Coffee Break: Sutton Suede Flats

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bright blue suede flats with a square buckle on vamp

Talbots has had a big sale going for a week or two now, and they keep adding new things to it. In terms of accessories, there are a ton of lovely scarves and wraps, and a LOT of fun flats like these pretty suede flats.

The majority of the flats in the sale are what I would call “office shoes” or “party shoes,” in that they're not meant to be worn outside for very long — lots of fabric like velvet and bouclé.

These suede ones would also probably live in my office, to be honest, but I love the bright, happy color. They're available in sizes 5-10.5.

The flats were $140, but are now marked to $119 — and you can take another 50% off with the sales. Nice!

(Randomly, but: if you like leopard details, I keep coming back to this sweater.)

Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine's Day!):

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
  • J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)

79 Comments

  1. Can someone cooking-smart educate me? I think I like the flavor of onions in things like soups and roasts, but eating onions doesn’t agree with my digestive system. (Gas) Can I cut an onion in half, let it cook in there, remove it and still retain some flavor? Or is that the reason onion powder exists? Or is all onion in any form likely do cause this and I’m being silly?

    1. I don’t have this problem, but I’ve read that people on the low FODMAP diet can use onion infused oil to get the flavor of onions, which is largely oil soluble, without the compounds that cause digestive issues, which are largely water soluble and therefore would be present in your food even if you removed the onions after cooking. I’m sure you can google for details.

      1. +1 to this answer, it’s probably your best bet. However, if it were me I’d try and figure out my “highest dose” of onion and try to do that to keep up a tolerance. Because of you cut out all onion and some sneaks in there after you’ve been onion-free for months, it’s gonna hurt more than if you’ve been doing onion water or onion powder.

      2. Yes this is what my sister-in-law does to get the flavor of onion in things she cooks. She can also eat green onions and uses those when she wants the flavor of fresh onion.

    2. I would try the onion powder and see how you feel. My husband is sensitive to fresh garlic, but can tolerate garlic powder.

    3. Yes you can cut an onion in half and let it cook in there and retain some flavor — that’s how you make chicken stock, by cooking the chicken carcas with various veg and then straining it all

      There’s also onion powder, which weirdly is one of my goes-with-everything spices even though I’m not a fan of onions in general.

      I get bad acid reflux from peppers and find it’s eating the pepper itself… I’ve been mostly ok when I pick them out.

    4. Some people who have problems with onions can handle the green tops of scallions (spring onions) and chives.

      1. Raw? Since those are usually added raw as a garnish after cooking. Or you substitute with scallions/chives while cooking?

        1. You don’t have to use scallions as garnish. Stir-fried, in soups, omelettes, casseroles, steamed and grilled are all quite normal.

        2. If you cook with the green parts, you usually just add them later in the process (not at the same time you would have added the white pieces).

    5. I wonder if long-cooked caramelized onions would be ok.

      But yes you could certainly try eating around onions in a broth or a roast and see what happens

      Also see how you react to other related veggies like scallions and shallots and garlic

  2. Our kitchen remodel is on the books, but I recently found out that my husband doesn’t have the same vision I do. I’ve been sharing inspiration pics with him for awhile, as well as with the designers, but when we went to look at counters and flooring, we were worlds apart.
    For what it’s worth, I asked him to find some ideas to share with me that he liked and he brushed me off saying that it was “a whole person’s job” and that he doesn’t want to learn CAD. obviously that’s not what I’m asking for, and I’m pretty exhausted by it.
    For those who have gone through it, how do you negotiate two very different perspectives? I feel like we need a counseling session!

    1. Isn’t the designer’s job to mock up a picture of how different combinations would look before you start picking out finishes?

      Surely the designer has dealt with spousal misalignment on design choices before. Does she know about the conflict? If I were her, I’d be asking both you and your husband to look at inspiration photos and articulate what you like and don’t like about each one.

