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Wednesday’s TPS Report: Keyhole Detail Jersey Sheath Dress

Vince Camuto Keyhole Detail Jersey Sheath Dress | CorporetteOur daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Oooh: great sheath dress from Vince Camuto. I like the high and work-appropriate keyhole, the slightly loose shape (but not as loose as a shift), the sleeves, and the fact that it's machine washable. It's available in five colors, for petite and regular sizes XS-XL, for $99. Vince Camuto Keyhole Detail Jersey Sheath Dress Here's a plus-size alternative. Pssst: The Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale begins today with deals on denim, Stuart Weitzman, Hugo Boss, and much more. Stay tuned for a more thorough roundup a bit later this morning. Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-all)

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

145 Comments

    1. Agree – aside from disliking keyholes at work generally, this one is low enough that I’d have to actively monitor it – no slouching, no leaning forward across a table without using one hand to keep the dress flat against my chest, etc.

      1. Yay! I concur with Cat–keyhole dresses are NOT work approprieate for me either, b/c Frank LOVES to peek and ocasionally to try and open the lock with his oiley potatoe chip covered hand’s. I have NOT even tried to buy any of these for a year, even tho I LOVE Vince Camuto! FOOEY! The manageing partner know’s the Judge would like them, but I can NOT just wear a dress in court, then change when I come back here to keep Frank’s greasy paws away from my boobie’s! DOUBEL FOOEY!

        I have to go to court this AFTERNOON, so Mason is carrying my breifcase and shoe’s again. I realy dont need a lawyer to do this, but he is all I have. If I asked Lynn to come, the Judge might start askeing her to dress especieally for him to, and that would NOT be proper under the Ethiecs rules. Under those rules, we as attorney’s at law must adhere to the rule of court, which I have been counseled mean’s listening to and following what we are told to do by the Judiceary under McKinney’s Judiceary Law.

        I have been doeing what the judge say’s so my record is squeakey clean. YAY!!!! Now I just have to make sure that if I start my own practice, he will still refer cases to me. I have to figure out HOW I can approach the “bench” on this question. Does the HIVE know how i can do this without being EX PARTY? HELP!!!!

    3. I think it depends on where it hits you. I’m in a fairly formal environment and tend to be more on the conservative side of things and I don’t think this looks inappropriate on the model at all.

      3. yeah, and on how flat-chested you are. This would be fine for me (A-Team).

  2. Oooh, this is great! Does anyone know if it’s lined?

    On an unrelated note, I thought my broken toe was healed enough to dance on last night. Bad idea, it’s angry at me today. It appears that I’ll be skipping tonight’s dance class!

    Any fun plans for Memorial Day weekend?

      1. I hope it works out! I’m hoping to go up to NYC this weekend for at least a day.

    2. Hope your toe heals quickly.

      Weekend plans: Lots of yoga, a relative’s birthday bbq, local street festival, and planting flowers.

  3. Good morning, ladies! I am moving to Boston next month for work and know very few people there. I would be grateful for any recommendations for a doctor, dentist, mechanic, hairstylist that can do Japanese straightening, or anything else that comes to mind. (I’m afraid I might have to go back to New York for the hair.). I’ll be working downtown and living in JP. Thanks!

    1. My hairdresser is in JP. I followed her from her original Boston salon. The salon is called Station 8. It’s on Centre Street and her name is Leila. Sorry, my doctor and dentist are in Quincy. I chose my doctor because of her name – Nancy Drew.

    3. My hair salon is in Brookline (very close to JP) – HC Studio. Dentist is also in Brookline – Dental Partners of Brookline. Best dentists I’ve ever had. For general med, check out one of the Harvard Vanguard locations.

    4. Boston Dental Partners in Prudential/Back Bay is amazing – the most well-run dentists’ office I’ve ever been to. I also use Harvard Vanguard and they are fine for basic issues, but I’m sort of “blah” on them. They do a decent job if all you need is primary care and some specialties. The nice thing is that they have most specialties in their system, so no referrals needed.

