ByKat Hours Updated
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Tuesday’s TPS Report: Shadow Peony Jersey Dress

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Marc by Marc Jacobs Shadow Peony Jersey DressLove the muted, calming reds, blues and pinks of this Marc by Marc Jacobs dress. It's also a  great example, we think, of a dress that could be styled to be very hip for a date or cocktail party (as pictured, with messy hair and chunky, trendy shoes) — or dressed up for the office. For work, we'd pull our hair back neatly, add a long, opera-length gold chain, and perhaps a white, slightly longish blazer — boyfriend cut, maybe — and skin-toned, round-toed pumps with some height. It's $248 at Shopbop,available in sizes XS-L. Marc by Marc Jacobs Shadow Peony Jersey Dress Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2)

Sales of note for 3/21/25:

  • Nordstrom – Spring sale, up to 50% off: Free People, AllSaints, AG, and more
  • Ann Taylor – 25% off suiting + 25% off tops & sweaters + extra 50% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – $39+ dresses & jumpsuits + up to 50% off everything else
  • J.Crew – 25% off select linen & cashmere + up to 50% off select styles + extra 40% off sale
  • J.Crew Factory – Friends & Family Sale: Extra 15% off your purchase + extra 50% off clearance + 50-60% off spring faves
  • M.M.LaFleur – Flash Sale: Get the Ultimate Jardigan for $198 on sale; use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Buy 1 get 1 50% off everything, includes markdowns

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

131 Comments

  2. at 36″, it might be a leeeeeetle short.

    Question: I just bought a seersucker jacket. Now, what do I wear it with? Are there any color combinations I should steer clear of? (it’s a navy/dark gray stripe – it’s either one or the other but it’s hard to tell which). Can I wear it with other patterns?

    1. I’d wear it with pants/skirt that match the stripe, and then add a bright pop of color for the shirt.

      1. I should clarify – the pop of color should be solid. I’m picturing white/navy seersucker blazer, a navy skirt, and a bright red or kelly green plain, solid shirt underneath the blazer. **Ducks head and prepares for everyone to tell me how ugly this is.**

    2. For work or fun?

      I don’t like seersucker worn with other patterns for work (in other words, pants/skirt/dress with the same stripe), but I love the look of a seersucker blazer with dark skinny jeans for fun.

    3. I suggest you stick with pants or a tailored skirt in khaki, taupe, cream, even British khaki or olive drab. I discourage pairing with patterns or bright colors. You don’t want to look like a crazy quilt, darling.

    4. With an unsubtle pattern like seersucker, you should stick with solid colors and neutrals. Also, consider wearing it with your business-casual wardrobe rather than trying to make it work with pants or skirts made from other suiting fabrics– cotton twill or sateen will both work well.

      You could wear the blazer over a sheath dress– I would go for navy or white, although with white it could veer into cruise ship territory. It could also look great with a crisp white or light blue button-front shirt and khakis (pants or a skirt), maybe with a fun silk scarf.

  3. Very cute! As long as it fits longer on an average height person, which it probably does, I love it. I think maybe for work, I’d wear a black sweater/jacket to tone down the color a bit, but that’s just me.

    1. If it helps, I’m 5-8 and 36 inches hits me exactly where this dress hits the model. Too short for me to wear to work, but I like the cut/print of the dress otherwise.

      1. I’m 5’4″ and I’m 53″ from the top of the shoulder to the ground, so this would hit me just above the knee.

        I store my measurements at myshape.com, so I can refer to them for online shopping on other sites too. Highly recommend.

      2. Love the dress! I would love it even more if it were just 1-2″ longer…it would be OK standing (hit just above knee), but I hate wearing dresses that ride up to show even a bit of thigh when I sit:(

        Maybe I am just frumpy!

    2. With all these crazy-short hem lines recently, being short is becoming a very good thing!

  4. I like the sleeves on this dress, but I’m not sure about the shirring, and faux wrap of the skirt… sometimes shirring is great, but right acros the stomach makes the model look like she’s a little chubby… and I’m looking to hide my tummy, not point it out!

