Corporette.com

Updated: Nov 1, 2018 134 Comments · by

Thursday’s TPS Report: Yoke-neck knit sheath

Fashion· The Personal Shopper (TPS)· Wear to Work | · · · ·

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Talbots' Yoke-neck knit sheathReader J wrote in to recommend this dress from Talbots, noting “I like the little sleeves, which you've turned me on to; the just-above-the-knee length; and the flattering but comfortable fit. Women with great abs would probably find it loose in the tummy area, but it's just right for me. And, it's available in petites.” We also love the boatneck neckline and the simplicity of the dress — you could accessorize it in a lot of different ways. Reader J got green; it's also available in pink, orange, and black. It's $99 at Talbots (available on the web only). Yoke-neck knit sheath Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-0)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

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

Comments

  1. Shayna

    Love this… the color/style is a little retro, but in a currently-in-fashion way :-) (The world seems to be in love with Mad Men!)

    From the conversation earlier this week: netbooks vs. Ipads – Those of you considering an IPad may find this interesting: http://tinyurl.com/36ybpjj

    The daily CPA newsletter included a link to a write-up on whether the IPad has business functionality, and had some interesting points…

    • la peagoise

      there are still a LOT of security issues with the ipad. it’s the new darling of the hacker world. i wouldn’t purchase one (especially not for business use) until apple owns up to the numerous holes in safari and plugs them.

  2. Emily

    LOVE this dress! A co-worker was wearing it yesterday – she looked fantastic. She’s relatively petite, and the dress was fitted enough to be flattering but conservative enough that it didn’t hug her in the wrong ways. And now I know where she got it! Thanks for posting this!

    • Experienced

      What color?! I’m going to run over to Talbot’s and give it a try. I really appreciate this blog. Frankly, I hate to shop but love to buy, so these tips are very helpful.

  4. Lawgirl

    Don’t like the high neckline; and it doesn’t like me either! I prefer a scoop or cowl neck, which is slimming and more elegant…

  5. dee

    i love this! i may have to swing by the talbots near me to see if they have it in store.

    • MPC

      If you click through to the site, it says web-only. Kind of a bummer, but their return policy is good, so it might be worth ordering online.

  7. Amber

    I really like this, but I’m concerned about hte online-only option. I think I’d want to try it on first, given the comments on here about Talbots being boxy sometimes.

    • anono

      Talbots lets you return in-store, so the risk is pretty low and the returns are easy and free (assuming you live somewhere where there is a Talbots).

  9. Cat

    Oh, love this. If they haven’t played with the waistline to take this picture (clipping it in back) it looks like a less boxy fit than Talbot’s has been frustrating me with — hopefully it will be in-store for a try-on!

  10. fresh jd

    Very nice…they have another variation of this dress: http://www1.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?zoomImage=02036048&id=prdi24586&catId=&rootCategory=&sortKey=&conceptIdUnderSale=

    I just got this dress in green in the mail and really like it, though I’m still trying to figure out my Talbot’s size – they run larger than any brand I’ve ever tried!…http://www1.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi24401&mode=search&backurl=%2Fonline%2Fsearch%2FsearchResults.jsp%3Fquestion%3Djersey%2Bdress%26trail%3D%26pageNum%3D0%26addFacet%3DSRCH%253Ajersey%2Bdress%26removeFacet%3D

  11. MPC

    Pretty! I adore the green. I’ve been looking for a good work dress that isn’t black, gray, or navy– I think this is it.

  13. KelliJ

    Love the dress and the color but just can’t do this neckline. I need a v or scoop neck. This has been so frustrating lately. Every dress I like these days has a high neckline which isn’t flattering for me (34DD). When I find something I like in a v-neck, the v tends to be very deep. The right dress has been hard to come by these days.

    • Emily

      I don’t understand the really deep V necks either! On women with big busts, deep V’s are dangerous. I am petite and the V’s go halfway down to my belly button, which just highlights how flat I am. Who is flattered by a really deep V neck? Or is it just a way to sell more camisoles?

