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Splurge Monday’s Workwear Report: The City Layered Blazer

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A woman wearing a gray polo shirt, gray blazer, and dark blue jeans

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

This wool blazer from Favorite Daughter is just a gorgeous specimen. I love the button placement and the notched lapels, but the selling point for me is really the cotton-cashmere cuff accents that give the look of layering without the warmth or bulk.

I would wear this with some comfy athleisure pants for a travel day when I wanted to look pulled-together or with dark trousers for a great business casual look. 

The blazer is $348 and comes in sizes XXS-XXL.

Sales of note for 10/9:

  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale, and $50 off dresses, jackets and shoes
  • J.Crew – Friends & Family Event, 30% off for loyalty members
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off all stores and sitewide
  • M.M.LaFleur – Fall Refresh Event, up to 25% off (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
  • Nordstrom – 15 points per dollar on beauty and 6400+ new markdowns (also, weirdly, they have the Fall 2026 Chanel collection, which I feel like is a first for them, but it's like a catalog for you to call for an appointment… very strange)
  • Nordstrom Rack – Extra 40% off select clearance
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything. The Old Navy x Altuzarra collab is in! All sizes (up to 4X!) of the blazer in the collab is still available.
  • Talbots – All markdowns 50% off two or more, or 40% off one.
  • Theory – End of season sale is on with extra savings (new prices are marked).

158 Comments

  1. Thanks to everyone who explained why belts aren’t always worn (reminded by looking at the outfit on this model.) It’s still jarring, but at least I no longer consider it an error.

          2. +1 Also, I can’t help but think that she rushed out the door and forgot the belt.

    2. I hate belts because my lower back is curved such that belts don’t lay flat in the back. It’s uncomfortable and doesn’t look great. I could do cloth belts, but not leather.

      Also, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed if someone is wearing a belt or not.

      1. I notice, but assume everyone is making choices based on their own aesthetic or personal belt collection (or lack thereof). I always wear a belt if there are loops and I’m tucking in.

  2. If you were building a work wardrobe from scratch, what are the absolute basics you would buy? Assume business casual, no need to wear a full suit every day but some blazers are needed.

    1. I would start with plain black pants that fit well, at least two different cuts. Once I find those, a pair of grey or blue in one of the cuts would be the next step. After that, find shoes that work with those pants. Only then would I turn my attention to tops.

      1. I would not buy black pants to go with non-matching blazers except maybe for a gray blazer. A non-black neutral like olive, gray, or navy is much more current.

        1. I disagree here, those other colors quickly veer into frumpy and unpolished territory. There are thousands of blazers that go with black pants too, camel, olive, cream, tweeds, etc. I have no problem pairing black with just about everything in my closet, and I even do navy intentionally with them. Just keep the cut current and flattering.

          1. I’m with you. I wear black pants with blazers way more often than with navy or brown or tan or gray.

          2. And I feel like assuming black goes with everything, or even every other black thing, can veer frumpy quite easily.

        2. It all depends on your coloring! My current blazers are charcoal, grey, purple, and white/silver. They all go with black pants, not navy. I look terrible in olive and camel.

        3. Yeah there’s a big anti-black pants movement going on rn. I continue to think that black pants are a wardrobe staple, though. Just make sure you don’t have ONLY black pants.

          1. I only wear black pants. Part of figuring out your style is knowing what works and what doesn’t.

      2. Counterpoint: It’s easier to pick one cut for your pants. Then buy one set of coordinating tops and shoes. If you have two cuts then the rest of your wardrobe basically needs to double. Focus on one style for now.

    2. I would think in terms of outfits and core colors, rather than gather individual items. I’d start with a week’s worth in colors that coordinate: 1 suit, 2 pairs pants in different cuts / colors, 2 toppers (1 blazer, 1 cardigan, lady jacket, bomber, etc) and 5 tops that go with all the items (shirts, blouses, shells, elevated t-shirts — whatever you wear). Flats or heels that go with all.
      It’s work to buy these items in colors and proportions that go together well, but if I were starting from scratch, this would get a good foundation for a new wardrobe.

