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Updated: Jul 3, 2023 168 Comments · by

Splurge Monday’s Workwear Report: The Favorite Pant

The Personal Shopper (TPS) |

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A woman wearing a white top, purple pants, and sandals

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

Do I need a pair of purple pants? Probably not, but these very well-reviewed pants from Favorite Daughter are flattering, machine washable, and available in a bunch of great colors. How can I say no?

I would probably style these with a sleeveless black turtleneck sweater for my business casual office in the summer, but if bare arms don’t fly where you work, I would do a drapey button-up or add a slouchy blazer.

The pants are $218-228 at Nordstrom and come in sizes 0-18. Reviews note that they run a little small, so if you’re between sizes, order up.

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

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a 30-something lawyer living on the East Coast. She spent seven years as a Biglaw associate in NYC, three years as a partner at a medium-sized firm, and is now in-house counsel for a large company. She loves Diet Coke, '90s sitcoms, and dresses with pockets.

Comments

  2. AIMS

    For those of you that know about paint and various finishes – is there some reason not to use super glossy paint indoors? I visited a friend’s new apartment and her building hallways were painted a very glossy creamy white that just looked great and rich despite the low light available. Wondering if that would work well in my north facing living room or if there is something I’m missing about this.

    • anon

      It will highlight every imperfection on your wall surface. So, yeah, I can see it working OK in a brand-new build and it’s a specific look, but it can look cheap and terrible in the wrong location.

      • Anonymous

        This – we looked into it for a room we painted medium blue that would have been amazing in a high gloss and you basically need to skim the walls first AND be an expert painter. its also harder to touch up and shows fingerprints etc.

      • Anonymous

        +1 to a new build commercial contractor executing high gloss well which may not be easily achieved at home. Their drywall subcontractor prepped that wall as a “level 5 finish” (as it’s called in the industry) ahead of time for the painting subcontractor who probably spent extra time as well.

        • AIMS

          This all makes sense! Alas not for my imperfect 60+ year old walls. Thanks everyone!

    • Anon

      I use high gloss for trim. For hallways, maybe to help with something scrub-able, semi-gloss (which is often used in bathrooms and kitchens for the same reasons)? There are also finishes like satin that have some sheen.

      Think of floors — my husband likes high gloss, but I think that looks like a roller rink. We compromise with a satin finish there.

    • Senior Attorney

      In our local design house this year they painted the wood-paneled library in a dark high gloss paint and it looked amazing. It can be great but you need to proceed with caution.

    • Anonymous

      High gloss paint works well on hardwood trim. It may also work on hardwood wall panelling, but a half or medium gloss is more traditional.

      Plaster walls or boards are traditionally painted matte.

    • Anonymous

      Check out the Chris Loves Julia blog. They recently painted a study a high gloss dark green and documented the PITA it was to get it perfect. Even with professional painters.

      • Anonymous

        thanks for this, hadn’t been to the site before. is it just me or is their font super teensy?

    • Anon

      Yeah, it just all looks so sloppy and unflattering to me. Not sleek/chic or even comfy. What are we going for these days with this look?

    • texasanon

      I think I’m too heavy for these but something like this but I think it would look good with a really fitted top and some heels so they fall neatly to the ground.

    • Anonymous

      This is a good look for me. I have a small waist and upper body compared to my hips. (Gapping at the waist is a perpetual problem for me with pants). For this style of trouser I wear a fitted top and (maybe) a cropped jacket. The pants fit my waist (a miracle) and everything sort of flows over my bottom half. It’s reminiscent of women’s trousers in the 1930s to me. (Much of what is in fashion now looks like the 1930s to me, including the greater emphasis on the shoulder. I’m not an expert, clearly, and would be very interested in other opinions.)

      • Anon

        I have a small waist relative to my stomach/hips/thighs and the last thing I need is more volume in my southern hemisphere. I need the return of big high-volume 1980s hair and shoulder pads to balance me out. Otherwise, I look like the woman you want to anchor your tug-of-war team (because I am).

      • anon

        I can wear this look, but I do not like how these pants drag on the ground. I have hips and thighs and a flowy pant can work really well for me, but this particular pair would make me look like I was wearing pajamas.

