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Suit of the Week: Reiss

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.

Oooh: I'm loving the sharp lines on this suit from Reiss — and I'm loving the monotone styling here, as well as the really fun pinkish purple color.

The blazer, pants, and matching “knitted vest” are all available for $160-$475. Note that some sizes are already sold out, while others are available for preorder (?).

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!

Sales of note for 12.2.24 (Happy Cyber Monday!! See our full sale listing here!)

91 Comments

    1. My teeth got super sensitive afterwards and, though they were super bright immediately afterwards, it really didn’t last that long. I find I get better and more consistent results from whitening strips.

    2. Up there as one of the worst things I’ve ever done. I normally don’t have teeth sensitivity. Decided to do zoom before my wedding. It felt fine while I was getting the treatment. A few hours later, I was in so much pain that I thought I would have to go to the emergency department. Like zaps of pain that would bring you to your knees. I actually used a painkiller from a previous surgery because it was so darn bad. Results weren’t any better or different than Crest white strips or the custom trays my dentist made for me. Save yourself the pain and stick with white strips.

  2. Reposting because I posted just as the afternoon thread went live:

    Suggestions of budget items to eliminate/trim? I’m returning to grad school and taking a job in the interim that is half of what I currently earn. Have already dropped the Y for Planet Fitness, eliminated streaming services (mostly), quit eating out etc. and have tried to fulfill shipping urge with thrift/consignment stores. I don’t eat meat and have a 2017 hybrid Japanese car.

    1. I feel slightly cringe posting these, especially since I don’t agree with the philosophy necessarily, but I have been inspired to save money on specific items from: The Frugal Friends podcast, Mr Money Mustache and Dave Ramsey in the past. When I was paying off my student loans all three of those helped keep me motivated to save money.

      1. Yeah, I don’t totally agree with Mr. Money Mustache, but I’ve found his site and the forums to be super helpful in thinking about money and helping me question everything I spend money on. I don’t hesitate to buy anything I need or really want, but don’t bother spending anything on lots of common things that just don’t actually bring me that much pleasure, like eating out.

    2. If you’ve cut everything that’s natural to cut, can you increase your income instead? What’s your living situation? Could you take on a roommate temporarily?

      Otherwise, start seriously tracking grocery prices so you know when to stock up. We have the world’s most lopsided grocery orders bc we rotate what pantry staples we replenish based on the week’s sales.

      1. Getting a roommate (or renting your place out for game day weekends, if your school is that kind of place) is the best way to cut back I think.

        FWIW, when I was in law school at a big state school, I made as much renting my place out for a football weekend as I did having a roommate the year prior. I just went to stay with my local ILs for the weekend.

    3. Now time to focus on the big stones rather than the small pebbles: can you shop around for cheaper car/home/renters insurance? Get a roommate or refi a mortgage? Go with a basic phone carrier rather than the big 4 or trim your plan back?

        1. backslashes that aren’t followed by spaces, I think. They’re presumed to be a link.

    4. See what your school offers at the library to all students
      See about a student discount card for nearby stores

    5. This might be a no-brainer, but throwing it out there anyway – you quit eating out, but does that include ordering in, and prepared foods? Pizza order, grabbing a sandwich, coffee run etc. doesn’t count as eating out for many people, but is a huge money sink.

    6. Sounds like you’ve got it covered, unless you don’t really need a gym membership at all. A peloton subscription is like $13/month and there’s always running. But you know best what works for you- these are just suggestions.

        1. +1 – I was looking to join Planet Fitness today. I know I am late, but if OP or others have referral codes I can use, I would gladly take one. Do you get credit for a referral code OP? Please post and I will gladly get you the credit.

    7. Look at your big expenses and decide how much inconvenience you’ll tolerate. Adding a roommate(s) is definitely the fastest way to balance your budget. As a bonus they also pick up their portion of fixed utilities. You can’t cut Netflix your way out of a 50% income drop.

    8. I’ve been really happy with Mint Mobile. I don’t stream video while on mobile and am not on social media, and I find the 4GB a month to be more than enough for everything else. I pay ~$200 for the year.

