=05258325_zi_blue_multi&categoryId=666049&facetCache=pageSize%3D96%26beginIndex%3D0%26orderBy%3D1

      1. Same poster as above… a few more:
        https://www.macys.com/shop/product/thalia-sodi-lace-sheath-dress-created-for-macys?ID=4831912&CategoryID=5449#fn=SPECIAL_OCCASIONS%3DParty%2FCocktail%26SIZE%3DWOMEN_REGULAR_SIZE_T%3A16%2C%20XL%7C18%2C%20XXL%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D5656%26ruleId%3D65%7CBOOST%20ATTRIBUTE%7CBOOST%20SAVED%20SET%26searchPass%3DmatchNone%26slotId%3D4
        https://www.macys.com/shop/product/lauren-ralph-lauren-ruffled-sleeve-lace-dress?ID=5238812&CategoryID=5449#fn=SPECIAL_OCCASIONS%3DParty%2FCocktail%26SIZE%3DWOMEN_REGULAR_SIZE_T%3A16%2C%20XL%7C18%2C%20XXL%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D5656%26ruleId%3D65%7CBOOST%20ATTRIBUTE%7CBOOST%20SAVED%20SET%26searchPass%3DmatchNone%26slotId%3D58

    2. I think it’s to early to actually buy anything, given that your shape will likely change by then. That being said, anon 450 gives some lovely options, I really like the second one with the appliqué. Which could work for wedding one and dress rehearsal, if it’s more formal. Or the blush pink one for the same combo and the appliqué for wedding two.

    3. I would say not black for Durham, but navy is fine. Especially if by chapel you mean Duke’s chapel, because you can’t go wrong with a dark shade of blue at any event with Duke-related people (which someone has to be for Chapel weddings.)

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