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For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional. Also: we just updated our big roundup for the best women's suits of 2024!
This Veronica Beard suit looks great for the New Year — it's a combination of a lot of current trends like wide-leg trousers and a double-breasted blazer, but done really well.
I especially love the color, and the wool blend sounds great. I think you could also wear the pieces as separates — the blazer would be great with jeans as well as a midi skirt or black trousers, and the pants would look great on their own with white, cream, navy, light blue, or red. I think you could also make other shades of blue as well as green work with it, and black too if it's done intentionally.
The blazer is $748, and the pants are $398.
Looking for burgundy, wine or purple suits for women? I'm in love with this Ann Taylor suit, and this affordable Anne Klein suit also looks great. On the darker, winey side, there's this Banana Republic Factory suit in “bright wine,” Eloquii suiting in maroon, this Reiss suit in berry, and M.M.LaFleur in “wine,” and this reader favorite suit under $75 in winey red. On the lighter side, Banana Republic has suiting in a violet lavender, and M.M.LaFleur has a pretty stretch tweed in lavender.
Not similar at all, but I must mention these two festive blazers because they're so much fun: a green iridescent houndstooth from L'Agence, and an ombre velvet option from Elle Tahari.
Sales of note for 10.10.24
- Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
- Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
- Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- 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
New Here
HYSA question triggered by the other post…It may be dumb one, but I really don’t know.
We have had a HYSA with Capital One for years (like, I started it back when it was ING!). Do the new higher rates not apply to existing accounts? I checked and ours is .3%. Looking at the Capital One site now, they’re promoting 4.35%. Should I open a new account and move it? Move everything to Ally?
Anon
Just call or chat with them and ask them to raise your rate. They may make you open a new account then move the money, but my accounts transfer money instantly between them so it’s not really more work.
Meara
No need to move, its easy, Just open a “performance savings” account—I also realized that my savings and money market accounts weren’t high interest but took five seconds to open a new “performance savings” account and transfer over to that.
Anonymous
Nope. I play this game with Capital One every few years with my HYSA that was originally ING–just open a new account with whatever their current HYSA is and move the money (it’s easy to move between Capital One accounts).
anonanonanaon
I realized I that still had the almost no interest account last year when I didn’t get a tax form. It was easy to open the “performance savings” account but I was annoyed. Plus, it lags about 1% behind Ally and Marcus. I’m happy enough with Marcus– it’s easy to access, transfers are speedy enough, so it’s what I use for most of emergency fund/short-term savings needs, with just a bit of a buffer left in Capital 1 performance savings now.
Anon
It’s called “360 performance savings account.” You have to move your money but it’s really simple to do.
Anon
Correct, old accounts are not eligible for rate raises. Such nonsense, so we moved all our money to Marcus
Anonymous
in middle life, how do you recapture being interested and interesting — and can you do it while your time and energy are both limited with serious duties like caregiving on top of job, regular parenting, and marriage?
I’m not yet tasked with eldercare but I have a disabled child who will probably be with us for life. I know hobbies and friends would help but not sure where to start since my availability is so limited.
Anon
Is respite care an option? A co-worker has an adult child with severe developmental issues and he goes to an adult day program that has been a gift to him as well as to her (lets her work now that he is done with school). Time is a luxury and maybe that would help you out?
Anonymous
I’m no help with interesting because that isn’t something I strive for. With being interested in things, though, I make sure I stay curious. This is easy enough to do with a relatively full plate. I’m not on social media, instead I read (books, magazines,news articles) or look up topics I hear about just to know a bit more about them or engage in one of my hobbies.
anon
Honestly, at some point you give up a lot. And you try to save something… even just one thing… for yourself. Even having one escape/interest helps.
When life was awful, just watching Top Chef once a week was an escape (so a break) and satisfied my love of food/entertainment, and honestly was fun to talk about socially. When I (rarely) socialized, I honestly felt like my life was so boring and stressful I had little to say… so I focused on asking others about their lives…people love to talk about themselves. It kept people wanting to see me, include me at least… even though I rarely could join them.