    3. Best advice I got when starting out was pick either black or navy and build around that with clothing and accessories. I am also an unrepentant fan of sweater sets. I am a business casual/suit wearer for work. What I might have per season, for example: one black suit, one gray suit, two more pair of pants, one black twinset, one twinset in another color that works with black or gray, a couple of nice merino wool sweaters ,and three tops – two blouses and one nice tee. I use twinset shells with suits. I can get any number of permutations out of this.

      Caveat: I consider work clothing to be a uniform and care not about “expressing my personality” at work. I’m more interested in expressing power, which is what suits my role. Also, I have switched to black-based wardrobe for cool weather and navy-based for warm weather. Consider what your work role and what your clothing needs to convey. Without knowing that it’s hard to give you particulars.

      I’ve always like The Vivienne Files blog for capsule/coordinated wardrobe inspo.

    4. If I were starting out from scratch again, I would first figure out what colors work best (for me, it’s rich, cool jewel tones) and then pick the basic neutral that works best (in my case, navy). Sticking with that color scheme from the start would save me from so many unflattering outfits that I bought because a different color was on sale. I would also try on all the different sizes and brands at my local mall or department store to figure out what fits me best off the rack, so I am not tempted to buy items that don’t fit me or brands that don’t work for my body shape. I would also make note of what I like to wear (v-neck blouses, almond toe loafers, high rise trousers) and what I don’t (heels, fitted skirts, oxford shirts).

      It’s easier to build a cohesive wardrobe if the pieces all generally work with each other and with your body. I wasted a lot of money at the start of my career by buying individual items that didn’t play nicely together and that I didn’t feel good wearing.

    5. Pick your main color.

      2 or 3 pairs of pants in your main color, several tops in different colors (I like short sleeve silk tees or silk shells from Quince), a few toppers (I like blazers worn open), and a professional dress or two.

  3. I always look at pics like this with a sense of wonder and envy – I can’t imagine wearing a shirt, a sweater, and still getting my arms into the sleeves of a blazer. I’ve been cursed with my grandmother’s size 14 arms grafted onto my size 10 torso.

    Thanks to this blog, I have discovered cotton collar dickeys that allow me at least an appearance of a layered look with sweaters.

      2. My post with a link is in mod, but in case it’s denied, the Corporette post was 11/11/2024 and was entitled, “Coffee Break: Fake Collars”

    3. Where do you find your dickeys? If the answer is Amazon, do you have any specific recommendations?

    4. Solidarity. My arms have always been so large in relation to the rest of my body and it makes fits tough.

    5. And they’re tucked in!

      She must have just lost a ton of weight and she’s trying to make her pants and blazers work. She needs to wear a hundred layers to take up space in the waist and arms.

  4. Anyone have a loose powder that works for ‘baking’ your makeup? I really loved the Hourglass loose powder but it’s pricey; however, the Sephora brand has a really off-putting smell to it.

    I’ve heard about the Huda Beauty easy bake powder, but is there a drugstore one that works better? Maybelline FitMe or Elf maybe?

    1. I just finished up some ELF and it was fine. Bought the Loreal Infalliable Blurfection powder and liking it so far.

    3. I’ve never heard of baking your makeup. Is that like setting? I use a setting powder by Laura Mercier. Also pricy but it’s a couple of dollars off at Nordie’s rn.

      1. Yeah, it’s sort of like setting but kind of kicked up a level? Like, for me I do my normal foundation/bronzer/blush/undereye/light eyeliner and then I use a little triangular powder puff to basically pack on ‘too much’ powder on my under eye, chin, and t-zone. I then leave it to just chill while I get dressed and otherwise run around my house, and then dust it off and apply mascara and lip product right before I go. I top with a setting spray. This combo keeps my makeup looking great all day – even under aggressive fluorescent lights and after staring at a screen.