      • Anon

        You can find fast fashion dupes for almost anything but (and I say this as a Target lover) I seriously doubt they are similar in terms of quality of construction. I love Target for tops but I find their pants to be cheap in both price and quality.

  4. anon

    so for those of you who watch tiktok or instagram videos of women showing off new clothes— why are they all wearing their purses short and across their chests? Is this actually a fashion move or just a way to include the bag in the video so it can be seen front on?

      • Gail the Goldfish

        Yes but now we call them “belt bags.” Someone in marketing has earned their keep on this rebrand.

    • Anonymous

      Yes, it’s a fashion move. It’s a belt bag or fanny pack, now back on trend and worn in a new way. Very common for me to see it among young women where I live.

      • anon

        i’m heading to lisbon (and apparently, who isn’t, seems the place to be this summer) and just ordered a knock off one from amazon.

    • Trish

      I hate the way crossbody bags or belt bags make my clothes look. I prefer the classic short strapped shoulder bag but they are usually too big or too small for every day use. I mostly use my MK Raven bag but it looks a little big.

  5. Anon

    Perhaps as part of a DEI initiative or otherwise, have any of your companies reviewed whether BA degrees are required for some jobs or just preferred? Our day care is mandating that workers get BA degrees, which seems insane. I get certificate programs and tons of continuing education but pricey credential creep will burden a lot of poor people, mainly women, and drive needed workers from an important field. And I doubt that salaries will go up.

    • anon

      Not sure where you are located, but some places (DC, for example) require by law that childcare workers have certain degrees based on their role. So your daycare may not have a choice and, even if they do, they are in step with what is happening nationally.

    • Anon

      I work in state government and my state has eliminated certain degree requirements and is conducting a comprehensive review to try and eliminate barriers to entry.

    • Anon

      That is what is so tragic about the student loan crisis — most jobs shouldn’t need a BA and often student debt results in schooling but not completion, so the worst of all possible worlds. If you could go from high school to work, or high school to community college to meaningful decent-paying work, so many people would be better off.

      • Anon

        I might feel differently about this if more students graduating from public K-12 could: write a paragraph of complete sentences that clearly expresses the point and uses proper grammar, spelling and punctuation; read a long article in the newspaper and accurately summarize it and ask two or three smart questions about it; do basic calculations needed to run a household or small business, etc.

        • Anon

          So we are really slacking on education! Maybe our public school system should be overhauled so that students graduate with these very basic skills.

          • Anon

            It is criminal that people are having to take out loans not dischargeable in bankruptcy for remedial high school classes.

          • Anon

            I suspect that a sizable minority in the US considers uneducated voters a feature and not a bug. So much easier to persuade them to vote against their own self-interest/common sense/ what would benefit the country.

        • Anon

          I agree with the problem as you stated but the solution to that is fixing public education at the K-12 level, not forcing people who cannot afford it to pay for education that they should have received during K-12. And not all HS graduates are incapable of these things, while some BA grads also lack these skills — employers should screen for the required skills rather than just use the degree as a proxy. While I think many skills are hard to test for at a higher level, a basic writing test for an entry level job doesn’t seem out of line to me. I had to do one for my first job out of college that required writing.

          • Anon

            HR barely even reads resumes sometimes and it can be very hard to screen for certain skills during the interview process. Having a college degree is supposed to show that you have these skills, which is not always the case of course.

        • Anon

          As a solo, I don’t have enough work or cash flow for a full-time paralegal or assistant. I decided to give a few recent grads with their paralegal certificates a chance part time and it was an awful experiment. They CANNOT write a sentence or figure anything out on their one. One was so bad I wanted to call the local high school from where she graduated and scream at them. This is not the fault of this generation. This is the result of a steady devaluation of public education in Florida since Jeb Bush years.

    • anon

      I’m in higher ed, and believe it or not, we have reevaluated that for some of the entry-level positions. Like, would an associate’s degree suffice for an entry-level graphic designer, who may use some of that sweet tuition remission to get a bachelor’s?

