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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 125 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Sorbonne Tweed

Fashion· Suit of the Week | · · · ·

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Talbots Grace Fit Sorbonne Tweed ribbon-belted jacketFor 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. Liking this tweed suit set from Talbots today. I'm intrigued by the dolman sleeves, wrap effect, and ribbon belt of the jacket — I think you could get a lot of wear out of this as a separate as well as part of the suit — and the skirt looks like a classic. I also really like that it's available in regular, petites, women's sizes, and women's petites. The jacket (Talbots Grace Fit Sorbonne Tweed ribbon-belted jacket) is $189, and the skirt (Sorbonne Tweed pencil skirt) is $99, and a matching sheath dress (not pictured, Sorbonne Tweed Sheath) is $169 .
sorbonne tweed jacket sorbonne tweed skirt
(L-6)

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  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
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  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

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Comments

  1. BT

    Is anyone else getting sick of Talbots’ feeble attempt to bolster its image by linking its products to all things French? As one who has spent plenty of time in France, has relatives there, etc., I know most French women wouldn’t be caught dead in many of these outfits. For Talbots to imply otherwise is just silly and pretentious to boot.

  2. Etiquette Question

    Quick question: i am writing a thank you note to a friend’s parents who are both Drs. How do I address them in the ‘Dear’ section? Saying Dear Dr. and Dr. Smith sounds awkward and I don’t know them well enough and would find it a bit off to call them by their first names as I haven’t yet done so in person and don’t know them well enough to warrant that.

    Thanks in advance :)

  5. Janie

    Quick threadjack for NYC corporettes –

    Do you have any recommendations for a Starbucks that is medium to large and quiet throughout the day on weekdays in Manhattan or Brooklyn? I need to study for finals and all the ones I usually frequent are busy and loud.

    • AIMS

      Not a Starbucks but RBC Coffee on Worth Street in Tribeca is usually fairly quiet and has seats and free wifi. Plus really great coffee.

      • somewherecold

        Not the OP, but I didn’t study in the library (at least not in law school, I did a little in undergrad), because I didn’t want to see my stressed out classmates that were spending most of their days there (it would have made me more stressed). I don’t need silence to study. I usually studied in my apartment, though, since I had student roommates on the same exam schedule more or less, and I like not having to worry about leaving my stuff when I get up to use the restroom, get food, etc.

      • AnonInfinity

        I don’t like studying in the library because I find the quiet to be very distracting, and the other stressed out students running around brings my own anxiety up a level. And it feels less like working if I’m in a less serious environment.

        • mamabear

          I don’t have a recommendation for you, but I wanted to chime in and agree with you that some of us need ambient noise to study. I studied for my actuarial exams for years and years, and always preferred to do it in a cafe or other relatively noisy place.

      • Janie

        OP here – it’s a legitimate question. I prefer to avoid the library for all the reasons noted by the other posters. Also, there are too many distractions in my apartment, and public libraries are (understandably) draconian about food and beverages. Last but not least, I have a Starbucks gift card burning a hole in my pocket :)

      • Miriam

        I hate my school library! The chairs are hard, uncomfortable, wood and the only large tables are in one small section. You can’t eat in the library, which makes no sense because law students would otherwise spend 90% of their time there and have computers we can’t leave unattended.

      • Sydney Bristow

        That was not the most eloquent response I have ever written. My brain is fried.

      • E

        I was going to suggest Argo too! The one in Columbus Circle is also nice. They do get busy, but I feel like there’s a decent amount of space to spread out.

    • zelda

      not a coffee shop suggestion, but if you are like other posters on this thread and don’t want to/can’t study in your law school lib, would a big public lib like the NYPL’s main branch building be a good setting? it’s on 42nd & 5th, and i imagine depending on the time of day would be full of all sorts of people (but not too loud!). plus, it’s pretty.

      • anon

        I work in the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, and we have people studying here all the time. There’s even a little cafe with tables in the main lobby area of the building that seems to be particularly popular with the studying crowd. Come visit us! We’re at Grand Army Plaza, just north of Prospect Park. Closest subway is Grand Army Plaza or Eastern Parkway on the 2/3. 7th avenue on the B/Q is also close.

        (excuse my shameless plug. But support your local libraries!)

        • anon

          though I should add the cafe area can get a little crowded/loud around lunch or right when the school kids get out.

