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Suit of the Week: Hobbs

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green skirt suit

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

This is suuuuuch a pretty skirt suit from UK brand Hobbs.

(Fun fact: so many things there are machine washable, including the skirt here! The jacket says “dry clean,” but not “dry clean only,” so you could in theory wash it carefully in the machine.)

My first thought here was that it reminds me of a Kate Middleton wore a few years ago that was so lovely it prompted a reader to write in and wonder whether it was appropriate to wear interesting suits like this to court. (K-Mid? Duchess Kate? What are we calling her these days?))

In any event: the suit is new in, so all sizes (US sizes 0-16) are in stock. The jacket is $480, and the skirt is $275.

Sales of note for 1/22/25:

  • Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
  • AllSaints – Clearance event, now up to 70% off (some of the best leather jackets!)
  • Ann Taylor – All sale dresses $40 (ends 1/23)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything
  • Boden – Clearance, up to 60% off!
  • DeMellier – Final reductions now on, free shipping and returns — includes select options like Montreal, Vancouver, and Venice
  • Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; extra 50% off all clearance, plus ELOQUII X kate spade new york collab just dropped
  • Everlane – Sale of the year, up to 70% off; new markdowns just added
  • J.Crew – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 50% off cashmere
  • J.Crew Factory – End of season sale, extra 60-70% off clearance, online only
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale – extra 50% off

152 Comments

  1. Sorry, not sorry, this looks like an old lady suit. It’s giving Dolores Umbridge.

      2. There’s another photo of it on the site with the jacket partly buttoned and no visible top. Looks a lot more current.

    2. With no disrespect toward my lovely grandma, she had a 1990s church suit that looked almost exactly like this.

      1. That is funny. At my church, only men wear suits. Women are in full rufflepuff regalia. IDK what those folks wear to funerals, but suspect it is an all-black rufflepuff.

        1. Younger women wear rufflepuff, but the 70+ ladies at my church would absolutely wear this suit. It’s not a business suit, it’s a church suit.

      3. Why do you think lawyers should only wear navy, black and grey to court? I am 57 and would wear this in a trial if it came in petite. I am sad that so many people equate color with frump.

    3. Whereas I think it would be lovely and appropriate in any business formal setting (lawyers, politicians, people giving presentations). The color makes it more than a basic but it is the perfect classic suit.

      One of the things I have noticed lately is the disconnect between people in professions where they never need real “business formal” clothes and those who do. The latter do still exist!

      1. I *love* business formal, even though I don’t really have a need for it, and I really like this suit.

    4. It DOES look very British royal, but would be a decent court/trial suit, professional without being too dowdy and yet not distracting, either, which is what you want as an advocate in court.

      1. Agree that a colored, tailored suit without too much going on is a good choice for court.

    5. I’ve been looking for a suit jacket in this color, and am very tempted by this (I’m an lawyer and am envisioning wearing this to court- I think the jacket would work quite nicely with black pants). Does Hobbs run true to size?

  3. I wonder how Prighozin’s plane crashing will affect Wagner’s overall footprint or if it will just be absorbed into the Russian army. They have such a terrible track record globally – it would be great if they lose some strength.

      2. Yeah, I assumed he’d be defenestrated or a mysterious car crash but shooting down a plane over a population seems like a crazy choice.

      3. That’s exactly what I did when my husband said the plane crashed. I said “crashed” with air quotes.

        If it wasn’t a plane crash I’m sure he would have fallen off a balcony or died from a rare form of food poisoning. So clumsy.

    2. It’s crazy to me that with the entire world watching, Putin has no compunction about just taking out his enemies like this. What would this guy do if he was allowed to act unchecked? We should all be scared of that.

      1. Frankly, I’m surprised that he was even still alive on June 25th, much less alive and with a private jet that others were willing to get on with him. Like shocked even.

      2. I don’t understand why Republicans, fka The Party of That Manufactured The Red Scare, don’t care about how untethered Putin is.

        2. Russia has neither free elections, nor free speech or a free press. Therefore he can do whatever, just like the kings of old. People can murmur but they cannot speak freely without risking everything. 45 very obviously coveted those aspects of how dictators run their countries. He said so repeatedly.

