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Wednesday’s TPS Report: Belted Cowl Neck Jersey Dress icon

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Donna Ricco Belted Cowl Neck Jersey Dress iconReader E found this on the Nordstrom site and “fell in love. It looks wonderfully cozy, yet sophisticated and professional as well.” We like it! We like that it's meant to fit a bit looser than so many dresses out there today, and yet still does look professional. We like the accessorizing possiblites, also — a brooch worn high on the cowl, or perhaps a bracelet to accent the bracelet sleeves… lovely. It's $118 at Nordstrom, available in sizes 2 through 14. Donna Ricco Belted Cowl Neck Jersey Dress icon 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 1/22/25:

  • Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
  • AllSaints – Clearance event, now up to 70% off (some of the best leather jackets!)
  • Ann Taylor – All sale dresses $40 (ends 1/23)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything
  • Boden – Clearance, up to 60% off!
  • DeMellier – Final reductions now on, free shipping and returns — includes select options like Montreal, Vancouver, and Venice
  • Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; extra 50% off all clearance, plus ELOQUII X kate spade new york collab just dropped
  • Everlane – Sale of the year, up to 70% off; new markdowns just added
  • J.Crew – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 50% off cashmere
  • J.Crew Factory – End of season sale, extra 60-70% off clearance, online only
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale – extra 50% off

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

86 Comments

  1. Interesting dress —

    Threadjack – Just got an invite for a NYC bar mitzvah that I’ve been dreading (family fun anyone?) – it’s a Saturday night affair at an event space in Murray Hill/Midtown in late October – no dress code or other specifics mentioned in the invite – what do I wear?? (General and/or specific suggestions welcome – I’m petite and hourglass shaped and ideally I want to spend no more than $200 on the dress).

    1. Wear a black cocktail dress. You won’t go wrong. Light on the dazzle in case this ends up being on the less dressy side.

    2. I would think this is going to be a pretty fancy event – Jews love their dress-up (I’m a Jew, no offense intended), and it’s a Saturday night in Manhattan. I would wear a DVF cocktail dress. Actually, the perfect dress would be that magenta one that Kat posted a few weeks ago. It’s a little more than you’re willing to spend but as a bonus you can wear it to work.

      1. No offense taken ;-) I’m Jewish as well – Just haven’t been to a bar mitzvah in close to 10 years, or to a NYC one in 15 — Thanks for the recommendation – Being able to wear the dress more than once does make me more interested in upping my budget!

        1. L’Shanah Tova!

          (Though possibly more on-topic in the other thread, things are… emotional… over there)

          1. Toda Raba – Thank you very much! :-) (and L’Shana Tova to anyone else celebrating Rosh Hashanah tonight/tomorrow!)

      1. The Marchona is so pretty! I’m going to have to make a trip to Bloomingdale’s this weekend to try it on and see if I can pull of an edgy zipper… Thanks!

        1. no problem! I have the dress in gray and I love love love it. I think Bloomingdales is having one of their random 20% off promotions this weekend so maybe it’ll be a good deal.

      2. FWIW, i tried this dress on recently at Barneys. i’ve got a long torso, but it hit a few inches above my natural waist, so not a good look for me. also, it was unforgiving in the hips, although i am on the pear-shaped size of the fruits spectrum.

    4. an evening bar mitzavah in NYC is going to be about the same level of formality as a wedding. as AIMS said, LBD is perfect. (i personally wouldn’t do black to a wedding, but in NYC for a bar/t its almost de rigeur.)

    2. now, now. maybe that side of teh moddle’s pelvis really *is* shaped like a basketball.

    3. Not to be contrary, but I really don’t think it looks that awkward/obviously photoshopped/baskbetball-like. Based on the positioning of her legs (one knee bent, the other one straight), it seems to me that she’s just sticking out one hip.

  3. There is a lot of extra fabric on this dress that makes it look a bit busy. Would definitely have to try it on and see.

  4. This dress reminds me of an old SNL skit with Eddie Murphy as “Little Richard Simmons.” Upon observing a lady in a gray leotard and tights and said, “Don’t wear battleship gray. Someone might try to board you.”

    I don’t think this dress, with the blousiness on top and potential cling below, is at all flattering.

    1. Haha! Thanks for the laugh…. I think I will never be able to wear my battleship gray with a straight face again!

      As for the dress can’t decide if I like it. I don’t think I would wear it to my workplace — it just doesn’t say competent attorney in my opinion. Might be better suited for an advice columnist doing a press meet-and-greet. Plus it’s polyester — might not be bad in person, but the DR dresses I’ve encountered all looked very much like “polyester blends,” which is a look I tend to try and avoid.

  5. I don’t like this. Something about it screams frumpy and 80s to me. And the fabric looks like it might pill easily. Ick.

  6. Quick threadjack: For you who have the likes for The Limited suits, they’re offering free pants or skirts with the purchase of a full-priced jacket from now till September 15.

