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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. Also: we just updated our big roundup for the best women's suits of 2023!
This one is a bit on the party side of suits, but it is almost that time of year… in any event, I really like this unusual print and suit from Lafayette 148 New York.
The leaf print is apparently part of their latest designs, with dresses, tops, pants, and more all featuring some variation of the leaf print. I really like it, though; it's so much more interesting than an abstract print or a more boring, regular print.
(Something about it has a slight rock and roll vibe to it? It reminds me of this Gucci suit as worn by Jenna Coleman, #19 on this list from Harper's Bazaar of celebrity trouser suits.)
The blazer is $1990 and available at Lafayette 148 New York and Neiman Marcus; the pants are $1498.
Looking for something similar but more affordable? I don't know this site at all, but their Dragonfly blazer is very similar and now marked to $50 from $232.
We round up a fun suit each week for our “Suit of the Week” feature — some of Kat's latest favorites include this gold brocade number, this blue velvet pant suit, this rockstar-like jacquard suit with tiny birds, and this very unusual print suit from Etro.
Sales of note for 10.24.24
- Nordstrom – Fall sale, up to 50% off!
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event, 30% off! Suits are included in the 30% off!
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, and redeem Stylecash!
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
- J.Crew – Friends & Family event, 30% off sitewide.
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Up to 30% off on new arrivals
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off entire purchase, plus free shipping no minimum
- White House Black Market – Buy more, save more; buy 3+ get an extra 50% off
Trish
Oh, to have the money, body, height, attitude and lifestyle to dress in Lafayette all the time! This green blazer is gorgeous.
Formerly Lilly
Oh for $3,500 to blow and the sort of social plans that would allow for this suit as evening wear! I would wear heels again for this suit. I am in love.
anon
I feel like this is a suit you buy once then wear twice a year to something like the ballet or symphony for the next two decades.
Anon
I have a symphony subscription. Most people wear jeans. It’s sad.
Anon
Better to know than show up in a ball gown, though!
Hopefully you have decent tickets and can get away with a pantsuit, though. I don’t think this one is completely out of line.
Signed – 20 year SF Symphony patron, and “mini” series opera and ballet subscriber.
Anon
Why is it sad? People are more casual now, not everyone enjoys dressing up, and so a lot of people just won’t buy tickets if the expectation is they have to wear formal wear. So then people won’t attend at all and the symphony goes under for lack of patronage. Would that be better?
Anon
I agree with the Anon above; it’s sad. If you’re going to a symphony, at least put on your nice pants.
anonshmanon
I guess the previous Anon feels like there is the joy of anticipation and the glamour of marking a special night out that comes with putting on fancy clothes, and maybe in seeing others in nice getups. I can relate to that, and I ask my husband to put on a nice shirt for Thanksgiving for this reason. Obviously, you wouldn’t ask symphony-goers to dress a certain way. I think when people don’t honor the occasion by getting dressed up, it’s tempting to jump to conclusions that they don’t value it in a way that aligns with yours, and that’s where the sadness comes from. But at the end of the day, we are all there to see a great performance, and focusing on what we have in common rather than where we differ is probably a better use of our time.
Anon
Because it is a glamorous and special event and dressing for the occassion shows respect for the talent and the occassion. Honestly, if you can afford tix, you can afford black pants and a dressy top. I hate the fake poverty excuse for being a slob. We all know that people who were actually impoverished once showed up to church on Sundays with nice clothes on.
Anon
I don’t think people are “faking poverty,” they just don’t want to get dressed up. Just in case you hadn’t noticed – the few people left who are still going to church don’t get dressed up for that, either.
Anyway, I’m glad I don’t have to hang out with you. You don’t seem very fun.
Anon
People attended the symphony dressed up for years. It’s not an access issue, it’s a decline of society. I think it’s really sad that people no longer have any respect for things that call for elegance and just wear jeans all the time.
Anon
I think anon at 4:31 implied that people would not buy tix if it meant they had to buy formal wear. And I have seen the lack of money argument elsewear. I don’t care if you think I am fun because I think you are slob.
Anon
The thing I love most about my local symphony and university symphony is that people come as they are. That includes people in evening wear making it a super-special night, people coming straight from work, and people who are there because they just happened by. It’s great. I’m glad to see people out experiencing live performances, regardless of what they happen to be wearing and I hope they’re having a good time.