    9. If your grad school is anything like my law school was, there will be lots of free pizza and other lunches offered to students who attend extra-curricular talks and events. Definitely take advantage of any free food offered to you!

    10. If you’re really at the end of what you can trim, this is what financial aid/student loans are for. I know people love to hate student loans, but it’s an investment in your future. I wouldn’t have been able to attend college at all without them.

    11. a 50% income drop means you need to cut 50% of your expenses. get rid of the gym membership and find things to do for free. get rid of the ‘shopping urge’ entirely and only buy things you actually need (and then buy as many of them as you can second hand). no take-out/ordering in/starbucks/etc. wear the clothes you have until they fall apart. go over every single expense you have and seriously ask yourself what’s the worst thing that would happen if it were eliminated. make sure you’re not being penny wise and pound foolish.

    12. Hi! I’m in a similar boat, just started grad school part time this summer while working full time. My grad program is hybrid, but since I’m a part time student I’m rarely on campus (it’s about 30 mins from my apartment) so the tips like use the campus gym and free pizza didn’t apply to me (not sure if they apply to you?). I applied to grad school kind of on a whim and had also just moved from a house with 4 roommates to living alone in a one bedroom… the concept of living with roommates to save money is great but you’re likely already locked into a lease…

      – take advantage of any assistance your employer gives: tuition assistance, gym/wellness reimbursement, etc but also using your FSA for all it can be used for (Advil, tampons, etc) rather than just copays
      – working + school means you’ll be busy! Meal prep when you can but also keep frozen or fast options on hand so you’re not tempted to get take out.
      – buy nothing, Facebook marketplace, goodwill are great! I thrift most of my clothes from consignment shops and a few years ago I entirely furnished my apartment via buy nothing!
      – if you live in a bikeable area – consider replacing some driving with biking.
      – I use boost mobile for my cell phone. My portion of the family plan is $25 for unlimited data.
      – the library! Great for books but also less common things like tools, craft supplies, etc
      – see what beauty routines you can DIY. I do gel nails and my eyebrows at home. I get my skincare from the ordinary and I temporarily stopped trying new makeup products, I just keep my routine as is.
      – even though you need to be frugal, still give yourself one or two indulgences. I find it I cut out everything fun/self care I then binge on having fun later which is more expensive
      – invite friends over for drinks, potluck dinners, walks in the park, game nights etc rather than going out
      – look into splitting a Costco membership. My aunt and I shop together and then split up supplies.
      – I bring 2 yetis with coffee to work, 1 to drink in the AM and one for later. The yeti keeps the coffee warm all day and I don’t have to spend money on coffee

    13. I have been doing this because I freaked out recently at paying $7/pound for chicken or somesuch. Also, I have a daughter who is a grad student, so I will throw in what she’s doing.
      Shop your cell phone plan, car insurance, home internet and any utilities you can (natural gas, for instance, is available here from numerous providers, all of whom offer different pricing plans). See if you are eligible for a subsidized health insurance plan due to your lower income. Alternate streaming services–Netflix for a few months, then Hulu, etc.
      Check your tax withholding from your new job to make sure you’re not going to be under- or over-withholding.
      This one is kind of out there, but if you own your home, have you checked the status of your insulation? We just blew insulation into my daughter’s attic, and she immediately noticed a difference. SEUS, very hot summer, so YMMV. If you are gone during the day, crank up the thermostat while you are gone. My experience is that it is a myth that keeping it at the same temp while no one is home saves you money. Maybe if you have a super-well-insulated home, but not with any home I’ve ever lived in.
      Carpool.
      If cutting expenses is not enough, add a side hustle. I have been shocked, though, at how many recurring expenses I’ve been able to cut, which is both–yay, me! but also–I feel like an idiot for not having done it sooner. So much wasted $$.

    15. I know you’re trying to cut eating out but depending on your program, you may want to network with your classmates and go out for cheap drinks/dinner once in awhile. I’d be sure to factor that in your budget because making connections in grad school can be very important not to mention you may need the stress relief!