      • Shayna

        I think it’s a camisole conspiracy! A deep v is too revealing on most women — in addition to the risk of being either vulgar or plain unflattering depending on your bust size.

    • dr

      I wholeheartedly agree, being a 34DD myself. I spend all of my professional hours sitting across from patients (some of whom are men, and others are pre- and adolescent boys). Then there’s sitting at the reception desk, checking out/billing time and I am sure they are trying to look “down and in.”

      It must be a conspiracy indeed!

      Tell me, where does one get lightweight camis? Without looking like it’s lingerie? I am stuck with simple tanks which I am finding a bit hot and bulky in the summer months.

      Designers – get a grip on necklines, will you?

      • Interrobang

        Let’s not assume one neckline is universally flattering, darlings. Whatever the media says about “real women,” we come in all shapes and sizes, and there are millions of As and Bs–not just DDs.

        Leave the conspiracy allegations for the John Birch society re: fluoridated water, shall we?

        • Kimbo

          I don’t think anyone is saying one neckline is universally flattering. In fact, KelliJ specifically said that this style is not flattering for her. And Emily specifically reference two different body types.

        • dr

          Can we detect humor in printed text? I mean really, saying there’s a “conspiracy” to sell camis has GOT to be funny.

          We all have our unique clothing needs. This forum ought to be a place where we can support each other if/when we have successfully addressed someone’s similar need.

          Let’s not take our commentary so seriously gals..it is fashion, not national security, law, or politics. O.K., I’m going to have to start using emoticons to be sure I’m understood. :)

          Must be why my professional group and malpractice coverage frowns on internet “appointments,” you just don’t have facial expressions and intonation.

          • dr

            nope…but curious as to the “countess” notion…? See, I can’t read “intonation” in print :(

          • dr

            JessC – thanks for the clarification; I don’t watch any “fictional” television nor the “reality shows” which technically straddle fiction and non-fiction :)

      • Shayna

        I like Old Navy’s… they usually have a few different varieties that are pretty basic and in different colors.

      • Kimbo

        I feel too old to shop there, but I get basic camis from BP at Nordstrom (the juniors’ department). My mom loves the Old Navy ones, but the straps are way too long on me. (The only ones I’ve ever seen there with adjustable straps have built-in-bras, which I hate.)

        • Shayna

          I hate the built in bras as well (an extra layer of fabric and strip of elastic is not going to support my chest) — they have various styles without though. I have a few with wider straps (which I like), as well as some spaghetti strapped (but w/out the built in bra).

        • Anonymous

          Not true! I have a bunch from ON with adjustable straps and no bra. Try looking online if you can’t find them in store.

          • Kimbo

            Anon, I didn’t say none of them there had those features, I said the ones I’ve seen. Since I’m pretty sure you don’t know what I’ve seen, you can’t accurately say that my statement is, “not true!” I’ve looked online; the adjustable strap ones I’ve seen have built-in bras. Maybe we have a different definition of what a camisole is.

          • Kimbo

            Oh, I should note that I need fully adjustable straps on the Old Navy ones, not the half adjustable ones. I’m not knocking Old Navy (I love their basic tees). Their camis just don’t work for me.

          • Kimbo

            Also, anono, didn’t you just suggest that we should simply ignore comments we find annoying? Perhaps you should take your own advice!

          • ANON.Y.MOUS

            I think anonymous was just trying to give you helpful advice, not impugn your honesty.

          • Kimbo

            Gee, ANON.Y.MOUS, it’s a good thing I have you around to tell me that, I never could have figured it out on my own! I know she was trying to be helpful, but it came off as patronizing to me.

        • RR

          Ditto! I don’t know if it’s a weird thing about my body, but ON camis/tanks without adjustable straps really want to land under my chest altogether. The straps are insanely long on me.

        • v

          Yeah, I buy the Old Navy ones and then shorten the straps myself, which is a pain but otherwise they work really well for me.

          • Lola

            I almost hesitate to jump into this conversation, but cutting out the built-in bras often works for me.

    • Anon

      Oh man WHERE are you finding high-neckline dresses (that aren’t also mini dresses)? I feel like all I find are low scoops or v-necks.