      1. Co-signed on the dentist recommendation. I see Dr. Roberta Parks, who works with Beth Israel and has an office by the State Street/Downtown Crossing T. I love their whole practice — great care, easy to get in at convenient times.

    5. I generally like Harvard Vanguard, and go to their Post Office Square location. Dr. Deborah Ng is excellent. What I like most about the practice is that you have access to all your records and test results online.

    6. Faneuil Hall Dental is great – very generous with Novocaine if you ever need it! They also do 8am appointments, and take me as early as 7:45 if I show up early. My primary care is in the Bulfinch Medical Group at MGH. I go to Grettacole at Copley for hair by way of following by stylist there, but I think they’re great!

    7. I see David Finn at MGH but he may not be taking new patients – I also like his NP, Julie Marden. I also used to go to Charles River Dental Associates (in the same building on Staniford St) – they were totally fine but I have easy teeth. :)

    8. I like the internal medicine practice at Tufts, I have had a couple different doctors and everything has been fine. I like that they make appointments for you with other practice groups.

  4. Any recommendations for personal finance books for beginners? Looking for something that discusses personal finance (budgeting, investing, retirement, credit etc) but also gives a basic explanation of financial markets.

    1. Suze Orman’s “Young, Broke, and Fabulous” is a really good primer for beginners. It covers how to set up a budget, debt repayment, retirement options (Roths, 401Ks, choosing ETFs, mutual funds, or stocks) and using credit effectively. It also covers mortgages, PMI, and buying a car, which I found really helpful.

      The site GetRichSlowly also has some good info.

    2. All Your Worth. I Will Teach You To Be Rich (HORRIBLE name, decent book). Total Money Makeover (take it with a grain of salt, it can be cultish).

      2. The “I will teach you to be rich” guy has a great blog too. Helped me feel more comfortable buying a car by myself.

        Personal finance tip #1 = check the books out at the library instead of buying them :)

    3. Also consider subscribing to Money or Smart Money or Kiplingers for one year.

    4. Best explanation for financial markets is the WSJ guide–it’s something like the WSJ Guide to Personal Finance.

      I also like Beth Kobliner’s Get a Financial Life and David Bach’s Smart Women Finish Rich.

  5. Hello Hive,
    I´m currently on a business trip to Phoenix and just learned that it will need to extended well into the Memorial Day week (no sense in flying home as I´m from overseas). 3 days to explore the area! Can anyone pitch in with ideas, preferably outdoorsy and in a 1 hour radius? Thanks!

    1. The desert botanical gardens are fantastic and well worth a visit.

      The Montezuma Castle National Monument is probably about an hour from Phoenix and is a pretty cool pre-historic cliff dwelling (not as stunning as the ones at Mesa Verde but still worth a visit.)

    2. If you are a Frank Lloyd Wright or architecture fan:

      – Phoenix Biltmore Hotel (designed by FLW) (also the location of Angela Bassett’s bar scene in “Waiting to Exhale”)

      – Taliesen West in Scottsdale (I have NO idea how far that is from Phoenix, how to get there or what the tour schedule is).

      1. Oh, it’s not that far from Phoenix and the tour is very neat. I’m not even an architecture fan and I thought it was fascinating. Highly recommended.

        2. I toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Wisconsin last summer and thought it was great. I’d definitely visit Taliesin West if I were in Arizona.

      2. Taliesin is in Scottdale (suburb of PHX). They should have a website.

        Desert Botanical Gardens in PHX.

        Heard Museum (Native American Indians) in PHX, close to downtown.

        1. Sorry, Anon at 4:32 was me. (And yes, I live in PHX). Post if you want restaurant reccs.

    3. Do you have a rental car. SEDONA. It’s about an hour and a half from Phoenix but you do not want to miss it. Seriously, it takes your breath away it’s such a beautiful and unique place. There’s wonderful hiking and lots of small businesses in town for shopping and good food.