      1. To clarify, we started with one design team, got through the process of cabinetry layout and 3D mockup; including inspo counters/floors, and then balked at their prices when they finally provided them. We walked away paying only the consultation fee and had drawings which were only mildly useful to our new cabinets and GC.

        We are now using a separate cabinetry supplier and General Contractor who are not affiliated with each other (but know of each other – small town), and don’t have a designer “on the team”, so there is no mockup person for countertops, backsplash, and flooring.

        1. Sounds like you either need a new designer or for him to specifically tell you what he doesn’t like and/or how much he actually cares. Maybe counseling if this is generally his attitude/communication style about making decisions like this.

    2. I feel like design-builders who have a couples therapist on the team would either make bank or go out of business by declining work that will just result in change order after change order and bad reviews because the people are unhappy with the process and each other.

      OR you can just ask if he trusts you to handle and let you handle it. If he has 5 non-negotiables or things he hates, he needs to share that now.

    3. Babe, I’m not the designer. I’m going to share things I like with the team. If you can’t be bothered finding ideas of what you like or a way to explain it to them, it’s gonna look how I like it.

      1. this. and if you can ask the designers to only show you things that align with your vision so your husband can pick amongst those

        in terms of CAD/full time job – maybe ask him for a TV or movie kitchen that he likes that looks like what you want? or i’m sure there’s somewhere you can find a design quiz.

      2. This. My former husband was always shooting down my ideas without coming up with any of his own. It took me years to figure out he was just a contraband and I finally just told him to put up ot shut up and did things the way I wanted.

    4. Have the designers ask your husband for inspiration pics or whatever by X date so that they can keep the timeline. Then it comes from someone else (and yes i realize this sounds somewhat childish)

    5. Is it possible that he’s avoiding giving concrete input or making decisions because he is intimidated by the cost and/or inconvenience of the project?

      1. +1, he probably finds it intimidating and expensive and stressful and wants it to be over with. If my husband did this, I would say “give me some minimal input (I sit you with my inspo board for 20 minutes, you tell me what you like best and what you hate and why) and trust me to handle it, then you can go back to ignoring things. Or you get over your avoidance and you can have an equal say again.”

    6. Tell him that you’re going to spend 20 minutes together tonight looking at kitchen photos on Houzz. He can point out colors and styles that he likes. If he isn’t willing to cooperate then he doesn’t get to veto your ideas. When it comes to compromise I think practicality wins in the kitchen. Tie goes to whichever materials are easier to keep clean and in good condition, whoever does more of the cooking gets more say in the layout, etc.

    7. Do you have an IKEA anywhere close by? Go kitchen sight-seeing at IKEA! Walk through the kitchen rooms together and tell each other what you like and don’t like about the different finishes.

      Because IKEA spend a lot of time making the rooms look real and lived in, it’s easier to get a feel for how a design will actually look, instead of looking at styled pictures and imagine it as your own. Take some photos of whatever you sort-of-like, and then have some meatballs and go home.

      1. This is a great idea and what I made my husband do for many furniture shopping trips. Not as many as he thinks because he was also contraband like above (a contra-man?) and is soon to be a former husband

    8. Spend your therapy budget on a kitchen designer. It will be more than worth it. It will save your marriage and your home equity.

      1. Our designer was well worth the cost in the long run. She gave us 3 options for all the different choices within our budget and was able to listen to both of us. No one left feeling they “lost” and we now have a gorgeous and functional space.

      1. We have different aesthetic choices, the layout is set and we are both happy with it. An example – I was planning on matching the wood floors with the wood cabinetry. He wants to use extreme contrasting colors (light wood and dark wood – like, maple and ebony).

        1. You definitely need a designer. I am inclined to side with him. All one tone and value = baaaaaaad.

        2. Oof, I agree that your husband needs to spend a little bit more time providing input on what he does want and on what his non-negotiables are, but I also agree with him that all-matching wood is going to be a lot.