        • Janie

          I love that library and go there often. My problem with it is that I have to choose between the super awesome comfy chairs and having a plug for my laptop. At Starbucks I don’t have that choice so I’m not constantly agonizing over it. And the whole no-food/drinks thing. The biggest problem though is that I end up getting distracted by all the books and can’t focus. No joke, this has happened to me before – I decided to “take a break” and three hours later, there’s a pile of 10 books to check out next to me and nothing is done. I’ve never left without checking out at least 3 books, and I’ve been frequenting the place since Junior High School (though less now b/c of the online ordering).

          I loooooooooooooooooooove BPL in general and I commend you for your hard work :)

        • academicsocialite

          Yay – a neighboring Bklyn cultural org worker. Not to give myself away, but there are a few of us aspiring non-profit Corporettes around here…

      • Anne-on

        A quick library suggestion – the library of science and industry on madison and 35th is practically empty on the weekend and a lot less…uh…interesting than most of the other branches. Lots of b-school classmates went there as it was very convenient for after-work studying in mid-town.

    • Tara

      I like the one at East 78th and Lex. I’m not sure if that close to you but it’s got a lot of tables for you to find a corner and take over one of their tables. Hope that helps =)

      And good luck studying!

    • Anonymous

      I studied a lot at the South Street Seaport’s food court. The view was very pretty, the level of white noise was perfect for me. I also liked that there were food options and even shops for when I needed a mental break. Since I was carrying around heavy reading materials, I had little incentive to waste too much time shopping. Plus, I didn’t have access to the internet there, which was a GOOD distraction not to have.

      • Hel-lo

        I’m glad I’m not the only one that studied in food courts! Perfect level of ambient noise.

    • Anonymous

      Study at a barnes and noble. THey have the starbucks in them and can use the gift card and are not as noisy as just a starbucks.

      • Magdeline

        Just wanted to add that in my experience, you cannot use Starbucks gift cards at them as the Barnes and Noble cafés are not “real” Starbucks. They use the logo and serve Starbucks coffee, but they are owned by Barnes and Noble- not Starbucks- so you cannot use Starbucks gift cards there. (Maybe some of them do accept them or this has changed, but I just wanted to give you the heads up!)

  6. Associette

    I like the style of the suit and the idea of tweed but this tweed has too much of a pattern to it, I think. I would never wear this to court but it would be nice for a client meeting or depo.

  7. Res Ipsa

    I’d love to see how this suit fits on a civilian (not a model).
    The sleeves worry me. They aren’t so wide as to be true dolman sleeves; they have the potential to make the jacket look poorly tailored or ill-fitting.

    I like the skirt as a separate, though. I could get a lot of use out of it.

  8. TX Attny

    Am I the only one who didn’t know tweed could be worn in Spring? I’m surprised by the 3/4 length sleeves – in a good way. I thought it was just a winter fabric. Hmmm.

    • Anonymous

      Nope! Tweed is the style of fabrication, like jersey or tweed. The weight and material– wool in winter, linen in summer, silk whenever based on weight and color–determines season, or vice versa, really. Jordan-almond candy-colored tween silk/linen Easter suits are one of the joys of Spring.

      • Anonymous

        Tweed, not tween, as surely no tween would be caught dead in, which recommends it to me. :)

    • Lost in Dall-Oz

      I can’t imagine wearing tweed in spring or summer for the sole reason that it’s such a heavy fabric. I’d die walking to client meeting in the Texas heat!

      • TX Attny

        That was my reaction too – it’s so dang hot in the summers here in Texas, I just can’t imagine it!

  9. Atlantia

    I don’t like the jacket, but I think the sheath dress is rather pretty.

    • KateL

      I tried the dress on two weeks ago – I am a curvy 4/6 and usually wear a 4 in dresses at Talbots. In this dress the 4 pulled across the hips, probably because of the side seam pockets. This is on my radar for when it goes on sale – I’d buy the 6 and have the waist nipped in a bit.

  10. mamabear

    I’d love this jacket with a solid black skirt in the summer. I think it would look great with an a-line or pleated skirt, too, which is usually difficult with suit jackets.

  11. SarahMC

    Threadjack – what is your annual clothing budget? My husband and I are trying to figure out what is an appropriate amount to spend. We tried giving us each an allowance ($15o/month), with the idea that it would be used for clothing purchases and for any individual discretionary spending (coffee, books, magazines, drinks with friends, etc.). I had a baby last year and I have a very minimal work wardrobe since pre-preggo stuff doesn’t fit yet. I am now losing the weight, so I’m finding that most, if not all, of my money each month is going to clothing that I need for work. (E.g., two pairs of pants wore out recently – needed to buy new pants. Interviewing for jobs – I need an interview suit.) Meanwhile hubby has 30+ pairs of pants, dozens of sweaters, dozens of button-ups, etc., so any clothing purchase for him is definitely optional, not necessary. We’re talking about establishing a separate annual budget for clothing, so that my “fun money” can actually be used for fun instead of necessities. But I have no idea how much it should be. So I’m curious, what do you spend on clothing? How much do you think is necessary to establish/maintain a professional-looking wardrobe?

    • SarahMC

      Sorry, meant to say that I am losing weight, but I’m not back in pre-pregnancy size, so I need (another) transitional wardrobe.

    • mamabear

      You probably need a lump sum now to get started – like $1000 – and then a monthly budget of at least $250.

      The clothing budget for men and women usually cannot be the same.

      I always laugh when I think of the story a colleague told me. He and his wife-to-be were having premarital counseling from a rabbi. The rabbi turned to him and said, you need to understand two things: 1) women need to spend a lot more money on their clothing and appearance than men do. Do you accept this? My colleague, who is notoriously frugal, tried to argue with him. The rabbi interrupted and said adamantly, no, you need to accept this. So he did.

      The second thing the rabbi said was that if they should always have a cleaning lady at least once a month.

      That story made me want to convert to judaism!

    • Bonnie

      I think women spend more on clothing for 2 reasons. 1) our sizes fluctuate more and 2) men’s fashion does not change as much from season to season.

      • BK

        I agree. We need a lot more clothing because we must be fashionable. Just how many grey and navy blue suits does a guy need? Once they buy a few, all they need are a few pair of shoes, bland shirts and ties to go with them. That does not even change over the years. So men’s budgets should be limited once they have gotten the basics. The only thing I know that causes more expenses is when the guy gets bigger around the waistline. Then he needs tailoring or a new suit. That’s why I encourage all men to exercise so that they are healthy and keep their expenditures down.

      • middle-aged anon

        Yes on #1. My size fluctuates from week to week or day to day depending where I am in my cycle.

        When we were first married (15 years ago) my husband and I would have that classic conversation about “geeze, women are screwed, all the man has to do is check the tag for his waist and length and then he knows it fits.” Last week he stopped at Target on the way home and saw some jeans he liked and threw them in the cart with his other purchases. He got home, tried them on, and they didn’t fit – even though the numbers on the tag matched up. He groaned, “What, now I’m gonna have to try everything on now?” My heart bled. ;)

    • AL

      I think it also depends on what kind of clothing you’re purchasing: suits or business casual? With suits, a good solid jacket will run you $200 easily, never mind the skirt, pants, and/or dress that go with it. If you’re business casual, you can perhaps get away with a bit less of a budget.

      Also, I would think that your husband doesn’t need as many new clothing as you do, given that he’s not the one who had a baby and whose body has gone through many changes.

    • Monday

      I think it makes sense to have a very elastic clothing budget (no pun intended, ugh) that you look at more as a yearly figure, rather than monthly. I have never gone through a major weight/size change, but I’d think that would make it even more logical. My approach has usually been to “stock up” when it seems smart to do so, and then I go many months without needing to buy anything.

    • SarahMC

      Thanks for the replies. I love the rabbi story!

      I agree that I will need a larger clothing budget than he does, in part because my office is more formal. I don’t need to wear suits (although I do need one for upcoming interviews – trying to jump up a level by switching divisions), but I do need nice trousers and blouses or sweaters for daily wear. Hubby is a bit of a clothes horse, but he can get away with jeans and t-shirts at work. His clothes do tend to last longer (in part because he has more clothes, so he wears things less frequently – while he has 30 pairs of pants, I’ve never had more than three or four work-appropriate pairs in rotation at a time because I have such a hard time finding ones that fit well).

      We never had a clothing budget before – we just bought clothes as needed. I’m trying to move toward buying nicer-quality stuff, and in some ways having an allowance meant I felt freer to spend more on individual items, but now that I need a bunch of stuff at once, it’s constraining rather than freeing.

      • anon

        You might want to try to find a good tailor. It’s not as expensive as you might think, although I find a wide range in the pricing depending on who I go to. Take a few things that aren’t that important to several different ones, find one who’s reasonable and does a good job, and it will be easier to find things like pants on sale that can be altered to fit, and take in the clothes you buy now when you lose more weight.

        • SarahMC

          Thanks for the suggestion. I live in the boonies and there are only a couple of tailors around. One has a terrible reputation. The other, who does fabulous work, is completely swamped. The last time I had pants taken in, it took five weeks to get them back! I have a friend who is a former costume designer and now SAHM who is thinking of starting a small alterations business. I keep hoping that she will, for the obvious, selfish reasons.

    • Legally Brunette

      There was thread about this a while ago, perhaps you can google and find it. People had widely different replies, but it may be helpful to read the comments. I spent about $4000 on clothes last year. That was more than I’ve ever spent before, but I definitely needed more professional clothes. I’m a junior level associate in BigLaw.

      • Lex Caritas

        i haven’t done the pregnancy thing yet, but is it worth buying very minimal transitional wardrobe for this time if your weight is still fluctuating?

        I think I recall a thread on this once previously here…

        • SarahMC

          This will be my third minimal, transitional wardrobe. I had immediate post-partum (I went back to work at 8 weeks) and late post-partum (purchased last fall). I’m now down to five pairs of trousers, one of which is almost completely worn out and should really be tossed, one of which is torn, and all of which are a little too big (and I know tailoring makes sense, but there is a dearth of tailors in my rural area). I have a couple of blouses and a few basic t-shirts which were great for layering under sweaters but not appropriate on their own (and it’s getting to be too warm for sweaters). So I really do need to invest a bit at this time. I’m thinking enough to get by until I drop another size, at which point most of my previous wardrobe should fit (although that will still need some updating, since it was all purchased when I worked in a more casual environment).

          • Anon

            This doesn’t directly answer your question but I completely sympathize regarding having to transition not just sizes but seasons and levels of formality and changing styles after having a baby. I’m pulling out clothing this spring that I haven’t worn since I was pregnant two years ago and didn’t want to get baby throwup on last spring and now have to be revisited for fit, style, etc. It’s not just expensive, it’s time consuming.

    • Eponine

      I used to keep track – have fallen behind on it – but the last time I calculated, I spend about $2,500/yr.

      I think it would be worthwhile to figure out what you can afford over the next, say, 6 months, buy it all at once on a credit card, and make payments (accounting for the interest) calculated to pay it off in 6 months. You shouldn’t be going to work wearing ill-fitting clothing; it looks unprofessional and isn’t good for you in the long run, nor is it good for your self-image to feel schlumpy all the time.

      • JCC

        I really fluctuate on my clothing budget. I had a baby this summer, so my 2010 clothing budget was very inflated — maternity clothes are expensive, and buying “transitional” clothes was totally imperative for me. (Did I need the Hudson jeans that were a size bigger than my normal size after surviving three weeks of motherhood? No, but it sure made me feel better to get out of maternity jeans at the time.) I *try* to spent under $100 per month, on average, but that’s a tough budget to meet. Now, I more or less just try to be really careful and make sure I’m making thoughtful and not impulse purchases.

  12. AnonInfinity

    The seersucker conversation in this morning’s TPS report made me remember how badly I want a seersucker suit. Has anyone seen any great ones yet this year? I think I am going to make that my post-bar-exam present to myself.

  13. hungry?

    Around 3:00 pm every day, I want something sweet. I’m trying to resist the urge. What healthy snacks do you all keep in your offices for times like these?

    • anon

      Sometimes a cup of tea with a little bit of sugar and some lemon gets me through those sweets cravings. I also try to keep low fat cheese sticks in the fridge.

      • 2L NYC

        This kind of reminded me of Emily Blunt’s character in Devil Wears Prada, “and when I’m about to faint…I eat a cube of cheese.”

    • Anon

      Fruit
      Tea with a spoonful of honey
      A few small squares of dark chocolate
      Yogurt (if access to a fridge)
      I’ll make oatmeal with mostly water, a splash of milk, and a banana
      Protein shake (sunwarrior)

    • AIMS

      i find it easier to just not keep snacks. Takes the whole thing out of the equation. I read somewhere that a typical craving lasts about 5-10 min. anyway, so I just let it pass by doing something else to distract myself. Getting a cup of tea or coffee if nothing else works.

    • Res Ipsa

      Trail mix from Trader Joes. But I pre-portion it out into a small plastic container to take with me to work every day. I don’t trust myself with a bag unattended. It’s a healthier option than whatever is in the vending machine.

    • kz

      greek yogurt. In particular, the fage brand with the strawberry you mix in. Just enough sweet.

      • PollyD

        Yes! Raisins, dried cherries, figs, and, dare I say, prunes. Or dried plums if you want to be covert about it.

    • Louise

      When I need just a bit of sweet taste, I chew a piece of minty gum. Once the mint flavor is in my mouth, I don’t want anything else after that. And unlike mint hard candy, I don’t want a second piece.

    • Jr. Prof

      Ginger tea is a bit sweet and very satisfying.

      And a Lara or Luna bar.

      And a tangerine.

      And apple.

    • EC

      Not really “healthy,” but I keep a single-serving sugar-free Jello cup in the office fridge. It’s only 10 calories but is actually quite a lot of Jello, and it satisfies my craving for sweets in the afternoon.

      I also sometimes keep one or two fun packs (very little size) of Skittles in my office, or a few Hershey miniatures. I find that if I try to deny the sweets craving, I end up eating a ton of sort-of-bad stuff, and it’s better to just limit the portion sizes of the bad stuff.

      Also, if you can find good grapes, that’s an option – a cup of grapes will last me all afternoon, which is very helpful when I have the munchies.

    • another anon

      Don’t know if it counts as healthy, but Edy’s coconut fruit bars are extremely delicious and only 120 calories. Some of the other flavors have even fewer calories but I don’t like them as much as the coconut. I do close the door to my office when I eat these :)

      I also sometimes eat that frozen fruit that you can get in a resealable bag. I just let it thaw partway.

    • Mir

      I have some DELICIOUS homemade granola. It’s not exactly low cal (main ingredients: oatmeal, nuts, sunflower seeds), but it’s healthy and has just enough honey and peanutbutter to feel like a treat. Super easy to make, and it keeps forever in the freezer; I just restock my desk stash every couple weeks.

  14. i just had

    One of those refridgerated cups with grapefruit sections in juice. 100 cal, very tasty. That said, I’m very aware there is cake downstairs…

    Resisting!

  15. Laura

    I love to eat, so I stay away from fatty foods when I am hungry. I need to figure out, however, what I can eat in quantity that will fill me up but won’t get me chubby. So far all I have come up with is air-popped popcorn. Any ideas?

      • zelda

        or baby carrots with hummus! super cheap/easy/healthy if you make the hummus at home, too.

    • MelD

      People make fun of me, but one of my favorite snacks is dry Cheerios (plain type in the yellow box). It is low in calories and high in vitamins, but still filling.

    • anon

      Just be careful not to eliminate too much fat from your diet. You need some healthy fats, and fat makes you feel full. Fat free diets leave you hungry all the time. Eating more carbs to make up for the lack of fat will just end up making you fat. Add a little olive oil or some other healthy fat.

      • SF Bay Associate

        Agreed – my firm just did a free health screening and though I thankfully scored pretty well overall on cholesterol, blood pressure, etc, my LDL was low – i.e. I am not eating enough monounsaturated fats. I was admonished to up my avocado, walnut, flax seed, and oily fish intake. Fantastic news since I love all those things :).

        I’ve switched my afternoon snack from something like a square of dark chocolate or a yogurt to 1/4 cup of walnuts (<200 calories) a few times a week, and am throwing avocado into sandwiches and salads. I also agree with anon – surprised to discover that <200 calories in walnuts makes me feel much more satisfied for a lot longer than a granola bar or yogurt of about the same number of calories.

    • zelda

      i like air popped popcorn with a little bit of olive oil / black pepper / sea salt. i also put on nutritional yeast (it’s nutty/cheesy/flaky which satisfies my snacking urge pretty well!).

    • anon

      I’ve switched to a low alkaline diet (just read Crazy Sexy Diet and it made a lot of sense to me). I don’t get hungry as much, have lost lots of weight, and seem to be continuing to lose even with snacking on almonds (healthy, but not low cal). I think my body does fine so long as I give it “whole” food. So I stay away from the processed stuff. I know stuff with nutrasweet is all over Biggest Loser, but I think it messes up your body. FWIW, I’m about a size 8 and 5’7″. So I’m neither skinny nor heavy.

  17. Madeline

    I like it as separates, but not together! its too much of the one color. I’d probably get the three pieces and wear them as separates – each would work well on its own.

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