  3. Have you ever had a friendship change so the person just becomes “neutral and polite” towards you. Friend was probably my closest friend, we’re both 45 single and we’d get on the phone and chat for an hour about literally anything, text daily. Pandemic changed all that as we had different views early on and she was basically calling me paranoid. I backed off and was fine with that. We live in different cities so we haven’t seen each other since then, and she likely wouldn’t see me even if I went to her city because after getting covid she became very very cautious. We now talk on the phone once a year, text maybe weekly though sometimes we’ll go a month or so without texting when I start to feel like only I reach out.

    And now you say the dumbest thing to her and you get a super polite, I’m not taking a position response. Example – I haven’t had coffee in 5 days and it’s going better than I thought, glad to see I’m not addicted. Response – well that’s good if it’s important to you to not be addicted. Or you ask a direct question like hey is your job fully remote permanently now or hybrid. Response – many legal jobs are remote, some are not. Um ok I guess you don’t want to share about yours then.

    Would you move on here? FWIW she’s become much closer to her stay home mom friends, when she does talk it’s about cooking, grocery prices, and household things.

    1. Sadly, I think she’s telling you here that she doesn’t want to be your friend anymore. This is so hard. Hugs.

      1. I mean I wouldn’t like a friend either who I used to banter with who now has decided it’s a state secret whether her job is remote or hybrid – a thing that literally every professional is discussing. Or who acted like I was being dumb for the coffee remark and can’t dignify it with a response. Like sorry part of friendship is bantering about the day to day.

        Focus on other friends you can chat with OP.

    3. I think it’d be nice on your part to send a text or email “hey thinking of you, miss you, wishing you well” as if y’all haven’t broken up but sadly I think these are the kind of communications from someone who has broken up with you already in their head :( I’m sorry
      I’m 43 and you sound like an awesome friend

      1. You do not have to “break up” with a friend. It’s better to just let it slide and not have a big final argument because what purpose does that serve? It’s better to stay on friendly terms because someday when you run into old friend you can have happy memories of the times you did spend together.

    4. It sounds like you guys aren’t connecting at all, with the pandemic exacerbating the issues. I would sadly move on.

    5. She wants to be your acquaintance, not your friend. She doesn’t initiate any texts, right? She’s just politely answering yours.

      I had a close friendship drift away like this and it hurts but it is what it is. I stopped initiating and occasionally she sends me something, and very very very occasionally she wants to get together, but it’s like once a year.

      By the same token I’ve been on the other side where I felt a friendship wasn’t working for me and I drifted, so I try not to feel to upset about the one that wasn’t my choice.

      1. I should add, I’m not perfect here. Sometime ex friend who drifted will send me a video she thinks is funny and my immediate internal response is “oh you don’t talk to me for four months and now to want me to be all HAHAA funny video?” So sometimes I just don’t respond.

    6. It’s probably a combination of issues that started with pandemic friction which happened with lots of friends when people judged others as being paranoid. But then it seems like post covid she is living a very different life. She probably has transitioned much more to be being a home body, and thus it’s all about shopping, home cooking and things that you guys didn’t have in common if you’re out there talking about work and travel.

    7. I wouldn’t entirely break off the friendship or call her out or anything because if this is a good friendship, you don’t know where life takes you. Maybe in ebbs and flows you become close again, but that won’t happen if you’ve had a fight along the way. But as for you definitely focus on making other friends where you live and not relying on someone who doesn’t want to talk to you. Sounds like her life has just changed and she’s living differently than she used to and for that reason has more in common with stay home mom friends who cook dinner nightly than you. It’s also possible that maybe she’s dating someone, perhaps someone with kids so now homemaking is more important to her. Usually that wouldn’t be a secret but I’ve seen friends keep it secretive when they’re dating or living in some situation that’ll be judged like a much much older man or much different socioeconomic classes or whatever.

    8. Yeah, I would put your time and energy and dumb thoughts into other friends. (I say this with the conviction that sharing dumb thoughts is a cornerstone of friendship.)

    9. You’re a good person. Those sorts of replies when you’re sharing like that are so awful. I’d chalk this up to moving in different directions (or more likely possibly having offended her with a different view at some point whether Covid or politics or whatever) and focus that energy on friends who will appreciate you instead. You deserve better.