      1. Got it. It all makes sense now. Does Russian life insurance exclude windows as a known hazard?

    5. I’m relieved people are appropriately cynical about this. I still remember commenters here commenting on Jeffrey Epstein’s tragically neglected mental health.

  4. What do people with full bangs across do with them when working out/otherwise sweating?

      1. Do you mean you pin them back on the top of your head, like flipped back from your forehead? Or to the side? I’m debating getting bangs and this is one of my main problems but I do like the idea of both bobby pins and a sweatband.

    3. I have Zooey Deschanel style bangs so I usually sweep them to one side and bobby pin them back to keep them off my forehead. I came in once to update a credit card at my gym and the front desk person literally didn’t recognize me because I didn’t have my bangs pinned aside!

    4. Looks like I’m in the minority just leaving them down to workout, but I don’t sweat a ton.

    7. I don’t have them now, but when working out with bangs, I used to let them get sweaty, then wash bangs only in the shower, quick blow dry when done. Often I washed all of my hair but it sometimes was OK to wait until morning for that.

  5. Any recommendations for fun things to do or restaurants for a week in Charleston, West Virginia?

        1. Whoa, okay, it was a snarky response but I don’t think it merited this level of vitriol.

        4. Um, wow. I don’t think you are convincing anyone that they need therapy by cursing them out (and in fact, go to therapy is the most overused insult used on this board.)

      2. Eh Google is out of date. I would be asking one of the AIs for some itineraries as a start. (And then checking to see if its recommendations are real, but they usually are for stuff like this!)

        1. I would never rely on the AI bots for travel recommendations. My husband tried asking one for a restaurant within waling distance of a certain location. It gave him a restaurant 8 miles away that had gotten bad ratings and then gone out of business.

        3. The AIs are more out of date than Google and Yelp. I think the last time ChatGPT had a major update was 2021. Multiple people have posted anecdotes here about going to a place recommended by ChatGPT only to find it shut. I would definitely recommend starting with Yelp for restaurants and Google for activities/points of interest.

          1. I don’t use ChatGPT. Bing chat does same day searches. Of course I would still use Google and Yelp to check reviews (and whether the business is open).

          2. I just went and tried Bing for a long conversation I’ve been having with Chat GPT. Bing did a very poor job on the same topics vs Chat GPT. It’s a very niche topic. Compared to basic googling of the topic, Chat GPT gave me more information, and Bing gave me less than Google.

        5. Lol, where do you think ChatGPT is getting its info? The hard on this board has for it is so weird to me.

          1. Yeah I don’t know anyone in real life who uses AI like this, and I work in tech.

    4. Interrupting all the weirdness to say I had one of the best pizzas of my life at Lola’s Pies! And it’s in a cute neighborhood where you drive up hills past really cute houses to get to it.

    5. There’s great antiques there and it’s close to the Greenbrier, which is fun to see and lots of dining options. I ate at a lovely place with a porch that I unfortunately don’t remember the name of.

      1. It’s actually a couple of hours from the Greenbrier. And the food at the Greenbrier is almost as bad as the service and the decor.

    6. I’m kind of late, but sometimes I look for NYT 36 hours in Wherever (maybe they don’t have WV, but worth a look), and get some ideas there.

      You could see if eater.com covers the area.

    1. Thank you! I was coming here to say the same thing. She has a clear and easy title…

  7. Help me use my words. I matched with a guy on Bumble and we really hit it off as far as messaging goes. It was refreshing. I agreed to go on a date with him. However, it feels like it’s spiraling out of control. First, he wants to do a full night of activities on weeknight – I work long hours at a high stress job and I usually don’t like going out (and being out late) during the week. Second, he won’t tell me what these activities are. He will only tell me the name of the restaurant he wants to take me to first, and then the rest of the night’s activities he has planned are for me to guess using puzzle clues that he gives me (and must be sent over email so he asked for my email address). I already mentioned my high strung job, but I also have social anxiety, regular anxiety, and I’m not an “activities” person. I appreciate all the work he’s putting into this date and he’s a nice guy, but I’m much more “let’s sit in a quiet bar and get to know one another.” I asked him if we could do that instead on a Friday night and he said no, that he really wants to do whatever activities he has planned as a first date and they can only be done on certain nights of the week. Then he agreed for a regular Friday night date as second date.