      1. I was in Sedona a few years ago and thought the town itself was disappointing — much more touristy than I expected, multiple iterations of the same t-shirt and knick-knack shops — but the scenery is absolutely spectacular, totally worth the trip.

    4. Climb Camelback Mountain if you have appropriate shoes (running shoes OK, not necessarily hiking boots, but not fashion sneakers or sandals). Desert botanical garden is cool, as has been said. Old Town Scottsdale is cute for shopping and galleries. It’s like an “old west” town. All are super close to Phoenix. Also, the musical instrument museum in Phoenix was unexpectedly amazing and has a nice cafe for lunch or a snack. McDowell Mountain Park has some nice hiking I think. It’s been a few years.

    5. I’m jealous! I live here and wish I could enjoy the gorgeous weather, but sadly I’ll be stuck in my office all weekend. I’ll second the suggestions for the desert botanical gardens and Taliesen West. The Camelback Mountain hike provides a great workout, but it’s not very pretty (at least as compared to some of the other hikes we have.) The McDowells are much prettier. You can find trails online, but Tombs Thumb Trail is beautiful. Old Town Scottsdale will have a ton going on for the weekend, I’m sure. There’s a lot of patio restaurants to walk to, and funky/touristy shops.

    1. My comments are consistently stuck in comment purgatory. My replies show up after 30ish minutes, and my original comments don’t show up at all. What gives?

    2. This is pretty standard now actually. there is always moderation problems, which will show up way later. Including this one, because I always get stuck in moderation and never get to participate in the convos anymore. Between content problems, moderation problems, and weird ad glitches I think this is the new (site)

      1. There have been a lot of technical issues with comments showing up late this week – like an hour after they are posted.

      2. Its not- at least 25% of the comments seem to be on a delay. Its ruining the comments feature for this site, and honestly thats what is keeping it afloat. honestly very few people are coming for kat’s pics or advice anymore- no offense to Kat at all but she is a blogger now and no longer really in the corporate world.

    4. And I had actually edited to change it to 22…but five were all that showed up initially. And the edits didn’t stick?

      ETA: They did show up, but only after a refresh.
      ….might be time to pull Cr3tt3 out of the usual rotation of sites to visit daily.

      2. I’ve had to do this too, where it shows up with the same amount of comments as there was 3 hours or so ago, but if I refresh it updates. I’ve also had to refresh once I opened the post because they don’t show up.

      3. This is such a pet peeve of mine. If you’re going to stop reading or unfollow something, just do it. You don’t need to threaten it first. I’m sure Kat is working as hard as she can to resolve the tech issues and get her website working properly again. No need to be a jerk.

        1. Oh, I didn’t mean it as a threat, my apologies! Just sharing. And I sincerely hope I didn’t come across as a jerk, as there was no intention of that either.

    5. I’ve just had to keep hard refreshing to see new comments whenever I post. Maybe people aren’t doing that and therefore don’t realize there are conversations to join?

  7. Urgent fashion question! I’m going to the mall over my lunch break in an hour so if you’ve got suggestions for anything currently in stores let me know ASAP (decent-sized mall but no major department stores like Nordstrom around).

    I’m going to an alumni event with my husband tomorrow night. It’s geared towards donors to my university; I am not a major donor, but I am a volunteer in other respects so I was invited anyways. It’s at a members-only club that I’ve never been to, but it is not a country club and in a small city where people tend to wear jeans to the symphony or theatre. The event is cocktails and dinner, with important folks from the university attending as well as major donors.

    A male coworker has been there for an unrelated event and suggested I wear a dress, but most of my dresses are more appropriate for a wedding or cocktail party than an alumni event. I have a skirt suit but feel that may be too formal, and if I wore pants I’d have to do dress pants and a blouse or button-down, which I’m afraid may skew young/unprofessional. I don’t have anything in my closet that I could put together as suit separates. I’m nearly 30 but my husband and I both look young so I would prefer to look put-together, but most of my clothes are for my business casual workplace!

