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Suit of the Week: The Fold

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.

OH. Ohhhhh. OOOH. That's more or less a direct quote from what I said when I found this suit while browsing The Fold's always droolworthy website. I love so much about it — the slightly vintage vibe with the wrapped jacket…. the awesome fringe details, especially at the neckline. The “modern check” pattern also looks great, and there are little tweed-like flecks as well.

Love! The blazer is $595, and the pants are $345, both at The Fold.

On the more affordable side, Express has something a bit similar in regular and petite sizes XXS-XL, and Macy's has a LeSuit option in sizes 14W-22W.

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 12.5

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

154 Comments

  1. For those of you who wear tall Hunters and have the fleece inserts for winter, how does the sizing work for that? And I am guessing if I need to size up for the fuzzy inserts, I am committing to wear very thick hiking socks during the warmer months so my foot doesn’t rattle around too much?

    FWIW, if people are not wearing Hunters like ever now, chime in. I need something for mucking around in and hiking boots with GoreTex keep my feet dry but pick up too much gunk in the treads. I don’t really have any winter boots after my feet size changed post-baby and my climate is more cold / wet than snowy /icy 90% of winter (the other 10% we just wait half a day and it all melts and we’re back to muck and mud).

    1. They’re not hunters but I have fleece liners for my rain boots and wear my usual size. The fleece isn’t that thick .

    2. Don’t need to size up for the inserts. They are just a bit thicker than the average trouser sock. I wear my Hunters with trouser socks in summer and with both trouser socks and the liners in winter.

  2. I got a dog and for the first time since I got him am doing the morning walk in darkness. I have a flashlight (otherwise, poop is hard to pick up), but all of my fleeces seem to be black or gray, which is now such the wrong choice. I was thinking of buying a cheap white puffy jacket for visibility (which will soon become a 2x a day problem; it’s still daylight for his 6pm walk). Dog at least is lighter colored, but he may be too short to be easily seen by car drivers. I walk him on sidewalks, but have a few streets to cross here and there on his walks.

    3. If you want to be seen by drivers, get reflective gear for both you and the dog, not just something light colored. A blinking light also helps.

      1. We have these for ourselves and the dog and they are much more visible than a reflective vest or leash.

    7. +1 to the reflective vest, also a headlamp is a good idea because it leaves your hands free.

      1. I agree with Senior Attorney. When a dog poops, you must pick it up in NYC, and if you have a headband with a flashlight, you can just point it at the poop while you scoop it up with 2 hands.

    8. Reflective vests are great, but my dog Will. Not. wear one. If s/he normally just wears a collar I’d suggest switching to a harness with reflective material. (Harnesses tend to be safer anyway, and are more visible through fluffy fur than collars.) You can also get safety lights to attach where ever makes sense: on the harness, at the handle end of the leash, somewhere on the back of your jacket or the fanny pack you wear for keys/phone/bags.

      Also, a headlamp looks dorky, but is great for safety and less cumbersome than holding a leash and a flashlight while trying to pick up poop.

    9. Also, get a headlamp. Good for visibility and hands free for poop pickup.

    12. I wear a rechargeable light belt for dark dog walks — it is so much easier than holding something and provides great light for the ground around me. I also have a lighted collar for the dog to make sure he is visible.

    13. get a headlamp, or a hat with a light built in. The hat is easier and is rechargeable.

    15. I bought a reflective sash for myself on Amazon—fits no matter if I’m wearing a light spring coat or thickest winter puffer and small enough to store in a coat pocket. I feel like that’s enough, but if you want something for the dog, get a bike light clip and clip it to the leash or his tags or simply add some reflective tape to the leash.

    17. I always wear ball caps to cover up my unshowered hair on morning walks. I have several with a reflective logo.

    18. From a long-time runner, I highly recommend 3 things : (1) Reflective vest for yourself, (2) Nathan Zephyr flashlight, and (3) SLDHR LED shoe clip lights (mine are not this brand but they look the same).

      I would use a reflective leash and collar, if your dog will wear one.

      Without fail, every time my friends comment on seeing me running after dark, they say that the reflective gear works much better than the flashing lights you can buy to wear.