      • KelliJ

        I’ve seen quite a few high necklines at Norstrom and bluefly.com. Not sure about the length though.

    • AN

      KelliJ: Bateau necklines like this one would work fine too. (I have a similar chest measurement). Just give it a try!

    • Kimbo

      Me, too! The shade of pink looks like a great color! (I recognize that it wouldn’t work for some offices, but it would be great for mine.)

  15. anono

    OK, I’m going to be eaten alive for saying this, but: that dress is terribly unflattering to the model’s stomach. It’s probably how they have it clipped to try to nip in the waist or something, but it is just not working for me. When I first saw the picture, I thought Kat had posted a maternit dress. Its pooching and weirdly wrinkled and has that smiling crease thing that happens when someone squeezes themselves into a skirt a size too small. Please note – I do not think the model is fat.

    • Experienced

      Ohhh, good point. My mom taught me a trick many years ago that still serves me well: put your finger over the pretty model’s face. Now decide if you think the dress is still attractive. Lots of creasing on the pretty model.

    • Little Lurker

      anono, I was thinking the same thing!

      A good rule of thumb I’ve learned from knitting books: if the model is standing in an uncomfortable way that doesn’t let you see the whole garment, there’s a good chance there’s something wrong with it, ie it only looks good from that angle.

      I don’t know WHAT to think about a dress that looks bad on a thin model! Didn’t anyone notice that before they published the photo?

      • Experienced

        Great tip, LL. I’ve gotten very picky about fit, finding that it will just sit in my closet if there is something off at the get-go.

    • Suze

      That’s what I thought too – it looks like a maternity thing, and the model is not fat and probably not pregnant. I guess it’s the clipping/nipping or whatever, but it just doesn’t look like a good fit. Generally if it looks weird on/doesn’t flatter the model, it is not going to look better on a regular woman.

      • Suze

        And I just looked at the ‘alternate view’ – a different model – and it STILL looks like a maternity thing. If it makes the model look pregnant, well, I dunno, BEING pregnant is one thing but LOOKING pregnant when you aren’t…not my fave.

    • dee

      I could be completely off here, but is it possible that the bad fit comes from the fact that the model is skinnier than average women? there may be some extra fabric there to accommodate those of us without a 23-inch waistline, and on the model, who probably does have said waist, it looks poofy. maybe on “normal” people it would look ok.

      • Ru

        I’m inclined to agree with you. In Kat’s original post, the person who sent in this dress said that it’s flattering on someone who doesn’t have an “ideal” stomach area.

    • PJB

      What about the model’s knees?? Her left knee is much lower than her right. I can’t figure it out.

  16. NYC

    Fantastic find. I need to get over to Talbots to see how the sizing works.

    Btw, I saw someone on the subway this morning wearing that AT tank that you featured in your sponsored post, with the gathered neckline. She must have thought I was nuts because I was STARING at it. It looked fabulous in person!!

  17. kjf

    I’m a redhead and love green. I don’t wear lots of dresses but I think this is adorable.

  18. PG

    Yeah, the dress does look wierd around the tummy area. Not a good look. also, it seems like they might have pinned the back on the model.

    • Emily

      I ordered it in black too. I figured, it’s a work-appropriate black dress with some interesting details and sleeves that will look great with a necklace or brightly-colored scarf, or tall heels in a bright color. What’s not to like?

      • jcb

        I have been wavering between the green and the black. Y’all may have tipped me towards getting the black … though my favorite heels in a bright color are a deep orange, which would be better with the green than with the black … so now I am back to indecision!

        • JessC

          Personally, I kind of love the orange. But I don’t think there’s anyway on earth I could wear it in an office without looking like a pumpkin.

  20. Ellie

    I am curious on my fellow Corporette’s thoughts on redheads wearing green. I think certain shades of green look great with my skin tone but sometimes I wonder if it comes across too costume-ish for a corporate environment. For example, I love this dress in green but am concerned that it will make me look like a leprachaun banished from the mythical realm for being too tall.

