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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 80 Comments · by

Wednesday’s TPS Report: Carnaby Coat

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

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Carnaby CoatSure, it's 80 degrees in NYC, but we're hopeful that cool breezes will be here again — sometime. Today we're liking this fun teal jacket from Boden — it's “showerproof,” has a great lining, and comes in teal, purple, white, and a grayish/brownish/purplish “pewter.” It's $138 at Boden. (Tip: if you haven't, sign up for Boden's newsletter — they frequently send out deals like 15% off and free shipping.)  Carnaby Coat Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-0)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

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

Comments

  1. 75

    Boden’s line of clothes for fall is the greatest. I noticed they have a number of lightweight coats in interesting styles and yummy colors. Particularly good for people who live in a climate where heavy winter coats are not needed – such asmajor portions of California. I love their tunic tops.

  2. LNWEsq3

    I can’t fathom wearing a coat right now. It is going to be 93 degrees in the District of Columbia today. :) I love the teal color though. Great suggestion.

  4. lawyer

    I’ve been trying to force myself to enjoy this sweltering East Coast summer, and stop longing for fall weather (and clothes) — this gorgeous jacket isn’t helping.

  5. Elle Woods

    I’ve been trying to force myself to enjoy this sweltering East Coast summer, and stop longing for fall weather (and clothes) — this gorgeous jacket isn’t helping.

    • lawDJ

      landsend will have lots of summer clothes in their overstocks. they’re not everyone’s cup of tea but if you’re having an active vacation they can be perfect.

  6. lawDJ

    Love it! especially in teal.

    Quick hijack, now that the AT friends sale is going on, I’ve been thinking of stocking up on their “Perfect Scoop Neck Tee” to wear under jackets on more casual days. Has anyone bought these before? What do you think of them? Do they wash well? They have quite a bit of modal, but they do just look like t-shirts?

    • A-n0n-lawyer

      I have a ton of these and love them! They have washed very well and haven’t stretched or faded in weird ways.

      My only problem is that a couple of colors show sweat patterns, which can be gross and embarrassing.

      Also, be prepared to see at least one person each day wearing the same shirt as you (maybe not in the same color, though).

  7. E

    Speaking as a cyclist, I can say that that would definitely get caught in the wheels, but also that it looks lovely for non-cycling times!

    • AIMS

      Not necessarily. I often bike in longer items (skirts, dresses, etc.) & heels. It really depends on your bike & how you go about it. Most US bikes are mountain-y, sneakers & shorts types, but the old fashioned, Euro-type ones (like the one pictured) are super simple & do not lead to these problems.

      • Anonymous Today

        +1 I’m not a “serious cyclist,” but I commute by bike for most of fall and spring (it’s too hot in the summer and I don’t want to arrive to work all sweaty; during the winter I have fears of slipping on ice and it’s sometimes too cold). I often wear my trench, which is as long as, if not longer than this jacket. And I’ve never had a problem. To be fair, my bike does have a skirt guard.

        • L from Oz

          Exactly – I commute in regular clothes and don’t have any problems, although like Anonymous Today, I have a skirt guard (and a chain guard). The only garments that are really tricky are tight knee length skirts – I have to hoik them up to embarassingly short lengths to get on the bike, and I don’t like showing that much thigh!

          I’m by no means a serious cyclist, but my small European city has the sort of infrastructure that makes a bike the best way to get around. (Unlike my Oz home town, sigh…) And regular clothes outnumber lycra by about 50 to one.

          • N

            Agreed. When I was living back in Copenhagen, everyone would bike in regular clothes, including long coats. I don’t think I ever saw anyone bike in lycra. (Men and women biking in suits, on the other hand, was a regular sight).

            Personally, the only thing I’ve found that tends to get caught in the pedals is if I’m wearing too long and wide trousers. Then they tend to wind around the pedals, and you come to a sudden stop.

      • anon

        i agree – i have two bikes (a giant 10-speed and a bianchi san remo) and wear thigh-length jackets with them regularly and have not gotten them caught. slingback shoes, on the other hand…ouch!

    • Shayna

      I had a boss who wore a similar coat and cycled to work every day… I believe she had some sort of “splash guard” (?) to keep the coat from getting wet during the slushy winter/spring, but otherwise, did not seem to have any problems… Of course, since she was not a particularly nice person there were quite a few Wizard of Oz jokes (remember the nasty neighbor who rode her bike in the beginning of the movie?)

  8. AIMS

    I really LOVE the look of a lot of the new boden stuff & I hear their quality is great (which I am really longing for, given how downhill most brands have gone), but I am a bit concerned about potential boxiness — for those who have ordered from Boden before, has this been an issue? Their clothes look like they may run into the Talbots/Garnet Hill problem of “great in the catalog, shapeless mess on me” . . . . Any feedback would be much appreciated!

    • Anonymous

      I have ordered several things from Boden and would not describe them as boxy (I would describe most items from Talbots as boxy, for reference). I’m 5-8 and wear a 4-6. However, they aren’t as fitted as a lot of US brands (which is one reason I like them so much as I prefer my clothes to skim rather than hug my body) so you may want to order more than one size so you can see what works for you. They often have free shipping/returns deals going on.