  5. Outfit help please. We will be attending the swearing in ceremony and reception for a newly appointed judge. What is the appropriate attire (myself and husband)? There likely will not be time to change between the two events, so ideally something that works for both.

    5. Almost everyone, men and women, will be wearing suits or something suit adjacent to both if there is no significant gap between them.

    7. Full suit or equivalent is fine if you have. But if you don’t, I dont think you need to purchase for the occasion. Anything that would be appropriate for a funeral will work here too but obviously somber colors aren’t required.

    8. I expect most attendees will be lawyers in suits. If you do not own a suit, wear business separates (sheath and blazer, pants and lady jacket, etc) or a professional looking dress with sleeves.

  6. I just got my first-ever speeding ticket (and I was speeding – 16 mph over the limit, 76 in a 60 zone). My only excuse is that in my state, the types of highways I was driving on typically have a 75 mph limit and in the state I was traveling in, the limit was 60. I just kind of zoned out on what the limit was. Anyway, is there any way to keep this off my record without going to like, traffic court? I fully admit that I was speeding and don’t contest that, but it’s my first ticket in the 21 years I’ve been driving and it would be nice if it didn’t raise my rates…

      1. Nonono

        In many states, it costs less to hire a traffic court lawyer who appears for you and gets you an agreement to pay the fine but in a way that you don’t get the points and your insurance doesn’t ding you. If this is such a state, do that. You have some time to google.

        My state is NC, that helps. Everyone and their brother gets a lawyer and it’s not a big deal.

        1. I think NC is its own thing; they have a whole little racket going on. I guess it really depends which state.

    2. Oh, and just to make it clear, I don’t live in and could not easily travel back to the state where I got the ticket.

      1. I’d just pay it and forget about it. Without knowing your actual state it’s hard to know what will happen but being in a different state makes it less likely it will make it to your record. And I don’t think one ticket will impact rates much if at all.

      2. A friend’s husband’s license was suspended in our state (MA) because of an outstanding ticket in another state (I can’t remember which one…). So, suffice to say, depending on agreements among issuing state and home state, your probability of going back there may be irrelevant as to whether this would impact you on the go forward. Getting it cleared has been a nightmare for friend’s DH.

        1. I don’t think she’s saying she wouldn’t pay it because she doesn’t plan to go back. I think she’s saying that going to court would be logistically impossible. She wants to know if she can make some sort of plea or traffic school agreement without actually going to court.

    3. Look into hiring an attorney. That said, you might spend more on the lawyer than you would spend on the insurance surcharges.

    4. Does your state have driver forgiveness laws? If not, does your insurance company have them (although this seems unlikely unless your state requires it)?

    5. Hire a traffic lawyer in that state. Would probably cost less than $100 because they work on volume. In my jurisdiction, the traffic lawyer reaches out to the municipal prosecutor and the prosecutor usually changes it to “excessive noise” or something like that and then you pay. Nothing on your record.

      If there is a court appearance, the traffic lawyer goes without you. He or she will likely be there for dozens of other tickets.

    6. Update (clearly Google would’ve been my friend) – this county allows deferrals. I’m going to pay the extra $75 for that and drive extra carefully for six months! Thanks anyway.

    7. You were speeding. Accept the consequences of your action, pay the fine, move on. Your emotional reaction (very similar to mine in a similar situation) will help keep you from doing it again.

      1. Why would you just pay it when there are many legitimate ways to resolve it without the hit to your driving record?

        1. You mean to cheat, when you have the money? Yes, you are right. That’s the American way.

        2. She was speeding! It’s dishonest and a waste of the court’s time to claim otherwise. Just pay the ticket. Insurance doesn’t normally go up dramatically after one ticket.