    • Interrobang

      Not at all, darling. It all depends on how you accessorize. If you fear looking like one of Darby O’Gill’s little people, may I suggest you leave the buckled green top hat and Pilgrim shoes at home?

      • Emily

        I think I would add some rich reddish-brown accessories (maybe a necklace of carved wood beads or amber stones) and shoes to tie the red hair and green dress together. It could be beautiful.

      • Shayna

        Too funny – both of you ;-) love the images…

        And I agree… wouldn’t wear it every day, but if it looks good and doesn’t have a slogan regarding beer or st. patrick’s day, go for it ;-)

    • Erin

      I’m a redhead, I wear bold colors on a daily basis and I often mix bright colors (bright blue top with coral sweater and silk scarf with both coral and blue elements, for example, and neutral bottom). So long as the overall look is polished and you don’t clash, there’s no reason not to.

      Some people have a better eye for color matching than others, but there are several blogs and websites that have done tutorials on how to pick out complementary colors (someone recommended this blog once: http://www.insideoutstyleblog.com/). And if you’re nervous about mixing colors, I’d pair the dress with a beige jacket or cardigan and skin-tone pumps. Or break up the solid green with a neutral belt.

      I do avoid matching colors that might make me look like I’m dressed according to a theme, though – so no red, white and blue unless it’s July 4th, no kelly green and white unless it’s St. Patrick’s Day, no orange and black, no red and green, etc. There’s no real reason why you shouldn’t pair these colors, but in my personal opinion these combos tend to look a bit costumey.

    • M in CA

      I have red hair, blue/green eyes and very fair skin. Years ago I wore a green shirt to work and my boss said “You look very Christmas-y today.” It was July. And I’m Jewish. “Christmas-y” was not the look I was going for. I was so much younger then and much more sensitive, and it took me years to wear green again. I was thinking of that very incident when I saw this dress … which I am now considering buying.

  21. Anonymous

    Green does look great on some redheads, but I think a redhead wearing green very frequently would be a mistake. In a corporate environment, this green dress is pretty strong – and I am using the word strong in a negative sense. The great thing about this dress is it would probably pack well and stay uncrushed on a hot humid day in, say, Atlanta.

    • AIMS

      I am actually not fond of anyone wearing any particular color too often. I don’t mean neutrals so much, but one woman at my work place has just about everything from ipod to trench in purple & wears something purple just about everyday. It’s, quite frankly, a bit much. I think once you’re done with high school, having a favorite color and getting *everything* in that color is just a bit juvenile, akin to decorating your office with all things *kittens*.
      So . . . green on redheads is great, I think, but just mix it up a bit & throw in some other great for redheads colors like blue, pink . . . and, um . . . purple.

        • AIMS

          It’s not an issue to me.
          I made an observation of how something may be perceived, based on my opinion.
          No different from any other observation based on any one else’s opinion.

      • Ru

        Hmmm, you brought up something interesting here. I love ALL shades of blue and because of that, I have a lot of blue clothing. Sometimes, I find myself wearing blue multiple times a week. I wonder if that comes across as juvenile. I’ve been trying to branch out to brown, green and purple more (and this dress would definitely help me in that effort!).

        • AIMS

          I don’t think that having a lot of shades of the same color, esp. if it’s such a basic color like blue, nec. comes off as juvenile.

          I just meant that some people dress/accessorize in way that just screams, “I heart RED/PURPLE/WHATEVER!!!” by having everything from their sticky pads to their socks be one color (and, often, one shade of that color). Didn’t mean to imply anything. I think if you’re worried about overdoing, you’re fine & if you’re not & dressed head to toe in hot pink, then you really wouldn’t care what someone else thought about it :)

          • Ru

            Gotcha. And as to the hot pink, I saw this woman walking in the street, who appeared to be in her mid-to-late-40’s, wearing a bright magenta shift dress with a leopard print cardigan where the base was cream and the leopards spots were the exact same bright magenta as the dress. She looked phenomenal and I was so jealous of her confidence in pulling that off in the work place =).