      1. I am in such an Amy Thielen rut right now, and I could not be happier to be there. She writes some wonderful recipes.

    5. For beef, I usually do a Tri tip which may just be a west coast thing. A standing rib roast (“prime rib”) if for an Occasion.

      You can google Santa Maria Tri tip to get an idea of what a typical meal looks like, but it’s basically a Tri tip with a spice rib, grilled medium rare, with sides of freshly made salsa, a pot of pinto or pinquito beans, garlic bread, and a green salad with ranch.

  4. Does anyone do alcohol ink art for fun? What’s a good way to start? I can’t seem to find a paint studio that does paint nights by me with that technique, and the online class options are overwhelming. Not very artistic at all!

    1. I do! I watch a lot of YouTube videos and then experiment. Most of what I’ve made goes straight in the trash, but I did make some fun ceramic coasters. I’ve found it’s really hard to get it “perfect” the way I’m envisioning it. But if I don’t have a plan, sometimes the experiments wind up being pretty interesting

  5. Can I be “an old” for a minute? I’m only 37, but still, this rant is half light hearted/half real, and 100% makes me feel old.

    We just hired a slew of 22-23 year old analysts. We use email and Teams a lot across the organization. Some of the communication is short and sweet, but sometimes it’s lengthy and more formal, especially if it’s a Teams Channel with multiple people/the whole deal team. The abbreviated words I get in my messages from the analysts kind of has me going bananas.

    “LMK” (let me know) “RN” (right now) “OFC” (of course). There are a bunch more but those are the ones that just came in a single three-sentence email to me from one of the analysts. OFC threw me for a loop until I did a search for it.

    It’s one thing to use those abbreviations here or in text messages (I do!) or even in Teams messages to peers/friends at work, but it really irks me that they are used in the professional setting. And it’s not just one of them. Of the 6 hires, it’s absolutely 4, maybe a 5th who is slightly less offending. Is this just how it is now or is this something to train out of them/a function of inexperience? I genuinely don’t know. And don’t get me started on emails to clients that start “Hey Tom”. Hi, Hello, Good afternoon. Sheesh – that one I fixed on the spot. I’m in finance, in case that matters. This is not casual world.

    I’ll go back to knitting my afghan in my rocking chair now. Get off my lawn while you’re at it.

    1. I think you’re making a big deal out of nothing and need to get over it. It’s really common to use abbreviations when instant messaging. It’s not their fault you’re the one who hasn’t kept up with the times. Just FYI.

    2. I’m 28 and I find the short forms in business emails to be incredibly unprofessional too. Thx is the one that bothers me the most.

      1. I also hate Thx and the only person I know who uses it regularly is a 60 year old man.

      2. I joined a company whose Canadian and EU employees used “BR” for best regards, and I spent about a month wondering why everyone was expressing their temperature discomfort to me.

      4. Whenever I see Thx I think of the period underwear brand Thinx. So.

        great brand btw highly recommend

      6. Thx is the worst! Like you really don’t appreciate my efforts enough to type 3 additional letters?

    3. I think you’re going to just have to train them. This has been explicitly mentioned in some (but not all) onboarding trainings I’ve heard of in the last few years in the ‘it’s ok to communicate informally via slack/chat, but please do not use ‘text speak’ or acronyms/abbreviations in emails or communications with clients’. Also, I have SO MUCH MORE appreciation for my early career managers now after having to manager and train younger workers myself. It’s basically being a work parent, and similarly you only realize you had a ‘good’ one after you encounter some bad ones!

      1. +1 You have to train new hires in little things and big things. A school career services office might have mentioned it, but no telling if these hires ever went to their CSO.

        1. I am getting the feeling like no one uses career services. They won’t find you a job (that really isn’t their job) but will help move you forward in your presentation if nothing else.

          1. Career services is usually out of touch- my track record of helpful to harmful advice received is shockingly low…

    4. Is this any more egregious than referring to people as ‘resources’, or any one of the other ridiculous pieces of corporate jargon many of us here will use on a daily basis?

        1. Being thought of as a kid at work has never been good for anyone’s career. Being referred to as a resource isn’t holding anyone back.

          How long have we been using the term Human Resources? How is it hurting anyone at this point?