When I had more time, I tried to restart one hobby…. even if it is something small, like a yoga class once every week or two….. or reading for 15 minutes before bed….. or listening to more music while I prepare dinner….. or reading the NYT for 10 minutes with my beloved coffee each morning. It can be small touch points, that you can make time for, that keep me going.
Reading, music, exercise/yoga, keeping up with the news…. are all hobbies.
But no, I will probably not be a serious performing musician again until I am retired, and wont be training for any marathons. It is just not the type of life I have been fortunate enough to have been given. Sometimes…. we just have no choice. But we figure out how to survive.
anon
And I forgot the most important thing for my sanity…. You really need one person who you can vent/confide in, once you become a caregiver for someone chronically ill/disabled. Sometimes you are fortunate and have that person in the family, or a friend/acquaintance. If you don’t, find a support group for parents of children with disabilities. Many meet remotely now. It really helps. Even if they are infrequent. Because your other friends/family will never understand, and it will eat away at you over time. You need to be able to vent to someone who truly empathizes.
Anon
To be honest,
I’m middle to late (late 50s and pre-retired). As to being interesting, others find it boring when we talk about our health issues all the time. I’ve noticed my friends doing it, and I’ve had to stop myself from doing it. I understand. When you have a major health issue, it takes up a lot of your brain space and your time. It becomes the only answer to “what’s new?” but no one really really wants to know.
So your question about staying interested is spot-on. You have to be interested in things to have new things to talk about. I’m not perfect at this, personally, but what I notice is that lots of my friends read non fiction and watch things like documentaries, and then have these new topics to talk about. I’m very interested in music and see a lot of live music, so that’s something, people seem to want to hear about socially.
I do have one friend who is very, very upset about US politics. And I don’t blame her, but any social time with her starts to feel like she is scolding everyone for not being as upset as she is. I’m 100% sure I vote the way she would prefer I vote, but sometimes you just want to enjoy your caprese salad or whatever. So don’t be her, I guess.
anon
Ouch…
Not the OP, but I know you are right.
No one really wants to hear about your health problem, even if it has serious impact on your life.
No one really wants to hear about your caregiving/family problems/disabled child.
Just light topics… music… caprese salad… not too much real life.
It is painfully accurate, and I even have the need myself.
You need to find your life supports in other places… not in most group/social gatherings.
anon
OMG, my in-laws have driven me nuts for years with the incessant talk about health issues. It’s not even them asking for support, it’s just one long-winded rant after another, usually about the incompetence of someone (doctors, medical staff, nurses, insurance companies, you name it). I know these are time consuming matters but after awhile, literally nobody wants to hear all that.
OP, this is a hard question. I think being moderately aware of current events, pop culture, news, etc. goes a long way to being a relatable person. And simply asking people what they are up to. I hope you can find some respite in 2024 to figure out what interests you.
Anon
Hobbies. They’ve been a godsend for my mental and physical health during personal health challenges, long-distance dementia caregiving, and a family health crisis. It helps SO much to have other things to think and talk about. Is respite care an option for you?
Friend
This or do you have a supportive community or way to volunteer? Of course I think church, synagogue, mosque, but even if a local health organization benefits your child and then you fundraiser for that organization and that’s your “thing”… that’s interesting! And then of course movies TV pop culture. I try not to say No to almost any ideas. I try to say “huh that’s interesting” and as a result I get friends or friendly relationships with a lot of different kinds of people. Not sure if that helps. Good luck
Kate
My NY resolution is host people more often. I used to have gatherings every couple months pre-Covid. In 2023, the best way I can say is, I’m scared- scared people won’t come, scared people with differing beliefs or politics will fight, scared my house isn’t nice enough, etc. I broke the ice and hosted a holiday brunch last weekend that went super well (I think). I know I need more seating but could use some tips. My goal is comfortable, informal, where people feel they can show up as they are (nothing fancy). What do you do as a hostess to make people feel welcome and comfortable? What have you experienced or wished for that made you feel good? Any small or inexpensive tips that I could try to incorporate?