          2. How much time have you spent in traffic court? I have observed traffic court in dozens of jurisdictions. In many places it is routine for judges to reduce charges, defer judgment, and/or allow the driver to go to traffic school in low-level traffic cases to avoid saddling the driver with points. Some jurisdictions also have formal deferral programs to accomplish this.

            Beyond that, everyone, even if they know they are guilty, has the right to show up, plead not guilty, and make the state prove its case.

    9. Many of you are missing the point entirely. There are several states (I live in one) where you can prevent your first citation from going on your record by paying the fine and attending traffic school. That is not the same. Thing as challenging the legitimacy of a ticket and is a perfectly valid and legal way to handle the issue.

      OP what state did you get the ticket in? State law is very wildly so without that information this is an impossible question to answer.

      1. I got the ticket in a county that allows deferrals, which is now the route I’m pursuing. Never said I planned to “cheat” but man, some people are edgy today.

  7. If you regularly heat style your hair – how often are you doing it? and how long does it take you?

    I blew out my hair for a wedding over the weekend – my dryer and a flat brush with some mousse on the roots and a heat protectant. Hair is armpit length.

    Actually using heat styling at home is a 1-2x a year occurance for me. I love the volume and look, but it feels like it takes forever and uses all my coordination skills.

    Does it get faster with more practice?

    1. Once a month. Someone here once said only air drying makes hair smell like mildew. I don’t know if I fully believe that but now I try to put some heat to it at least once a month.

      1. My thick hair gets a mildew smell only if I sleep on dripping wet hair. I blow dry for a couple minutes before bed until damp then it’s good to go the next morning.

        OP, I despise blowouts. With long or thick hair it takes forever and you can’t multi task. I’d rather curl or straighten dry hair. At least I can listen to music or watch something on my iPad.

    2. It does get a bit faster and easier with practice, but it’s also going to take as long as it takes for your hair to dry. You could try one of the sprays that say they help speed up blow drying. I haven’t used one in a decade because I exclusively air dry (curly hair), but I remember it seeming to make a difference. Mine was just L’Oreal from the drugstore.

    3. I did it almost daily when I was working. Blow dry + flat iron. These days my routine is generally to let it do its own curly/wavy thing on Day One, then maybe straighten it on Day Two if it didn’t survive the night in decent shape.

      My hair is about chin length and takes less than 10 minutes to dry with my Dyson dryer, flat iron takes another 5-10 minutes. I’ve been doing it for a really long time and I have it down.

    4. 2-5 times a week.

      If it’s not humid, I blow it out and I can let it be for three days.

      If it’s humid, I am diffusing it and letting it be curly. I can sometimes get two days out of that.

      My hair is layered but the longest layer is bra band level. It’s not nearly as thick as it once was but it takes me about 20 minutes for a full blow out and curl, and probably 10 minutes with the diffuser.

    5. A few times a week. I have a lob and going from towel-damp hair to finished is about 8-10 minutes. I start by rough-drying and then use a round brush to finish when my hair is 80-90% dry.

    6. I do about 3 times a week. I use the Shark Glossy and Tymo oval dryer brushes. The Tymo is much cheaper but I think I like it better. It takes me about 10 minutes. My hair is shoulder-length and pretty fine, with long layers. Trying to persuade myself I don’t need to try the new Dyson oval brush.

    7. If you count using a hair dryer with a round brush, every other day for 2-3 minutes.

  8. I’ve been having dreams about an old friend who I haven’t been in contact with for more than 10 years. It was a somewhat tumultuous friendship that went through a couple of friend breakups, mostly when we were in high school and college. This last time (~10 years ago), there wasn’t a dramatic break, we just sort of drifted apart. I don’t know why I’m suddenly having dreams about him after all this time.

    Out of curiosity, I looked him up and he’s now an executive at a good client of my firm. It would be a nice feather in my cap to have this professional connection. But, I’m not sure it would be welcome (from friend) and more importantly I’m not sure I want to invite a tumultuous relationship back into my life. Wwyd?