    5. I feel like there is some middle ground here. Hi is fine but Hey is wrong? Acknowledge that it’s an arbitrary convention when you correct them. Client communication should be more formal. Surely you use FYI, ASAP or internal acronyms in team convos, so maybe LMK is not the end of the world here?

      1. I’ve noticed that Windows alerts and most e-commerce websites now use “hey there” or variations and other casual speak, so maybe this is becoming more prevalent in the world in general? I don’t think it’s the worst thing ever, although with clients I would want more formality – so the client angle is what I would stress with the newcomers.

      2. Yeah, my husband is the same age as I am and he thinks my “Hi Jane” is too informal when emailing. On the other hand, he chooses to say “Greetings Jane” in the same context, so I think he is the weird one.

          1. I like “Greetings, fellow human” myself. Just so they know for sure I’m a flesh-suit, er, person.

      3. I use Hi for clients I correspond with regularly. First few times it is good morning or something similarly formal.
        Internally for chat, I regularly use fyi, btw, asap but it’s either with lateral departments or my manager who is like a year older than me and we have worked together for years. Even an lol thrown in there periodically.
        Different policy for big boss or more formal client correspondence.

    7. Our clients regularly use “ICYMI,” “FYI,” and “ASAP” and it’s a non-issue. I’d only be annoyed at “IDGAF” or “STFU” in the workplace.

      1. See, I don’t know what ICYMI is. In real business communication I’d prefer actual words. (I’m not OP)

      2. When I worked with a lot of former military, I regularly had to use the internet to tell me what Alcon, FYSA, BLUF, and others were.

    8. I’m 35 and I read “OFC” as “of f*cking course” until someone set me straight.
      If they’re your direct reports, then definitely let them know about the formality issues, especially on the client email. If they’re part of your team, I might pick my battles and model the level of formality I want to see.

      3. I too thought that’s what it stood for until… just now, reading this thread.

    9. I also work in finance and for nearly all internal communications we are significantly less formal than this. For external ones we are more formal until we have developed a relationship and then whatever the LP is up for is what we do.

    10. There’s no stopping the youths and their newfangled text lingo. Fighting it just makes you sound like an icky old boomer (note: I know you’re a millennial but you’re ancient to them). As long as it’s not in front of clients/customers, you’ll just have to endure it. If you’re in a conservative industry where it’s inappropriate even internally that’s a different thing and they need coaching, but at least in tech where I’m at you DO NOT want to show your age and it can 100% backfire in unpleasant ways.

  6. Hoping this is actually a fun question, not trying to get into the pros and cons of various Internet shops. How often do you receive packages?

    I periodically engage in online shopping sprees so there are days when I get multiple packages and days when I get none. On average it’s probably two a week.

    1. Once or twice a month? My big shopping fix is thrifting (I enjoy the “hunt” and the green aspect), so I’m more likely to get a delivery of the detergent I can’t find in stores anymore than I am anything from “fun” online shopping.

    2. I recieve a package probably only once a month and its usually specialty stuff I can’t find locally (ie, a piece of antique China to complete my set). I don’t really ever buy new because doesn’t align with my values. Almost everything is second hand whether from thrift stores, eBay, FBMP, etc.

    3. Probably twice a week, on average. It’s rarely “fun” items and a lot of miscellaneous stuff like specific cleaners, kitchen stuff, specific light bulbs, or a particular brand of soap, etc.

    4. I’ve tried to cut way back over the last two years and am down to 2 to 3 a month except between Halloween and Thanksgiving when it’s more like 2 to 3 a week. More than half the things I buy online are gifts (usually from Etsy or off someone’s registry) and the rest of it is mostly clothes (including lots of Poshmark but also mass retailers) or books from Bookshop.

    5. Once every 3-4 weeks, scheduled Chewy deliveries. I’ve been on a no-buy for non-essentials for 2021 and I’m pretty proud of myself.

      My neighbors get such an insane amount of deliveries, my nosy self is desperate to find out what it all is. I live on a dead end street and I see at least 3-4 trucks daily of UPS, Amazon, DHL, FedEx Ground, and regular FedEx. So 15-20 trucks a day, and they’re not just passing through because there’s no “through”.