Anonymous
I love a time limit and I think others do to! Like 4-6 on Saturday and then everyone knows it’s drinks and snacks and they’ll be home on the couch by 7. I also love being very specific about the menu- join me for meatballs Friday night! And then make sure you welcome people with a smile, help them with their coats, and offer a drink.
Anonymous
So this won’t apply to everyone but it will apply to some people. As some people get older they have issues regarding eating – can’t eat certain things for health reasons, reflux, whatever it may be, and it’s often not something you want to discuss openly. So I find that the more formal the event is at someone’s house, the more nervous I am about going. A restaurant is different because I can order what I want, but at your home I am VERY aware that you have toiled away cooking and I don’t want to offend you or make you feel like you wasted your effort or I didn’t like your food. I simply want to hang out with a friend and have food be an after thought.
So for me the simpler it is the better. Like order a stack of pizzas and invite people over. If you want to cook, fine but do things buffet style, so people can pick and choose what they want to eat and how much they want. If I come over and you have a stack of pizzas and I’m not feeling it, I don’t think you’ll be annoyed if I don’t have a slice – not in the same way as if you’ve stood over a hot stove for four hours.
Other than that really nothing – have enough seating so people are not forced to stand for hours. Make clear if your home is a shoes on or shoes off home. I grew up in a shoes off home so I always go places in nice socks so it’s NBD to me but feel like I have to scan everyone’s feet to be like oh shoes on, ok.
IMO the best parties are the casual ones – everyone ends up congregating in the kitchen near the food and talking and laughing.
Anon
My secret is intentional guest lists and seating or if not as formal, intentional introductions. If you just let it be a free for all, it doesn’t go well. I pair up people who might not know each other but who I think would get along based on their interests and personalities. And not everyone needs to be invited to everything.
Anon
What about an informal theme – “board games, apps, and drinks from 3-5 next Saturday” sounds way less intimidating than a formal sit-down meal.
Anon
I would be far more likely to be excited about attending if you wrote “apps and drinks and (optional) board games”!
Anon
Do people play board games? Or is it that they play as they talk and eat, so very casual play? I got invited to a games party once and the wording was so odd that I wondered it it was a euphemism for swinging or something else.
anon
LOL
anonshmanon
My bubble of elderly millennials is definitely playing board games or card games, without any innuendo. Inviting people to your home, or going to play at a board game cafe. It’s a great way to get to know strangers in an evening, without doing the where are you from/what do you do for work/what are your hobbies standby. Not that I am necessarily against small talk, but this is another fun option.
Anon
There are “board game people”… and I know some of them. And then there’s me! I’d happily come by for a drink and a chat but I actually don’t want to get dragged into a board game, especially one with complicated rules, and that one guy who is very, very serious about winning whatever the board game is.
anon
Also don’t want to be invited to a board game party, ever. I love you, friends, but that is not my jam. I’ll sit on the sidelines and drink and chat, though.
Anon
Glad I’m not alone in my hatred of bored games.
Anon
I’m the board game OP and our friend group is very into them. No euphemism, and I do not personally like board games all that much but the group is fun so I tend to hang out and observe without playing. Having a thing to do makes conversation flow more easily, especially if there are people who don’t otherwise know each other.
anon
I’ve found it best to have a defined time period. If people stay longer, great, but having a start and end time seems to prevent people from flaking. Keep it casual. For food, the Nester has the advice to make ONLY 1-2 things (even if you like cooking) and buying everything else pre-made. I personally prefer entertaining smaller social groups, probably because my family gatherings are big and it’s hard to keep up with that.
And, let go of perfectionism. I’m not saying welcome people into a messy pit of a house, but if these are friends you’re entertaining, it is FINE to let go of overly high standards and aim for good enough.
Anon
Your friends aren’t coming over to judge you or your house, I promise.
Anon
+10000000000000000000
Senior Attorney
Amen. I promise promise.