    1. I’d be irritated if an old friend reached out to me so that their relationship with me could be a feather in their cap. Especially if our friendship was tumultuous. I’m in-house counsel, I can tell when people are reaching out to see how I’m doing because they want my company’s business.

    2. I wouldn’t reach out to an old friend as a “feather in your cap”, because people are people, not trophies to acquire.

      But it sounds like you two had a tumultuous relationship as young adults, which is a tumultuous time! and now you’re middle aged, and presumably both much more mature. If you’d like to reconnect with an old friend because they’re an old friend, I wouldn’t necessarily assume it’ll be dramatic. Just go get lunch and catch up.

      1. Fair point by you and the other commenter!

        And you’re right that those are tumultuous years anyway. I have been wondering whether, now that we’re both more settled, we could have the great parts of our friendship without the messiness.

        We don’t live in the same country so it would be tough to get lunch! We’re unlikely to see each other in person very often, though I do occasionally (once every couple of years) travel to his city for work.

    3. was it ever romantic? are you married? is he? i’d be careful about reaching out to a former romantic partner but if you’re dreaming about him i think it’s fine to shoot him a note that he’s been in your thoughts and how’s he doing

      1. There was always something of a will they won’t they. We both expressed interest in each other at various times in the friendship, but never at the same time. We never dated and nothing physical ever happened. We are both married now.

        1. I would do nothing. The dreams are probably just a warning so you aren’t caught off-guard if he does cross your professional path.

        2. This sounds like drama. If your firm is small and you’ll run into him, send him a note on linked in. “Just saw you are a client of the firm- hope you are well and let me know [how I can help/if you ever need anything etc].”

          I did this with a college roommate that I did not really get along with (I’m 45) a few years back when her firm took over our legal. I saw her name, sent her a message, and then it wasn’t weird when we saw eachother on emails.

    5. Leave it. If you have a professional reason to reach out to him (like, you’re working on a matter and he’s involved) then let the connection redevelop naturally.

    6. The most I would do is connect on LinkedIn. Not message them, not reach out to have lunch, just connect and move on.

  9. Any advice for the “sandwich years” or good books? I am a mother, only child, and lawyer. I am typing furiously on a laptop in a waiting room while my mom gets a procedure after dropping off my kids. Another professional looking woman is having a call about a transaction while she is here with her parents.

    I think my elder care phase is just starting, but I may need to peace out on my career if my mom’s health is poor. The pandemic years required me to go above and beyond for a sustained period of time and I don’t have another round in me.

    1. Research senior and assisted living communities and talk to your mom about options. Unless you WANT to, you quitting your job and become her full-time, unpaid carer is not one of them. I firmly believe that that is the path to a negative parent-child relationship where no one wins.

      1. I agree with that. I would not be the sole carer, but I am the only one who can manage it all. For example, researching facilities and getting on waitists for subsidized places because she has no income or assets takes time.

        1. Hard agree. I am my dad’s admin assistant and driver but fortunately he doesn’t need ADL assistance yet. Just 3 meals a day, which he gets at his apartment.

        2. Totally – it takes time and is not easy but you NEED professional help if it comes down to it (i.e., she isn’t able to live independently). It’s just not possible to do it alone and thrive.

        3. If you make more money than a social worker or a home helper, it’s still smart to keep your job and try to outsource.

    2. I would never end my career to care for a parent. My parents didn’t raise me and educate me just to have me quit during my most productive years. They would legitimately rather die in a ditch.

      I agree with looking into elder care communities that have resources to do things like get parents to and from appointments. They’ll also have activities so your parents have something to look forward to. I think that’s almost as important as the actual medical care. My 80 year old mother has started to say she doesn’t enjoy life anymore, so we’re looking at retirement communities that would have more stuff to do than her current rural house.

    3. This stuff isn’t easy, and I’m sorry you’re facing it. I can’t recommend any books, but WSJ has had some good articles in the last year on how to approach these conversations with elderly parents and various topics to consider.