    1. Are we looking at the same pic? This does not make the model look even remotely chubby!!!!! :)
      I agree that shirring is sometimes dicey, but generally I think it would be fairly flattering & does more to disguise figure flaws than plain jersey across the front would otherwise.

      1. I’ve had one or two dresses with the shirring on the tummy and I didn’t think they made me look fat at all. The model certainly doesn’t look chubby either- her tummy looks completely flat.

    2. I think it might be her odd posing – its like she leaning back, sticking her stomach out, and then leaning to the side, and then twisting her neck back the other way.

        1. Sometimes I think that various commenters have personal body image issues that they then project onto the models/other women.

      2. It could be the pose… obviously I did not take several hours to study and analyze her – it was a fast look, and the impression I got was of a chubby tummy (yes, it is relative to her svelte size)… and if it made my eyes go to her stomach, I extrapolate to assume it would cling to my own, less svelte, stomach… which is simple logic.

      3. I don’t think she’s chubby at all, but the pose does highlight her stomach b/c of the weird curving thing. I understand what Shayna is saying – it clings and pooches in that area. No one actually thinks the model is fat!!!

        1. It does not pooch. It gathers. A fitted sheath, depending on the fabric, might cling even more. And darling, I don’t care what you have under there–12-pack abs, a dozen rolls, or a wall of Spanx–I’d rather see shirred fabric than your belly.

        2. I agree with s-k-s and Shayna, the shirring does draw attention to the model’s tummy in a way I would not want to draw attention to mine.

          1. I’m sorry, but the whole idea of pooching & the model looking chubby, etc., is just insanity.
            I feel like I am watching one of those eating disorder movies on Lifetime where the cheerleader is looking at herself in the mirror and thinks she’s fat when she’s really emaciated.
            Body dysmorphia much?
            Obviously, I cannot comment on individual posters (and would never do so), but the model looks skinny as all get out, and strategic ruching like this is pretty generally acknowledged as being flattering to disguise less than flat stomachs (like someone above said, better ruching than bulging & stomach folds, which I see through plain sheath dresses all the time).

  6. This does not speak to me. I actually find it to be ugly, but that’s just my personal preference and I’m clearly in the minority. I do think it may be too short for work.

    1. I also wonder if this isn’t one of those items that would look better on a real person than in the model photo?

    2. I agree with you. I love the style/cut of the dress, but the colors and print do look ugly to me too. Would love to see the same dress in a basic color.

      2. There’s something about this dress that keeps me looking in horrified fascination. I keep trying to discover what it is that’s “off”. Shrug.

        1. What makes it look weird to me is that the colors do not contast. Generally, on something printed, you see a background color. There is very little background showing through the print here, which makes it sort of all one giant flower jig-saw.

          I would like to see the flowers having a bit more of a contrasting element (such as an interior color, or a each flower being a different more contrasting color, or a background that contrasts). Instead, the whole dress is the same tone with little background contrast.

  7. I don’t know… I’m thinking this might give someone with breasts a “uniboob” look. I think I like it, but I really can’t decide if it’s ugly but still cute, or just a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitle too far on the ugly side (but barely). Hmm. This is a puzzle.

      1. Totally. I have a top of his that I inexplicably love, but I readily admit that it is possibly the ugliest top ever made. Some of my friends love it, some hate it.

  9. I love Kat’s description of the model’s hair as “messy”. This is what my hair looks like naturally, if I leave it down. I guess I’ll have to not leave it down for work . . . ever.

  11. I like the dress. Its a weekend look for me, but I work in a pretty conservative office.

    I can’t imagine how you would wear this dress with a blazer. I just do not get this jersey dress/blazer thing. Other than an actual suit dress, or a very basic structured sheath, I’ve never seen a dress blazar combo that works.

    1. Agree re the dress/blazer combo. Of course, I can’t understand the puzzlement over how to style a dress/cardigan combination, so maybe it’s just a matter of personal preference?

      This dress isn’t my personal style, but at 5’4 the length would probably be safe for me. The sleeves might be tricky on this one but look amenable to being neatly folded under the cardigan to avoid a big fabric mush. I’d wear it with a black cardi to tone down the print for work — I think either a snug fitting 3/4 sleeve cardi (hitting at high hip or so, with a few of the lower buttons buttoned) or, possibly, a belted boyfriend, would look best. Hard to tell without seeing the proportions on me. Shorter cardi could make the skirt look very 50s; boyfriend could look too severe.

    2. It would work well with one of Topshop’s shrunken or cropped-with-ruched-sleeves blazers.

    3. Agreed. If the dress in question isn’t a suit dress or structured sheath in a close-to-suiting fabric, I feel like the end result looks like the woman got cold at an outdoor function and her male companion graciously loaned her his jacket. Or she’s on a walk of shame.

  12. I can’t imagine how I would wear this dress in the office without it looking a bit “secretary”….Not very professional looking. Good for a weekend.

    1. Agree. I’m in a very business casual office, but without this covered up by a blazer/cardigan (and perhaps even then), this reminds me of something one of our interns would show up wearing, and I’d think, “hm, I guess it’s okay, but clearly she purchased it for some other event at school and is trying to repurpose it.”

  13. Cute dress, but can’t imagine wearing it to work.

    Anyone attend the Women in Law Empowerment Forum seminar in DC this morning? I was looking around wondering if there were any other Corporettes there! I thought it was a really good program.

    1. Nail, meet head. These outfits work for work if you work in the fashion or media in New York or Los Angeles, especially for the employer whose summer softball league tees not-so-many-years-ago were emblazoned with “We’re silently judging you.”

      1. What I don’t understand is that there is such a clear need in the market for real women ready to spend good money on work-wear, but none of the leading magazines appropriately address this need. Corporette is pretty much the only source I can rely on!

        1. It’s true. I was reading some magazine recently (Lucky, maybe?) and they did a feature on interview clothes, organized by field. While law was not included, the interview outfit for Finance (which does not strike me as that much more casual a field) was a mismatched light blue skirt & cream blazer combo. Fine for a Friday in the summer, but an interview???

          Even the newest pant suit trend hasn’t led to anything vaguely relevant being featured. I get that “our” clothes are maybe more boring for fashion editors, but jesus . . . that is one huge gap out there.

          1. Fashion magazines give the.worst. advice about what to wear on interviews. I remember reading a feature in Marie Claire a few years ago – they had a picture of a woman dressed in a very appropriate, if maybe a little overconservative, suit with a big circle with a line through it. Their “recommended” interview attire was a graphic tee under a shrunken blazer, a thigh-high mini, and strappy sandals. “Show you have a personality!” Um, probably better to do that with what you SAY and what you’ve DONE than what you’re WEARING when it comes to interviews.

          2. Sounds like the model in THAT picture was displaying ALL kinds of personality… ;)

    2. I think you need to take into consideration that not all women are working in ultra-conservative fields/offices where they would be required to wear suits and hose.

        1. But jd, you said that the majority of the outfits featured are not work appropriate. Actually a good number of them are, they are just not appropriate for the field that you are in and probably not for most of the women who post here.

          And come on, Glamour is a *fashion* magazine, it is not geared towards the interests of the high level professional woman. And that’s why there are so many women who have turned to Corporette.

          1. I think the gripe isn’t with glamour, but just with the fact that a Glamour or Vogue or whatever for the professional set just doesn’t exist. You have your teen fashion, your party fashion, your mom-casual fashion, the working girl at a creative environment fashion . . . but it’s not like there’s a WSJ pull out for people who have to wear a suit to work. It’s just frustrating.

          2. @ AIMS. Well–perhaps there is an entrepreneurial opportunity available for some corporettes? :)

          4. I think another issue with the fashion mags is that everything is about going out and socializing after work so the outift is supposed to serve both professional and social functions. I buy very few works clothes that would fit in both categories because the resulting outift is almost always in grey area territory (it’ll leave me wondering in front of the mirror if it’s ok to wear and then I end up changing because if I have to think about it that much, it probably isn’t ok for work). I do, however, have a lot of black dresses that can be used for both work and play, but that’s about it.

          5. it’s not just the clothes, it’s the suggestions that come with the clothes. I’m a fan of shirtdresses (although not the one in the slideshow particularly), but “Wear it a few times between washes for a casually sexy “I’m in my boyfriend’s work shirt” look” – really? Who exactly wants to project that image at work?

        2. Agree. I work in a biz casual place and I could easily wear the dress featured today. But with peeptoe/closed toe pumps and maybe pearls.

          Fashion mags think I should wear gladiator heels, large hoops in my ears and maybe a fancy barrette!!!

          That said, I find the younger ladies (30 and below) at work come dressed in anything from mini sweater dresses to strappy camis (no jacket)…

      2. I have a good friend in advertising and I’m sure she could wear any of the outfits in the slideshow to work. In fact, I think it’s encouraged in most creative fields to dress however you like and that includes during interviews.

        1. My cousin is an advertising exec and I am so jealous of everything she can get away with. I know, I know…we are obviously not the target market of Glamour. Sigh…

    3. Fresh jd – Agree with you that there are probably only 4-5 outfits I would wear in that slideshow and I would need to add something to cover up my shoulders and arms.

      Most of the dresses and skirt lengths they featured would ride up to mid-thigh at a conference table or my desk so that would be a big no-no for me (I’m 5’7″ and wear skirt and dress lengths that hit right above the knee).

      I’ve seen some poor choices this summer in DC – slits in the back of skirts that are way to high when moving around, the small “x” in the back slit not cut before wearing and gaping when you walk, and some skirts and dresses that are mid thigh with flipflops so with heels I can only imagine. There’s a reasons people refer to summer interns as “skinterns” – not a term I’d want to be identified with if I’m hoping for a job offer from the compay/ firm.

      I try to wear sheath dresses with bolder jewelry on Fridays so if I have a happy hour or dinner I can take my blazer/ jacket/ cardigan off. Still looks like I came from work, but it’s a bit more fun than wearing a full suit to post-work drinks.

      1. I’ve never heard the word “skinterns” before but now I’m going to try to use it in a sentence today :) Awesome!

        1. Anon – I should add I’ve seen some really great outfits put together as well with lots of bright colors mixed in with neutrals and more appropriate lengths for a conservative city (for work). They just seem to be few and far between. A lot of women are wearing unstructured shirt dresses and they look wrinkled and really casual to me – especially with the flimsy fabric belt. I love shirt dresses but usually save them for weekend bbqs or baseball games.

      2. “Skinterns” — love it.

        But seriously, I think articles like this are part of the reason why interns show up dressed inappropriately. There’s not a lot of guidance out there and if they’re young enough not to have worked in a high-level professional setting before, then they truly may not know.

        Also, note the article’s introductory sentences: “But what about that little hump called ‘the office’ that stands between you and the perfect on-the-town evening look?” Well, someone who sees going to work as the hump between morning and heading out at night, is likely to have a very different view of career progression than the average commenter here.

        1. RKS – I found that quote disturbing (and I am definitely not in the “live to work” camp) but to each his/ her own. And thank goodness for Corporette – I wish it had been around when I was interning and starting my career. I’ve made many a fashion blunder over the years because of a lack of guidance. I did have some excellent workshops in grad school on interview ettiquette/ prep and one of the modules was what to wear – it was helpful but didn’t go beyond the interview (I landed the job and was then struggling with what I should invest in for a work wardrobe).

        2. “Also, note the article’s introductory sentences: “But what about that little hump called ‘the office’ that stands between you and the perfect on-the-town evening look?” Well, someone who sees going to work as the hump between morning and heading out at night, is likely to have a very different view of career progression than the average commenter here.”

          Very true. Very true.

      3. Question – I’ve seen several comments on Corporette about how the height of a shoe impacts where a skirt hits on the leg. This doesn’t make sense to me. Shoes don’t change the length of the leg from the waist to the knee; they change the length of the leg from the waist to the floor. Heels will make a too-long ballroom skirt appropriate (because it’s supposed to be inches off the floor), but they shouldn’t make a just-right pencil skirt suddenly too short (because it’s supposed to be an inch off your knee).

        Am I missing something?

        2. I’ve taken those comments to mean that the skirt or dress appears shorter with a higher heel because your leg looks longer. It still hits at the same point on your leg, but you look like you have more leg with the heel on. Also, heels make your leg look a little curvier with the flexed calf muscle, so a dress that hits a couple of inches above the knee could look sexier with a curvier leg than it would have looked when you’re wearing flats.

          1. I’m very curvy and the higher the heel, the more va va and the more voom (I usually buy one size up for my bottom half and have the waist taken in at my tailor). Heels also make most women appear more curvy in the behind so it’s something I watch out for if I’m trying to dress conservatively.

      1. I love many of the pieces (for weekend as well, sigh again!), i wish she linked to the sources/stores she got these items from.

      2. LOL..Now I am envelope pusher, and I work in a business casual office, but other than the second outfit, and only for Friday 9which is our jeans day) could any of these work in my office … definitely cute weekend looks!

        I do think that some looks could work if there were tweaks. Ilove shirt dresses etc, but the have to be mid-knee tops to compensate for the lack of fabric weight or with an a-line skirt, something to avoid the look of flimsiness….

        The glamour show makes my computer freeze, but I’d definitely wear the first dress, if it was longer.

    5. Several of the outfits would be okay if the skirts were 3 inches longer and you put on a cardigan.

    6. I saw these and grimaced… I don’t know what summer job these girls work at, but it clearly isn’t a professional office!

      1. I’ve never worked anywhere in my life where I could wear shorts OR a tank top (without something over it). OK, so they were shown seperately in different outfits but really, who can wear shorts to work?

  15. This is a super-cute dress. I’d probably wear it with some ballet flats, giant hoop earrings, and no necklace. The shirring around the waist would really define an hourglass figure.

  16. In relation to the sponsored post — I wanted to say that I’m wearing a sheath dress from Ann Taylor today that’s very similar to the bateau neck one from the post and I love it. It fits very well and is the perfect length. I did have to have the top taken in slightly, but that’s normal for me because I’m a pear shape with a very small chest. I think the dress would look great with a nice cardigan or a suit jacket.

    It was my first LBD, and I couldn’t be happier with it!

    1. How tall are you?
      I liked both those dresses but they looked WAY too short on the model. I am barely 5’4 so I’m hoping that is a moot issue for me, but the clothes seemed really short on anyone even remotely tall-ish.

    2. I’m also 5’4″. It’s not exactly the same dress, so it might be slightly longer. I guess it’s from the last collection they released before the one featured. It hits right at the top of my knee.

      1. I’m 5’3″ and purchased, and subsequently returned, the bateau dress shown. In regular sizes, the length will probably be okay (although not something you may want to wear with your highest heels), but the petite will be a length more appropriate to a cocktail party than the office.

        1. That’s what I suspected. They’re lovely, but I can’t see the point of ever getting one — they seem too short for work and too boring for my social life (if i’m wearing a cocktail dress in my off hours, it’s not going to be AT). I don’t think I will ever understand manufacturers.

          On an aside, the only people I see at my workplace wearing items that short — besides the “skinterns” — are the 50+ crowd who seem to have really taken a shine to their Ally McBeal suits & just refuse to part with the look.

  17. I like this dress, but it would prob be too short on me for work. I would wear it with black instead of white – the floral seems like it would go better with black.

  18. I love Marc, but in the picture the colors look muddy. You’d have to see the actual fabric. Even then, this dress is very short. I am trying to picture the setting in which this dress would look good, and the time of day. I just was looking at a picture of people in their 20’s – 30’s waiting outside of a top NYC restaurant that does not take dinner reservations last week. The women were all wearing knee length skirts or dresses and sandals.

  19. Okay, not to be cruel or mean, but the sponsored post dresses are extremely cute – for weekend wear, after work wear, maybe Friday wear (two Fridays ago I wore an Ann Taylor sheath dress with a hot pink cardigan from AT, with AT black pumps – but I wasn’t meeting clients and I was going to dinner) but is not acceptable conservative office wear for a professional-level employee (i.e. associate at a V100 law firm if said associate is likely to meet with clients, etc).

    I love AT, I really do, but most AT full outfits (as opposed to a piece here and there) are not lawyer appropriate, but would be for secretaries, receptionists, paralegals, etc – and I say that with the utmost respect for secretaries, paralegals, and receptionists. It’s work appropriate, cute, but not professionally authoritative – there’s a difference between what is appropriate for a secretary or paralegal to wear to work and what is appropriate for an attorney.

    I love pink, I’m a girly girl, and I really do love AT. Just not for work Mon-Thurs.

    1. There’s definitely a difference in what you wear to meet clients/people outside your firm, and what internal people can wear…

    2. I was all set to disagree with you that Ann Taylor is generally not what the attorneys wear at my firm — but then remembered that the Ann Taylor I wear on a regular basis is at least 5 years old. I’ve stopped in 3-4x in the past year and walked out empty-handed each time. The dresses were too short on me, as the dresses in the post appear to be also (5’4) and the tops had too many “pieces of flair” — ruffles or ribbons or cutouts or faux wraps or bizarre collars etc etc that I know would make the top too memorable / easily dated. BB has taken over the AT role for me.

      1. This has been my experience exactly. I’m 5’8″ and I can’t buy any dresses or skirts from the “new” AT. All of the AT suites I wear are 3+ years old. I also note a drop in quality with the new pieces (super-thin cashmere, unlined wool pants, and odd cuts such as too tight in shoulders but huge through the torso for sweaters). Bring back the old conservative AT please! I’ll be at JCrew and Banana Republic in the meantime.

    4. I wrote a long reply and then leech blocker knocked me out lol!!! I was wondering if your response is a bit regional. While I don’t wear a lot of frills and tons of pinks, I do find that there is little difference in what our support staff wears and what our attorneys wear. Maybe we have support staff that dresses great!! We are also business casual. I see more of a difference in the summer as the support wears capris, sandals etc. and the attorneys don’t.

      Southern relatives of mine have commented on the lack of divide in attire at my office. Do people really find that attorneys try to “out dress” the staff even at business casual firms? Seems really snobby to me.

      1. I don’t think attorneys try to dress relative to staff; I think there are just different motivations for attorneys and staff, and it leads to different dressing habits. Most assistants have reached the end of their career trajectory; they can’t really be promoted or generate more business for themselves. They aren’t going to get fired for dressing less conservatively, so why not be comfortable? Attorneys could always land that new client, or make partner, or get appointed to the executive committee, etc, so there is incentive to dress nicely. I don’t think it’s a competition.

    5. I haven’t been to AT lately, but I went to Banana this morning looking for work appropriate tops and left feeling frustrated. All of the tops were WAY too low cut for work, or too casual, or too ruffly, or too sheer, etc. It seems next to impossible to find work appropriate tops (not sleeveless) these days. To Banana’s credit, I see lots of nice pencil skirts and pants that would look great for work, but not much in the tops category.

      1. totally agree. And Banana’s tops have all been cut very weird lately anyway–like the silk blouses are all extremely baggy (presumably because they’re all slip-over-the-head). Just spend the extra $5 to put a side hidden zipper in and charge accordingly. I’m begging.

      2. Banana does have a very attractive Elbow sleeve non-iron shirt that I’m crazy about. The silver is very nice -looks great with white and also black. Thank goodness for Banana and their petite department! Since my Saks no longer carries petites and Mark Shale closed their store here, BR is my go-to store.

    6. Comments like this always confuse. This blog is not solely for attorneys. (As has been stated several times, since I’ve explicitly asked in the comments before since, well, comments like this confuse me.) Yes, a lot of the women here tend to be attorneys, but there are also people who comment regularly who are in other fields.

      1. Not sure what the confusion is – N clearly was opining from the legal perspective/the scene in her firm (which is helpful to a number of commenters, as you note we seem to be mostly attorneys), not saying that AT is inappropriate for all careers/offices or that Kat shouldn’t be working with AT.

        1. The confusion lies with the fact that, even though it’s been explicitly stated time and time again that this blog is not soley (or even necessarily primarily) for attorneys, some posters continue to act as though it is. I’m confused as to why people would do that.

          And I’m not a moron; you don’t have to explain to me what N is saying.

          1. I would hate to have a 3L, for example, read the AT post, go out and buy the (very cute, btw, I have the black dress) pieces, and show up for work on a Monday in the fall at my firm, or one like it, and look ridiculous.

            Similarly, I would welcome advice, and actually will seek it here soon for a certin issue, on what to wear in different settings. For example, I wore my mid atlantic client-facing spring uniform to visit a consulting firm on the West coast, and looked like a moron. Lightly pinstriped charcoal grey skirt suit, collared BB shirt, stockings, black leather pumps, black leather briefcase, pearl jewerlry. Out-of-place, and the message I screamingly sent was that I did not understand my client’s business or culture. Wrong, wrong, and more wrong.

          2. N, would a basic A black or simple sheath dress, paired with a blazer, really look ‘ridiculous’ at your firm? I understand differing levels of formality but can’t understand how something seemingly reasonable could possibly be labeled as ‘ridiculous,’ unless your firm dress code explicitly forbids anything but the wearing of suits for women.

          3. Some of us who are lawyers also speak from experience, not as general bloggers. Kat’s job is to appeal generally to women in conservative professions. The commenters have no such constraints, and many of us happen to be lawyers who don’t have recent experience outside of the legal field. We’re not trying to offend you Kimbo, we’re just writing what we know.

          4. I never said I was offended, just confused as to why some commenters seem to act like everyone who reads this blog is an attorney.

      2. No, but as a young attorney who has made her mistakes, I cringe when I see new – either to the profession or this firm – associates come in, dressed in what someone has told them is appropriate work attire, which is inappropriate for our firm, our department, or our region. It’s unfair and wrong to judge based on attire, but that’s also life. I try not to do so myself – and I ignore rules that I feel are stupid (my aforementioned love of the color pink).

        I do voice my disagreement over the general assumption that the AT clothes that were posted are work appropriate for all conservative workplaces, however. I would never be among those making fun of a new associate for dressing head to toe in AT (and that has happened before), and I would defend such associate, but, that said, I would also not dress that way myself Mon-Thurs.

    7. I’m a litigator – and I get my time in court – in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. I work for one of the more conservative of the v100 firms.

      I wear a lot of Brooks Brothers, but I also wear a lot of custom-made clothes. That may be a DC thing, however, as I have seen a previous post from Kat criticizing custom made suits and suggesting that interviewing law students do not purchase such suits. My advice is the opposite – a custom suit is worth its weight in gold.

      For better or worse, in my office being part of the “in” crowd among women attorneys is when one of the two top female partners refers you to her tailor. (Either that or the female partner took pity on me :-)). Seriously, the two female equity partners here tend to have wholly custom made wardrobes. I can’t currently afford that, but I do have a few custom made suits that are classic and timeless, and are my go to wardrobe for court.

      Before law school, I was an investment banker for a short period of time – and I think that profession allows for much more creative dress. The circa 2002-2004 Ann Taylor and Banana Republic would be totally appropriate – I’m too far outside that field today, but the overly trendy and less durable clothing I see at today’s AT and BR isn’t my style for the office.

      1. I would love to hear more about the process of getting a suit custom-made – how you find a good tailor, how do you decide what you want, pick the fabric, etc. Women in my area have not caught on to this as much yet, but the men are getting custom suits made like crazy, and I think it’s just a matter of time until it filters down to women. Plus, I want to get my husband a custom suit as a birthday gift, but have no idea how to go about doing it. Any info you can share would be helpful.

      2. Yes, I too would be interested in learning about the process of commissioning a custom suit. Can you tell us more?

        1. I don’t know about N’s custom suits, but I got mine while traveling through South East Asia. For about $60 each (probably less if you haggle, but I wasn’t up for it), you can flip through catalogs, point out what you want, choose the fabric, get measured, and return the next day for alterations. And off you go with your new suits that fit perfectly. I do work on the West Coast, so what’s court-appropriate here isn’t necessarily court-appropriate in DC.

        2. A *lot* will be word of mouth in your office – but be warned, these folks will likely cost a fortune, especially if recommended by a higher level person. And, like hair stylists, tailors have a venerable position in someone’s life – so be very, very nice to the tailor, as it may get back to the partner (one former associate apparently was not nice to the big name partner’s tailor that I mentioned before – it might be office gossip with no fact behind it, but the tailor is still there, the associate is not!)

          Now, as I’m both frugal and an associate, I can’t afford a whole wardrobe through a highly sought after tailor, so I did my own research. The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals of America is a good place to start looking for people, but their referral list is a bit hard to use.

          Asia is great! But the plane tickets are tough!

          There are a few Hong Kong and Thailand based traveling tailors who come to the US and take measurements then send back suits. I have one I like who has a HORRIBLE website and the first time I saw his stuff I thought it was spam. Great affordable suits though – I got 3 super 180s wool suits, jacket, pants, skirt, custom made for $1,500, and I have been really pleased with the quality, though I ripped one of the pants this morning :-( If you want to have Kat exchange our email addresses I can forward you his contact info.

    8. I’ve decided I am ignoring sponsored posts (no offense Cat, or is it Kat?). If I can’t comment or give feedback, then its basically a commercial, and since I Tivo/DVR past them, I am going to do the same.

  20. I’m always so surprised by the amount of people who say many of the featured items are weekend only or perhaps summer Friday outfits. I’ve worked in a v100 law firm (as a lawyer) and while there were no miniskirts or super low cut tops, there was a lot of fashion creativity among the female associates and it was completely acceptable.

    1. There’s limited creativity at my job when it comes to work wardrobes but I try to be fashionable while still fitting in with the corporate culture (which is pretty conservative). I’ve been in my role for less than 5 years and that also plays in to how much I veer from the norm. My only issue with some of the dresses now is the length – I really like this dress but would prefer it to be just above the knee versus mid-thigh. I’m all for the bold colors and would definitely wear this dress to work if it were longer.

    2. I’ve worked at 3 v100 firms in Chicago and appropriate dress varied greatly between them. The first, very stuffy and conservative. The second, very fashionable. The third, more laid-back. The appropriate dress mirrored the corporate culture (with some constants, of course).

  21. I normally love almost everything I see here. But this looks kind of cheap and flimsy to me. I guess I’d have to see the fabric and draping in person. It just screams “bad $30 Target or Kohls purchase” or something.

  22. AAAaahh…taking the advice of fellow corporettes here I placed an order for some pieces from the Talbots online outlet yesterday and today I get an email that they have an additional 15% off sale on outlet items online today.

    Hate it when that happens!!

    1. Call them and see if they will honor it. Otherwise, I repeat my order (only works if you are getting free shipping) and return the first order at the higher price. but thanks for the tip!

      1. Whoops, just read the terms and the 20% applies only in-stores, and I don’t have any outlets near me. I feel better already :)

  23. I haven’t had time to read the comments today, but I’m piping in to say that I love love love this dress. It’s probably a little casual for some, but in my laid-back city, I would wear this to work on a day that I didn’t have to be in Court/depos/or a formal client meeting.

  24. I totally agree about the value of having something custom-made, especially if you are in court arguing against guys who are dressed in hand-tailored suits! (Eastern big cities.) The one thing I had custom-made was a very light weight wool sleeveless dress, knee length, with a beautiful curvy matching jacket that looked good buttoned up or not. They were both in a tissue-weight 100% wool, in a nice neutral color. Perfect for court, and the dress on its own was somewhat dressy. It was good for three seasons of the years I wore it. That was the best dressed I ever felt.

    I think female lawyers have particularly difficult problems to face regarding clothing, and just when you think you have the system beaten, new issues are always cropping up. The very greatest clothes are seemingly desgned for ladies who lunch, or even for those who mostly lounge about. I follow the designer showings each season (via Internet) and I see very little that translates directly into a professional wardrobe.

  25. i ordered this dress when i saw it here and got it today. it’s pretty cute. and, fyi, i am 5’4′ with longer legs, and it is def an appropriate length, comes just above the knee.
    i won’t say it looks cheap exactly… but it doesn’t look worth $250. but i will probably keep it because i am too lazy to return :)

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