  7. I loved the look of the dress and impulsively ordered it – along with some red Kenneth Cole pumps (with silver heels:) and earrings, both on sale at Nordstroms . . . then read the comments. Yikes! I am easily influenced and am now wondering if I will hate the dress. Luckily, it looks like I can return it at the store (and shipping was free because the total was over $200). No real point to this post, but I will let you know how I like the dress once it arrives. Have a great day, everyone.

    3. i love the look and shape of this dress, but the textile choice concerns me. looking forward to your review!

    5. I like it a lot as well. This is one of the first things in a while featured here that I’m actually considering purchasing.

      FWIW, I’m not an attorney, despite the fact that some regular posters seem to be under the assumption that all readers here are.

    6. it looks very comfy, just try it on and see if you like it. We tend to express our opinions based on our past experience with the brand, fabric or cut and I almost always relate my comments to my specific body type when commenting so if you like it and can pull it off just enjoy it.
      and let us know how it fit!

  8. Hmmm the response so far is rather negative towards this dress, but I actually rather like it. I agree that there is too much fabric – the sleeves could be more fitted and it could do without the extra layer in front, however, I really like the length and the cowl neck. It looks like a good choice for fall. As for the color, charcoal gray is always good in my book.

    – Meredith
    cubiclechicblog.com

    1. I can’t get enough of charcoal grey. For me, it’s the perfect neutral, and doesn’t show as much lint as black!

  9. Threadjack – I am in the market for a portable projector (and laptop) table for use during presentations (PowerPoint, Summation, etc), including use in the courtroom. I have a project-o-stand by Da-Lite, but I find it large, heavy, and cumbersome… especially for a 30 min hearing. I found a table called TableTote, but am reading very mixed reviews. Have any of you used it? What do you typically use during a courtroom presentation to hold your projector and other presentation equipment? While some courtrooms have their own equipment, in my experience, many don’t. I’d LOVE corporetters feedback!! Thanks.

    TableTote: http://www.amazon.com/Pc-Table-Llc-TT-1-Tabletote/dp/B0001EMA80/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1283954653&sr=8-2-catcorr

    1. I spend much of my time in the federal courts these days. I find that all of them (even in the outer divisions that I travel to) can arrange for an ELMO projector (good for still images) or a VCR and/or DVD player (for moving images) to be hooked up in the courtroom to be projected on the monitors in the room if they have at least a week’s notice.

      As an added bonus, some of the courtrooms have monitors that work with what I call the “John Madden pen”, which allows you to “color” or circle/mark areas on the monitor image. Great for real estate disputes!

    2. I’d love to hear what others do, also. I bring paper and hand it up to the judge or put it on the ELMO. I don’t like electronic trials because I hate having to depend on a paralegal to operate Trial Director, which I don’t know how to use. Even if I knew how to use it, I wouldn’t want to be fiddling with a computer on the podium. I’d rather be in control with paper docs and an ELMO.

  10. Threadjack: If anyone is a Borders Rewards member, they have these things called “Overwhelming Offers” and it is like a Groupon, but on a larger, but more limited scale (meaning they have a certain number to offer and once they’re gone, that’s it).

    Today’s OO is $150 of merchandise from Thomas Pink for $75.

    Warning: they require you to add a credit card before purchasing and this sale is not available for purchase until 12pm ET.

  11. Another threadjack –

    I received an very formal invite to a bar mitvah we will be unable to attend, however the response card does not have a line for “not attending” (it has 3 other options for Fri/Sat/Sun activities).

    Does this mean I don’t respond at all, or is it customary to call or send a letter expressing our congrats and regrets for being unable to attend?

    Thanks in advance!

    2. maybe email instead of call? I imagine the family is pretty busy planning the bar mitzvah.

    3. This is a sincere question (I grew up in a town with no Jewish families) – I always thought bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs were single events (ceremony plus party afterward) so the Fri/Sat/Sun activities option is throwing me for a loop. Can someone explain? Has it evolved into a weekend full of activities (not unlike many weddings)?

      1. I think it has evolved to a full weekend when there is family/friends expected from out of the town – As noted above I received an invite as well, and it lists a Friday night dinner, Saturday service and luncheon, Saturday night ‘celebration’, and Sunday brunch, but Friday and Sunday are likely limited to out-of-towners

        Chicago K – Definitely respond in some way – I would call or e-mail (and it is weird to not have a ‘no’ option!)

    4. For my wedding I got some response cards with little notes written on the back, which I thought was nice. It allowed me to keep the responses all in one format for tallying. Maybe the lack of a “no thanks” blank was an oversight, but you could leave the front blank and jot your regrets and best wishes on the back of the card and send it.

    5. Thanks for the responses. I should have added that this is family we have never met. It’s essentially my soon to be MIL’s Cousin’s Children. While I have met some of my MILs cousins (as my husband’s grandmother is their aunt), we have not met these individuals.