    I feel so deep into this whole thing and I’ve been too agreeable the whole time, when in reality he is stressing me out. How do I use my words to get out of this whole thing?

    1. Nope nope nope. A first day is always short and casual. You haven’t even met this guy?! And he’s planning activities with a puzzle?!! JFC. You need to shut it down. Do not go on a date with him. All you need to say is, “I’m not available for a date any longer, best of luck” and block him. That’s it.

      1. I also wanted to add, no reasonable man would ever expect a woman to commit to a full evening of secret activities on a first date because a reasonable man would understand how inappropriate and unsafe that is.

        1. +1

          The one time I went on a date with a guy who I felt was pushing a little hard but my friends had talked me into (like Explorette below – “how bad can it be?” “YOLO” etc), I was in and out in 10 minutes. The waitress hadn’t even come around to take our drink order yet! He skeeved me out. Things that I had written off in messages were worse IRL. As I was leaving, he said, “But I drove an hour here!”, to which I said something like “enjoy the hour home.”

          When you meet Mr. Right, he’ll be Mr. Right in part because he listens and understands your busy career and you won’t need to talk yourself into or out of anything. Got married to my Tinder guy 5 years ago. They’re out there. Stay true to yourself.

      2. +1 He’s coming on way too strong. Red flags all over. I’d unmatch or block or whatever.

        2. Might I add, biggest red flag of all: “I asked him if we could do that instead on a Friday night and he said no.”
          He’s so wrapped up in the idea of his grand romantic gesture he literally doesn’t care if you like it or not.

          1. Ooooh, this slipped past me. I change my opinion. Do not go on a date with this guy.

            Do not go on dates with people who lie or disrespect your boundaries, ever.

    2. This is giving ME anxiety! I would tell him that if he wants to meet you, it will be on Friday night for a drink only.

    3. “Chad, thank you for planning the date. In further reflection, I don’t think we are a match. Best of luck finding someone.”

    4. Wow that is a lot for a first date! I was typing up a sample response for you, but as I was doing it, I changed my mind and think you should lean into saying yes to this experience. No one will ever do this again for you. I’m really curious what all these activities are and how it will work. Appreciate that you get to have a very unique experience even if it means you are not firing on all cylinders the next day. It’s one night of your life.

      2. Oh he11 no.

        Girl, say, “On second thought, we aren’t a match. Good luck.” Block and route his emails by rule to the trash.

      4. No no no. OP told the guy she’s not into this and he refused to back off. A guy who won’t take no for an answer is a guy you don’t want to be involved with.

        “I’m not comfortable with this. It seems like we’re not a match.” Then unmatch.

    5. He is doing way too much. It’s a nice sentiment, but the fact that he’s saying ‘no’ to you makes it clear this isn’t for you, it’s for him. Romantic gestures that don’t take into account the person’s interests aren’t romantic.

      You need to use your words assertively. “So sorry for saying this sooner, but I don’t have bandwidth for activities or late nights during the workweek. Does Friday 7 pm at [Bar you like] work for you?”

      Don’t leave room to negotiate. If he doesn’t respect this boundary, he’s not worth your time.

      1. This strikes me as the type of guy who is so into his own idea of himself as a nice guy / catch that he thinks of what will make a big impression without thinking about the other person. I would steer clear, since I think it’s characteristic of people with narcissistic and self-absorbed tendencies. My ex was like this, and it ropes you in at first but is eventually coupled with a lot of ego and inability to see himself as wrong / see what the other person feels is valid.

        1. +10000000000

          The above scripts that say something like “Upon further reflection I don’t think we’re a match.”

      2. Nope nope nope. A first date is for casually meeting at a coffee shop or bar. It is never, ever for a two mile walk anywhere. (Do you really want to go out with someone who isn’t in tune with women’s concerns about safety? Two mile walk to end up in a ditch! Yikes no!)

      4. Hard no. I’d message him with “I appreciate you putting a lot of time and thought into this but we just aren’t on the same wavelength. This date is not going to work for me and I wish the best in finding a good match.” Unmatch, block and leave it at that. The weird bumble dates I experienced happened when I went against my instincts. Nope right out of this situation.