      • Anon

        Re graphic design, I get that you can learn it in school, but I am self-taught after having to do ads at a community newspaper starting in high school. I have a stellar portfolio of my work but I would fail even this screener if only bots were involved vs humans (I can convince a human to give me a try but the bots are stubborn).

        • Anon

          I work in higher ed comms and we’ve hired several graphic designers and writers without formal schooling in that area. The portfolio is the most important thing for a design job.

    • Chl

      Yes I work in HR and many companies are looking at this. When talent was abundant companies would use this as a screening tool so that they didn’t have to work as hard to screen for the actual requirements of the job. I would push back on the daycare. There is value in having someone there (director, head teacher or something) have early childhood degree to design and oversee the set up but the caregivers likely don’t need that and to your point the financials will be bad for them.

      • Anon

        No doubt for the director, etc. There are so many skills in that job — not just child care but food safety, payroll, how to sterilize common toys, etc. But to tell a woman making less than $15/hour that she needs to work 40+ hours a week plus babysit on the side to make ends meet that she also needs to figure out the bus schedule to squeeze in BA credits on top of this will just make good caregivers leave to be FT nannies and not work in daycare centers. IDK how taking history and science classes to get a BA would be better than just the credits needed to major in that field, which I think you could do as workshops / community college certification classes. And in my city, probably no more than 50% of daycare workers drive cars — they often rely on the bus, so I think that whomever in corporate thought this up has no effing clue about the lives of their workers.

        • Anon

          Do you need to go to college to learn how to sterilize toys? I can see some levels of child care providers needing a degree in education, but not every employee at a child care center does.

      • Anon

        Re “when talent was abundant” — where did people go? I get that some people weren’t working during the pandemic, but how did we lose so many people to the point that we are still feeling it?

        Point taken that this was all done to make hiring more “objective” and “easier,” but mandating most jobs to have a BA so that the robot screeners can have an easier job generating a list of people has huge societal costs. Learning is good for its own sake, but to do a job, you usually don’t need a BA (and often a BA is not in a field relevant to likely employment — my degree is in history, which is interesting but not a source of ready entry-level jobs, so for most jobs, I am finding myself questioning what the value-add is.

        My spouse does a lot of entry-level hiring and they have moved to BA-preferred (since it is a stick-to-it measure for people with no work experience) after realizing that a lot of degrees, especially for those who were online during COVID, are not really adding any value to how well a person does their job or whether they are promotable (they always hope so, but that is more based on what the candidate does with the job vs additional learning beyond OTJ training courses).

        • Anonymous

          Re where did people go–Deaths, disability, early retirements, and also just demographic trends (fewer young people). Prime age employment participation is back to pre-pandemic levels, at least in nationwide statistics.

        • anonshmanon

          I think we did lose enough people, plus there are huge shifts in what attracts employees.
          To the first part, early retirements, long term disability, parents who cannot work fulltime since child care is not reliable, less immigration. Or just service industry jobs that rely heavily on that steady influx of new workers, and have not recovered from 2 years where workers found other opportunities. Even if each of these are just a few percent, it adds up in the labor market.
          To the second part, anywhere you look, old value propositions are breaking down. Doesn’t matter whether it was ‘we don’t pay you much but you are doing something fulfilling’ (teaching, nursing, nonprofit work), ‘we pay you a ton but you have to live for your career’ (big law? other jobs?), or ‘you are severely underpaid now, but you have a 10% chance of making good money later’ (research, journalism, entertainment).It’s younger generations, but also people reconsidering during the pandemic that are more and more gravitating towards a different work-life-balance. Or as some people say: “NobOdY wAnts to WorK aNyMorE”.

          • Anon

            All this plus deaths. Even if grandma was listed in statistics as “retired”, if she watched the kids after school (or watched sick grandpa or disabled cousin) and now she’s gone, it might shift the balance from someone else in the family being able to (or choosing to) work to not working, especially if that working person isn’t making significantly more than it would cost to replace the caregiving. Not to mention the people who were working themselves and are now dead.

            We are sitting on the other side of a mass death event, and of course this is going to have ripple effects of these deaths on the availability of labor.