Anon
It looks like these pants would also work well for flats. I am here for the cut and hem length, if not the formality.
Anonymous
You can search for the pant in other fabrics, they are the Barrow cut.
No Face
I exclusively wear full length straight leg pants. I think they work with any shoe.
I might get a pair of wide leg pants for fun though.
Anonymous
Random question for today: what is the background image for your phone?
I’ll go first: I have a mostly black image of a sunset with almost imperceptible black words that say “Rien ne change si rien ne change.” Not even sure if that’s correct French, just my mantra lately of “nothing changes if nothing changes.”
JTM
My current one is a pic of my daughters posing at Epcot – we took our first family trip to WDW earlier this year, so I got a lot of really cute pics of them.
Anon
A photo of my kid from when she was 1. She’s almost 6 now so I’m overdue for an update.
Anonymous
whatever it came with
Anon
concept art from a xianxia drama
Anon
A picture of a piece of paper on which I typed my sibling’s and spouse’s names and phone numbers in case my screen is locked and someone finds me in an emergency. Yes, least fun answer you will get.
Anon
If you have an iPhone you can set up Medical ID.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207021
Please know anyone you designate as an emergency contact will ring through when your phone is in do not disturb mode, which I prefer because I want my kids to be able to reach me any time, so they’re listed as emergency contacts just for this reason in addition to my spouse and sister.
Anon
DND settings have actually changed, and you can adjust them now.
Anon
I want them to ring or buzz through!!
Anonymous
Means you can set people to ring through without them having to be listed as emergency contacts. In case you want to set more people that way.
AIMS
More than just medical ID, you can designate emergency contacts – everyone should do this for the simple fact that you may lose your phone. I have returned two phones this way – one left on the bus and one in a taxi and it was super easy to just call the person listed and say “hi I have your mom’s phone from a taxi…”
Anon
Picture of some flowers from my garden because the color matches my case.
Anonymous
I’ll play:
Lockscreen: Earth’s point of origin symbol from SG1.
Homescreen: Painting of a horse.
Anon
Pic of me, my husband, and my kid from our wedding goofing around and having fun. I change it somewhat often to something seasonal with kid and/or husband but often go back to this one, which is one of my favorites.
Anon
I change it to match my phone case (which I change up frequently).
Anonymous
Homescreen: picture of marsh with live oak/spanish moss
lock screen:rotating pictures from various beach trips (sea turtle, sunset, ocean, etc).
Can you tell where I’d rather be?
joan wilder
My sweet dog sleeping
Cat
Pretty scene from whatever my most recent vacation was, which at the moment is the Caribbean framed with lush foliage!
Carrots
I have three photos from different trips set up that I can rotate through: a sunrise from a beach vacation; Great Falls, VA; and the Eiffel Tower
Anon
My cat! My lock screen is my wedding pic. Both are pretty old LOL
ANON
I discovered the iphone feature where you can pick one person and iphone rotates the lockscreen with random pics. so i have a new pic of my son every hour. it’s very distracting.
Anon
A handful of sea glass.
Anon
My cat. The best cat in the whole world. Was for years and years but is even more meaningful now since she died recently.
anon
Awww, I am sorry for the loss of your beloved kitty. I lost my 18-year-old kitty boy a few years ago, and I still miss him terribly.
Anon100
Lockscreen: a photo I took in Seattle on a sunny day that shows the space needle and Mt Rainier in the back
Homescreen: an image of a nebula I downloaded from the NASA website
Vicky Austin
Latest cute pic of my baby.
anon
A seasonal calendar from The Everygirl. I enjoy their tech downloads.
Anon
Toddler grandkids. The best
NYNY
Lockscreen is a nighttime skyline pic I took in a cab where we hit a bump so all the buildings have parallel lines of light shooting out of them
Homescreen is a pic of my Mom getting ready for my sister’s wedding. We lost her in 2020, and she probably would have hated that I have a picture of her in a robe with a towel wrapped around her hair, but she is laughing and looks so happy and I love it
Anon
Hal.
Anon
My lockout screen and background photo change hourly. It’s an IOS setting and the photos are randomly selected from my photo stream. I love it!!!!!!!
Anonymous
Does anyone make wrap sandwiches for themselves to take to work? Like the ones you buy at ABP or Panera? I can never get the wrapping and ingredient ratios correct…
Anon
I make some for my husband to take to work but have a really hard time wrapping it all up nicely. The struggle is real!