    4. Where is your spouse in all this? I agree, you can’t single handedly take care of children, an elderly parent, and work. That’s where your husband comes in.

      Also, I pushed back my mother’s expectation that I take her to all her medical appointments. What are you achieving by being there? There’s a reason health insurance covers rides to medical appointments. Your time is to valuable to be an Uber driver to adult family members.

      1. My husband’s parents are even older and his dad is also hitting this phase. My husband also works way more than me. We also have a special needs child. We have a lot going on collectively.

        My mom is sedated and needs someone to drive her after the procedure. She goes to most doctors appointments on her own.

        My mom has Medicare, but we will need to research all of this to know what’s covered and when. I just don’t know when I’m going to research any of this, or what I’m supposed to even research.

        1. Look into benefits your company might provide for caregiving (if you work for a large company with good benefits, you might have more help than you realize). My company offers Family First through Metlife Legal, which provides unlimited access to a multi-disciplinary team of experts who offer personalized caregiving plans.

        2. Maybe it is time to just sit down with her and have an open ended talk about her goals and needs at this stage in life. It is best to do this now, before she is sick/incompetent or in crisis.

          Open ended questions like, “How do you see yourself living during this next phase of life? Have you ever thought about what you would want if you started to need more help at home, or had more medical needs?”

          And yes, I would start to just poke around to see if there are CCRC’s / independent / Assisted living places near you that have good reviews (word of mouth / talk with neighbors and friends / hire a local elder care “manager” if or when you are ready for advice).

          You are incredibly lucky that your mother already lives near you (if you are driving her now!), and that she appears to be independent. It is the perfect time to be asking this questions. It is also a good time to sit down and talk with your husband about his goals of care with his parents.

          And starting to set up Power of Attorney’s for health care (if your Mom is now alone?) +/- Financial (when that is appropriate) is the next transition point.

          The 1-2 hours I spent with the best Elder Care attorney in my major city was worth every penny. My situation was more complicated than yours though.

    5. I would absolutely not give up my career for elder care. When my parents could no longer live independently, I found an assisted living place for them and also arranged for a private caregiver to be my eyes and ears and boots on the ground to fill in the gaps that the assisted living staff didn’t cover. Also when people are in institutional settings like assisted living, there are health care plans where the medical professionals come to them in most cases. (N.B. moving to assisted living is a “life event” for purposes of changing your health insurance outside of the open enrollment period.)

      1. +1 to hiring help for elder care. An elder care consultant was an expensive saint and could ensure much better care than I could. This stuff is complicated and hard and best put in the hands of an expert. I think this kind of help would be especially valuable for navigating getting care for an elder with no financial resources.

        FWIW, I gave up much of my career in part for end-of-life care and in part for childcare and in part for other reasons. Even as an almost-SAHM, I still really needed a consultant on top of institutional care for my parent (I lived far away, but I think it’d be the same if I was close).

      1. Yes, and it’s very good!
        The new Liane Moriarty (big little truths, sequel to Big Little Lies, also features a character with serious sandwich generation plot lines.

    7. Been there! Research some assisted living places in your area, prices and services vary. I was surprised at how affordable some are, and the services mean your mom won’t be isolated, and will have more eyes on her. It doesn’t mean you won’t still be needed, but would be peace of mind for the both of you

        1. Seriously. I laughed out loud at this!

          But in some low / modest cost of living areas, there are some reasonably priced facilities. Not so in my area, where the prices just for the room are staggering, with every additional caregiving need a high surcharge.

          1. When you factor in that it’s all inclusive, it’s not that bad a deal if the parent can afford it. We spend much more than 10-15k/month, which gets you a very nice place. It’s just not affordable and expensive if you’re picking up the tab for a parent.