          • Anon

            Heartily concur. It went from “work 9-5 and don’t be a jerk on the job, and you will be at the company for life” to “work hard to get ahead” to “work hard, long hours and let your boss crap all over you and then your job gets outsourced” to “screw it all.” Shocking. Companies asked for this by breaking down their end of the deal.

    • Anon

      I work in local government but our governor announced earlier this year that the state is removing degree requirements for over 90% of jobs. I think this is a great thing. I’m very pro higher education (I have my Masters), but it’s a) not always the right path for somebody and b) there are many very capable, qualified people without degrees.

      In my extended family, half of my relatives are teachers so education was really highly prioritized. But, on the other side of my family most people don’t have degrees (a lot of them started college but didn’t finish for financial or family reasons). These are really smart people who unfortunately were really held back by their lack of degree (and as a result, continued to struggle financially).

      I went to a highly regarded undergrad, but went to a not very good graduate school (I chose it because it was cheap! It’s a non-flagship state school). So many of my classmates in GRADUATE SCHOOL could not write or communicate well. They also didn’t have critical thinking or analytical skills. It was mind boggling to me that these students graduated high school and undergrad and still couldn’t write. So, even a graduate degree isn’t a marker of certain skills.

  6. anon

    What are people wearing at conferences in Alaska? Past events had a business casual dress code. This conference is happening in October. I want to pack light but be able to do a little walking and sightseeing. Will clothing be a little more relaxed up north?

    • Anon

      I have nothing to contribute other than jealousy that your industry has conferences in Alaska!

    • Anon

      Is it a conference that mostly Alaskans will be attending? If so, there will be a *wide* spectrum of formality, but on average it will be very casual. What’s the industry? Government or oil might be slightly more dressed up (eg a few more men might be in suits). Dress appropriately for the weather. Seriously, that’s way more important than being fancy. I’m assuming you’ll be in Anchorage at the Dena’ina Center so I can reassure you there will be room to leave big coats and boots.

    • Anon Alaska

      Professional Alaskan for 10 years here, super relaxed is typical, so if you’re supporting oil and traveling from Houston, you will look a little weird in a full suit (if you’re a woman, but not as a man). Business casual will be fine, but folks may still wear jeans. October should be delightful (although the other poster recommending you to “dress for the weather” has it on point) – chilly, but no serious snow yet. Termination dust on the mountains, it’s going to look gorgeous. Grab ice cream at Wild Scoops and any kind of baked goods from Fire Island Bakery. If you’ve got a car, go down to Carr-Gottstein Park and follow the worn-in path to the bluff and take a look at the mountains. Take yourself out to dinner at Kincaid Grill, if you can make it there.

  7. emeralds

    Looking for some summer 2024 vacation inspo from anyone who needs a Monday morning distraction. I’d like to find somewhere relaxing that my husband and I can rent a cabin for about a week with access to water and mountains, and lots of day hiking options. We’d need to go between mid-June and mid-July. Either the US or Canada is fine (he’d love to cross off another US national park; I think it’s ridiculous that he’s never been to Canada).

    Our top options are currently Acadia in Maine, the Banff/Jasper area, and British Columbia. Any specific recommendations in those areas would be welcome, as well as other places we should be considering. Not looking for the mid-Atlantic, south, anyplace desert-y, California, Washington, or Montana. Fires will obviously be a wildcard…

    • Anonymous

      We stayed in cabins on Patricia Lake outside Jasper and loved it. I’m not sure they’re swimming there? We only hiked. It was amazing. The drive from Lake Louise to Jasper was probably the prettiest drive I’ve ever done.
      The place we stayed was not fancy, but we were in it for the location.

      • Elle

        I second all of this. The Banff/ Lake Louise / Jasper area is some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen. I was just there last week. we did some amazing hikes. agree that it may be a bit cool for swimming but I took an impromptu swim in an alpine lake. it was cold but wonderful.

    • anon a mouse

      Look at the Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton. I think Nova Scotia could also be a good option – Cape Breton Highlands is gorgeous.

      • emeralds

        Thanks! The Cape Breton Highlands look gorgeous, I’m adding that to the list.

    • Anon

      We did Banff in July a few years ago (pre Covid) and loved it! We went in the hot springs once while we were there but otherwise we didn’t do much by way of water activities. We did lots of nice hikes, horseback riding, exploring the towns, etc. it was very cool how light it stayed into the night. It did snow at the peak of one of our hikes, we were wearing pants and jackets even when not up in the mountains. we also love Acadia! August is really the best season in Maine but July probably good too. It’s very crowded, much more so than Banff, in our experience. That said, definitely a must-do experience at some point. Slightly more water activities including kayaking and sailing, but would not recommend swimming in the ocean that far north. Can’t go wrong with either one!

      • emeralds

        Thanks, this is great info :) It’s sounding like the Canadian Rockies might be the winner. I’ve been to Maine a few times for work but haven’t made it to Acadia, and I think my husband would love it…but I’d like to see someplace totally new, too! Tough problems to have, haha.

        • Anon

          Acadia is my favorite place on earth. I’m biased (grew up going to grandparents there) but if you think you’d like it and haven’t been, I say go go go!! I have been to Banff too (twice) and it’s lovely but for me Downeast Maine is the best unless you really want to see wildlife like bears and moose, which are more prevalent in the Rockies.
          That said my favorite time of year in Maine is fall (early fall.. Labor Day to Columbus Day, things shut down after Columbus Day). Fewer crowds, better weather for everything except swimming and gorgeous fall foliage in late Sept/early Oct. Banff is very much a summer destination.

          Oh and my kids and I swim in the ocean in Maine and see tons of other people doing it too. It’s very possible in July and August when air temperatures are often around 85.

    • Anon

      Banff in 2022 had a TON of snow still at the end of July. We bumbled over Sentinel Pass last year in waist deep snow with snowed over trail in Paradise Valley. Ran into a white out on the Icefields Pkwy on the way back from Jasper. (Both because we were slightly ignorant). So warning on that. We did Glacier Natl Park last week – the slight latitude difference and fast snow melt this year made Glacier much easier pre-July than Banff. That said, they are tied for my favorite hike locations of all time.

    • Smokey

      Just returned from a hiking trip in Bend, Oregon and it would be perfect for this! Particularly if you can combine with a night at Crater Lake National Park.

    • Anonymous

      Gros Morne – Tablelands are gorgeous and Long Range hike is great if you like multi day options. If you are adventurous there are also one day off trail park approved routes. You have to ask at the visitor centre for those I think.

  8. Anonymous

    Is there such a thing as a home utilities consultant? We have an old house and we’d love to hire a person to come look at everything and tell us what needs replacing, what can last another five years, etc. and ideally what we should replace it with.

    • anon

      I’m not sure, but maybe a home inspector, like you’d have doing an inspection before buying a house?

    • anon

      no and i have discussed with multiple people that i think this is a business. i would totally pay money for this.

    • Anon

      Most municipal utilities will come and do a utility audit for free!
      Predicting how long something will last isn’t something reputable people will do – lots of items could last 5 more minutes or 20 years depending on everything from the level of care/maintenance to pure dumb luck.
      Again, as for what you’re going to replace it with, too much to predict. Your options will be different if you’re replacing as part of a remodel vs replacing because your air conditioner went out over a holiday weekend in the middle of a heatwave. You’ll have the luxury of being a lot choosier in the former situation than the latter.

    • Agurk

      at least here in MA, there is a state wide energy efficiency program that does this for free. Check your utility’s energy efficiency programs. If not, you’re looking for a home energy audit

    • Anonymous

      I don’t think it will get you all the way there, but look into a home energy audit through your state or your electric utility. I also think the home inspector idea is a good one — they could go over age of appliance, expected life, etc.

    • Anon

      If you know how old your appliances are, it’s not hard to figure out. Most get about 10 years, over/under. If you’re around that, start budgeting for a replacement. The issue you’re more likely to run into is getting replacements that fit your space. If this is an issue, get a repair person out when you hear them making a weird noise. For the rest of the house, a home inspection can give you an idea of when you might need a new roof, paint, etc. But you can also look at your house and tell some of these things too.

  9. anon

    Help! Need to figure out a last-minute vacation for my family: me, husband, and kids (5 and 8) within a 3 hours drive from DC, for 3-5 nights. Either beach or pool would be fine, just want to be able to getaway, have some fun kid activities, and explore. I have never vacationed here and the options are overwhelming.

    • IL

      That’s the perfect age for a combined Busch Gardens Wiliamsburg / Water Country / Colonial Williamsburg trip.

      • Anon

        Sandbridge Beach, VA…15 miles south of VA beach and its the beginning of the outer banks. Beautiful family friendly beach, there are also condo buildings with pools. Contact Siebert realty and ask if you can rent for 3-5 nights vs. weekly.

    • Older and wiser mom

      The Hyatt Regency in Cambridge MD has three outdoor pools,one indoor pool which has a kids’ movie every night, mini-golf, tennis, golf, a beach and SO much more. Kids eat for their age at the buffet. Dogs are welcome, too. My family had a great time earlier in the spring.

    • Anonymous

      Big thumbs-down to VA Beach, OBX, and the Greenbrier. VA Beach is grungy and there is a steep drop-off so the water is not fun to play in. The OBX are boring and overpriced. You have to rent a house and cook and clean. The Greenbrier is stuffy and overpriced, the food is mediocre, and the decor is horrific. Williamsburg is actually not a terrible option for kids if you haven’t been yet and you like touristy stuff. Another option is Shenandoah National Park for hiking. Get the blackberry ice cream meringue pie at the lodge.

      • Anonymous

        Agree except I too like the decor at the Greenbrier, but I don’t think that would be a plus for the children.

        Virginia Beach is truly an awful place. If you ever MUST go, go to the beach on the Bay side and then leave that day.

  10. No Face

    What is the best store to buy a cute dress in person?

    I have an event that I assumed would be casual, but is actually Little Black Dress level. I have nothing to wear, but time to go shopping.

  11. Indoor painting

    I have never painted indoors before. Old House. I just want to touch up a couple things, like repaint a pair of railings in one place, just put a dot on one exposed edge or windowsill. I don’t care about it being perfect. Just want not terrible looking today, as all will he repainted in a year or two.

    The walls/railings are…. white. Haven’t been repainted in 20+ years?

    Any recs on what paint to buy? Color/brand/type?

    • Anon

      If you try this on 20 year old paint, it will look like you dotted white out on the area. You cannot color match paint that old or touch it up to look any way decent. Your best bet is repainting now or just waiting.

      • anon

        This. It will look gawdawful. You will have a very hard time matching both the color and the finish.

        • Anon

          That’s fine. My standards are much different than most folks here who live in newer houses.

          • Anon

            I made the original comment and my house is 150?years old. That’s not the point. The issue is old paint regardless of the house’s age.

    • Anonymous

      It’s hard to match white paints. You don’t realize that it has a green/lavender/blue/gray/yellow undertone until you get it next to a different white, and then the color differences really stand out. Add to that, that what you’re looking at now has 20 years of fading or weathering on it as well.

      If it’s just a very small bit of paint you need to cover a chip or something, I’d go to a craft store and get a set of acrylic paints, then do your best with color mixing to get a close match to the current paint (you’ll need to add miniscule amounts of color of some kind into the white paint). If you have a good eye for color and paint with a small brush, feathering the edges into the current paint, you may be able to get something that looks OK. It’s going to be your call on whether your imperfect repair looks better or worse than the current damage, while you wait until you can do the full paint job.

    • Trixie

      I have done this, taking a scrape of paint (a flake) to a hardware store for a color and sheen match. Brand does not matter. Use a little on the brush at a time so you can feather it out, trying to ease the colors together. It will be noticeable to someone who looks hard at it, but it will help with old chips and scrapes. Blending is the key, and don’t just buy white paint, get a color match.

    • Anon

      There are about a bazillion whites. Unless there is an old can of that particular paint sitting around it will be impossible to match, and with any age on it nearly impossible to match even if you have a brand and color. If there are plans to fully repaint I’d just live with it for now. Better genuinely worn than half-assed patched.

      • Anon

        Interestingly, I’m sure there are a couple of old, partially used cans of white paint in the basement.

        Can you use old paint?