          You would really benefit from having a designer, even if it is just to mock up a few inspo boards until you both find something you can agree on, and then leave you with some basic instructions for how to achieve that look without going too far off the rails.

        3. I’m with your husband. We have very light floors and very dark cabinets (yes, somewhat dated now, we redid our kitchen in 2010) but the contrast is really nice. I think all one color would look weird.

  3. Question: would an exclusion diet help someone who has had repeated bouts of intestinal distress… but months apart?

    1. I doubt it would be feasible or recommended to attempt an elimination diet on that time frame, but it may still be recommended on a shorter time frame to try to catch subtler symptoms of food intolerance?

      Either way, I’d want a lot of work up for those bouts of intestinal distress though. Without knowing the actual symptoms of distress, I wouldn’t want to be infected with something that is flaring up once in a while, or to have some structural issue that’s getting literally bent out of shape every once in a while. Even some “silent” cases of IBD can present this way and sometimes no one ever even checked for it.

    2. See a gastroenterologist. There are so many potential causes and the gastro will have the best means to connect you with the right nutritionist if needed so you’re not wasting your time.–Signed, someone who survived colon cancer with almost zero symptoms (!) and who later developed a food sensitivity to some non-usual culprits (but not celiac or gluten sensitive like I suspected). Eating donuts again was worth the battle. Kidding, but only sort of.

    3. It depends. Is this one bathroom trip or is it a whole day to multiple days of issues? How soon after eating does it occur? If you’re waking up with a stomach ache that doesn’t get better throughout the day I’d want to get tested for IBD or Chrons. If you feel sick within an hour or two of eating and it slowly gets better over 24 hours that sounds like a food sensitivity. Given how infrequently this occurs I’d keep a food diary that includes foods, beverages, vitamins and supplements, exercise, and stressors. It will be more helpful than trying to cut out entire categories of foods.

    4. Keep a food diary of everything that is eaten and document any symptoms. Maybe seeing it all documented would help with seeing a pattern.

      1. Yes, this. I’m pretty sure I don’t have any food sensitivities, but I’ve had a few very high stress times where it seems like food goes right through me for day or two. As soon as the stressor is gone, I’m completely fine again. It’s only been an issue since I started taking magnesium for a different medical condition, which already gets things moving quickly, but it’s only been a few days a few times over years, so not enough of an issue to stop taking it.

  4. suggestions for brands for really light weight but modest dresses (traveling in south east asia in very warm months). would love to look hip and breezy but mainly want cool/ comfortable/ machine washable. TIA!

    1. They will not win any fashion awards, but the L.L. Bean summer dresses are perfect for this kind of situation. The only caveat is that they might be too low cut to qualify as modest if you are particularly short waisted. But they are below the knee, cover the shoulder, are very cool and comfortable, and wash and dry like a dream.

    2. I would not pack too many clothes and make a plan to buy clothes at the location you are going to. If you share the place where you are going then we may be able to recommend specific stores or markets.

      1. Take this advice with caution for many parts of Asia unless you’re petite and on the small end of straight-sized.
        I found a much narrower range of available clothing for my size when trying to shop during travel in Asia.

        1. +1 as a curvy but not overweight 5’11” woman I nearly burst out laughing at that comment. When I’ve tried to shop in Asia, I’ve found absolutely nothing in my size and shopkeepers very bluntly tell me I’m too big/huge/fat for their clothes. I would be naked if I didn’t pack clothes from home. This only works if you’re under maybe 5’6″ and slim and not busty.

    3. Nap dresses have made it down to places like Walmart/Target/Old Navy if any would meet the modesty requirements.

    4. I love Sugarlips for cotton midi dresses. Depending on modesty, you might need something for your arms.

      1. A caution on nap dresses (and any other cotton dresses) – depending on how thick they are, they can hold moisture like crazy and take forever to dry in a humid environment. And I would strongly advise against smocking in hot and humid weather. You will not want something that clings to your skin!