    My husband is wearing a black suit, because it is his only viable choice. :D

    I feel like I need a sheath dress and summer blazer or even a ladies-who-lunch outfit. Any suggestions?

    1. Dress up the skirt suit with a dressier blouse or shell? Skirt with dressy blouse/dressy sweater and skip the jacket? I’m guessing a lot of people would come to this type of event straight from work, and a suit would not be out of place, especially with a change of top/acessories.

      2. I like the blouse/shell suggestion from you and ITDS below. I only have tanks that would work but I’ll look for a short-sleeved blouse or shell at the mall. I could wear it with just the pencil skirt from the suit too, if I didn’t want to include the jacket. Thanks!

    2. Probably not what you’re looking for, but I would seriously consider wearing something you have and saving yourself the trouble and expense (and risk of buying something you’ll never use again). The University people know full well that donations come from the unlikeliest of sources and frequently from folks who look like they “can’t” give. Your fellow alumni sound like they will also be on the casual side or, if coming from work, the professional side, so to the extent your concern is for professional networking purposes, I would wear a suit.

    3. wrap dress, sandal heels or pumps, and either a necklace or watch/bracelet combo depending on what looks best with the dress.

      1. I do have this exact outfit that I could wear already also. I have a short-sleeved Maggy London faux wrap dress in turquoise, brown pumps, and a statement necklace to pair with it. I find it to be a tad short but it’s certainly acceptable.

    4. 3/4 sleeved Sheath dress with some sparkly jewelry. You can wear it again at work.

    5. Look for a sheath dress today that you really like and could wear again. If you can’t find one, go for a silk blouse with a skirt or a full skirt suit.

      At least here (Northeast), I feel that it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. If most of the men are in dark suits, I think any sort of suit is fine (with a preference towards black/navy/grey skirt suits).

    6. Go into Ann Taylor and pick a dress with sleeves. Seriously, they have some cute things and then you can either dress it up with jewelry.

    7. This is where a wrap dress is a lifesaver. Wrap dress, heels, and a simple necklace (and bring a fancy necklace if you get there and need to dress it up!)

    8. I went to Ann Taylor over lunch. No wraps or sheaths that I liked, but I did find a skirt I love plus a couple tops. I’ve been looking for nicer tops for work so I’ll likely keep them all. The Dressy Tee was full price and $70 seems a little outrageous for polyester, but I am seriously lacking shells so it would be a good addition. Everything else was slightly cheaper than the website and an additional 30% off, so I feel like I did pretty well.

      I got this skirt: http://www.anntaylor.com/petite-tweed-pencil-skirt/365515?skuId=18285499&defaultColor=&colorExplode=false&catid=cata000049&priceSort=ASC
      This top in Ocean Fog (seafoam): http://www.anntaylor.com/dressy-tee/365104
      This top in Dark Sky (navy): http://www.anntaylor.com/pleated-cap-sleeve-top/364351?skuId=18782349&defaultColor=&colorExplode=false&catid=
      And this top in Teal Jade: http://www.anntaylor.com/crepe-shirred-popover-shirt/376190?skuId=18859836&defaultColor=&colorExplode=false&catid=

      For reference, I am a solid size 6-8, but I bought smalls in the first two shirts and an XS in the third (would have gotten a small if it was available but the XS fit fine).

      I also have an Express Portofino blouse in royal blue that would potentially work (I tried on a very similar shirt at Ann Taylor). I’ll try all the tops on tonight with my brown Cole Haan Air Talia pumps and some necklaces but I think this will work, and if not I have my wrap dress to fall back on. Thanks, all!

      1. If anyone reads this later, I actually paired the skirt with my Portofino blouse and the brown pumps, and I think I looked quite nice. No women were in suits so I was happy with my choice. I broke the heel on my beloved Cole Haans early on in the event, but luckily it was just loose from the base and not totally broken off. If it’s not one thing, it’s another!

