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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.
Happy Wednesday! This suit from Hobbs is lovely and strikes me as very traditional — especially if you're a partner at a law firm I could see this being something you pull out every December. (Let's discuss: is it too festive to wear year-round? Hmmn.)
Another question for discussion: what would you wear beneath the buttoned blazer? Although Hobbs is one of our favorite brands for washable workwear, this particular blazer is labeled “dry clean.” As I've often recommended in the past, I would wear a short-sleeved t-shirt (or long-sleeved if you're often cold). The sleeves in this layer help protect the suit from sweat and deodorant stains — and make it easy to remove your blazer without worrying about it, the way you might if it were a strappy camisole or tank top. (Going sleeveless at work is much more accepted than it once was, but know your office.) They also make “underarm shields” to help you avoid getting deodorant on your clothes!
{related: best women's t-shirts for layering at the office}
I would wear the pieces as separates, also — the skirt would look cute with almost anything and the blazer could work with neutrals (black, winter white, gray, a black/white pattern) as well as a print if you happen to have a skirt or patterned trousers that complements the red. (Hobbs also has a picture of the blazer unbuttoned, if you're pondering outfits with it worn open.)
The pictured blazer and skirt are $480 and $275, respectively, and available in US sizes 2-14 (UK sizes 6-18). If you're a lucky size 8, a very similar blazer is available in merlot for 50% off. (Hobbs also has the suit marked down in navy.) You can get outfit at Bloomingdale's and Hobbs.
Hunting for something similar but more affordable or in plus sizes? Le Suit offers a fire red 4-button suit with a trumpet skirt in regular, petite, and plus sizes (14-24); I might swap out the gold buttons for matte black ones though.
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Sales of note for 11.5.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 40% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 25% off with your GAP Inc. credit card
- Bloomingdales is offering gift cards ($20-$1200) when you spend between $100-$4000+. The promotion ends 11/10, and the gift cards expire 12/24.
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Fall clearance event, up to 85% off
- J.Crew – 40% off fall favorites; prices as marked
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 60% off clearance
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – New sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Buy one, get one – 50% off everything!
- White House Black Market – Holiday style event, take 25% off your entire purchase
Sales of note for 11.5.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 40% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 25% off with your GAP Inc. credit card
- Bloomingdales is offering gift cards ($20-$1200) when you spend between $100-$4000+. The promotion ends 11/10, and the gift cards expire 12/24.
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Fall clearance event, up to 85% off
- J.Crew – 40% off fall favorites; prices as marked
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 60% off clearance
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – New sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Buy one, get one – 50% off everything!
- White House Black Market – Holiday style event, take 25% off your entire purchase
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Horse Crazy
Dishwasher died, need a new one. Any good, quiet ones out there for less than $800?
Anon
I hate mine (I re-ordered what I had, turns out Home Depot lied and mine was discontinued and they re-used the model number for some other POS model), but researching for one taught me that Samsung is the devil and Bosch is well-liked.
Anon
It’s very difficult to get a specific model right now, especially if you need a certain color and you don’t have time to wait.
I noticed my 15 year old wall oven is having issues so I might soon be in the same boat.
Anon
I got a narrow apartment size Bosch when it was the only one available on short notice last spring, it was more than $800 and there are other things I don’t like about it, but living in a one room apartment, I LOVE how silent it is.
Anon
Not Bosch!!!! It gets so many rave reviews online but we hate it. We had an LG dishwasher for I think 7 years and it died, and we thought we were upgrading by getting a Bosch. We got the Bosch in 2020 and we’ve already had three expensive professional repairs on it and also bought parts like filters online to replace ourselves, and even with all that in only gets about half the dishes clean each time and we have to do so much handwashing. Caveat: we have extremely hard water (despite a whole house water softener) and I’m sure that’s a factor. But the Bosch has done so much worse than the LG. The only positive thing I can say about it is that it’s quiet.
Anon
I also hate my Bosch. It is quiet and clean okay, but not well designed. If you only use plates, it will work, but bowls or anything bulky is hard to fit in. Wine glasses are also an issue.
Anon
Yes! It seems so much smaller than our old dishwasher even though the dimensions are the same.
Minnie Beebe
I have a Frigidaire dishwasher now, but had Bosch at my last two homes. I don’t wash wine glasses in the dishwasher, but if I did, I recall that the Bosch upper drawer (you may have a third drawer in the very top? Depends on model) could be adjusted up or down– I always kept the drawer in the upper setting, but if I regularly needed to fit taller items in the upper drawer, it could have been set lower. You may want to check whether your model allows for this!
Minnie Beebe
And for the record, I LOVED my Bosch DW. The Frigidaire I have now is pretty good as well– Professional series, I think. Both the Bosch and Frigidaire were/are very quiet… when elderly parents are visiting they *always* open the DW during the cycle, because they can’t hear it (and apparently don’t notice the light which shines on the floor indicating that the DW is currently running!)
Vicky Austin
Our model is no longer available, but we had a nice GE top control model that came in under that price. Very pleased with it.
Anonymous
I settled on a Frigidaire that will cost under $800 installed, but I can’t comment on it because it is arriving Saturday. I looked at Bosch and an LG model and after reviewing Consumer Reports settled on the Frigidaire for these reasons: (1) I am replacing a Frigidaire that did its job well; (2) I have other Frigidaire appliances, so it will match; (3) it was available in a model with a towel bar and low decibels (though not as low as some), which are two features I really want in my new one; and (4) while Consumer Reports rates Frigidaire low due to slightly higher incidents of complaints, I am single and a light user and the brand is the only one that rates the highest on both washing and drying, which is ultimately what I want my dishwasher to do. I frankly would rather have to call for a repair at some point than have to dry pieces from every load of clean dishes for the life of the appliance.
Anon
We have a Frigidaire and the replacement is on a boat off the coast of Long Beach. It’s just terrible. It takes forever to run and half the time, doesn’t do its job: the water doesn’t dissolve the detergent tablet, the upper rack doesn’t get clean at all, etc. We’ve sometimes had to wash things two or three times before handwashing them.
Anonymous
It also has the feature that allows the top rack to raise or lower referenced above, which I value more than a third rack.
Anon
We have an GE in our primary residence and an LG in our second/vacation home. Love the LG — no complaints at all. The GE is fine but the rack configuration isn’t great.
Greensleeves
We replaced our Bosch with a GE Profile last year and I’m not thrilled with it. I miss my Bosch. Same size and a similar rack configuration but I can’t fit nearly as much in the GE as I could in the Bosch. And the dishes are not getting as clean.
Anonymous
possibly posting too late, but having purchased 3 dishwashers in under 10 years, I would not recommend a kitchen aid, maytag or bosch (what a lemon). We ended up with a Cove (new brand from Sub Zero). Likely does not meet your budget guidelines, but am confident it will save me money over less expensive brands. We love it.
Senior Attorney
I have had two Bosch dishwashers and hated them both — always breaking down and didn’t do that great a job when they were working.
The best one I ever had was a KitchenAid. Very quiet, very reliable.
Anon
We have had a KitchenAid for 5 years and like it. It’s not super quiet but no loud. We had to fiddle to get the right wash setting for our water (also hard). But I would buy it again. I don’t recall how much we spent.
Anon
Not sure about the price, but our LG is great, very quiet. Like I love how quiet it is and the happy tune it plays when it’s done.
Anon
This suit is lovely, but anything remotely peplum-like is not a friend to my gargantuan hips and rear. No a$$ doily for this pear. But you tall reedy ladies should go for it.
Anonymous
I’m hourglass shaped, and peplums look great on me, with the caveat that they have to be long enough (and I don’t have a long torso). Maybe try one that hits at a different spot on your waist? I’d think it would look good to emphasize your waist v. larger hips.
Anonymous
I love peplums, but sadly I think the silhouette is really dated. This color also doesn’t help. It looks like a paper doll that’s missing Nancy Reagan’s head.
Ses
lol at “a$$ doily” – I know exactly what you mean
KW
The problem with being tall is that the peplum never hits the waist at the right spot. So maybe this would fit ladies who are ~ 5’7″ to 5’9″ ish??
Anon
+1. I’m 5’11” and that jacket would not hit my waist correctly
R
I’m in this height range and every sweater, dress, peplum etc. of my entire life hits at least 1 1/2” above my natural waist. I have to tailor all dresses. I try not to complain because I know my figure, height, and thinness are beauty ideals and I am lucky, but ugh.
Rosa
I need a comfy black or grey cardigan to keep in my office for whenever it is cold – aka on a regular basis. I’m looking for something thicker – more like a sweater – than a thin cardigan. Realized that my pre-pandemic one has a hole in it. Any particular suggestions or has anyone bought something like this recently?
Greensleeves
I would go with a Barefoot Dreams or the Costco dupe for this!
Senior Attorney
+1 I have the Costco version and wear it every night after work when the weather is cool.
Annony
I liked the JCrew cocoon sweater blazer … it is a tiny bit itchy though, esp on the back of the neck
Anonymous
Size-inclusivity rant. Extra Petite has just announced the release of the first items from her new clothing line. Two models whose measurements would appropriately put them in a S are wearing a size XXS coat, and it still looks huge on them. If even Extra Petite engages in extreme vanity sizing, where are small people supposed to find clothes that fit?
Anon
I would message Jean and ask about this – she’s super responsive to constructive feedback (one of the influencers I most admire in that regard).
Anonymous
Dramalama much? The coats she posted today look great on the models not too big at all.
Anon
+1 – look great on the models and she says in multiple places they are a relaxed, oversized cut so you can layer under them. I think this is a non-issue.
Cat
I’m confused – are you saying EP isn’t following its own size chart? I was curious about the coat so just looked for myself and the models wearing XXS have 24 or 25″ waists… that seems appropriate for XXS to me? And it’s meant to fit oversized?
Anonymous
There is no size chart other than garment measurements. 25″ waist should be size small in a normal world.
Anonymous
[removed by management]
Anonymous
Cool cool cool, I’m glad it’s PC to make disparaging remarks and exclude people of certain body sizes.
Anonymous
“Die mad about it” is such the vibe here lately.
Anon
Go take a walk. This is childish.
Anonymous
Seriously, my short and slender co-worker is very stylish and saves a ton of $ shopping in the kids section. I have done this sometimes as a borderline petite person (now that everything is cropped, I can get non-overwhelming tops).
Anon
No this is ridiculous, 25 waist is XS
Anonymous
Amen! I went thrifting this weekend I bought a dress from the 70s it was a size 8, I also picked up a modern BR dress it was a size 0. Absolutely ridiculous the amount of vanity sizing going on these days.
Anonnymouse
That dress from the 70s were before the sizing standards changed – depending on the era vintage sizes can be 4 sizes smaller.
Anonymous
Sizing standards haven’t changed (I’m a sewist, I work with patterns and standard sizing all the time) it’s just straight up vanity sizing in the retail sector.
Anonymous
Ok Princess but reality also exists.
Anon
[removed by management]
Anon
Anon at 5:57, if you were trying to come across in any part of this discussion as a reasonable person with a reasonable complaint, that just went out the window. What a bad look for you.
Anon
Whoa you automatically lose with that sh1t. Take a look at your values 5:57. (Ps this is my first comment on this thread)
Anon
+1 to 5:59 and 6:19. Your comment is not cool. Also my first comment on this thread.
Anon
I want that coat so badly but alas I am 5’11”.
Anon
Please talk me off this extremely ill-advised ledge. Any horror stories of sleeping with a good friend? TIA
Anonnymouse
Just remember that it’s probably very wishful thinking to think that it won’t change your relationship in any way. Someone could grow feelings, you could grow apart, or it could get just get awkward.
Anon
Are you both single? If so, I’m not sure I really want to talk you down. It will change your relationship for sure, but you might end up in a great relationship. Even if it ends up not working out romantically, if this person is that good of a friend your friendship will survive whatever awkwardness might happen. There’s a chance you will get hurt of course, but there’s a chance of that anytime you get in any kind of romantic or s*xual entanglement.
If either of you is married or in a committed relationship with someone else, this will be a nightmare, don’t do it.
Anonymous
I had one of my best guy friends profess his love to me this way. The feelings were not reciprocated and it was awkward.
Anon
As a counterpoint, one of my close male friends professed his love to me. I was not interested in him (the physical attraction just wasn’t there, I’m very tall and not a snob about dating men a bit shorter than me but he was at least 5 inches shorter, which would have just been too weird for me). It was definitely a little awkward for a bit but he was very graceful about my decision and we got past it and remained very close friends.
Anon
I’m of the cynical opinion that if you’re both single and have been friends for a while and not dating, there’s a very good reason why you aren’t dating. Understand that reason before moving into FWB. This isn’t being judgy; if the reason is “we want different things out of life” or “he’s completely hot but I do not want to date a lead singer in a lounge club band,” have at it.
Anonymous
Don’t do it unless you’re ok with potentially losing that friendship.
Anonymous
This. I did this (decades ago) and there are no hard feelings but we are definitely not friends, not in touch, etc. now. The story, so you can compare to yours, is that I thought “Dan” was my very close friend/constant companion for about two years in college but Dan had a big crush on me the whole time and just took my friendship since it was all I was offering. A few years after we graduated, we were in the same place and started hanging out platonically like old times. Then one night we drank too much and I stayed at his house and he made a move. I told him I was willing to explore a relationship, and I was, but he needed to realize that it might mean we would not be friends if we broke up, which gave me great pause. He did not care at all. We didn’t really click in the bedroom, dated for a few months, and then it fizzled out. We tried being friends again but I just wasn’t really interested since I realized he had only ever really wanted to be romantic/physical.
I also felt a bit hurt when he started hitting on one of my girlfriends right away, which is something I would have actively encouraged before this. In reality, I have had this scenario play out a lot — I engage in what I think is a meaningful friendship with a man and it turns out he was just hanging out long enough to take a shot at romance/s-x. It is always disappointing and sometimes frustrating because in some instances I would have been interested if they had had the confidence to make a move at the beginning but just can’t get them out of the friend box a year later. YMMV, but consider the potential outcomes before you take the leap, and consider whether he really wants a platonic friendship anyway.
Anonymous
Yep, this. And if you sleep together, make it a short time period, not exceeding a year.
I had a FWB that ended up 6 years, we both caught feelings at different times. It blew up spectacularly in my face when he met the love of his life in a literal “fall in love at first look” (no, really, I was there to see that first look between the ex and his now partner happen bc it was a mutual friend’s dinner) . Needless to say, I am not on speaking terms with the ex/FWB or the mutual friend anymore.
Anon
+1
Anon
Since you’re open to anecdotes, one of my friends did this and it didn’t end well. She caught feelings, he didn’t, he talked to her like he was one of his buddies, including telling her about women he was interested in.
She ended up marrying one of the other guys in their larger friend group, but it weirded her now husband out that she’d slept with their mutual friend and so the two of them drifted away from the friend group. Not saying the husband was right, but that’s how it worked out.
Anonymous
I’ve done it several times with varying results. First time it completely ruined our relationship, in part because I thought we were buds who just fell into bed and did not realize that he was way more serious about me (but unable to articulate that to me, though plenty of other people apparently knew). We went from friends who hung out most weekends and travel buddies to never speaking again. It has been a decade at this point.
Second time, we were good but not great friends. He was a bit of a player and got bored with me, while I learned enough about him to never want to date him seriously. Ironically (?), he is now one of my closest friends on earth.
Third time it evolved in an all-consuming but ill-fated relationship (too many long-term conflicts). Not as close as we once were, but still one of my favorite people to spend time with and a friend for life. No regrets on the s3x.
I am clearly not opposed to the idea, but you have to be open to the possibility of it ending your relationship with that person and poisoning relationships with any mutual friends.
anon
I mean … I think I would go for it, assuming you’re both single.
Is it Friday yet?
I did with one (he initiated at a party) – it kicked off a lot of drama because he didn’t actually know what he wanted. We are not friends now.
Anon
Reader, I married him.
Anon
Never have, never would. It teaches your male friends that there’s always a chance. They won’t respect you as a friend, even if they aren’t the one to bed you.
Anon
What’s so bad about a man thinking he might have a chance with a female friend or vice versa? If you’re friends you obviously like each other and enjoy spending time together. If you find yourselves both single at the same time and one of you feels an attraction and wants to explore it, what’s so bad about that? Nothing about that strikes me as “disrespectful” at all. TBH, I think a lot of male-female friendships could turn romantic if the timing was right (which is not to say they can’t be platonic when one or both parties is otherwise committed).
Anon
Not the Anon at 5:59. There are a fair number of men who aren’t actually your friend; they are hanging around in the hopes that they can have a chance. I dated someone for four years; a “friend” made a move literally two days after we broke up. Said “friend” continued to make moves, even trying to get me away from my husband. Obviously the friendship is over. I wish I had known from the start that he was never going to be my friend, that he was just biding his time until he could snag me.
Anonymous
My anecdote, fwiw:
He was a part of a large friend group and a truly lovely person who was also a huge player. We carried on for awhile but never officially dated. We ended the physical part of our relationship when I started dating other people, and we stayed on good terms as friends throughout our life changes.
Then a couple years ago he started barraging me with texts about how he missed me. As much as I’d like to think I’m *that* inescapably fascinating, I think he was probably just bored and seeing if I was too. I told him to knock it off and we really don’t talk anymore.
That said, it was fun while it lasted and if he hadn’t gotten weird about it later I believe we’d still be friends.
If you and your friend are both single and this is a friendship you are ok with not keeping until you die then it might be fun for awhile. But if this is someone irreplaceable then maybe think twice before diving in.
hi hi hi
None here – after six+ years we did it… and another six years+ after that, we got married.
Anonnymouse
Any wedding shoe recs? Will be getting married outside so definitely want a block heel (vs stiletto).
Anon
If you are in a long dress and your shoes will be less visible, I recommend doing a try-on at DSW of all places (or anywhere that would also stock prom shoes). I found basic b*tch off-white kitten heels that are the most comfy heels I’ve ever had for about $50. I had a short dress so the shoes were pretty visible and they were perfect for completing the look. I’d been trying at fancy shoe stores for $$$ and was so pleasantly surprised.
Anon
I bought blue Kenneth Cole suede block heels. They are so comfortable! They were my something blue, and because they aren’t white I still wear them all the time.
Anonymous
Did it, married him. But if that’s not a long term play for you potentially, expect to lose the friendship if it doesn’t work out.
Curious
I wore sparkly Kate Spade Keds and remain very happy with my choice.
hi hi hi
I wore a local shoe designer’s shoes for my fancy shoes and then switched to sparkly Kate Spade Keds for the afterstuff.
Anon
Y’all, I am reading Cooking at Home by the Momofuku cook and it is an awesome life-changing sort of cook book. He gives you hacks for when microwaving or other quick steps (boiling meat) will do a fast job and how to have things also be delicious and not gross. He gets busy adult family cooking! Highly, highly recommend. I boiled a chicken, made stock, threw in random noodles, bought fish sauce (am not Asian), and it was so damn good! And I usually HATE chicken soup.
Anon
I really liked the idea of this cookbook, so I got it from the library to check out, but just an FYI, it’s VERY meat heavy. It was interesting to read the main author describe his tastes as liking deep, savory, meaty flavors, while his coauthor likes light, acidic, spicy flavors. I lean much more toward the latter, and decided this cookbook was really not for me, especially because I don’t eat much meat, but it was interesting to think about taste in food that way. If you share the author’s tastes, I think this would be a great book with useful tips, it just wasn’t very helpful for me- I didn’t bookmark a single recipe and returned it to the library without bothering to try anything, which is unusual for me.
Anonymous
I didn’t think it was any more meat-heavy than other cookbooks, TBH. And there were lots of variations (IIRC fried rice) that often have a no-meat option or two. I don’t keep a lot of meat in the house but if I cook something that is meat I like having ways to stretch the leftovers into other dishes with meat in them (or not) where it isn’t the focus of the dish. (But not to the point of the eat-the-whole animal people. In that case, I can make some beans and rice.)
Anon
I guess I was referring more to the flavor profiles than to the actual amount of meat in the dish (though most of the recipes are for meat). It’s clear that he designs most of his recipes to taste meaty, like adding fish sauce to the chicken soup to up the umami. For me, meaty is almost never the flavor profile that appeals, even on the rare occasions when I’m actually cooking meat- I’m more likely to add herbs and lemon, for example, and that’s just not the way he cooks. I liked that he articulates that so clearly, because it made it really clear to me why the recipes didn’t appeal to me, but that it might be good for someone else. I think the ideas in it make a lot of sense, just know what kind of cook you are. I’m personally glad I got it from the library instead of buying it, as it would have been a waste for me.
Anon
Thanks! I was looking for cookbooks to add to my wish list. This one looks good!
Anonymous
I love this suit, but I have no idea where I’d ever wear it. I actually miss dressing up for work. I don’t really want to invest in athleisure/loungewear, but with WFH looking interminable…it may be time.
Anonymous
It’s 4:45pm and I’m exhausted (woke up stressing at 3 am). Should I take a nap now or try to push through until 9pm? 2 kids coming home in about 90 minutes.
Anonymous
Nap!
No Face
Nap!
I hope you don’t see this because you’re asleep.