Tuesday’s TPS Report: Milly Jacquard Chain Cardigan
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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
Sales of note for 4/18/25:
- Nordstrom – New spring markdowns, savings of up to 50%!
- Ann Taylor – 40% off + extra 15% off your entire purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – 50%-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 10% off new womenswear
- The Fold – 25% off selected lines
- Eloquii – extra 40% off all sale
- Everlane – Spring sale, up to 70% off
- J.Crew – Spring Event: 40% off sitewide + extra 40% off all sale
- J.Crew Factory – 40%-70% off everything + extra 20% off orders over $125
- Kule – Lots of sweaters up to 50% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Earth Day Sale, take 25% off eco-conscious fabrics. Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Rothy's – Final few – Up to 50% off last chance styles; new favorites added
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- I'm fairly senior in BigLaw – where should I be shopping?
- how best to ask my husband to help me buy a new car?
- should we move away from DC?
- quick weeknight recipes that don’t require meal prep
- how to become a morning person
- whether to attend a distant destination wedding
- sending a care package to a friend who was laid off
- at what point in your career can you buy nice things?
- what are you learning as an adult?
- how to slog through one more year in the city (before suburbs)
Interesting, but if it wasn’t from Revolve Clothing/Milly I would just call it frumpy — Having ovals line a cardigan is hardly novel or interesting… especially not for $235, and dry clean only!
Not just dry clean only — material is 71% viscose 27% poly 2% lurex. There’s an extra digit in that price.
Ooh good call! Definitely overpriced in addition to frump-tastic then!
sorry, what do you mean by this?
Yuck! I’m all for nautical/preppy chic, and Milly does some nice pieces, but this is definitely not among them. If it’s not cashmere or a nice print/interesting detail, there’s no way I would ever pay $235 for a sweater.
If directed to me — what I mean is that the synthetic fabric (viscose plus the other stuff) is not worth such a high price tag. I would expect better quality fabric at that price point.
Eh…
Another navy cardi. Too boring for the price.
But always looking forward to tomorrow!
I really dislike nautical-themed clothing. I am not sure if this qualifies 100 percent, but the chain-link and the navy color make me think so. I agree it is way overpriced.
There is something nautical-esque about it – Not sure if its the color combo or the pattern or both, but I agree with your take!
This sweater made me think of this boden jacket, which has sort of a similar look but that I actually like:
http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Womens-Coats-Jackets/Jackets/WE253/Womens-Ribbon-Trim-Jacket.html?NavGroupID=2
Also, half the price for natural fibers. Don’t know if it’s too casual for work for some environments, but it would work for mine.
Very cute! Although if the point is to stay warm I’m not sure that would do it, but I do love the structure.
That Boden jacket is so much better than today’s pick! Good call.
I like today’s pick a lot, but I also love this jacket! This might be my first Boden purchase.
Love this. Much cuter than the sweater.
Just bought this in the navy, bc I already have 2 brown jackets, but I liked the taupe better. Do y’all think the striped ribbon in the navy is too much? The polka dotted ribbon with the taupe seems a little less loud.
Language rant:
I hate that McDonalds has singlehandedly forced “I’m loving…” and “we’re loving…” into the vernacular as a replacement for the perfectly good “I love…” etc.
Rant end. Go about your business.
Why? “I’m loving” implies a more transient state and is therefore a useful construction, I think.
I agree, I think the only problem is they changed it to “i’m lovin'”
I love implies it is something permanent, you love this sweater, you have loved this sweater, you will love this sweater. I’m loving… is something you love at this moment (for instance, Tuesday)
It never occurred to me to think that “I’m loving” was a McDonald’s reference. It’s a perfectly acceptable verb tense (I’m rusty, but present participle?) that I have heard before it was a marketing ploy by McDonald’s…
Present progressive. Grammar Girl has a good explanation of the phrase on Quick and Dirty Tips.
Thanks! I’m still working my way through Grammar Girl. I’m loving her book. :)
I hate when perfectly good phrases are subverted by pop culture is less than circumspect manners — for example, I actively avoid the word ‘situation’ after that Jersey Shore tv show/travesty.
Then you’ll be lovin’ the Grammar Girl podcast (and webpage, and books). She’s fun and as hip as a grammar nut can be. I’m a huge fan.
I’m currently reading The Grammar Devotional. I have a couple hundred podcasts that I’ve never gotten to (hanging my head in shame…)
Anyone ever try the food delivery services like NuKitchen, Ediets, Zone Manhattan? Can anyone recommend a service in Manhattan? Thanks.