Anon
I wish this were my experience…
Anon
My favorite nonfiction read of the last few years is , “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker. I would recommend it because it’s so interesting – it talks about the dynamics of hosting, creating a purpose for your gathering, who you invite — and more importantly, who you exclude, and weird minutiae of how much space you need for ballroom dancing vs cocktail hour. I know it’s likely in more detail than you’re caring about, but I just found the read so compelling, and it really influenced me to make changes at work in some meetings.
Senior Attorney
We had a super casual gathering on New Year’s Day — I just invited four friends over for cinnamon rolls and to watch the Rose Parade on TV. We sat at the kitchen table (opens into the family room where the TV is), and somebody brought chips and guac and somebody else brought champagne, and it was a nice and relaxing way to bring in the new year. I had planned to bake from scratch but ran out of time and got cinnamon rolls in a can and nobody cared and everybody loved them, so that was a lesson learned.
When I’m having a sit-down meal I make sure and ask people about their food issues and then abide by them so everybody has something they are happy to eat.
AIMS
I think if you really want to create a “comfortable, informal, where people feel they can show up as they are (nothing fancy)” atmosphere, you just need to start hosting more often. We have friends who entertain a lot and it’s very informal and because we’ve been there a bunch already it’s very low pressure to drop in and also to invite them over. They’ve seen our house messy, we’ve seen their house messy. They’ve come just for pizza, and we’ve gone to their place and just ordered take out. I feel like hosting can be a little bit like seeing someone naked – you’re nervous the first time or two but then it’s just how you/they look and you don’t think twice about it. I also think people generally like to be invited places (and if they don’t, they won’t come and that’s fine too).
Anon
My college has a huge surge of ED1 applications and noted that a lot were from first-generation students and others needing aid. This is not my understanding of Early Decision and that these kids bind themselves to attend if admitted even if they do t have the funds to come. This is at a state school, so OOS tuition is 74K a year all-in and IDK that even middle-class students can pay that. There isn’t a big endowment and in-state tuition is low but still pretty high for in-state students.
Anon
Look at the fine print. Some schools are working on making ED more inclusive, which means providing guaranteed aid to kids who are first gen or whose parents make under a certain annual salary. This also allows those kids to lock in limited financial aid dollars. Almost no schools are need blind, so in some form or another, they end up rejecting good kids who need aid and take rich kids instead. If the poor kids lock in their financial aid awards early, that means the need-aware admissions decisions won’t affect them.
Anon
It’s a gamble though — I doubt schools are really transparent about the need you get without a current fafsa and secondary documentation.
Anon
If they’re actually low income, they probably qualify for significant aid. The downside of applying early decision is that you don’t get to compare offers, so it’s a problem for people who are expecting to get different offers from different schools. So while it might be true that someone from a low income family would get more money from an Ivy than an in-state public, if that’s that’s not an option they’re considering (not competitive, not appealing, don’t want to go out of state), then it can make sense to just apply to the state school where you want to go, especially if you can live at home and save money that way (at a lot of state schools, rent is as much or more than tuition these days).
Anon
By my math, a teacher or nurse and/or police kid would likely have parents who make too much to qualify for aid in a lot of places. Like they are middle class even if they have not enough free cash or savings, so I think it is a huge gamble. A lot of families have a bit of home equity but you can’t easily spend that while you are living there.
It all seems sort of scammy, IMO, like colleges are trying to pack in all of the upper-middle class kids paying full tuition before letting in anyone else.
Anonymous
Actually it’s an effort to still enroll any black and Latinx students at all Post the Alito admissions decision.
Anonymous
That makes zero sense unless the schools are targeting only the rich kids from those groups. Less affluent kids should not be relying on ED unless their EFC is zero and they are applying to schools that guarantee they will meet full financial need without loans.
Anonymous
Right. Which my school offers and does.
Anon
Home equity doesn’t count, unless you have multiple homes, which most middle class people don’t. Retirement savings also don’t count. Teacher and police officer salaries would get you a free ride at many colleges if you don’t have massive assets like an inheritance.
Anonymous
Home equity counts on the CSS, which private colleges and some public colleges use.
Anon
IDK — if you have these jobs in the NEUS, you could well look too good on paper to qualify. You may not feel well-off, but it’s not like you’re a school bus driver in rural Virginia, who makes very very little, with an hourly-pay teacher or nurse’s aide.
Anon
I’m not so sure, it really depends. If you are high up in the police department, or in a large metro area or do a lot of overtime, you can do quite well. Teacher salaries as well can vary significantly. As we all know location and years of service are significant in both fields.
Anonymous
It’s scammy because the colleges are trying to enhance their yield rates to game the rankings. If 100% of your ED kids are committed to attend, you are going to try to admit as much of your class as possible through ED to boost your yield rate, which makes regular decision even more competitive. It works against middle-class and lower-income kids who cannot afford to commit without seeing aid offers and who cannot afford to tour a bunch of schools before selecting one for ED.
Anon
I’m really curious — what % of kids at places like UVA or UNC or UCLA or Michigan (not HYP/HYS schools, but really good schools with a national following that are still state schools) pays full OOS tuition? It’s like they bank on those kids to balance the budget, so I’d expect ED1 to be packed with OOS full-pay kids and for any of them who are reasonably well-qualified to get it (doubly-so if alumni kids, who they know won’t put up a fuss and will stick to the plan). And maybe Pell-Grant in-state kids? But I thought that if you were a HYP/HYS Pell-Grant kid that those schools (and those highest SLACs) would cover the full cost vs just full tuition.
Anon
I suspect that ED1 OOS kids need to be full-pay. Many state schools I’m familiar with both cap OOS admissions and also rely on full-pay OOS students to really fund the school. So if a kid is ED1 but needs aid, sorry, but that slot needs to go to someone paying 60K+ so that someone in-state can go for 25K (or less). It’s really brutal math. I’d expect schools like Cal and UCLA to be mostly rich OOS students so that in-state kids can attend and if a OOS kid declines (say in regular admission, their slot has to go to another OOS kid or the math would never work out). IDK how kids signal this (or if admissions reads things closely for signals).
Anonymous
I mean. You could just treat your anxiety instead of constantly spinning out on these ignorant fantasies.
Anon
Very few public universities do early decision. Not the UCs, and Michigan and UNC only have non-binding early action.
EB
I’m a big fan of Veronica Beard, and I could stomach it when a blazer was under $600….barely. I struggle with $750, so am now only buying them second hand on poshmark.
No Face
How does the brand generally fit? I love it and I would like to buy used on Poshmark too.
Anon
Slightly small end of TTS.
Sallyanne
I various different VB items (jackets, jeans, dresses, shirts and tees) and find them to fit my hourglass-ish, thin framed 5’5” body well. I tend to take the same sizes in VB as I do from other higher-mid brands. Lots of times you can search for reviews for past items.
Anon
Check out the real real too! Plus you can return. The good thing about VB is they hold resale value – especially the classic blazer styles.
NYCer
I am right there with you. VB has gotten so expensive!
anon
Yes, Veronica Beard is one of the brands that just makes me feel poor and unimportant with everything they do. The one time I visited a store, their sales associates took one look at me and ignored me until I left.
Anonymous
for those of you who work at home – what is your go-to outfit during the day? when do you consider yourself “dressed”?
i often roll out of bed and into workout lcothes with hopes I’ll exercise after dropoff, but i almost never do until much later. sometimes after that i’ll put on jeans and do a bit of makeup, but… yeah. i’d like to be more fashionable but also not ridiculous in my own home.
Anon
Robe = not dressed.
Shirt with words = dressed.
anonshmanon
I mostly dress for warmth in my poorly insulated home office. If I want to be put together for an important call, I will do blush and tinted chapstick and put a minute into my hair and pick some good earrings.
Anon
I do get dressed and I don’t work in my pajamas or lounge wear. It’s a mental divide for me. If I’m still wearing what I slept in at noon, the day is not going well.
Carrots
I alternate between workout/lounge clothes and “real” pants with a range of tops. But either way, I definitely change out of my sleeping pjs and into something different; if I’d have to change again were I to leave the house is a toss up.
Josie P
In winter: uniqlo heattech shirt, lightweight down vest, fleece, lined pants, sneakers w/ big socks
In fall/spring: LS shirt, fleece, pants, sneakers
In summer: shorts, t-shirt, sneakers
I don’t dress up much! :) I will do makeup for my Zoom meetings though.
M
I always shower, do my skincare, and put on fresh clothes before my workday. I just wear yoga pants and a rotation of comfortable sweatshirts, sweaters, and fleeces, though. I feel pretty good with that + my every day jewelry and a spritz of perfume! Sometimes I’ll do a little makeup or curl my hair if I’m in the mood, but I’m never on video so it’s really just for fun.
Anonymous
Dressed = not workout clothes, loungewear, or pyjamas.
Anne-on
Agree that wearing real clothes helps with my ‘I’m at work’ mindset. I usually wear some sort of silky pullover, a button down, or nice sweater with seasonally appropriate bottoms (jeans/golf pants/shorts/skirts/etc.). I try to also wear earrings/necklaces as it does make me look more finished and I put on makeup every AM or I look dead on camera (laura mercier caviar eye stick, mascara, highlighter, blush, concealer as needed – this all takes literally 5 minutes). If I’m in sweats or PJs after 11am I’m either sick or it is a VERY bad day.
That being said I am eternally in awe of my coworkers with visibly styled blowouts/curls on our 8am calls!
Anonymous
I get up shower and put on a zoom appropriate top and leggings every day. My rule is I must be dressed enough to be on camera or leave my house.
Anna
Would be willing to leave the house and be seen by someone I know in these clothes.
Athlesiure basically. Definitely still focusing on comfy.
ollie
Pajamas, not dressed. Anything else, dressed. I mostly wear leggings (or shorts in the summer) and a seasonally-appropriate top that looks okay on video.
Anonymous
I get out of my pajamas so I am dressed. I try to do this every day unless I’m sick or something.
I personally do not wear hard pants or some version of “work clothes” in my home. It’s not comfortable. What I have done in the past year is upgrade to nicer looking loungewear. In the winter, I am either in leggings or joggers with a nicer top like a cowl neck sweatshirt or a half-zip. In the summer, it’s probably a tank or plain t-shirt with a cardigan. I only do makeup or office tops/jackets if I’m presenting in a meeting. But I don’t typically wear a lot of makeup on the weekends either. I dress for the reality that I’m in my house.
Anon
I change out of whatever I slept in and it counts as “dressed.” Sometimes it’s fresh pajama pants, but they’re clean.
Anon
It really doesn’t take much to pull something together. I work at home with both in person and virtual clients (psychologist/therapist). This winter I have been doing dresses again, (which I did pre covid) with a boot or a flat. I bought a few loosely structured jackets and sometimes throw one on over the dress and may belt it.I have a rotation of about five pants in basic colors and with them I add the flats or booties and either a sweater or tee shirt and again, a comfortable jacket. Very basic but curated, that’s pretty much it. I play with earrings and shoes and do my makeup and hair daily.
Anonymous
has anyone ordered from commonsense? i understand they may be dropshippers – but what would you call that style of clothing? minimal? https://thecommense.com/
Anonymous
I would personally call it ugly fast fashion. Sorry.
Anon
Contemporary/trendy/gen z
Anonymous
It looks really low quality. I’d use it for inspiration and then shop for something similar elsewhere. Check out @kerifay on insta. She uses a lot of the same colors and styles and calls it minimalism I believe. I would try to head more in that direction. I’m all for low prices. But if you’re going to do classic colors and styles, you should aim for something that reads higher quality. The cheap pearl buttons and cut outs kind of take away from the whole thing. I guarantee in person that a lot of those tops feel icky and make it through only a wash or two before stretching all funky.