        1. I would suggest NOT indicating you appreciate his putting a lot of time and thought into this — that’s particularly what is turning everyone off, so I would kindly not encourage him to replicate this tactic with some other woman. If you want to be polite, you could say something like, “Thanks for your interest, but we don’t seem to be a good match. Good luck.” And then decline any further engagement with him by blocking, etc. Lack of transparency signals some measure of risk and danger.

      5. Hard no. Bow out or ghost. Block his number, block or unmatch on the app etc. He’s not hearing what you tell him, and tbh I think you’d be uncomfortable on the date if you do end up somehow getting the first date changed to something lowkey.

        This could be cute for an anniversary date with someone who knows you and respects you preferences. Not a first date off an app.

    7. This is way way way way too much for a date this early in the relationship. MAJOR red flag alert, especially the part where you’re trying to tell him what your life is like, and what you do and don’t want to do after work, and he’s not listening/doesn’t care. This is what lovebombing looks like, just FYI.

      There are people out there who invent fantasy relationships in their minds and then try to force-fit people they meet into the fantasy. Who the person really is doesn’t matter; it’s just about executing their fantasy of The Perfect Date or The Perfect Relationship. This whole scenario to me has “Good Guy” vibes, like – “I’m such good guy; I’m a hopeless romantic! Why won’t women date me???” And believe me – there’s always a really scary reason why the guy can’t get or keep a girlfriend. Run, run, run.

      I would send a text that says something like “This conversation is making me see that we are not a good match, and so it’s best if we both move on. Best of luck to you in the future” and then block him on EVERYTHING, even your LinkedIn.

    8. Wait -this is a first date? Wow!

      Personally, I do not like surprises so I would be a no at any point in a relationship. I especially am not going to agree to do some stranger’s puzzles.

      “I appreciate the sentiment but I don’t like surprises and I like to relax and get to know someone on a date. If you are interested in just drinks/coffee/dinner, I’m game.” But honestly, be mentally prepared to not date this guy.

      1. This response is perfect.

        I am VERY CURIOUS what he’s planned, but I would also find this really weird and offputting.

      2. Same. This is weird, over-the-top, and completely out of sync with early dating safety. If he doesn’t absorb the message above and back off, I’d cancel altogether.

      3. I wouldn’t even offer to meet him for drinks/coffee/dinner. There are red flags all over the place and OP doesn’t need to spend another minute talking to this guy.

          2. Yep, I have listened to way too many true crime podcasts and I am proud of that fact. And this is exactly how so many of the “and then the guy showed up at her house with a bunch of rope and a knife” stories start: with the Great Guy who just wants to do the Grand Romantic Gesture and Seems Too Good to be True.

          3. Someone told me I would be walking a long distance in high heels because they didn’t want to rent a taxi. I canceled the entire trip. Please do not go out with this guy. It could be a dangerous situation for you. Please!

    9. Personally, I would cancel and block.

      He’s showing you – before you’ve even been on a date! – that he’s not really that nice of a guy, he’s more involved with his own plans and POV than listening to your input. He’s showing you that your preferences are a low priority compared to his self image as dating genius. It’s not charming to ignore your potential date’s input. Do not give him your email or phone number.

    10. He sounds like a control freak. This is not a great first impression so stop wasting your time and go find someone who can take no for an answer.

    11. I read somewhere that turning a date into a multi-activity date with different locations is some kind of red pill or pick up artist tactic. It’s designed to make you feel like you have been dating someone longer, to create a sense of intimacy much faster. I’d block and delete, especially because he didn’t respect your boundary when you asked to move this adventure or whatever it is to a Friday night.

      1. Yeah–luckily I don’t know much about PUA, but this sounds like a Move from a Playbook of some kind, and it’s problematic for all the reasons people have already pointed out. I would no longer be interested in meeting him at all. Send a totally bland message saying the plans are off, and then immediately un-match or block or whatever so he can’t reply. (Since he sounds like the type who will argue, question, or lash out.)

    12. OP again – thank you ALL. I just sent him a message saying we are not a match and i wish him luck, etc.

        1. Jk, he has now sent two follow up messages. I’m deleting and blocking. Thanks all!

          1. Did you give him your email address or any other “real” info? Be careful if so and good work bailing now!

          2. If the follow-up messages contain the kind of dreck I think they do, send them to beammeupsoftboi on Instagram!

          3. Good for you!!

            Next time, my advice is to not get deep into messaging with guys before you meet them, because it ends up with you feeling emotionally involved. Meet for a drink/coffee quickly instead. Never go anywhere with him on a first date.