  4. Question: is it rude to microwave heavily spiced food like Indian food in the office kitchen? (Please say no!)

    1. Semi. Sorry. I wouldn’t mind it but other people would. Fish is the worst. But if someone after you is microwaving their own meal and the microwave is still pungent with your spicy meal, they probably won’t appreciate it. Even worse if the smell is so strong that it perfumes the entire office.

      I’m not sure what the solution is – lids, paper towels, cleaning the microwave? But I’m sure other people have suggestions.

    2. I sometimes wish I could avoid a wafting smell but I think of it as a “me” problem, not a “them” problem. I figure people have to eat and sometimes you just deal. I vote not rude.

    3. Not rude, literally everyone in my office microwaves Indian. However microwaving fish is really rude *barf*

    4. I think there’s not a one size fits all answer to this. If it actually makes the whole room or floor smell, then I’d be careful, especially if it affects people in their offices, not just the kitchen area. If only a few people are affected, then you can just ask them how they feel about it. I have frequent nausea and can be really triggered by food smells, but Indian food would generally be okay with me- coffee and meat are much more offensive, for whatever reason, but everyone seems to think it’s fine for offices smell like coffee, which makes me want to vomit.

    5. Anything but fish is fair game. Most people will be envious of, not annoyed by, the delicious aroma of your food.

        1. Agree. Febreze makes me gag. And then you just have spicy Indian smells + Febreze, which is a terrible combination.

          (Sh1t + Febreze is also terrible, for anyone who thinks they’re fooling anyone in the bathroom)

        3. Agreed. It never actually masks the odor and then you end up with a Frankenstein fake scent + real scent that is worse than the original!

    7. When this is treated as a policy at work, isn’t this covert racism? Like only white American food is allowed to waft?

      1. I don’t think so. Cooking fish isn’t specific to any particular ethnicity and it’s widely frowned upon at work.

        1. The OP didn’t say anything about fish though, it was about the food being spicy.

      2. There’s no policy here, and no one has said anything. I’m just a white vegetarian with a penchant for spiced foods who also aims to be courteous, so I thought I’d check what the consensus was.

    8. IMO the office microwave is there to heat up the foods being eaten by the people who work in the office. If the food you’re eating is spicy, go for it.

    9. I think it would be crazy racist to rule out an entire ethnicity of food at work. “Don’t microwave fish” is different and not specific to any one culture.

  5. I just got a long awaited blouse from Hobbs and it arrived with the security tag on. Hobbs you suck! Just needed to vent.

    1. Make them send you another!! A retailer did this to me once and told me to try around at different department stores to see if someone could remove it for me (what?) and I absolutely dug my heels in and they eventually refunded me and sent another.

      1. That’s ridiculous! For all these random stores knew, you had shoplifted the shirt! And why was it either your or these other poor stores’ problem to solve?

    2. Hobbs has been a nightmare for me. So disappointing! Takes forever to arrive, the returns are h@llacious, service is dreadful. No more for me. Maybe a local store can take it off for you?

      1. Shop from Bloomingdales instead of Hobbs. Not 100% the same selection but way more reliable.

    3. the security tags are usually magnetic- do you have any really strong magnets floating around?

    4. Is there a local Bloomingdales by you? They sell Hobbs and may be able to take it off? Also this is why I stopped buying from Hobbs directly, I once stuck two dresses of theirs in my luggage on a trip to the UK because their return fees from the US were insanely high and annoying.

  6. Just here to say this is an incredible look. I looove monocromatic outfits. The tank that is same color as rest of the outfit makes this for me.

    1. I love this color. It takes some moxie to wear it head to toe but I would greatly admire anyone doing so.

  7. I have, and love, the Revlon curling blow dryer brush. It is great, but it is so hot! I would like to buy a similar device that has three speeds and three heat settings. Dryer sells one that has three heat settings…$125 dollars or so. Any other ideas? Thanks!

    1. I think Revlon just launched a “second generation” version of this dryer that I think is supposed to give more control over the heat. Might be worth checking!

    2. I switched from the Revlon to the Drybar Doubleshot. Even the highest setting on the Drybar tool isn’t burning your hair the way the Revlon one does. 100% worth the money.