The NYT just had a story on this!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/dining/05diet.html?scp=1&sq=food%20delivery&st=cse
Hi Ladies,
Sorry for the hijack but a question for the attorneys out there: How did you know when it was time to jump ship from biglaw? I’m a 4th year attorney getting very frustrated at the lack of experience, unpredictability/cancelled vacations and crazy hours for crazy hours sake (do they honestly think that young attorneys’ minds work best between 10pm and 2am?). Also is it worth waiting around for the bonus this year? I would love to hear thoughts from this group!
Props to you for lasting that long. I’d say it is time to jump ship when you can afford to. As a fourth year, assuming you’ve been managing your money well, you certainly fall into that category.
I’m a 4th year too, and I’m bailing at the end of the month, though I don’t have a job lined up. I dealt w/ serious depression for years when I was young, and the job has really caused it to return. Besides the general sadness, I am constantly fatigued and physically worn. That’s when I knew it was time.
K – I’ve been there. Getting out now is the best thing you can do for yourself. Don’t worry if it takes time — after I left, it took me longer than I would have expected to come out of the depression I faced while at my old job. Hang in there and know you are doing the right thing for yourself! :)
If the list of things you don’t like about your job is longer than the list of things you do like, it’s time to jump ship.
I think you’re there. The only caveat is you should move when A) you can afford it, or B) when it’s taking a serious toll on you’re physical or mental health even if you can’t.
What are your plans? Government? In-house? Something completely different?
I’m a 9th year or something (I think partnership track in this economy is like 19 years or so….) in BigLaw. I still love it more than I hate it, so I’m still here. I think when you can’t find days that you love what you do it’s time to find something else to do. If you are hating it as a 4th year, you are going to be hating it as a 7th year (or a 9th year). I still really loved my job as a 4th year (pre-kids, which may have been part of it). While I’m not at that level anymore, I still know this is where I want to be.
So glad that you wrote this, RR. I’m super happy in BigLaw and all of my friends think I’m crazy. I sometimes work ridiculous hours, but there are also days when I roll in at 11 am because I don’t have much to do. I love that flexibility. My firm also offers a part time program and I plan to take advantage of it when I have kids. It’s nice to hear that not everyone is miserable in BigLaw.
Definitely not everyone is miserable. Sure, we all have complaints, but I fundamentally love what I do. So the really good days, the really high highs, the real adrenaline-pumping moments of litigation, generally make up for the losses, the jerk opposing counsel who calls you honey, and the partners with unreasonable expectations.
That is my take, too. I am also a 9th year in BigLaw (similarly on the 20-year partnership track, it seems) and I love my area of practice and the increased responsibility you get when you hit about the 7th year mark. I wouldn’t say that if you are hating it as a 4th year you are going to be hating it forever – I was hating it when I was a third year, for sure.
I actually have a great method that helped me decide to switch firms when I was a 3rd year – I got a paper monthly calendar and marked it with a big red X each day that I found myself sitting at my desk thinking “I effing hate this job.” Sounds silly, but seeing it on paper gives you the tangible proof you need to move on. For me, it soon became glaringly obvious that something had to be done – about 80% of the time I was hating it.
Anyway, instead of leaving BigLaw, I thought long and hard about my practice area and instead made a lateral move into a group that focused more on things that I liked doing (and that I thought I would like doing, but never had the chance to try at my first firm). It was the best move I could have made. The new firm’s culture was so much more positive, it was such a better fit, and the people in my new group were fantastic mentors and friends. The new focus of my practice was so much more up my alley. It could well be that you are just stuck in a firm with a negative culture working for inconsiderate tools. I guess the long and short of it is don’t assume that all BigLaw is the same and let a particularly jerky bunch overly influence your choices. I don’t know that your practice area is, but if you can retool yourself a bit, it can be worth it.
By the way, you’re at the best phase of you’re career to jump now. 4-5 years out you’re basically trained and easy for a new firm to pick up (low investment in training) for maximum profit. Don’t wait until after year 7 when you start to look like you’re leaving because you’re not succeeding…
Seconded….
Depends which ship you want to jump into. Keep in mind that small law (in many markets) involves just as many hours with half the salary (or less).
In my case — it was time when the right next step landed in my lap. I had been unhappy for some time but looked only casually. Then the right position (gov’t) lined up and fell into place, so I took it.
What do you want to do next? Another firm? Big/small? In-house? Gov’t? Academia? Something else? If you can look around without jeopardizing your current job, then do it … you have the luxury now of looking for just the right thing, not feeling internally pushed to just get. out. now.