      1. I got flamed here earlier this year for just passively observing the frequency of deliveries on my street. I didn’t even indicate curiosity about the contents! But I took it to be a very self-loathing (and possibly truly awful) commenter if she is so terrified of even the most basic scrutiny of public aspects of her life.

        I am happy to say I am down to 3-5 deliveries a month personally, mostly clothes (our local mall in ATL has become a dangerous place to go somehow) and odd home improvement things, but also sometimes specialty foods/quarterly food subscriptions. If I order from Amazon, I try to consolidate the delivery, but that is hard to do. I am also trying not to buy less these days, having finally gotten like things consolidated in my home and realizing I am overstocked on a lot.

      2. This is me. I don’t drive and am not shopping indoors much until the pandemic settles down given the local rates of masking compliance/competence, so if it enters my house, it came in a delivery. I also just moved here, so I’m trying to slowly furnish an at-home gym, a guest bedroom, and office that I never had before. I still feel ridiculous though.

        1. Ha. Yes. I furnished the heaviest pieces of my home gym mostly by delivery last summer. I should really apologize to the delivery people.

    6. 2 or 3 per year, generally books that aren’t available locally or from the library.

    7. One a month for me, DH maybe 2 a month. I have access to all the big box stores, so I can get most things there.

    8. Right now about once or twice a month but soon to be a ton since I’m about to undergo surgery and chemo after, and it will be easier than having my husband get every single thing for me on top of caregiving.

      I have some neighbors who get a ton and some who don’t. I’m assuming the ones getting a ton are more time strapped or don’t enjoy the shopping experience. My mom could spend a day driving to compare the smallest thing and it drives me batty. I wish I could get her to use Amazon and stay out of the stores now. I think it’s entertainment for her.

    1. And yet, I could not pull this off. I am a pear, and having that much jacket tight over my stomach would likely not be a winning look. And per early 2000s suit jackets, do you wear anything underneath? I’d want a shell, at least to cut down on dry cleaning bills. Finally, I have a feeling that my pants would add some sort of lumpness in the fly / button / hook area (never mind I keep seeing pleats trying to sneak back in). I love this visual. I don’t think it would be my visual though :(

    2. I love this blazer, though I would not wear the matching pants. I wish I had someone to wear it!

    4. Everything I’ve ordered from The Fold has been gorgeous, high quality, and fit me like a glove. The prices are a bit above the high end of what I typically spend on work clothes, but I’ve decided I’m willing to pay for things I love this much, and will wear often. I’m 5’7″, weigh about 130, have a pretty straight/rectangular figure, and order a US size 4 (UK 8). I feel like they use my body double as their fit model.

  8. I Did The Thing today. Actually two things! After putting them off forever I finally did them and it was completely painless and didn’t take that long. I don’t know why I continue to procrastinate and put things off for no good reason when it’s easier to just do them and get it over with.

    2. I Did the Thing yesterday! Took several hours, but it felt good to check it off my list.

  9. Reposting on a newer thread.
    I don’t know what to do. I found out this week that I have been cheated on in my relationship that ended about a month ago. I was just ready to see him in a group social situation, and I learned they were dating. I am in a horrible state. I haven’t been to work in a week. I’m staying at a friend’s because I have to find new housing (I am the poster of a few days ago – she is my neighbor). I cannot believe someone (two people!) would be so deceitful. Everyone says it will get better as time goes on, but it sucks too bad right now. Please help me.

    1. Oof. I have been in your situation (my ex husband left me for another woman). Be gentle with yourself. I promise it gets better.

      I would sometimes repeat to myself, “The only way out is through,” when I was having especially hard days. It gave me permission to be a general emotional mess as long as I could pull myself together for the thing that had to be done in that moment.

      Also, one thing I’m glad I did was immediately unfollow him on all social media. I told a couple of trusted friends to please let me know if they got engaged, if he got run over by a car, or if he moved from the city, and otherwise I didn’t want to hear about him. This way I’d have time to process new developments outside of the rumor mill and otherwise didn’t have to think about him.

      After the conversation where he told me his decision to pursue the new relationship and get a divorce, I basically never spoke to him with my voice again. There were a few emails and texts about logistics but that was it. I’m glad I gave myself that space and the total separation.