  8. How about the skirt suit with a funky blouse (print, ruffles, etc.) or a simple shell and statement necklace? Either would “informalize” the skirt suit, but you would still look mature and put together (and like perhaps you came straight to the event from your high-powered job). Plus, it’s easier to find a blouse or a necklace that fits on your lunch break.

  9. I have no idea if this problem is fixable, but thought I’d ask. I have an unusual first name (I’ve literally never met anyone else with it). People always struggle with it when I introduce myself. Since I got married and changed my last name, something very weird has been happening. Apparently when people hear my first name with my new last name, they hear my first name as a totally different but more common name. So it’s like my name was Marie and everyone now heard it as Erin. I mean, the name they hear doesn’t even start with the same letter as my name. The middle vowel sounds are similar and I think they’re hearing the first letter of my last name as the last letter of my first name (so to use the Erin example, say my new last name is Nelson so they hear Marie Nelson as Erin Nelson).

    The problem is that when I call people for business, the receptionist hears the wrong first name, then says “it’s Erin on the line” and the person I’m calling is like “who on earth is Erin?” Or I introduce myself to a new person and say “Marie Nelson, nice to meet you.” And the person says “Erin, great, nice to meet you, too.” Then I say “um, no, it’s Marie.” They say “What?” (Remember, my name is a word they’ve never heard before in their lives. It also has a lot of vowel sounds so it’s hard to enuciate it clearly.) Me:”um, my name. It’s Marie. Not Erin.” And the other person gets a really confused look because, as I said, who hears Erin when someone says Marie?

    Any thoughts on how to fix this? (Also, please please please don’t give your child a name no one’s ever heard before. I get flustered whenever a barrista asks for a name. And introductions always take way, way longer than they should. Plus no one can pronounce it correctly from reading it. It’s just not worth it.)

    1. Could you use your maiden name as your unofficial middle name? If you were Marie Smith, and you’re now Marie Doe, you could introduce yourself as Marie Smith Doe.

    2. Introduce by your first name. Hi I’m Marie. If you have to do first and last, do “Hi I’m Marie [Long pause]/shake hands/ Marie Nelson with XYZ company.

      Also, have you considered hyphenating your last name?

      1. I like the repeated first name idea. Marie….Marie Nelson might work, especially since (1) people would be helped by hearing my first name twice and (2) it gives them a chance to hear the first name without the last name right after it (so no eliding the two).

    3. I have a similar issue. My first name is very simple and incredibly short, but my last name is very different. When I say my first and last name together, it sounds like a fairly common first name. So when I have introduced myself, many people walk away thinking I only have one name like Madonna. People then call for Madonna and no one knows what they’re talking about. I’ve tried really slowing down and stressing each syllable, but to no avail.

      The only thing that has worked is JUST using my first name with my company, So introducing myself as “Jan from Teapots, Inc” and not using my last name at all. I feel like it’s less professional, but my last name causes so much confusion, it just isn’t worth it.

    4. Do you like your first name? Do you have a middle name you would be comfortable using instead? Or a nickname? Or you could just introduce yourself as Erin Nelson to the public and keep Marie for use in your family – depending on the length of the relationship with the people calling you Erin, it may not be worth the battle for them calling you Marie.

      1. Or in the alternative, just continue to use your original last name for business.

    5. Is your name Maehren? I love that name, and could see it getting mixed up with Erin. I’m not sure how to help with the pronunciation, I’ve been emphasizing different syllables for the last few minutes and they all seem to sound like Erin if you can’t catch the M. But there isn’t a great way to enunciate the M…. conundrum.

      1. Also, Devil’s Advocate here, I think unique names are wonderful. I know no one with my name, and pronunciation is not intuitive (it’s not Maehren). I have to guide people through the pronunciation, or educate them that they cannot use a shortened version of my name simply because it’s easier (my name is only 3 syllables–no need to shorten!). It’s taught me to be assertive and stick up for myself. Name your children what you want, don’t base that decision on whether the name is common or not, easy to pronounce or not. That’s my $0.02.