      Either way, I suppose I don’t mind calling them up and chit-chatting (Hey I’m a friendly person!) but it would be easier to mail something.

      1. If you haven’t met them, then I would jot down a note on the back of the card and send it —

        Another thought did occur to me though – they could be (arrogantly) going on the assumption that a ‘no’ response would mean that you are going to send their child a card (w/ a check) indicating your regrets… Not sure if you are planning to send a check (or anything else), but a Hallmark card (there are some Bar Mitzvah specific ones) wishing him well would probably look better than a note on the back of the response card.

        1. We are planning on sending a Hallmark type card with a money type card. I was thinking of just dropping a note into the card saying, “Hey, congrats, we unfortunately won’t be able to attend but thanks for the invite!” but wasn’t sure if it was appropriate.

          1. That’s what I would do – write it down in the greeting card and send it sooner rather than later so they have their headcount info.

  12. I’ve seen this dress on nordstrom.com and contemplated the purchase – but ultimately I talked myself out of it because the colar looks a bit too unstructrued…sort of like its been washed/worn one too many times and it got all stretched out.

    Likes it – not to be mean but I think that you should return your red pumps with silver heels – eek!

      4. NOT what I was expecting (which was, for some reason, 4″ mirror-silver heels with red patent leather). I like these much more than the image in my head :)

      5. I don’t think they are appropriate for work if your office tends to the conservative side of business casual.

      6. Those would be totally fine in my office, and I like them. Cheers.

      7. If you’re taking a poll, I don’t like them. Not really suitable for most work places (with the usual arts/media caveats). But if *you* like them, who cares what I think?

        1. Those are MUCH nicer than I envisioned from the description. I think they would be a great go-to when you’ve got a simple dress and are looking for something to jazz it up for after-work drinks, dinners, etc.

      8. Likes it – These aren’t as bad as I thought, but I still don’t like them and I do not think that they are professional. I think the silver heel really throws these over the edge for me. The other girls are right though, if you love them, then strut them!

        1. Thanks, all – I appreciate the feedback. I love the “wouldn’t snicker behind your back: :):)

      11. I really like them. Not at all what I pictured after reading your first post. They look lovely (although I would caution that seeing in-person how shiny that silver heel is might break the deal). For once I am with the “fine for work” side.

      12. Love them and they will be soooo comfortable. I have two pairs of the Kenneth Cole silver line heels. Very padded and wonderful.

      13. I love love these shoes. I so wish I hadn’t gone to the link OR knew that they were on sale b/c now I want them in gray and wine. Just when I was vowing not to spend money on anything that wasn’t an absolute necessity!

      14. They aren’t bad at all. Unless your office is super conservative you should be able to comfortably wear those. I was thinking of something more like… tiny.cc/dz1vj

  13. I bought a Banana Republic dress with a very similar collar. If I arrange it properly and stand still it looks pretty. Once you move, the collar starts to move around and the parts around your shoulder slide forward. A bit difficult to describe, but I find myself smoothing and adjusting the collar much more often than I would like.

      1. It is not a sweater dress, it appears to be the same type of stretchy fabric as this dress. That might actually be the problem, maybe the cowl neck material is too light so it moves to easily.

    2. Have you tried sewing bra strap-holders into the dress, so you can clip it to your bra straps? I had a similar neckline on my wedding dress, and my seamstress added strap holders into the shoulder seams of the dress for exactly that reason.

  14. This dress is great – this is the exact Mad Men look – 1960. If you like something a little retro – which I generally don’t like – this is terrific.

  15. This is completely off topic, but what are people thinking of the new “Google Instant”?

    2. I don’t see why they imposed it on users. Before, you had the option of “autotext-recognition”, but now it schizophrenically does it the second you type in one letter. It’s annoying and I’m not sure what their goal was…there’s nothing new or innovative about it. Please explain if I’m missing something here!

      1. I guess I’m the only one who likes it! (I wasn’t sure at first, but the more I use it, the more I like it.)

        The new thing is that it actually pulls up results as you’re typing. Before it would autofill, but it wouldn’t pull up the results. I like it because it lets you change your search if you automatically see you’re not getting the results you want.

        Plus, it gives you the weather if you just type “w”! Yes, I am that lazy that I think that’s a cool feature.

  19. I’m the E who sent this dress to Kat — just arrived via mail today. Love it!! It fits beautifully — close fitting but not too tight, and the weight is heavy enough that it doesn’t cling to curves/bumps (though I’ll likely still wear Spanx or a slip). The collar stays put well, without shifting or needing rearrangement. The belt is cheap, as usual for belts that come with dresses. But as this dress is relatively short (just at my knee and I’m 5’3″) I think it breaks up the line of the dress anyway. Leaving it off draws less emphasis to my tummy and makes me look longer. The little belt loop threads will be easy to snip.

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