        2. I’m in a VHCOL area, I think $5k/month is a great price. Board & care was $8k/month.

    8. I have to laugh at some of these answers. I have 15 years experience with a family member in this situation and it’s starting with my parents as well. There aren’t enough carriers for everyone who wants one, they often are not qualified to be in the room, figuring out medical care for your parents, and your parents often will not be able to figure it out for themselves. To the original poster, solidarity – I am considering at least a leave of absence or if not outright retiring because I don’t think I want this to be what my life looks like with work and doing poorly at work.

    9. Not every parent will need hands-on care. I had one who mostly took care of themselves until they were in their 90s with just the same type of household assistance you could hire anyone: lawn, deliveries, etc. And I rearranged my work schedule for the dr’s appointments. They didn’t need assisted living or want it, even with congestive heart failure. They had hospice at the end but it was under 6 months.

      And I had a parent that went into a facility for about a year. It also doesn’t remove all of the care burden because frankly, most of these facilities get away with at minimum benign neglect if there aren’t people constantly there.

      Every state is different, but usually your office of elder affairs can tell you if you can get care assistance covered. Not nursing home care or assisted living care which it doesn’t cover. You’re looking at activities of daily living. There are agencies you can hire for that. Some councils on aging have trusted staff/volunteers that they can recommend you hire on an hourly basis. Some hospitals have social workers or gerontologists that help coordinate care with families.

      It can be a long (and expensive) process so I wouldn’t stress about leaving your career right at this moment.

  10. I bought an Etsuko dress from MMLF a few years ago when return to work was looming. Ive never worn it. I know structured dresses are not the most current silhouette for the office now, but can I wear it? Is there a way to style it that looks more current, or do I let it go?

    2. Scarves are having a moment; that might be a way to make the dress look more current.

      I think dresses are coming back. We were close to pants-only for so long, I think people are starting to want more variety. I’m even seeing some knee-length skirts instead of midi length.

      2. This is such an odd take to me. Maybe dresses as a whole weren’t cutting edge fashionable over the last several years, but we were never “pants only.”

    3. This look like a workhorse dress to me. I’m a lawyer and I would wear that dress to depositions, client meetings, business lunches etc.

    5. I am still wearing other MMLF sheath dresses, but the Etsuko is so recognizably linked to a certain point in time that it feels dated even when the others feel classic.

      1. Funny that it’s “dated” and yet still available for sale on the MMLF site with good recent reviews. I guess most of us are not on the cutting edge.

        1. The recognizability of the dress and its ubiquity made it a trend item, not a classic. The fact that MMLF is still selling it is irrelevant.

  12. Maybe an interesting question – do you see political ads? Where do you see them, where do you live, and how old are you?

    me: I almost never see them b/c we cut the cord and I don’t watch YouTube or other things with lots of ads. outside Pittsburgh. 51.

    1. I think it depends on what we are considering ads these days. I will watch the local news through a free streaming app on my TV so yes if I am doing that and it’s the season.

      Otherwise, no traditional ads, but tons of spam texts which I consider a form of advertising.

    2. Gosh, yes. I’m in Michigan and all eyes are on our senate, gubernatorial, and several swing congressional district races.
      The only time I regularly have TV on is Saturday and Sunday for football and there’s at least 1 political ad every single commercial break.
      The mailers are incessant. For the primary in August I probably got over 200 mailers in the prior 3 months.
      Also get ads on Instagram (but primarily for the party I identify with, because echo chamber) and Youtube. I’m 31.

      1. Another poster from MI (45) and the mailer quantity is so obnoxious. We also have door knockers who leave their garbage at our door even after we tell them the “no soliciting” sign applies to them, sometimes in ways that block the handle or lock, and that require careful removal so the tape doesn’t mess up the finish of our door. Do they actually think pissing me off is going to make me want to vote for their shitty candidate?

        I only stream PBS and carefully curated podcasts, so I don’t get political ads over the airwaves.