Steroids
I know there are folks with various auto-immune disorders on this site.
Any advice on things to be careful of when starting my first long, course of steroids for a bad flare of a new Rheum disease. MD advice is minimal. I’ll be taking it in the morning so it doesn’t wreck my sleep.
I’ll post again in the morning, I think…. when I take it.
Fortunately I am fairly healthy other than this auto-immune nightmare.
Anonymous
I was very snappy when I had to take steroids. Watch for bleeding.
Steroids
oh…. I was worried it would be hard on my stomach this way, and that I should take an ant-acid or PPI with it?
Thanks for the reminder.
Anonanon
I don’t have tummy issues with it so ymmv
Anon
I took long courses of oral steroids regularly as a kid for severe asthma. Maybe it’s different for adults, but I never had any real side effects. They warned my parents I’d probably be short, but I’m 5’11”.
Steroids
Thanks for the laugh. I needed it.
I’m praying that it will help my pain enough to let me sleep, but I may make me so wired that my sleep could get worse…. Ugh.
Anonanon
it helps my sleep so much, but definitely take it in the AM!
Steroids
Oh thank you for this.
I feel so terrible I think I have to take my first dose now…. long night I fear…
Anon
I always ask for one shot in the hip/butt instead of a week of pills. It has worked for my overall flares so far. I hate not being able to sleep when taking steroid pills and it doesn’t seem to be as bad with the shot.
I also get steroid injections in specific joints (wrist, elbow, shoulder, foot) for my RA when things are bad. In fact my rheumatologist holds “shot mornings” every Friday for this so you don’t have to book in advance. (God forbid you get the phone people 5 states away when you try to call for an appointment. They have zero idea.)
Anonanon
Your rheumatologist sounds amazing, any chance they are in the Boston area?!
Anon
west coast. And he’s retiring. 😭
Steroids
Thanks for this. Will keep in mind. Unfortunately my symptoms are systemic, not local.
Anon
Yeah sorry if I wasn’t clear. I can take a single shot in the hip for a systemic flare, not related to a specific joint. It’s in lieu of the steroid pills.
Anon
There are several recent studies on taking Metformin to block a lot of the worst side effects of steroids.
It’s really cool because it’s apparently not just compensating for stuff the steroid is doing, but actually blocking the chemical pathway whereby the steroids does those unwanted things, preventing them from happening in the first place.
It’s also safe, cheap, and familiar to doctors, but they may be nervous about prescribing it since the research is recent, but it could be worth asking about.
As for tried and true approaches, I’d lower my salt before showing up with high blood pressure, and lower sugar/carbs before showing up with hyperglycemia. And I’d wear a N95 out in public because vaccines aren’t all that when we’re on steroids.
Anonanon
“roid rage” is real, so when you want to murder someone try and check yourself. be prepared for bloating and weight gain. Try and get off it quickly – the longer you’re on it the harder it is to get off and the worse the side effects. Make sure you have a slow taper as you get off it, DO NOT just stop it (this can be deadly). if you need surgery or something talk to them about needing a rescue dose – this can be necessary even up to a year after stopping because your adrenals are still recovering. Also, I’m really sorry. I have RA and have been on Prednisone for seven years (still haven’t found a biologic that works). It really sucks
Steroids
Thanks for this. I’m on a pretty substantial dose for the next month, and then I see the MD before tapering anymore.
I just found out I have osteopenia already so I’m bummed even more about the steroids.
Anon
I set a lot of adema (swelling) from mine, as well as mood issues. Also, I have had many rounds of steroids over the years and now in my early 50s, have the bone density of a 90 year sold. Just something to keep in mind when future rounds of steroids are suggested — worth a discussion and possible routine bone density tests if you continue to need steroids.
Steroids
Thanks. The wait in the Bone clinic is 1 year… ugh.
Steroids
Does watching your salt help prevent edema? Is this in the legs, or the all over swollen face too kind?
I’ve actually lost a scary amount of weight in a short period of time from this. Just figured out’s going on last week, and have been struggling to get in to be seen by the right specialist.
Health care is a nightmare when you are really sick. They told me over the phone…. maybe there’s an appointment in March? We’ll call you back. I’m still waiting for an appointment and I call every day.
And now I’m on high dose steroids.
Anonanon
you sound like maybe it would help to talk to someone..
if you post a burner I will reach out