        1. Well – your kid is the one that has to live with the name. I’m happy that you’ve embraced your name and it worked out for you, but I would REALLY hope a parent *would* take commonality and ease of pronunciation and spelling into account before naming their child.

          1. My name was a generation outdated when I was born, and it hasn’t exactly come back into style. I really hated having a Grandma name growing up, and to be honest I’m not thrilled about it even now (but have gotten used to it).

          2. Isn’t it all subjective?

            Kids named with an easy to pronounce and popular name could hate it because it’s so “common”. Instead, they might envy those with unusual names. It goes both ways which is why I’m not sure that it should really be focused on when naming your kid. Considering the audience here, I’m assuming no one is naming their kid something absolutely outlandish like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

          3. Anonymous at 1:27–do you go by something else?
            Outdated names are a bit different (at least in my commentary) from unusual names. Wilma comes to mind (my Grandma’s name). I think it is common, well known–but for a different generation. Depending on the name, that would not be something I was thrilled about either.

    6. Don’t really have any advice to give but I just wanted to show my support as a fellow, life long sufferer of a difficult and unusual first and last name! I just let people mispronounce it if it’s a temporary thing like at a coffee shop. And more generally, I have created my own version of my name which is intentionally mispronounced to make it easier for others. If it’s going to be butchered, then I should at least get a say in it!

    7. I have a similar problem, although without the new last name wrinkle.

      I’ve resigned myself to correcting people, and I use my middle name at Starbucks, when chatting with random people who I will never see again, etc.

  10. BF and I have been together for 1.5 years, live together, and are planning to get engaged soon. We’re attending my friend’s wedding this summer. Friend did not include BF’s name on the invitation, it was just my name and guest. I was perturbed but didn’t say anything. I RSVPed with his name and mine.

    I bought them their gift, and I’m almost certain I signed the card with both our names. I just received the thank you note, and it was addressed only to me. I suppose it’s possible that I omitted BF’s name or it got cut off in printing (since it was done online), and if that’s the case I wouldn’t want her to think that the gift is only from me and BF just didn’t get her anything. But given that friend omitted his name from the invitation, I’m inclined to think that she just didn’t think it was important to thank him too.

    So, do I let it go, or should I text her something like, “I just got your lovely thank you note, but I noticed from your note that BF’s name must’ve been unintentionally left off the card accompanying our gift to you. Just wanted to let you know it was from both of us!”?

    1. If she just used the mail merge or list from her wedding invitations it would explain why his name wasn’t on the thank you either without any slight or malice intended.

      1. They were handwritten. The wedding isn’t for a couple of months (I’m actually on top of my wedding gifts this year!) so they probably aren’t sending out a ton of thank yous yet.

    2. I try to ask myself in situations like this, “Am I going to fix the situation or do I really just want to make MYSELF feel better by saying something.”

    4. I’d let it go. Brides have 10 million things on their mind when planning their wedding and then during the follow up work afterwards to merge households and thank guests for all their gifts. I’m sure she was using a spreadsheet or it was an innocent mistake.

    6. Let it go – there are a ton of other things going on in her life right now and it was probably an oversight. I’m guessing she referred to her invitation list for address stuff, and since the invite list only had your address that’s what she used without double checking details.

      The thank you note she sent served it’s purpose – you know she got the gift you sent. What is correcting the precise wording of the note really going to do now?

    7. I am just the tiniest bit bemused that you are all exercised over him not being thanked, when apparently he had absolutely nothing to do with the gift that you purchased and to which you signed his name. Let it go.

      1. He picked out the gift and paid for half.

        ETA: Not to mention, he’s taking time off work and paying a few hundred dollars in travel to attend their destination wedding. I think it’s pretty rude to not even acknowledge him in any way.

        1. If you are that upset, don’t go. The bride has a million other things going on. IMO, this is not something worth losing sleep over.

        3. I don’t think I know a guy who has ever picked out a wedding gift (I take that back, I have a single guy friend who picked out a gift for our wedding), much less one that cared about a thank you card. Your guy is a bit of an anomaly, so I wouldn’t take this too personally.

          1. He’s kind of awesome that way. He picked out baby shower gifts for a little girl too.

            In this particular instance, though, the groom is starting to get into whiskey and BF is a big whiskey guy, so BF was excited to hook him/the couple up with fancy barware. I haven’t shown him the note because I think he’d be a little hurt. I think I’ll just tell him “we” got a thank you note but whoops I already tossed it.

          2. Or, don’t even lie. “Hey, boyfriend, bride and groom got our gift. Bride sent a thank you.”

        4. Is he upset? If so, he should fight the battle if he wants to. You’re not the injured party here.

          But if you are determined to be upset and cause a rift with your friend, go for it.

        5. …but it doesn’t appear he was invited to the wedding? Which is shi!!y on your friend’s part, but he probably shouldn’t show up to a wedding he wasn’t invited to…

    8. She shouldve put his name on the invitation (and the thank you note) but you look ruder and a little crazy if you send that text.

      1. I disagree with this. If I’m not friends with guy, I would put “and guest.” I would guess my friend will bring her boyfriend, but she could break up with him before the wedding, invite a different friend, or whatever.

    9. You have got to be kidding….

      Take a breath…

      Giver her a break.

      Be happy that she invited you and a guest. Be happy that she has already sent you a thank you note.

      You have got to be kidding…..

    10. Does friend know BF? I think the reason you are annoyed is that she’s acting like he doesn’t exist or he’s new to the scene. That’s weird if she knows him, but not so weird if she’s 3,000 miles away. (Even then, you’d think with Facebook and the like she’d be used to think about “Julie and Ryan” and not just “Julie”.). I’d let it go too, but I do think that some folks above are being a tiny bit generous to her. I think it’s a bit of a faux pas not to acknowledge him. (Or maybe she’s being SUPER Emily Post-e.g. significant others are not mentioned by name until you are engaged).

      1. We hang out with them frequently, and they knew him before we started dating. We live in the same town but the couple is having a destination wedding, which they know he’s attending. I guess they could assume that I’m paying for his flight/hotel etc.? But even if I were, he still has to take time off work.

        1. I mean this nicely, but honestly she doesn’t care. Not because she doesn’t care about you or your boyfriend, but because planning a wedding and trying to live life is time consuming; no one I know who’s planned a wedding thinks about the intimate details of all of their guests individual travel plans. My only thought was make it easy on people to get here and make it fun. The end. You are her primary friend, she thanked you. Relax.

        2. Does the bride have a shower coming up/could the gift be in any way interpreted as directly from you to her (especially if his name was forgotten/cut off the gift note)? If not, ignore this, but if there is any chance of that, maybe that’s why she addressed the thank you to just you. When I got married, I got presents before the shower that were unclear on what event they were for, so maybe there was some confusion?
          Of course – even if that is the case, just take solace in it, and please don’t say anything to her. Reiterating what a lot of people said here, no good can come of it.

          2. It could be. I addressed the card to both of them with a “Congratulations on your upcoming wedding” type note. It was my (perhaps incorrect) understanding that a shower gift should only be addressed to the bride, assuming it’s not a coed shower, and signed only by the invitee (me). But is there another way to make this more clear, for future reference?

            Fwiw I didn’t attend the shower or b-party because they were both also destination events, and I told the bride well before invites went out that I wouldn’t attend. So I don’t think she should have expected a gift from me for the shower but who knows.

    12. I agree what she did was rude and I would be pretty irked too, but I don’t really see what there is to be gained by bringing it up.

    13. Let it go. If and only if she brings up the gift in person (thanks for the salad bowl!) you could say, I’m so glad you like it, BF picked it out, he thought it was so cool! But really, what’s the point? I might be reading into this, but it sounds like you may be feeling defensive about your relationship because you are not engaged yet? Don’t take it out on your friend.

    14. Thanks for weighing in, everyone. I won’t say anything about it. You’re probably right that the bride is just stressed and it was an innocent mistake. Bless her heart.

      2. FTR I like your use of “bless her heart” ;) Ignore the people being b1tchy

      3. My understanding of “bless her heart” is “f.u. bride.”
        This amuses me. I agree that letting go is the right response, btw. I’ve been the “and guest” in a serious relationship and I’ve had my then-bf be the “plus one.” It’s been a few years and I can’t even remember whose weddings those were even though it did momentarily irk me at the time. I’ve also been on the receiving end of generic thank you notes that were clearly sent to everyone at the wedding, not by specific gift, and I’ve received no thank you notes from others. This only gets better when people start having kids and there are more and more opportunities for perceived slights. Now we are married and I get irked when I get invites addressed to Mr. and Mrs. His Name or Mr. His Name and Mrs. My First His Last. I didn’t change my name but the world is sexist and no one cares. And you know what? Once about 5 minutes passes, I don’t care either. I just RSVP with my last name or sign the card as “The My Last Names” – if they get the point and/or the joke, great, if not, who cares.

      4. Bless your own heart. That’s such a smarmy thing to say, yeesh. It doesn’t reflect well on you.

        1. Not at all….

          I hope you come back and re-read this thread after you have calmed down.

          I am concerned you are in for a lot of heartache in the future for perceived slights if such issues bring out such animosity.

          You are so lucky to have …. A good job, a caring involved boyfriend, friends that want you in your life, $$ so you can afford to go on destination wedding trips, your health etc….

          You have a lot to learn about what is important in life.

    15. This post is why brides freak out over weddings and the whole process becomes inordinately h3llish- because everyone’s worried about getting everything perfect and not stepping on some toe, so everything gets over thought to the nth degree. I’ve never seen an event produce more potential for needlessly hurt feelings for no flipping reason.

  11. I have a month-long trial coming up and need to supplement my suit inventory. I’d like a new grey suit, and J Crew Factory has a 50% off sale at the moment. Can anyone speak to the quality/ fit of the lightweight wool suiting line? I don’t buy much from J Crew, but am a 2 or 4 at Banana, so sizing suggestions are welcome as well.

    1. The material is noisy/not awesome. I have one dress from there and I wouldn’t buy a second. I think you’re better off waiting for a 40% off sale at BR or AT.

    2. I bought one of those dresses recently, and while I like it, the poly lining is noisy and it’s definitely not great quality. If you can get something somewhere else for the same price, I’d do that.

    3. Nothing good to say about J.Crew Factory suiting. Check out the Halogen suiting line at Nordstrom. They have a few suits on sale now for about $100.

  12. Kat… the audible ads just came back.

    Service repair/collision repair… something like that. Then it stopped.

  13. I may repost to get more views later, but I need to vent. My career path has stalled out. I work in a niche industry and am extremely well compensated for what I do. I quickly priced myself out of an MBA early in my career (mid-thirties now). I do have a great undergrad degree from a top university. My employer is in shambles right now – key people leaving, corporate upheaval – and I am not able to move up at my current job (maybe a title change) due to the nature of my role and my boss’ role. There aren’t many positions in my immediate area, and I really need the flexibility I currently have for family reasons. I’m the sole wage earner. No kids. They are throwing more money at me following this upheaval, but I am bored out of my f-ing mind and haven’t shown career progression since a title change 4 years ago. How do I lean in? Is leaning out an option? How do I reframe this in my mind?

    1. Do you need to stay in your immediate area? The obvious answer to me is that you should find a new position, even if it means moving cities or taking a pay cut. Being bored and having an uncertain future in your current position tells me that you cannot lean-in at this place – you need to go elsewhere, stat. You have been there for at least 4 years so it’s not too early to move on to greener pastures.

      I don’t know what you mean when you say you “quickly priced myself out of an MBA early in my career.” There are plenty of people at MBA programs in their mid-30s if that’s what you need to get ahead.

      1. I do need to stay in my immediate area. I wouldn’t get a financial return on an MBA – I make far too much money at this point.

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