        1. I’ve door knocked in previous elections, and our training was that “No Soliciting” does not apply because we aren’t selling anything, but if there is a “No Trespassing” sign, then we cannot knock on that door.

          1. Thanks, I do know that and our sign does say “no trespassing” so I’m not sure why I typed soliciting above.

            The canvassers in my area are virulent and don’t care. They will stand on our stoop and peer in the window after we tell them to leave and shut the door in their face. They will walk through my yard around to the back door and knock incessantly there, will push printouts into my flowerpots (crushing my plants), etc. I have only had success getting them to leave by pretending to be unable to hold back my very large, loud, toothy dog.

    3. YUP. I’m 13 miles north of Boston and can be in NH in 20 mins, Maine in under 60. We get SO many non-MA ads. In fact, almost exclusively non-MA ads. 80/20 NH to Maine, but we get Maine. So over it.

      We watch local TV stations for the weekly weather forecast. And the kids watch AFV a lot, which is where we really get them since it’s a primetime show (that we usually watch week-of but not live).

    4. I’m in NC and see them allll the time. We use Hulu Live and they’re constant every election cycle, then I hear them on the radio, billboards, yard signs, etc. I’m in a pretty blue area though the R’s spend pretty heavily in every election. I saw that “Kamala is for they/them” ad every day for like 4 months in 2024, and mentioned it to a friend who lived in IL and had never actually seen the ad in question.

      I’m more bothered by the amount of anti-abortion billboards with very misleading and angering messaging on a stretch of highway between Durham and Greensboro. Those need to go.

      2. I live in California, where we do not see many political ads, except for particularly well funded propositions. But I was in North Carolina in October 2020 and I do not know how you maintain your sanity in the deluge!

      3. It’s funny, I used to live in NC and never saw any political ads or got any contact from any campaign. I didn’t get anything in the mail and didn’t see much tv with ads at all, much less political ones, and barely even saw lawn signs. I always thought that was strange given that I lived in a swing state and was a registered independent (though one who would never ever vote for a Republican, so maybe voter targeting was working?). I now live in a blue leaning purple state and still don’t get ads in the mail or see political ads on tv, though I see more ads in general on streaming now. I do see lots of lawn signs.

    5. I got my husband YouTube premium so that we would stop getting inundated with political ads. And always for the political candidates I find distasteful! Can’t get away from the billboards and mailers.

    6. trash hung on doorknobs around my neighborhood, mostly. Or today, soggy trash because last night’s rain meant most of them blew onto the sidewalk, great.

      We pay for premium streaming so don’t encounter them for TV or music.

    7. I get many many many mailers for weeks before the primaries and before the general elections; they started again about 3 weeks ago. I also get a ton of political texts. I don’t watch TV. I’m in Texas and 45 years old.

    8. If I get political texts, it’s invariably for a state I’ve never lived in 🤦🏻‍♀️

      The only political ads I see are occasionally general “vote blue” ones on FB. I work very hard to keep politics out of my algorithm.

  13. I need a little something to look forward to each work day. Struggling to come up with things for Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

    Wednesday I have my club soccer game and Refinery 29 money diaries come out. Friday is Friday. I sometimes have standing plans with friends Tuesday and Thursday, but they’re not quite consistent enough (a few new babies in the mix have made the group halve in size…harder to ensure we’ll have enough people now).

    I already have my set coffee routine. I’m watching what I eat/spend so not trying to add a pastry or other treat. I love the NYT games and reading with my coffee, which I do each morning. I already get flowers each week.

    My early mornings and evenings are a mix of ~10 mins of chores (I find 5 mins of tidying and 5 mins of cleaning a day keeps my apartment very clean for virtually no time!), a workout , hobbies (knitting, reading, outdoor activities), one off plans with friends (happy hour, dinner) and relaxing.

    I’m in the office every day in a job I used to love but now don’t due to some personality clashes.

    I wake up so excited on Wednesdays and Fridays and would like to replicate that with other days!

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