        You want something that you can wash and hang to dry – and that will dry fast – unless you are sure you will have access to a dryer (rare in my experience but you are more likely to know).

    5. I bought a maxi skirt from Natural Life ahead of a trip to Morocco last summer and it was one of my favorite pieces to wear there, and also the rest of the summer in DC humidity. They can be belted and worn as a dress, but I haven’t tried any of the actual dresses from the store.

    6. Shop for dresses at Patagonia, Athleta, and REI! For strappy dresses you can always throw on a scarf for modesty; just be careful on the length.

      1. As.a precaution, because scarves are not necessarily sufficient to cover up for temple visits and such, you can also slip on a cotton cropped “bolero-type” 3/4 sleeve cardigan over a cotton knit tank dress (or maxi dress, if the sleeveless dress is not long enough to cover knees). You can also wear capri-type pants with short-sleeved t shirts. After a short period of time, particularly if you are in the cities in SE Asia, wearing a tank top and shorts will feel like you are naked in public!

    7. Zara and Mango. It’s fast fashion so the prices are right and the materials are very packable.and there is lots to choose from.

    8. My go-to travel dresses are from Uniqlo’s airism collection. I haven’t found anything that compares and they pack into nothing.

  5. SOS situation. I have always struggled with mascara because of how much it smears and flakes and smudges and clumps. The best I’ve found was Thrive’s tubing mascara. But it’s still not all the great. I started getting eyelash extensions over the summer and it was like a whole new world–beautiful long lashes with never a worry. Long travel days? Not even a thought. Fast forward: I went to give my eyelashes a break over Christmas, and lost or broke many of \my natural lashes with removal. I’m now using Latisse and hoping this isn’t a permanent situation like my early aughts eyebrows were.

    The SOS: I have a big speaking event coming up that’s followed by a long day of some filmed interviews, and a dinner reception.

    Any recommendations on either a fantastic long-wearing mascara or lash strip situation to get me through this day without looking like a deranged raccoon?

    1. Can you just not wear mascara? I wear eye makeup (brows, shadow, liner) and skip mascara as it always smudged/smeared. Yes, my eyelashes look slightly better with it but it’s like a 5% improvement and frankly the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze for me.

      1. i think no matter how good a place and how careful ultimately you keep wearing lashes you damage your own. same is true for nails. I don’t think there is any chance that you look like a deranged raccoon. i would use a regular old mascara, bring wipes and all make up with you and keep fixing it.

      2. For me it’s more like a 90% improvement because my eyelashes are not blonde but also not dark. However this also means that tint works great.

    2. Are you using eyeshadow primer? Eyeshadow primer (I like Urban Decay) and neutral eyeshadow keep my mascara. Waterproof mascara is hard on your lashes but fine for this one day. If that doesn’t work for you lash clusters look more natural than strips and I think they’re more comfortable. Buy the smallest clusters you can find at a drugstore or Ulta and a tube of clear Duo lash glue.

    3. I am in the same situation you are. I’ve been here before, though, and with Latisse my lashes did grow back nicely. I have been using Grande Lash primer under my mascara (Diorshow – and the tubing is just not working for me although I used to love it). I am also using a heated curler to give my lashes some lift. Highly recommend the heated curler.

    4. for that event, it’s probably worth it to have a professional put strip or cluster lashes on you for the day. (obvi can do this yourself, but if you aren’t comfortable with it, chances are high they may not be applied well & last long). I’m great at 99% of makeup but struggle with false lashes.

    5. I love the Armani mascara- zero raccoon eyes. For strips I have some from Silly George (online). They go underneath your natural lashes and are in small clusters so I can use however many strips I need for the look/coverage. They are also reusable but they do take some practice.

    6. I’d make an appointment at Sephora to have some individual lashes applied. The risk of a strip going rogue – and really, obviously rogue at that – is too high for a high-visibility day like that!

      1. +1. I am thinking of my daughter’s high school show choir with their fake lash strips. Not a good look.