        • anonshmanon

          The only way it would ‘go bad’ is if the lid is not closed properly, and the solvent slowly dries out. Like gloopy nail polish, you won’t be able to apply it. Open them up, give them a very thorough stir and see if they still work.

        • Anon

          If it isn’t dried up and you can stir it into looking like paint instead of an oily layered mess, it won’t hurt to try. Just make sure you aren’t putting oil-based paint on something you intend to cover with latex in the future.

        • Anonymous

          Don’t use the old paint, but check the label and color code so you can match with a small can of new paint. The “take a chip to have it color matched at the store” is the best solution.

    • Nesprin

      There’s better than even odds your paint has lead in it. Do not scrape a chip up without testing.

  12. Elle

    When did you tell your boss you were expecting? I’ve had friends tell their bosses at anywhere from 8 weeks to 20. I’m remote but going on a trip with my boss at week 13-14. I kinda thought I would tell him before the trip but I’m worried that’s too soon? What were the factors that made you tell sooner or later?

    • Emma

      I was remote (and no trips) so I told him about 16-17 weeks – late enough that I was reasonably confident it was sticking, early enough that he could plan accordingly and not feel blindsided.

    • Anonymous

      I told my immediate team around 8 weeks because I was not feeling good and we had to go in for quite a few appointments. I think I’m a fan of telling earlier rather than later because if I miscarried anyway I’d want time off to recover, and I’d rather people know the circumstances without having to explain both in one go.

    • No Face

      I told at 13 weeks, but I was in-person and I show immediately. It was obvious I was pregnant.

      If I was remote or I could hide it, I would wait until 20 weeks.

    • Anon

      After the first trimester and an ultrasound where I saw a heartbeat.

      With my second, I showed pretty much the minute my home pregnancy test turned + so that was harder. I finally told him at 12 weeks and he asked me if I thought he was blind!

    • Anonymous

      I told mine as soon as it was blood-test confirmed because I worked in a place where some of my duties could have had a negative effect and I needed modifications.
      Others I know waited until the second tri or until they were showing…

    • Anon

      16 weeks. Wanted to tell at 14 weeks but he was out of town and then I was out of town. I’d say 12-14 weeks is standard and I’d tell before the trip unless there’s a reason not to.

    • Anon

      Week 15/16 with my first, week 12 with second. No one guessed for my first, but I started showing earlier with second.

  13. Anonymous

    Has anyone had success with a “carpet rake” or similar tool for picking up pet hair? I’ve found some options online but concerned they’ll be too rough on the carpet. We already use a roomba and Bissell designed to remove pet hair, but they’re not getting the job done. Thanks for any recommendations!

    • helloanon

      Yes! I bought an Uproot after seeing tons of Insta ads. It really does work as promised and picks up an amazing amount of dog fur. I vacuum all the time with a Shark vacuum designed for pet hair and it shocked me how much this thing picked up in addition to that.

      I use it on area rugs, thick carpet, and microfiber furniture and haven’t noticed any damage but it tires my arm out so I don’t do it more than every few weeks lol. I have the small hand held version and am considering buying the longer one with a broom handle to cover bigger areas at once.

    • Megan

      Have you tried a pumice stone? It’s my new secret weapon for removing pet hair from couch cushions and carpet.

  14. Anon

    Help me with dress belts…I don’t own any. I have Talbots Hampshire ankle pants which have belt loops. I want to wear a sleeveless blouse, tucked in. This outfit looks fine without a belt but does it look odd since there are belt loops? feels like I should wear a belt to dress it up? I just want a simple black leather belt. Styling recommendations please….

      • Anon

        thanks, interesting brand..unfortunately out of stock and I need the belt next week…or I go without a belt

    • Anonymous

      Talbots has good quality leather belts; one of the plain black ones would be good.

      • Anon

        yea, maybe I will just order Talbot’s 1 inch black leather belt….a good basic to have in the wardrobe. I think the outfit looks more ‘finished’ with a belt

      • Anon

        OP here…just checked out the Talbot’s belts…they are all 1 inch belts. That seems very narrow…not looking for a very wide belt but I dont’ think 1 inch belts are meant for their Hampshire pants. Might remove belt loops as one of the posters suggested.