And yeah, I hear you on the 10 pm – 2am thing. There are plenty of nights where I *knew* I wasn’t producing high-quality work b/c my brain had stopped working X hours ago (and no, heading out and coming back refreshed wasn’t an option in those cases).
But what do you do when the right next step isn’t falling in your lap? I’ve been in biglaw over 6 years now and trying to get out for the past 3. I would absolutely love to work for the government or in house somewhere. But as a litigator in NY, who doesn’t want to be a DA, there are really few government or in-house options. Everyone wants lawyers who specialize in corporate M&A or IP or securities and not just a general litigator. So while I tried to jump ship at the right time 4th-5th year, the economic collapse intervened and dried up most of those options. And now that I can tell I am “aging out” of biglaw as a rising 7th year, I’m starting to panic. Any suggestions?
What kind of litigation are you doing? Can you skill build in an additional practice area? In-house is always a tough option for lit, other than insurance, becasue you aren’t actually doing much trial work usually, instead you are managing company litigation. But the market is picking up, but you might need to move….
Move to DC. Several branches of Main Justice are hiring.
All of the above, and having a sit down and plan session as to what I wanted in my career. You have to manage your career, and any job you take, you should be able to identify what your objectives are for the position, and how they get you to where you want to be. I’d caution you not to jump into the next position blindly. What do you want to do – government? In-house? Solo? Small or med-law? No-law? What skills do you need to make yourself marketable in your next job? Have you developed them? Can you develop them where you are? once you know where you want to go, start working towards either getting what you need to be successful there, or simply getting there if you feel you’ve developed what you can at big-law.
As for bonus? Are you on track? If so, match the time left with the time you think it will take you to get another job. It used to be that the number of months for your job search time line roughly matched up with your years of experience, ie…. 4 years of experience = 4 months to find a new gig, but in this market, I’d double that. But no bonus is worth your piece of mind, and if the right job comes along, you can always try to either negotiate your start date, or negotiate a signing bonus to make up for your bonus, or to at least cushion the blow. Good luck!
Thanks everyone for the input!! I think it is time to leave. I don’t think I’m depressed but I dislike (verging on hating) most days in the office, which can often be six to seven days a week. And then I’m in a grumpy mood for the hours that I am home. Bad situation for everyone involved.
I’m planning on heading to another firm. Its not private practice that I dislike, its the particular brand of crazy and fear in my biglaw office/department. I can afford to take a significant salary cut, but I don’t want to work for 1/4 of the pay for 2/3s of the work. (Yes, I am on track for the bonus, but I just don’t think its worth it at this point.) I’m optimistic that I can find the right fit if I just give it time. And I refuse to believe that every shop is as toxic as my current workplace. Thanks again for the advice and best of luck to everyone job-searching out there!
Threadjack. Has anyone bought bags on Ebay? I am normally wary, but there is a bag I love and have not been able to afford and have been stalking for months hoping to find a sale, and I found a “used – excellent condition, no marks” bag in the color I wanted on Ebay and it looks like I could get it for well under the price of buying it new. I have never bought a designer bag, and am wondering what I need to be wary of. The sale ends in about 3 hours, btw, so I probably should have asked this last night…
the only thing i would be wary of is fakes. is your bag often faked?
if it’s designer, i would post it on purseforum:
http://forum.purseblog.com/ and then go to “authentic this threads” and see if the designer is there. if so, you can either post the bag or search to see if someone’s already posted it.
you can also check the seller’s feedback, etc.
Thanks!
Highly recommend The Purse Forum, highly dislike scoundrel ‘authentication’ services like My Poupette who used to authenticate for a fee, but now just take your money and never respond to your inquiry.
I’ve purchased vintage designer bags through eBay, but only when I was 100% satisfied of authenticity (good seller will include original box, dust bag, authenticity card, etc.) Learn everything you can about the bag before you buy on eBay, and always look at seller feedback.
What’s “well under” the price of new? Is it a designer brand that ever goes on sale? Does the seller have good ratings and reviews? Do they sell other designer type stuff? Do they guarantee authenticity? Do they take returns? To me all those things would matter.
I haven’t bought a designer bag on ebay but I’ve bought many things over the years, some designer, some not, including shoes and clothing. If I saw a bag that never goes on sale for >40% off regular price with a seller that had good ratings and sold this type of item, I would definitely consider it. Especially if you pay with Paypal and make sure the description is very clear about what it IS and ISN’T describing (such as “no marks, tears, blemishes, etc.”).
Search for “completed listings” as well, to see if that bag has been sold on ebay already and for how much.
Thanks! Well under = the current bid is at 50% of the original price, I’d probably max at about 2/3 of the original price. The seller has extensive and nearly perfect feedback. They do guarantee authenticity but they don’t accept returns generally. My main concern is that there aren’t many pictures. I emailed to ask for more, but with only a few hours remaining I’m not sure they’ll get back to me.
Um, the above was from me, not from Eponine, who is my housemate :).
Keep in mind that a very low price is a red flag. If it’s 60% off retail, it’s probably not Chanel/Hermes/LV/etc., sister.
Please, don’t drop a couple large–let alone a couple hundred–if the seller hasn’t even sent the additional photos you asked for.
I am overly cautious, but I would definitely not buy from a seller with less than 100% positive feedback.
I think there is a lot of fakes on e-bay (just search tiffany, & see what I mean). So I would be careful of that, mainly. I think you can usually get a good feel for the seller based on their ratings/buyer feedback.
I am sometimes less inclined to buy certain items from huge mass sellers. . . To me there is a difference between, for instance, someone putting up various handbags/other items they’ve run out of use for on e-bay for some extra cash & someone who makes their living doing this — I would be reluctant to buy something from someone who has 100 Louis Vuitton items for sale, e.g. But for books, etc., I would be fine with buying from someone who had let’s say 100o transactions. For used clothing/bags I would think it a bit strange with lots of designer items. But that’s just my thinking — I could be very wrong, my ebay experience is limited.
Avoid anything shipped from overseas. If the seller is in Thailand, I guarantee that the bag is a fake.
Bonnie
That’s a really sweeping generalisation! What makes you think that no one outside the US puts genuine designer bags up for sale?
It’s a generalization but it’s the truth, unfortunately. No one I know has bought a designer item on eBay from an overseas seller and had it turn out to be authentic. I would especially be wary of sellers with feedback in the thousands – it is just not that likely they are doing hundreds of transactions a month with hard-to-get authentic designer items.
I have bought many bags off eBay and my best advice is to look at the seller very carefully, more carefully than the item. Sellers who are selling authentic items do not usually move a lot of volume – they may only have 20 or so items listed at a time. They don’t usually have multiples of the “it” bag listed. They will have the items others mentioned – retail tags, dust bag, box, etc. IN THE PICTURES in the listing (not just mentioned in the listing). I have gotten some of my best deals from sellers who did not just sell accessories, but were selling all kinds of things from their own household. I got a real Hermes scarf a few years ago for $125 from a woman who had gotten it as a gift from her ex-husband and had never worn it. There are sellers out there who sell things they bought and didn’t like or carried for a little while and got sick of, but they generally don’t have feedback in the tens of thousands, and they’re also very likely to be selling other things like clothes, toys, etc. You want to be very careful buying from sellers who are trying to move a lot of units on eBay. There are just not that many authentic designer goods available at a wholesale price point low enough that the seller can knock a couple thou off the listing price. My dad taught me two essential truths in life: if you have to ask, it’s too expensive; and if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
My husband bought me a Kate Spade that was lovely. You want to do a little research to spot real vs. fake, but mine was exactly as described and pictured.
I have bought a number of Coach and Longchamp bags on eBay, both new and EUC (excellent used condition). I would recommend sticking to sellers located in the U.S. who disclose their locations, have over 100 feedbacks, and have 99% or better positive feedback. My strong preference is to purchase from a seller that has the receipt/tags/storage bag/original box, etc. I always pay via Paypal so that I can dispute the charge if the item shows up and does not appear authentic. eBay also has dispute resolution procedures you can use if you are not satisfied.
Do not hesitate to ask questions about an item, but realize that you may not get an answer before the sale ends if you wait until the last day. If you ask questions with three days left and do not get a response (and the seller has not stated on the posting that they are out of town, etc.), I would not make the purchase because this is a sign that the vendor will be a slow shipper with poor communication. Good vendors always are happy to provide more photos, measurements, etc.
I have had great luck and gotten some amazing bargains (30 to 40% of retail in a couple cases!) on both new and mint bags (and don’t even get me started on the eBay bargains on watches and jewelry). Happy shopping!
Thanks all for the feedback! I decided not to bid on the bag because the seller replied to my message but did not include any additional photos, which I’d requested. I therefore assume it’s a fake. I’ll definitely take all your advice the next time I consider Ebay, though.
I have bought several mid-range designer bags on Ebay (a few Kate Spades, a Marc by Marc Jacobs, bags in that range). I have never had a problem, but I’ve only bought bags with detailed pictures of various parts of the bag. And I agree with the suggestion to check out a website that tells you know to tell if a bag is a fake or not. Sometimes the differences in pictures are very small. Good luck with your bidding!