          5. I’m not surprised at these stalker vibes. Good job cutting him off hard, he was bad news.

    13. I’m just going to put it out there that this is very similar to what my abusive father did to hook my mother, and it took her a very long time to get out.
      He’s completely dismissing you and making the entire thing about what he wants, and the chances are very high that he will come on very strongly and love-bomb you right out of the gate.
      Getting away now will be a lot easier than getting away later.

    14. Oh I should have clarified, I do not think this guy is the right fit for OP at all! My point was it could be an interesting evening and to go have that experience.

      For actually dating this guy, oh h e double l no. He has no respect for what you want or need and only cares about what he wants. You said you are not an activities person, and he is clearly very into activities. This won’t decrease as you start dating, and is a reflection of what your life together will be like. So no, you are not a fit and should not go on more than one date with him.

    16. whew…. this thread totally stressed me out

      Thank goodness you said no. Now I can sleep.

    2. Yes, I tried Mint Mobile for about a year. It was okay at first, but then I had poor cell coverage and lots of dropped calls. I switched to Visible, and am having the same problems, so may need to grit my teeth and pay more money for Verizon or AT&T.

      2. That sounds like you’re in a bad reception area. Can you look up what cell providers have towers in your area? Mint uses the T Mobile network. I had previously had T Mobile before switching to Mint, and I’ve luckily never had coverage issues on either.

    3. I used it for years. I only just switched to Tello because it’s even cheaper for my usage patterns.

      I liked their customer service (especially after having had a big name carrier with circle of hell customer service previously!). I remember I had a problem with call quality once, and they fixed it quickly after just chatting.

    4. I tried Mint Mobile a few years ago. The cell signal in my area was ok, but I had trouble with roaming in Europe, which their website had not prepared me for. Customer service was subpar overall. If you are looking to save money, have you considered Google Fi?

    5. Yes! For several years. There’s places where my cell coverage isn’t great but my friend with a TMobile line has the same issues in the same spots. Using it internationally is a pain and that’s really the only downside. Everything else is great.

    6. I haven’t, but if you are looking for a cheaper option Google Fi is excellent and dirt cheap.

    7. We got my son an account there for his phone – their coverage is good for the limited area where we are. My husband and I are still on my parents’ cell plan and the Mint account is super cheap. Good for what we need it for, which is an in case of emergency phone for a kid who doesn’t use it mch. (he’s 11.)

    8. My husband and I have had Mint Mobile since 2020 without any issues. It didn’t work in Europe or the Caribbean, at all, so I had to buy SIM cards, which wasn’t a dealbreaker. It’s super cheap!

      1. I had mint in 2020 and it was fine, was mostly in the bay area sob coverage wasn’t a huge concern though (it runs in TMobile which has less rural capacity than the other carriers)

        Plus at the start of *everything in 2020*, I got a voicemail from Ryan Reynolds saying anyone who needed it could get extra data free, so that was kinda cool

  9. I should ask this tomorrow, but – my bond funds are all tanking. what is everyone investing in to diversify away from stocks and stock funds? (already have $ in Cds and treasury bonds)

    1. This is normal for what is happening in the short term. Bonds are there for long term stability. You should have decided on an asset allocation already %stocks/bonds, and best to hold those percentages and ride things out in the short term. Or rebalance now if you haven’t in awhile. Yes, bonds will be slow for awhile. It’s up to you if you feel more confident with having all of your $ in the market instead, as things waver for the next year or so…

      If you are trying to decide what to do with new conservative money for the short term, then money market funds are doing great right now. Look at the best ones you have access to. I have a lot in the best yield funds at Fidelity and Vanguard.

      1. that’s what i thought – long term stability – but the 5 and 10-year YTDs are like 1%… i’m getting better than that at my savings accounts. but my father was saying that bonds and bond funds are harder to do cost/basis on? need to google more.

    1. No but I know Vivek and it’s SOOOO weird that someone I know personally has gotten this close to the presidency (even though I realize it’s still really unlikely he’ll win).

      1. It’s disturbing that someone who thinks climate change is a hoax and who wants to disenfranchise voters under 25 is on that stage.

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