    • Anonymous

      Look at Talbots for the belt as well.
      It’s your call on whether you wear a belt or not, and whether it looks odd or not. To some people it will, to others it won’t. Belts aren’t as much of a “you must wear it” rule as they used to be, so your call. If you know you really don’t want to fuss with them, just take off the belt loops.

      • Anon

        OP here…thanks for that advice. Will probably order from Talbots (belts are not in stock in local stores)…good item to have in the wardrobe in any case.

  15. Anonymous

    Did Charly Goss die? I can’t find an obit online but it sure looks like a memorial on her IG page.

    • anon

      Yes, seems so. Charlygossstyleinc has a post. I didn’t necessarily agree with her approach to things, but my gosh, she is young.

  16. Anonymous

    Random question – is there some trick to making French toast so it isn’t completely wet and soggy? I only ever get it in restaurants and it comes looking like actual pieces of toast. Tried to make it at home this weekend and it was just really wet – to the point where I couldn’t flip it and had to cut up the bread in the pan and flip parts of it. And even still it ended up being soggy and didn’t get much of a crust on the outside. I mean it tasted good and I didn’t care as I was the only one eating it, but obviously could never serve it to anyone else like that.

    • Anon

      The recipe in the Cooks Illustrated Best Recipe Cookbook adds flour and I think it makes the best French toast I’ve ever made- not soggy and not too eggy.

    • buffybot

      I’ll admit I haven’t had this problem with French toast so not totally sure I can help you troubleshoot, but some guesses:
      – I use bread with a certain amount of structural integrity (not like, sliced sandwich bread). Challah is my favorite, although it is a bit soft. The tradition is to use stale bread (pain perdu) which would also help.
      – maybe you’ve got more milk than egg in your custard ratio? I always just eyeball it but the egg also gives some structure, less mush.
      – I don’t soak for an extremely long time – mostly long enough for the liquid to go all the way through, but it doesn’t hang out there for forever (unless you’re making baked french toast, but then no flipping needed)
      – fry it in butter to get a crust on each side and get it nice and brown

    • Anonymous

      French toast was probably invented as a way to use up old, stale bread. If you’re starting with fresh and spongy bread, it’s going to be really difficult. So use old bread, or at least make sure you use very sturdy bread. Don’t oversoak.

      • Anon

        Oui. It’s called pain perdu in French, or “lost bread”. Definitely stale bread that has no other use.

    • Anon

      I tried many times to replicate the sour dough French toast at a local restaurant and made some good French toast, but it was not dry, like actual toast. I finally asked the restaurant, and they deep fry their French toast. I am not going to deep fry French toast at home, but FWIW, that’s one way. But for more traditional French toast, don’t do more than dip it in the batter. No soaking, even for a second.

    • Anonymous

      OP here – thanks all. I think I identified two problems at least. I used fresh sandwich bread and also I didn’t just dip it in the milk and egg, I let it soak. I guess I was thinking along the lines of bread pudding where you soak the bread but then bread pudding requires the bread to fall apart in baking – you’re not supposed to find complete slices in there. Guess I’ll try to again with a thicker non soaked bread.

      • Anon

        If you use bread that is fairly dense and firm, or that is cut thick, you can soak it to death. Sandwich bread out of the bag is going to just disintegrate when it gets wet, as it doesn’t have enough structure to it. Also, I go heavier on the egg, with just enough milk to make it something you can soak bread in. As it cooks, the egg provides structure. Plenty of egg, some milk, a little vanilla, a tiny shake of cinnamon and a tinier shake of salt.

      • Anon

        Also possible your pan isn’t hot enough – when the toast hits it, should crisp right away

    • Anon

      French toast is one thing I learned to make without a recipe. One egg to two slices of bread, splash of milk, splash of vanilla extract. Melt the butter; make sure it’s hot enough. Drop the bread in the pan. Flip after about 2-3 minutes. Smother with more butter, drizzle with syrup. MUST SERVE WITH BACON.

      • Formerly Lilly

        OR SAUSAGE! Especially little maple
        sausage links. And fresh fruit, preferably mixed berries. Yum. Now I’m hungry for breakfast for supper!

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