      • em

        Yeah, I don’t understand this. I have a red wallet, red car, favorite red peacoat, and up until recently a red blackberry (everything is darker, wineish red rather than bright candy apple red). I don’t wear red more than any other color, though, especially in the summer. What’s wrong with having my staples – that are not part of my outfit, except for the coat in late fall, which I would take off once inside anyway – in my favorite color? Is this really unprofessional?

        • anon

          No it is not “unprofessional”. This is just another example of the constant judging that takes place here.

          • AIMS

            First of all, I never said unprofessional.

            Second, I don’t think that having some accessories in a certain color is a big deal or in any way a problem, and did not mean to imply that (I have a red umbrella & red ipod. . . )

            I don’t think the problem is the “judging that takes place here.”

            I think what does take place here is a lot of people taking things way too personally & often out of context (the context, here, being a comment about redheads wearing green frequently).

      • Amanda

        And now I’m worried about the fact that my new handbag is purple, and so is my winter coat. I also have a lot of purple clothing, even though my favorite color is teal.

      • Shayna

        Some of us are definitely more ‘chromatically focused’ than others… that’s my mom’s term for me – I love the color orange. It doesn’t look great on me, so I don’t wear it often, but I do have an orange umbrella, orange bath towels (white bathroom, so it looks fun, not ridiculous), orange sweater and jacket for my dog, orange IPod, and yes, I usually use orange highlighters. As a child, my mom was awesome enough to get to pre-school super early so that out of the classroom of red chairs, I could have one of the two orange ones :-)

        It’s just the color I gravitate toward ;-) Nothing wrong with that

      • anon

        I’m guessing half the readership (including me) has the signature color black.

        • Louise

          I happened to walk through the toy department of a big-box store today, and saw a line of Barbie’s called Barbie Basic. Four or five dolls, all dressed in little black dresses. And the packs of add-on shoes and accessories were all-black with touches of silver

          I shamefully admit that I thought it was kind of awesome. The dresses were really cute and the shoes quite varied and fun.

          I will note that it would not have worked nearly as well if it was all in purple…

      • Delta Sierra

        AIMS – I, for one, understand what you mean about the all-purple, all-whatever-colour business. If you wear a lot of red, say, fine. But some people make a fetish of it, and it can be annoying.

        • Sarah

          I know that this, like, automatically disqualifies me for membership here, but on Rock of Love Bus, there was a pink bus and a blue bus, and maybe 60% of the girls who chose the blue bus chose it because they didn’t want to share a bus with the type of girl who would make a big deal about being on the pink bus. So I think I agree? Sort of? By way of Bret Michaels?

      • SR

        Wow AIMS – That’s crazy because I know a woman who only wears purple. She has all shades of purple and wears it everyday (even purple jewelry) from head to toe (except for her hair of course).

        • Lucy

          I think purple, more than other colors, has a total cult. MY ex’s mother wore purple almost exclusively & had several friends that did the same.

    • Lola

      I think cooler colors look good on women with fairer skin – green tends to bring out blue or green/hazel eyes. I wouldn’t consider red hair as an impediment to wearing this dress in green.

  22. Clerky

    I love everything about this dress — except that it is from Talbot’s. Their dresses always look like sacks on me, with no nipping in the waist at all. It’s too bad because this dress is lovely.

  23. SS

    I love this but have never shopped at Talbots. I’m usually a 6 in Banana Republic dresses, a 4 in Calvin Klein, and somewhere in between at J. Crew. Any tips on what size I should order in? I am 5’4 and about 125 lbs.

    • Clerky

      We’re roughly the same size (I’m 5’5, about 120 pounds), but see my message above. My experience is that Talbots dresses are really, really boxy. I have an hourglassish figure and Talbots dresses do nothing for me. The XS was swimming on me.

      • SS

        Thanks. I am actually a bit thicker through the middle so Talbots clothes might work for me!!! Maybe I’ll order an XS and S and can always return.

    • lawDJ

      I’d say likely a 4, but if you’re unsure and like the dress, order two sizes and return one at a store (assuming there’s one near you). I haven’t had the same experience of boxiness with Talbots dresses, I think it depends on the dress.