  8. Our lovely neighbor lost her husband very young a month ago (at 58) and she was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She starts chemo tomorrow.
    What can we do? Homemade chicken soup and Gatorade? She’s so kind to our family and I felt gutted after her husband died. Let alone this diagnosis. I’ve been so fortunate not to deal with this in my immediate family yet.
    We already help let the dogs out and other chores around her house.

    1. That sounds like a wonderful way to help. Can you walk or exercise the dogs if they need it? Offer to fill her freezer? Send her a few things to do during infusions if she feels up to it?

    2. Does she have someone to help drive her to her appointments? When my mom had chemo, driving help was appreciated. Also your idea of soup and drinks is good. Something she can easily heat up when she feels like eating.

    3. I’d ask her if you can take over the dog walking while she’s in treatment as well as running errands for her (groceries, pharmacy, vet) if she feels comfortable with it. Maybe also see if you can take over her yard work if you have the bandwidth?
      She may not be able to visit with people due to the risk of illness but can you try to make it a point to text her funny videos/memes/drop off cards, books, or magazines? When a close friend was dealing with her mother’s final days in hospice she just wanted a distraction and we had an active group text with silly cat/dog/baby gifs.

    4. If she lives alone, does she have someone checking in on her? It sounds like you’re close, so it might be a real help to be able to pop in and check in on her in the couple days after chemo. IE, if she has a 10AM infusion, then maybe arranging to stop in at 5 or 7PM on infusion day to coax her into eating a meal and then again at 10PM to check before going to sleep for the night. This will probably take a comfort level of having a key to her house, waking her up to eat and should side effects go sideways, taking her to the ER.

      We shared infusion day schedules with neighbors and they were basically “on call” to pitch in. They would also take it upon themselves to help without yard work/outdoor tasks/take our trash cans back to the side of the house/etc. They were also all willing to be woken up in the middle of the night to watch our kids if my husband needed to take me to the ER. Even though we didn’t end up needing to use that offer, it was a huge relief to know we had the offer on the table.

      1. She does live alone now. She has an adult son that is in our metro area but probably an hour out. We have her garage opener and key to let the dogs out and she has both DH and my number and knows we wfh and are basically always here.
        The neighbors already do her yard work and garbage bins after her husbands death so I think it will mostly be making sure she’s ok and eating and her son/ she has the support they need.
        Once she gets rolling on infusions tomorrow I will definitely reach out for a schedule so we can check in on her. Thanks so much for the advice.

  9. I did the thing! It involved making a call which literally ended up being 4 minutes. And now I get to bask in the glory of having done the thing, woo!

  10. Do NYDJ jeans stretch out with wear? I’m trying a pair of the Marilyn jeans (84% cotton, 14% tencel, 2% spandex) in my normal pants size. They’re a tiny bit snug. Should I stick with them or size up?

    1. I love the Marilyn and I do find them stretchy. They won’t stretch a full size but they will stretch for comfort.

    2. I have those and I do not find them to stretch much. They are my regular size and I can’t wear them until I drop a few pounds again.

    3. Yes they definitely stretch with wear, at least a half size. I’ve been losing weight and I’m currently between sizes so having a slight struggle on do I start the day with too-tight jeans or end the day with too-loose jeans. I’m probably about to move to the too-tight ones as I know they do stretch. Also, NYDJ Marilyns are my favorites and the only jeans I own anymore, so hope you like them!

  11. wise hive

    we have a large entry and sometimes close off door to test if house to fave on ac for example.

    what can i use that absorbs odors so it is neither FEET nor FLOWERS smells overwhelming is and guests?

  12. I seem to have lost all self discipline abc ability to be proactive . It started in the office: showing up 5 minutes late on occasion has evolved to showing up 15 minutes late regularly. I send in assignments a day or 2 late. Being reactive rather than proactive as things come up. Nothing awful but not the habits I want in the workplace. I also have noticed similar slipping in my personal life.

    Given the coming recession, I really want to right the ship as I don’t want to be let go should my team need to make cuts. I’ve also been overspending and not taking care of myself in my personal life (gaining weight, house is messier than normal). I feel confident there are no mental or physical health concerns, I’ve just gotten lazy. But I need help to fix this asap.

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