Thread hijack, last night I found a hole is another cotton top near where the button is on my jeans. After ruining a couple of tops, I thought I had determined it was a specific pair of jeans, and moved them to the back of the closet, but now I have another ruined shirt. Has anyone else run into this problem? What causes and is there a fix?
Guessing it’s a friction issue — do you stand and rest your stomach against a countertop (when cooking maybe)? A top layer (commonly worn coat?) may be the culprit if it rubs a weird way when you walk.
on a few of my best-loved pairs of jeans, the belt loop on my left hip is threadbare because I always carry my totes on my left arm :)
Thanks, I will be more conscious of potential friction and see if that could be it.
I was finding mystery holes in cotton tops, and was afraid it was moths – but never saw a moth. Then my friend mentioned that she’d had the same problem and figured out that it was her dog’s claws! That was totally the problem for me, too. Do you have a cat/dog? I just live with the tiny holes now and get the dry cleaner to patch the bigger ones (she does great, cheap reweaving). There are worse things.
I have 2 cats, will explore that possibility…
Thanks
This happened to me in law school a lot and I finally figured out it was because I would sit on the couch with a heavy book in my lap to read, and the corner of the book hit me right where the holes were (in the center of my shirt, near the bottom hem). Fortunately, since it was law school, most of the time I just ruined cheap T-shirts…
Back to the sweater, I would not want a sweater that is part poly. I would not pay a lot for a sweater unless it is cashmere (or hand-made).
I hate cashmere.
Ha! I want to marry cashmere.
Cashmere sweaters get me thru Chicago winters, I have accumulated a collection since moving here.
I would encase everything I own in cashmere if I could.
Yes. I have a pair of cashmere “sweats” that are amazing.
Nothing better, except maybe silk lined cashmere.
Hee hee – reminds me of George Costanza’s “If it was socially acceptable I would wrap myself in velvet.”
Jones New York had a bunch of chain-print things from last season (or maybe 2 seasons ago) that this reminds me of, and they cost a lot less.
Couldn’t imagine paying over $100 for any cardigan, let alone $235 for something made of poly/viscose blend.
Hijack: Does anyone have suggestions for stylish, summery pumps with closed toes and heels between 2 and 3 inches?
I haven’t been able to find any good office shoes this summer and have taken to alternating between two pairs of classic black pumps. Am looking for something in a lighter neutral or a good color.
So many shoes seem to be open/peep toe right now (and sky high heels).
Thanks!
I tried to post this before & it didn’t work, but trying again (sorry if duplicate)
How about something along these lines:
http://www.6pm.com/cole-haan-air-miranda-pump-pumice-leather-black-heel
http://www.6pm.com/circa-joan-david-marietta-ivory-multi-leather
http://www.6pm.com/bcbgeneration-stela-tapioca-patent
http://www.6pm.com/cole-haan-ada-air-low-pump-nougat-patent
http://www.6pm.com/product/7638275/color/234925
http://www.6pm.com/elie-tahari-annie-clay
http://www.6pm.com/elie-tahari-vickie-clay
Check out 6pm.com
They have lots of low heeled pumps in light colored neutrals, beige & gray. There’s a cute Cole Haan pair (the Miranda?) that I almost ordered that you might like. The nice thing with them is you can search by color. I’ve def seen a few cute options there when I was on a similar search a while back.
I’ll check it out; thanks!
Do we need to start worrying about product placement advertising on this blog now that Corporette has gone public? Corporette, would you consider posting a complete list of advertisers?
I thought that’s what the L-# at the end of a post was supposed to do? I agree that clarity on this topic would be welcome.
This helps clarify, but I agree, I’d prefer not to have to search to see whether or not it was an affiliate or product placement link.
“In the spirit of full disclosure, though, we’re going to start disclosing in every post how many affiliate links are contained within that post with a brief notation: “L-3″ if there are three such links, “L-0″ if there are none. Usually it will be extremely obvious because there may only be a few links within a post (for example, a TPS report), but if it’s more complicated (such as in a “Hunt” feature or a sale round-up) then we’ll disclose, on this page, what is and isn’t an affiliate relationship.
If there are any other sort of sponsorship relationships — such as a sponsor-written post or tweet or whatnot — those will be clearly marked as such. Similarly, if we have received any review copies or press samples, we will disclose those as well.”
On topic, this sweater does not look high end to me. More like JC Penney. (Not to hate on JC Penney, but $235, come on!) Do. Not. Want.
burberry outlet Canadian retailers have less competition and are less productive than U.S. retailers, which could partly explain why prices in Canada are higher than in the U.S., the governor of the Bank of Canada says.