    2. Sometimes I wish real life were more like prime-time soaps / reality shows, where you are given a case of glasswear or plates and allowed to hurl them to dramatic effect at the offenders. When questioned about why this woman had becomed unhinged, Bill Curtis or James Earl Jones would helpfully narrate: “He was dating her and the picked up with her neighbor before breaking up, knowing that they run in the same circles and would keep encountering each other; do you believe in karma? Is she worth it? What would she in a guy who would do this?” People would nod in silent horror.

    3. I’m so, so sorry, OP! This sucks.

      The above is great advice. The number one job here is to break the attachment and going no-contact is the best way to do it. And yes, be gentle with yourself.

      I promise it gets better, too. This time next year things will be SO MUCH BETTER.

      1. Again, I agree with Senior Attorney. When I was in college, I met a guy I really liked, and I made a mistake and let him into my dorm room where we did stuff. But then my roommate came in and next thing you know, he started going after her, and she let him do stuff with her. I resolved never to let a guy do stuff with me until he was committed to me.

    4. I don’t know if this is helpful but if you have a confidant in your larger mutual friend group, it might make you feel better to get your side of the story out there first. I hate to say it, but the way this same situation has played out in my circles (both friends and family), the cheating partner usually gets out ahead of the gossip and says something like “the relationship was over for a long time even though we continued to live together, the breakup was amicable, and we remain the best of friends,” and people BELIEVE HIM.

      Eff that. Let everyone know what a piece of sh1t he is.

      I’m so sorry you’re going through this.

      1. +1. I agreed to send out a joint email to our shared group of college friends after I found about my ex husbands affair (I needed him to stay amicable until he signed all the papers, etc). His initial draft email was all, “we continue to remain friends and respect each other.” I took all that sh*t out, so that it was matter of fact that we were divorcing and just wanted to tell everyone together. He STILL put a subject line of “sad news.” Separately, I called most of that same group to tell them what actually happened. Completely worthwhile, and highly recommend. Or get a close friend in your group to spread the word – I did that too.

        I promise it does get better. It will not seem like it for a while, but it really does. Lean on your friends and take care of yourself.

      2. +1 cheaters often control the narrative. I try and stop it in my own friend group when I see it happening, but most people look at me like I’ve committed a horrendous social faux paus.

        1. +1 yes, this. Cheaters are deceitful to their spouses and their friend groups. They do image conrol first, and often.

      3. +1 Let me tell you about losing my friends because the cheating, controlling SOB controlled the narrative.

      1. Reading Chump Lady articles and archives may help. The patterns of deceit are so eerily similar it may help you process.

        This is a horrible thing to happen and I’m so sorry. You are strong and will get through it. Honestly people with such little integrity are best out of your life, even though I know it’s the worst way for that to happen. Be kind to yourself.

    6. So, this situation you’re in is a big giant pile of suck and there just isn’t any way around it. It really stinks, what these people did to you. I believe that what people put out into the universe comes back around to them, and so these two have some bad stuff coming back around to them. I truly believe people like this get theirs in the end, although that is likely not a comfort to you right now. Ptooey on them both.

      It’s totally okay to be upset, angry, sad, furious, lonely, remorseful, murderous, etc. etc. right now. Let yourself feel the feels. You just found out the real story behind the situation and it’s okay to sit with all the emotions for a little bit. I know it is incredibly painful and telling you all this doesn’t make it easier.

      Can you take some more time off and go away somewhere? Being out of town, in a new environment, might make absorption of this information and adaptation to this situation easier. As someone else said, the only way out is through, but sometimes the best way through is straight outta town so you don’t have to accidentally run into these…people, or have memories pop up in certain places, etc. Big hugs to you.

    7. I’m sorry. Some people suck.

      I STRONGLY encourage you to cease all communication and do not see either of these people socially. It’s only going to prolong the pain. Ask me how I know. I am team clean break. If you have mutual friends, identify who you can trust and lean on them for support and for social camaraderie. Nothing about this is fair, and I am sorry you are going through this but remove these people from your daily life. I know one is a neighbor but I give you permission to ignore them both any time you see them. You don’t owe them any sort of pleasantries.

    8. Please get emergency mental health care! He cheated. It happens. You can’t stop going to work if it. I feel for you but also pull yourself together

      1. I appreciate this. My boss is being very supportive but I know step 1 of resuming life is to get back to work. I tried today and will try again tomorrow.

        1. You can do it, OP – and I bet you’ll find that going to work (which is hopefully a neutral location where your ex isn’t support relevant day to day) helps. Also, you might have access to emergency counseling though an EAP.

        2. Good for you – I’m glad to hear that. Quick trick to make a breakup (or ghosting, or whatever) less painful: think of all the things you didn’t like about the person, but were tolerating for the supposed privilege of being in a relationship. Did he have bad breath? Dandruff? A dirty apartment? Leave his socks under the bed? Breathe a huge sigh of relief than now you don’t have to be grossed out by those things any more! This sounds dumb, I found it works surprisingly well to bring one back to one’s senses.

    9. Thank you all for your kind words. The mutual friends know my perspective and have witnessed the cheating I did not see. I’m just having a hard time feeling so forking miserable and knowing I will feel this way tomorrow.

      1. Wait. They all knew AND DIDNT TELL YOU?! You need a new friend group ASAP. If you’re in Houston I’ll take you out for drinks. After I put my kids to bed at 8.

        2. Ummm…. I totally read over that.

          If these people are your “friends” and knew, they do not deserve you, and you have this stranger’s permission to not talk to them right now (or ever again if that’s what you want).

        3. I’ll take you out for drinks if you’re in my area. You deserve better – please take my virtual hugs and prayers.

      2. I’m glad it sounds like you have a good support network (including an understanding boss). That is key.

        It is hard feeling this way day after day. In a month, you will realize you feel a bit better (maybe just a tiiiiiny sliver, but still). Sometimes there are setbacks, but I never went back to feeling as bad as I did in the immediate aftermath. Sometimes the only way I could make it was to think, “People I know who have been through this say it will get better so I am trusting that it will eventually.”

        It is so hard. I am thinking of you. To be surrounded by such a good network, I know you must be a very good person. You didn’t deserve this. Do whatever you need for now to make it through.

      3. Tough love – you’re the only person who can manage your feelings. Absolutely be sad, mad, ragey, ALL THE THINGS, but you also should be taking steps to help yourself cope. Do not go to social events with these people, block their numbers, block them on socials, set up email rules to send their emails directly to another folder you don’t open. I have been devastated before romantically, so I know how this feels, but you’ve got to ride the wave of your feelings and start to do things to help yourself. Wallowing in it is fine for a bit but you’re only hurting yourself if you don’t start trying to cope and manage it soon.

        You are going to be okay. You will. Keep reminding yourself of that.

        1. Jumping in to agree with this. My biggest regret in life is wallowing for too long in sorrow after a failed relationship. Two decades have passed and I feel nothing for that person but I still suffer from the self-inflicted wounds from not moving on more quickly. Of course you get a few days, don’t get me wrong, but then you have to take control of your life back.

  10. My 67-year old mom broke her wrist and I do not live nearby (6 hour car ride away). She will be away from work for 6 weeks, as of now. My father in law will help, but my mom is an independent lady. Loves work, gardening, walking club, baking, and knitting. She takes care of everything in the house. So… basically she’s bored already and we’re only on day two.
    What can I gift her — to make her days more full and to make her life a little easier? Any gadgets like something she can use in the shower or when she’s trying to get to sleep? She has an iPad so I’m going to gift her some books and magazines.

    1. 9-foot charging cord for iPad? Is it the wrist on the dominant hand? Can she drive? [Sorry — I don’t know how involved of an injury this is, esp, if it’s not a dominant hand.] It’s a good time for leaf peeping and maybe walking on a level firm trail (maybe with a hiking pole to help not fall). Can she get some PT or OT to help find adaptive ways to do some of the old things she likes to do?

      1. OP here

        Thanks so much for your suggestion about the iPad cord! I will buy that. And I will buy the hiking pole!
        Unfortunately, it is her dominant arm/hand. She lives in a suburb and was able to drive (local roads) back from the doctor’s office yesterday but she said she won’t be driving in the near future. Luckily she lives across the street from a beautiful park so that’s accessible by foot.
        My brother lives nearby but is currently awaiting COVID test results (fully vaccinated, let’s hope it’s negative PCR) otherwise he’d be over at her house keeping her company these first couple of days.

    2. I broke my dominant hand wrist, bad break. Some things I learned: it is difficult to carry things that aren’t even partially heavy if you cannot shift them from one hand to the other. Also, if you are carrying something in your one working hand, you cannot open the door with that hand. A cool backpack or capacious crossbody is really helpful. Healing is exhausting. I was shocked at how tired I was for several weeks after the accident, so encourage her to get extra sleep. Encourage her to check with her doctor to see if there are any supplements that will promote bone and ligament repair. And more than anything, depending on the break, healing can be slow. Although I was able to begin therapy after 8 weeks, it took months to be able to do much. Better after a year, even better after several years, and honestly, I continued to see functional improvements for nearly 10 years. Oh, opening jars is still hard and one of those attached to the bottom of the cabinet openers was essential for the first year or two, so having someone install one would be really thoughtful.

      1. OMG yes on the jars. I had minor surgery on my wrist and it was a decade before I could open a jar with that hand.

      2. All of this. Believe it or not I was off work for two months with a bad break like that so it’s no small thing!

        Also, when they take the cast off, the wrist will be sore. I was not expecting that and found it really upsetting, but it’s normal so warn her about it. And sadly, it is probably going to tell her when it’s going to rain for the rest of her life (25 years and counting for me, anyway).

        1. Oh, and arranging for someone to take her to have her hair washed and styled at least once a week (twice would be even better but not cheap) would be great.

          1. Yes, second the hair wash and style. I broke my wrist and the only times my hair got clean were when I went to Drybar.

    3. This may sound weird, but bear with me. I lost the use of my dominant hand for about six months, and it was actually fun for me to try to learn to do things with my non-dominant hand. I got so good that now I automatically do some things with my mon-dominant hand. I don’t know how you go about suggesting this as an activity to your mom, but maybe bring it up in conversation? Maybe she can learn sign language with her non-dominant hand?

      1. Anon at 3:42 here: yes to this. I still use a mouse with my non-dominant hand 20 years later.

    4. Things that are suddenly difficult and frustrating when your dominant hand is out of action include: brushing your teeth (get an electric tooth brush), brushing your hair, blow drying your hair (almost impossible), putting on socks, shoe laces, opening bottles and cans, using scissors, slicing bread, button fly jeans, zipping jackets, etc etc

      There are little gadget and things, but slip on shoes, electric toothbrush and help for bottles and tins are essential.

      If she has an ipad, consider getting her a stand or tripodlike thingy to hold it so she doesn’t have to both hold and swipe with the non-dominant hand. This is a good time for audio books, scrabble, sudoko (if she cant manage numbers with the non-dominant hand, she can get it on the ipad). She might have use of a fanny bag to carry her phone or purse.

      Make sure she has a non-slippery shower floor, since her balance will be off. She might need a shower sleeve to cover any plaster or bandages.

      For some great tools, look at the vitility brand website.

    5. Set her up with grocery delivery, including lots of precut fruits and vegetables and cracker-sized pre-sliced cheese. If she will eat them, Amy’s frozen burritos are also a good option to have in the house for an easy one-handed meal. I had trouble cutting things, spreading nut butter, and washing dishes by hand when I broke my arm. It might also be a good time to invest in a robot vacuum cleaner that empties itself, if your budget allows.

      In addition to her hair, arrange for her to get regular manicure/pedicures. Many town senior centers around here provide foot care for elderly patrons because it’s important but really overlooked! And make sure she has floss picks and mouthwash so she can continue to take care of her oral hygiene without struggling to put the toothpaste on the toothbrush.

    6. If she’s right handed, get her some left handed or ambidextrous scissors. It’s really common for scissors to only work properly if you’re holding them in your right hand, because they’re molded and angled for that.

  11. I’m heading to Boston next week and staying at the Godfrey Hotel – it’s a trip with my husband for our anniversary. Anyone have experience with this property? Alternatives to recommend? I can cancel/rebook still. Looking to be close to things that are charming- we like to walk around, pop into shops and feel like we live there.

    1. The South End is the most charming neighborhood in Boston in my opinion. Tons of amazing restaurants and shops/cafes. It’s probably a 15-20 min walk from this hotel.

      This hotel is closer to Beacon Hill which can be charming, but definitely more touristy.

    3. Thanks much! And yes, please to lobster rolls! Also taking any and all local recommendations :)

      1. Please go to Sail Loft for dinner so I can live vicariously through you! Seriously the best. You can skip Legal Seafood.

    4. Switch to the newly renovated Langham! It looks great. Although the Godfrey looks fine too

    5. Late reply, but the Godfrey is in downtown crossing, which is not a great area post-covid, lots of homeless people and not much in the way of good restaurants or bars. I think you (or anyone) would enjoy staying in the Back Bay, like the Copley Fairmont. You can walk from there to the Back Bay, the Esplanade, Beacon Hill, and the South End, and its easily accessible to the North End and Seaport and Cambridge (Boston is small). The Whitney in Beacon Hill also just got a great writeup. The Langham would be good but financial district/downtown is a ghost town on the weekends.

  12. Trying to plan a trip for once my kids are vaccinated to somewhere tropical and I’m stuck on the lack of nonstop flights… should I just get over it? Are they not horrible? Or would driving 3 hours to get on a direct flight be better? (We’re in Midwest in a city that used to be an airline hub and now is not.)

    1. I don’t mind a stop, if the rest of the journey is more convenient.

      Do a fairly short first flight, and change somewhere with a great lounge that you can prepurchase access to if you don’t have miles or ticket class access. Check airport layout, and have plenty of time.

      Hang out in a silent lounge, have some food, charge the kids’ electronics and then go on the longer flight.

    2. Depends on time of year and the connecting airport… but the 3 hour drive is way more fun when you’re on the way to the Caribbean than it is when you’re coming home :)

      Also, if you’re tempted to connect through a Caribbean hub like SXM, do be aware you would have 3 countries’ Covid requirements to comply with. (We’re doing US-side connections only, as needed, for this reason.)

    3. I think it depends on your tolerance for delays/cancellations and whether it’s a longer trip or a shorter trip. For a 2-night trip, I think it’s worth it because you don’t want to spend a big chunk of the trip in a delay. It also depends on the cost savings to connect and how well your kids can tolerate a layover. I will almost always rearrange things to take a nonstop — it’s just one less thing to worry about, and when you land you know you are there.

    4. Fly through ATL. Our international terminal is great. Just give yourself enough time between flights.

    5. As someone who lives somewhere with very few direct flights to anywhere, I think you just have to get over it and build it into your travel planning- try to fly early in the day so you have more options if a flight is canceled, don’t schedule short connections or short trips that will be ruined if something is delayed, etc. I almost never think it’s worth driving to the bigger airport to be able to fly direct, since so many things can go wrong with traffic and parking, and it’s just not that much cheaper to be worth it, but I guess it could make sense for major international flights that only leave once a day and if the big airport in your case is a city where traffic isn’t horrendous (in my case, it’s LAX). The cost difference for four people also might make more of a difference than it does for me. Really, though, the last thing I want to do at the end of a long trip is get in a car and drive home three hours. I just want to get off the plane in my city, and that’s definitely worth connecting flights.

    6. I live in a non-hub where the only direct options are Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte and Washington DC (sometimes). The upside of it is I can show up at the airport 20 minutes before the gate closes and not worry about making my flight. That convenience more than makes up for cooling my heels in ATL for an hour, especially when I have an early flight.

    7. I live somewhere where there are very few non-stop flights, so we have just gotten used to layovers and plane changes, even with three small kids.

    8. We live about 2.5 hours from ORD and often drive there to get nonstop flights to Europe. For the Caribbean we normally just fly out of our home airport and change planes. I don’t mind a layover, but the combo of layover and jet lag can be really brutal when traveling with kids (crashing at the hotel at 3 am our time after a red eye is very different than not getting any rest until 9 am our time).

    9. It’s hard to get to Caribbean islands from the Midwest for some reason. Even from Chicago there are only a handful of places you can fly direct – Jamaica, Dominican Republic, PR, USVI, I think that’s about it. For some reason a lot of places that have nonstops to the northeast (like Turks and Caicos) just don’t have any service to the Midwest. I feel like we have better service to Hawaii than the Caribbean which is weird because it’s a lot farther.

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