    7. Thank you, all! I’ve ordered a few of these brands and will also give a go at some of the false options to see how I do with some practice. I’m not looking for a crazy volume look. But definitely need something or my eyes disappear (and my experience with eye liner is even worse than mascara). I don’t know why, but my eye area just holds on to oil. I wish I had time for someone to apply individual or even small strips for me, but alas the speaking gig is at a morning keynote.

      Lesson learned: Unless you’ve got something like a wedding day, stay clear of the lash extensions no matter how beautiful they may be.

    8. Don’t wear mascara. I gave it up years ago because it bothers my eyes and frankly I don’t think it makes much difference in how I look.

    9. Same issues – the red and white tube from loreal is my ride or die for this. I wear it only occasionally now, and that one is cheap enough I feel less terrible tossing it for sanitary reasons.

    10. I have monolids and oily skin. Absolutely none of these mascara recommendations work for me. The only ones that work for me are waterproof Korean and Japanese brands. However, I would wait to use them until your eyelashes have healed. They are hard to remove. My current fave is Heroine Make, and I have also had success with Etude House. Good luck with your speaking! You might try just a few individual falsies to fill in the gaps while your fragile lashes are healing.

  6. If you have family members that eat substantial snacks/small meals by themselves, how do you stock your fridge? I tend to focus on freezer food because I hate throwing stuff away in the refrigerator, but it then feels like “we have nothing to eat” because everything needs significant defrosting or assembling.

    1. We do bucket o’ meat frequently, and it’s literally just cooked ground beef, ground turkey, and/or chicken with minimal seasoning, usually black pepper and either salt or garlic salt.

      That meat can then go into a single taco or small quesadilla, mixed with eggs for a breakfast scramble, mixed with jarred spaghetti sauce, added to rice with some soy sauce for stir fry, etc.

      We keep lots of spices on-hand, so you can customize the spice mix to make a single portion of lunch or dinner, or you can just eat the meat straight if you want a quick source of solid protein (this is not my style, but my husband just scarfs a few spoonfuls of meat sometimes for snack).

      Our household is only two athletic adults, so we can easily finish several pounds of meat in a week between the meals and snacks (we do a big meal prep/batch cook once per week), but you can do this with 1lb of ground beef or turkey, 2 chicken br3@$ts over 3 days if you’re a single-person household.

    2. My son would come home from HS football practice and be hungry, an hour at least after I’d eaten with his little brothers. Older son got pantry and freezer food he could fix himself, because he made the list and i picked it up. He had some stuff in the fridge but not a lot. He didn’t like leftovers. I don’t love football season, but it’s a short phase of life

    3. My teenager eats like this. Some of her low-prep favorites are hummus with naan, organic tortilla chips with single-serve guacamole cups, single-serve yogurt, banana with peanut butter, honey goat cheese on crackers, some sort of fancy high-protein boxed mac and cheese, bagels with cream cheese, pouches of chana masala and precooked rice, quesadillas, and fried egg sandwiches. I have her put the ingredients she wants for one or two types of snack on the grocery list each week. I don’t stock all her favorites at the same time to avoid waste.

    4. We stock canned fish with crackers, olives straight from the can, salami straight from the bag, ramen, oreos, nuts and trail mix for the husband who is a secret teenager with no interest in cooking.

    5. Rice cakes and ricotta; individual string cheese or Baybels; apples; bananas ; grapes; stuffed olives; spiced nuts; trail mix; pita and hummus. Just stock something sweet and something savory.

    6. PB&J or whatever other sandwich fixings are popular, fresh fruit, trail mix, eggs for hardboiling or frying/scrambling, cheese, hummus, pre-cut fresh veggies (we cut them ourselves), salsa & chips, granola, oatmeal, crackers, dried fruit, etc. Some of that is pantry rather than fridge, but those are the most common heavy snack foods in my house. If no one is going to be home for a real meal, I will happily make dinner from those items any day.

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