    • SF Bay Associate

      Yes, Talbots is boxy, but I am always a little confused when Talbots threads turn to “cute, but too boxy, won’t buy.” If you like the fabric, and generally like the cut of the dress except for the lack of waist, get it tailored! Depending on how the dress is constructed, it’s pretty easy and inexpensive to nip in the waist (princess/side seams are best for tailoring, not an across-the-waist seam, which is a lot more work and expense). I’ve altered several dresses from Talbots with great success for about $15 each.

      • Clerky

        You raise a good point. I guess I’m not a big fan of tailoring something that is already expensive. For $100, I can get a dress on sale at Nordstrom that fits me really well without any tailoring. But I do like the style of this dress a lot, so it’s worth considering.

    • Emily

      I ordered this and it comes in S/M/L sizing – I guessed and ordered a Petite Small. I’m 5’1″ and about 120 lbs. We’ll see what happens.

  25. ANON.Y.MOUS

    Yikes, people on this site over the past few weeks seem to have been at each others throats! Maybe its the summer heat, but ladies, can we all agree to stop sniping and snarking at each other??

    • anon

      We’ve been on this site together for a while; maybe we’ve started cycling together? :-) <= note happy emoticon!

      • Louise

        Oo, can you tell? I was definitely PMSing in the last couple of days.

        Where was that thread with the discussion about how to carry tampons from your desk to the ladies room without all your coworkers noticing? :-)

    • Delta Sierra

      IMO, some people are a little too eager to willfully read ill intent into what’s written. It’s a comment on a blog, people, not a para in my PhD dissertation, so although I’m going to take reasonable care structuring what I write, I’m not going to spend all day making sure I get my intonation spot on.

      • Little Lurker

        Especially when you can’t ever be sure about intonation on the Internet anyway…

        Sheesh. Except for the open weekend threads, at this point I’m basically lo0king for my favorite commenters and (ruefully) ignoring the rest.

        (And I haven’t even been trashed like most of the regulars!)

        • Lucy

          Folks just seem very defensive. It’s actually kind of sad, because I think it feeds into a certain stereotype about women, bickering & the like.
          I, for one, try to read everyone’s comments in the best possible way b/c I think — we’re all at work, busy, taking a break & whatever we write is not meant to be taken personally (and when it is personal, as in comments toward a certain more unorthodox poster I think it’s, frankly, just disgusting & I make a note to disregard those people, too). Anyway, don’t take everything as directed at you personally, ladies. It’s not meant that way.

  27. KM

    Thread jack — and also a product rave, so I’m sorry in advance but I’m obsessed! I picked up some of the Colgate wisps (the little one use toothbrush thing) the other day and they are amazing. I wish the mint gel was a little more toothpaste like but it gets the job done. Perfect for after lunch.

  28. Andrea

    Hey – my name is Andrea and I work at Naturalizer shoes. I absolutely love shoes and clothes! And I am in LOVE with that dress! Great pick!

    • Ru

      Oh man, and things were just settling down after we finally shoo-ed away glambassador.

      • Cat

        Ha – at least this time it is easy to identify the brand behind it – it took several threads before glam revealed the mag affiliation.

        Or maybe Easy Spirit is trolling to divert sales from Naturalizer after seeing the glambassador treatment!

    • anon

      OMG, I love shoes and clothes too! How totally awesome!!! LOLOLOL. I can’t wait to buy your product!!!

      By the way, people on this site like your brand and I’ve seen it recommended a number of times – but I’m going to guess that will stop now.

    • Little Lurker

      Oh man, I hate shoes and clothes. That’s why I frequent a blog site about them –so I can unleash all my issues on unsuspecting readers!

      :-p

  29. AnneCatherine

    Just got an email from Talbots: free shipping on orders over $125, as posters above mentioned, but also, buy one sale or outlet item online, get the second sale or outlet item 50% off (they have their “outlet” online under “Sale”—it is then split into “Sale” and “Outlet”).

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions