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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 90 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Alexander McQueen

Suit of the Week

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Corporette's Suit of the Week: Alexander McQueen Crepe SuitingFor 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. This suit is the really rare (I think) high fashion piece that could also work real business situations. The leaf flared-hem is an updated take on peplum, and the matching skirt doesn't have anything obviously wrong with it, like a crazy slit or too-short hem. The jacket (Alexander McQueen Leaf flared-hem jacket) is $1,975, and the skirt (Alexander McQueen Crepe Pencil Skirt) is $630.
Alexander McQueen Leaf flared-hem jacket Alexander McQueen Crepe Pencil Skirt
(L-5)

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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:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  2. Scout

    Omg this suit is STUNNING. Please tell me there is a cheaper, albeit not as nice obviously, version out there somewhere!

      • Reiss Smithfield

        +100. When I win the lotto I’m going to have one of these made in a deep navy.

    • ITDS

      I don’t know that I would wear it work, but I would certainly wear it to the funeral of someone I hated!

      • AIMS

        I would wear it to some ribbon cutting event that I had to attend after I married Prince Harry.

          • tesyaa

            My mom had a suit this style in black that she bought at Loehmann’s in the early 80s (maybe even late 70s). Obviously, it wasn’t McQueen, but I borrowed it from her a few times and it did look nice…

      • Baconpancakes

        I wouldn’t wear it to meet clients, but for a presentation, this reads “I AM WOMAN AND POWER, HEED ME PUNY MORTALS!”

    • Ellen

      This suit is very beautiful. I LOVE Alexander MacQueen! But it is SOOO Expensive!!!!

      A few year’s ago, there was a local Alexander MacQueen EXHIBIT at the MOMA, and I went with Myrna and my mother. They had some great OUTFIT’s there and shoe’s that Lady GAGA wore with 6 inch heel’s! Can you IMAGINE? We all had to stand in line for an HOUR to get in and there were a lot of guy’s there who were stareing at MYRNA, but I do NOT think they were straight b/c they kept giggeling between themselve’s and then lookeing at us then giggeling again. Myran was dressed in a military suit and looked very cute tho.

      Myrna told me I should date this guy from her job. I do not want another guy to have to figure out right now, but I may check him out anyway. I need a guy from the USA who is NOT lookeing for a green card or just to have sex and then dump me. I am to old for that. I want a guy who will want children and who can suport me and our children and mabye live in NYC (MANHATTAN ONLEY) or Long Island, or even in Chapaqua, near Rosa and Ed. I do NOT want to live in New Jersey or Queen’s or Statten Island, and probabley NOT Brooklyn. FOOEY!

      If anyone in the HIVE know’s anyone, I would be interested ONLEY if they meet these requirement’s. I am an attorney at law, duly admited and in good standeing, and am a partner at a good WC Firm. I need to get married very soon, or at least have a BABY very soon. YAY!!!!

  3. Julia

    This suit is absolutely beautiful. The Duchess of Cambridge has worn McQueen, (her wedding gown, for instance, plus the outfit she wore for George’s christening.). I could see her wearing this. I’d rather spend money on this than a St. John!

  5. a passion for fashion

    This is just lovely. I am very tempted. I feel like I could wear this to work as a suit once in a while, but also as separates. With the peplum like hem, it seems like you could get more wear out of it. but that’s just me . . . I tend more towards fancy than your average bear

  6. Mid-career field change

    Has anyone totally switched fields / careers in your 40s? Did you just do it or did you go back for some school (certificate / second bachelors / etc.)? See a career counselor (or psychologist) or continuing ed person at our local community college/state U campus?

    My husband is in a computer-related field [not programming or anything financial, like SQL] that he fell into and used to have a good career and prospects. Due to some local mergers and inability to move location, he’s faltering and stressed out and burned out. He has given up hope of ever being happy at work and thinks that he is too old to change (and yet he is too young to throw in the towel). He just has a BA and wishes that he had gotten more / better schooling before spouse / kids.

    It’s his issue and I’m on the sidelines, but what have you done in this situation that has actually worked out for you?

    [Reposting from the bottom of this morning’s thread.]

    • Anon

      This is exactly how I feel. Almost 38, mid-level litigator, wrong industry background for my geographic locale. All I can say is don’t let him go to law school.

      • Mid-career field change

        Not a chance. But in computers, it seems like there are a lot of certificate courses you can take (does it matter though) and it also seems to matter if you can program or do anything financial (both sql and things like modeling). And whatever project management / change management is.

        But he’s mentioning real estate (which might stress him out more), which he might be good at but has a really high wash-out rate, and lots of random things.

    • anonforthis

      I was desperate to leave the legal field after only 3 years in private practice and by some fluke ended up seeing a therapist who had completed all of her classwork, thesis, etc. to be a clinical psychologist but was still getting her supervised therapy hours to be licensed in our state. As it turned out, she had taken the bar exam in the mid-80’s and (then worked in biglaw) which meant she had to have switched careers in her 40s. No idea what she thinks of her career change, but I thought she was an excellent therapist.

    • Anon

      What kind of computer skills does he have and how opposed to working with computers is he? There are about a billion different things that you can do, possibly even virtually if there is nothing available nearby.

    • roses

      This might be a long shot, but has he thought about getting a master’s or a certificate in cybersecurity? There is a dire shortage of cybersecurity professionals out there, and I know lots of people with no computer backgrounds at all going back to school for it. It is a very exciting and high-demand field, and even if his background in computers is unrelated, it would give him a leg up on a lot of people seeking to enter that area.

    • Moonstone

      (I am reposting my comment from this morning, just because I want people to see that a switch can be successful.)

      I did. And every day, I am happy I did. For 12 years after I got my BA, I worked in a thriving industry that ran out of steam, so at 39 I took a job working at a law firm in kind of a marketing role. After I did that for five years, I researched how to become qualified for a project management job. For two years, I did some schooling on weekends, passed a test that gives me some initials after my name, and actually used what I learned to improve the projects I was handling at the law firm, which gave me something to talk about in job interviews. At 47, I was hired as a project manager in a whole different field. For a year, it was unbelievably difficult and I felt like Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapons movies – “I am too old for this —-.” But it has gotten gradually better and now I feel good about my work.

      Two more points: 1) I know it’s tough, but the reality is that he has, what, 20 more years to work? We all have to keep ourselves marketable because no one knows which jobs will last. 2) I am not seeing a lot of people walking into new, better jobs just because they got an advanced degree. Mostly, I see people feeling stressed by taking on additional debt.

  7. Monday

    Has anyone tried shoes from Club Monaco? I have a gift card and a pair I like on the website and am wondering if they’re a decent value/comfortable.

  8. Time to relax

    Re-posting from the tales from the wallet because I’m really hoping for some advice here (as were the two commenters on my post!).

    Does anyone have tips on how to RELAX once your money plan is in place? I have monthly budgets set and now it’s just a waiting game to watch my money accumulate. I’m working on building an emergency fund and I find myself incredibly stressed, trying to save more than what my budget allows, checking my mint account 10-20 times a day looking for money to magically appear, etc.

    • Godzilla

      Channel your anxiety to productivity. Lift weights. Scrub grout. Take over the world. Whatever works.

      • Pink

        I agree. I”m where you are, OP. I find it helps when I acknowledge that there is nothing else I can can do (short of earning more money) and not stressing about things I cannot control (making paychecks come more often!).

    • January

      Do you track your spending (like, manually)? I do not because it drives me CRAZY in the worst way but for someone like you, I wonder if it would calm your anxiety.

      • zora

        well in a way that increases my anxiety, because you only enter your payments/transfers twice a month and the rest of the month you are just staring at it waiting for the next paycheck so you can do the next step. AAAHHHH, ;o)

  9. AMB

    I’m four weeks into a new position and not as busy as I am used to being. My boss has been swamped with a major file which only was closed yesterday – I was thinking of requesting a meeting on Friday to touch base on how I’m doing and request more files (I have a few suggestions), but is this too pushy?

    • Silver

      Assuming that you are a lawyer, I would not set up a meeting to “touch base on how you are doing”.. you should be requesting or getting feedback in real time, plus you’ve only been there for a month. If you don’t have enough work though, I would def tell anyone and everyone that you have availability and would be happy to discuss further, pick up x or y, etc. Asking for more work isn’t push imo..

    • Anonymous

      I usually prefer the drop by approach rather than scheduled meetings for this kind of thing, but I don’t know that either is more right than the other. I think it’s definitely okay (and even good!) to ask for more work in a new job.

  10. Godzilla

    Android users: what is your favorite music app? The default music player in my phone is meh. Any favorites or most hated?

  11. Amelia Bedelia

    I need help finding a camisole! I generally wear satiny type camisoles under my work shirts. I do so because half the shirts today are see-through (!), but also because I find they slim the lumps and bumps. Well, at 22 weeks pregnant, those camis are getting far too tight/short!

    any help finding satiny type of maternity camisoles? Everything I’m finding is cotton. They aren’t as comfortable to me, and they aren’t as dressy.

    thanks!

    • anne-on

      I really liked the ingrid and isabel ones. They seem really tight, but they held in/up the bump really well and lasted me through the entire pregnancy and beyond. Plus they were thick enough to almost hide it when my belly button popped out. Ugh I hated that.

      • Amelia Bedelia

        thank you – these are PERFECT. they look almost exaclty like my ann taylor camis (only without adjustable straps).
        I appreciate it!

    • TBK

      The Target ones are fantastic. I’m wearing one now! They’re Be Maternity and are a kind of very slightly satiny, VERY stretchy material that’s really comfortable. Also, they’re long without being crazy long, with ruching that kind of grows with you. Great for those last weeks (hello!) when you’re so big that you really need the extra bottom of the bump coverage. http://www.target.com/p/be-maternity-seamless-ruched-tank-assorted-colors/-/A-11293013#prodSlot=large_1_1

      • Amelia Bedelia

        I like the spaghetti straps more for under work clothes – but I will try these out for casual! thanks — hope you are doing well growing those twins!

    • Preggo Lawyer

      Talbots makes a silky shell (or used to) that fits really loose. I’ve been able to wear mine through 26 weeks.

  12. In the Old Pink

    Sigh. Fellow ‘r e t t e s…after the thread on your preferred hem length on the leg, I’m feeling old! Everyone was 20s and 30s and I admitted to 50s. Makes me wonder if I “belong.”

    Thoughts? I know age is a state of mind…but …

    In those lines, who has a recommendation for tooth whitening that is gentle on the enamel? Daily use of whitening Colgate or the 3D tube of Crest isn’t cutting it…

    Maybe I should shop for a fashionable cane? Just feeling the years I guess. And joking! About the cane…

    • anon2

      Ah Pink, I’m 53. I think being a part of this community gives us a leg up on what’s happening with our younger colleagues, neighbors, friends, etc. But I hear you – some days the years feel more real than others. Maybe we need to start a menopause thread….;)

      • marketingchic

        Ha – that would put the TTC/pregnancy-thread-haters over the edge!

        • Senior Attorney

          I love it.

          I challenge you to come up with a lady-garden-related euphemism for menopause-related sex issues. A draught in the garden? Inadequate soil preparation? Need for soil amendments? Sandy soil?

    • NOLA

      In the Pink, I’m 49 so one of the older ones, too. Not menopausal yet! I didn’t respond on there because my workplace is fairly casual. But I wear my skirts always above the knee – I look frumpy otherwise – so an inch or so. But I agreed with the comment about tights making a difference with a shorter skirt.

      • Miss Behaved

        I’m 43 and a half. And NOLA and I work in similar settings. I usually wear skirts to the knee or a bit above, but 2 awesome wool skirts with a smattering of sequins that are a bit shorter. One is brown and one is grey but I’ve bought tights to match them so I don’t think it’s a problem.

        I wouldn’t wear skirts that short bare-legged, but I think it’s fine with tights. Outside of work, I rock the casual short skirt look in summer.

    • LeeB

      Yes, you do “belong”. I’m 53 and one of the things I like about this site is that it is multi-generational. It is good for everyone to get feedback and info from different perspectives. Rock on!

      • KC

        This is how I feel, exactly. I like the range of ages, professions, and outlooks here.

      • zora

        me three! I’m so grateful for the more experienced r3tt3s on here! Please stay to give us your thoughts on things ;o)

        • Scout

          + 100. I’m new and feeling lost in my new job as a young lawyer and I don’t feel so alone being able to get real career advice from successful women.

    • anne-on

      I think its awesome that you’re on here and contributing! I literally had no family/friends/role models who were/are professionals in any corporate setting so hearing insights and advice from women a decade or two older than me about how they came up is inspiring!

    • Kelly

      Maybe this says more about my state of mind, but I’m in my mid-30s with 10 years of practice under my belt, a house, a husband & teenage stepson, and on most days a 10pm bedtime, and I tend to relate to the stories of the more seasoned members of the community than those who are fresh grads or in their 20’s —- or at least I *aspire to* relate to the more experienced sector of commentors. Don’t hide!

      (BTW, I’m NOT saying any of those things make a person an adult or mature, just talking about how I feel now.)

    • TBK

      While I think most readers skew younger (I feel like most people on here are about 24-32ish) I really appreciate the range of ages. I have only one real friend in the 50+ age range, and while she and I are close enough to talk about career stuff, we’re not likely to talk about relationships etc. I think we all benefit from the older readers’ perspectives on pretty much everything. (I also like the younger readers’ perspectives — it’s just nice to have such a range!)

      • HTown

        +1. You totally belong!!! I’m 47 and I’ve been enjoying this site for a month or so now. I also tried a few “Fabulous 50” blogs and the like and I find I relate a lot more to this one.

        • Senior Attorney

          OMG the “Fabulous 50” or “Fabulous Over 40” blogs make me want to stab my eyes out! Gah.

          Srsly. Eyes. Stab.

    • Senior Attorney

      Heh. I’m 55 and I have friends in real life who are in their 20s and 30s (and 40s), so I don’t really let it bother me. In fact, some of my favorite posts are the ones in which the younger posters talk about their parents, who are about my age!

      • NOLA

        Me too! My friends run the gamut. My 4 closest friends are 30, 43, 65 and 68. My friend who is 68 has 9 year old grandsons and she looks like she could be their mother.

    • OP here

      Aw, shucks, you are making me blush. Thanks for the supports…

      As for the menopause threads, it’s funny people aren’t as free about that as the TTC issues. Maybe because it is just that the Men-Oh-Pause… that we have other things to think about!

      There are bits of modernity that I grab here, but I was just having one of those moments. Not the half-heimers moments, just the moment of I don’t want to be trying too hard to be young.

      It’s refreshing to see a great colored Suit of the Week rather than a nod to the “women who can wear colored suits.”

      Thanks for the pat on the shoulder pads! :)

      As for wisdom and expeirence, I still out age you, and I gotta say, it IS lovely to be able to wear what I want and let my words/actions/grey hair (?) show my fierceness! To quote Godzilla: RAWR!

  13. -+-

    There’s been some discussion of this recently, so thought I’d share this–Camp’s tax reform proposal would make taxable any forgiveness of student loan debt through the 10 year public service plan (it currently is not taxable).

    Obviously this is a draft and has a tiny chance of actually going anywhere, but just noticed that while reading and thought it was interesting given the threads on it here recently.

  14. Violet

    I’m reposting this now on the very kind advice of a US Corporette who was at work at 230am!!!
    I need help from the hive pls. I will be travelling from Charleston to Charlottesville as part of an east coast road trip ( we are from Australia) in about 4 weeks. We would like to break the trip in the middle of those two cities preferably somewhere of historic interest , or a great restaurant with accommodation. Any hints? Myrtle Beach was suggested but it doesn’t seem far enough along the route. We are already stopping in Richmond.
    Also, and most importantly will I need to bring my heavy coat if we are travelling all of April from Jacksonville to NYC and then staying in NYC for a week? Boots?
    Many thanks Can’t wait to arrive!

    • Bonnie

      I commented on your other post. Check out Asheville, NC. It’s not directly on the way but a great historic city.

    • cbackson

      I’m not sure what your route will be, but what about Winston-Salem? The original Moravian town has been preserved as a living history museum (see oldsalem dot org), and it’s also turning into kind of a hipster small town.

  15. Trying to follow the money roadmap

    Knowing that many readers here have paid off significant debt (including student loans) and making the most of the timing of this morning’s money roadmap, I’m looking for advice/thoughts from the hive about how to approach my situation. I’m a 2010 law grad who graduated with about 130K in student loan debt (no debt remaining from undergrad). By way of background, I went to law school while working and after about 10 years or so in the workforce. I owe about 210K on my home (at about 4.25%) and have no other debt. I have an emergency fund that would last about 6 months (not including student loan payments) and contribute enough to my 401K to receive the employer match.

    I make about 95K/year, not including bonuses (which are discretionary and at the most, would take my income just past six figures). While I live in a fairly modest COL area and do not have extravagant expenses, I have struggled to make the $1300/mo payments on my loans (especially immediately after graduation when I was making less) and switched to an income based repayment plan. The interest rates on my loans are at 8.5% and 6.25%. Not surprisingly, in the years since graduation the loan balance has increased to past 180K. I’m trying to figure out the best approach to get this situation under control but am well aware that with interest rates this high, even putting every extra penny towards student loans seems like it would barely make a dent. Other things I have considered include selling or refinancing my house, looking for a different (or second) job, or implementing extreme austerity measures (which I’d be more inclined to do if I thought it would help make meaningful progress but see above). Any suggestions?

    • Well Heeled Blog

      Can you rent out a room (or two) in your house? That may be an extra $500-$1,000 a month. Then I’d put all that money towards the 8.5% loan.

      If you can get a cheaper HELOC from your house, I may look into that and put that money towards the student loan, and then just pay off the HELOC. This is risky, however, if you can’t pay the payment on your HELOC. More information here: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/should-i-use-a-home-equity-loan-to-refinance-my-student-loans/

    • AIMS

      Is your payment $1300 on a 10 year plan or an extended 25/30 year plan? Just in case it’s the ten, can you just switch to the extended?

      Alternatively, I’ve started to get consolidation offers in the mail – maybe you can look into it and consolidate under a lower rate?

      What else are you spending your money on? I would say that you need to figure out a way to get off IBR unless you’re okay with just paying what you’re paying until you reach 25 years. In that case, put aside money for the tax consequences and focus on paying off your mortgage.

    • B

      My l0ans were at those rates, and I recently refinanced with Sofi. Might be worth looking into whether they have any repayment plans that would work better for you.

      • roses

        +1. If you are interested, I can give a referral link. I refinanced everything to 6%. However, bear in mind that IBR would not be available if you refinanced.

  16. Little Red

    This McQueen suit is stunning. It makes me want to be a CEO just so that I can have a place to wear such a suit and lord it over my minions. ;)

  17. Tressa

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