    • Anonymous Today

      I haven’t found the clothes boxy per se, but, like Anonymous, I have found that they aren’t that fitted either. The next time I order, I plan on going a size down in sweaters and dresses. I’ll probably order bottoms in two sizes and return one. FWIW, I’m a size 8 hourglass.

      • AIMS

        Thanks guys! Very helpful to know — I think I am going to bite the bullet & order. They have a gorgeous color block sweater coat I haven’t been able to get out of my head and a few perfect for a Friday (or a business casual office) type dresses…. How’s the sizing? Is it in Jcrew/BR range? Or more like other European designers where you need to size up?
        (I know they’re on US sizes but that can vary — I bought 2 dresses recently in Anthropologie & one was an 8, while the other was a 4 that I have to have taken in because it was still loose in parts).

        • Anonymous

          Boden runs small for me – I am a consistent US size 4 (tops) and 6 (bottoms), but have to order 6 tops, 8 bottoms from Boden. Even then sometimes the bottoms are too small.

          • Anonymous Today

            Oddly, I’ve found the opposite. Maybe it has something to do with body shape or how ones prefers to wear their clothes, but I’ve found the 8s (my typical size) to be a little big, especially in tops and dresses (which is odd, because I’m fairly busty). Although, I guess I would rather have something be a little roomy than be too tight, so maybe ordering up is your better bet.

        • Anonymous

          For me it is consistent with JCrew/BR sizing (I wear a 6 in most everything, sometimes a 4) but I have a fairly straight & narrow figure so if you have curves I don’t know how that would impact the sizing.

        • L

          I think they are a bit bigger than J Crew/Banana, but it depends. Their lengths on dresses and blazers is a bit short. I can wear the blazers but should probably have them tailored to let out the sleeves. The chest also tends to be tight on me (I am 5.8, size 8, 34F or so) compared to a banana size M, for example. I also always order a tall for dresses, makes them more work appropriate. (My office is biz casual)

      • spacegeek

        Love Boden! They definitely run larger, I must say. I have many of their dresses because I like just below the knee length, and ordering the long size gives me that little bit of extra coverage. (I’m 5’5″ and have a generous helping of top and bottom curves.) The quality is terrific and clothing washes and wears very well. I’ve bought some items for my kids too, who are hard on their clothing. The fabric heft and seaming is always excellent.

    • Anonymous

      Has anyone in the U.S. had to pay import duties/taxes on their Boden purchases? There is something on Boden’s website about how the non-UK customer might have to pay customs fees (which would stink!). Many thanks!

      • Ann

        I haven’t, but also have never bought a ton of stuff at once. I imagine this is more likely to be a problem if you buy $350 + worth of clothes at once.

      • Anonymous Today

        I haven’t either. I think it depends on how much you buy at once and on where it’s shipped from. Typically when I order I wind up getting two shipments, one from their warehouse in the U.S. and one from the U.K. My most recent order was about $400, but only about $200 of it came from the U.K. I’m guessing that makes some sort of difference.

      • CC

        I haven’t ordered anything yet, but in their catalogue they say that they have a warehouse in the U.S. (I want to say NJ…) I would imagine that gets rid of the customs fee problem.

      • Anonymous

        OP re customs duties here: I just called Boden’s customer service to inquire (spoke to a delightful chap named Edward) and he said that U.S. customers do not have to pay customs duties. This will be my first time ordering from this company and so far I’m seriously in love with them — Johnnie Boden is a marketing whiz! I hope the clothes will be as nice as their catalog/website/customer service.

    • Me

      I’m kinda “eh” on Boden. I fell in love with a sweater (washable merino blend) last winter, and it definitely shrank about an inch and also pilled, despite my extremely careful washing, blocking, and flat-drying.

      I also bought their plimsolls (sneakers) in a nifty calf-hair spotty leather, which were lovely BUT the soles wore out extremely fast — I walk a lot (I work PT and have 2 toddlers) and the heels were run down within 2 weeks, way faster than, say, plain old Converse from Target at 1/2 the price.

      So, I really don’t know about Boden. I’d wait for the sale if you really love something…. for the price, its got iffy quality for me.

    • jcb

      I am a huge fan, consistently surprised by the good quality. Their size chart measurements have been right on for me, check those before you order (though I still haven’t figured out if I should be ordering regular or long in their dresses). Haven’t found the clothes to be boxy, so much as every now and then I get something and realize it is a little dowdy, or maybe more in british taste than american. But the fit is usually great – nothing is skin-tight, everything tends to drape nicely. Size 8 hourglass if that helps.

      Love this jacket.

      • A.M.

        I don’t think there is a British taste vs. American taste, really. I’m a dual citizen and split my time between the UK and US, and I’ve never noticed a difference in dowdiness.
        If anything I’ve noticed it is much more common for women of all ages to dress trendier in the UK and Europe than the US.

        • jcb

          Didn’t mean that Brits are dowdy. Meant (1) some Boden things are dowdy and (2) some things seem to have more british styling to me.

    • anon -- San Francisco

      Hmm, I’m surprised by the raves. The Boden clothes have a very suburban mom feel to me — even more so than Talbots and Ann Taylor. Like a frumpier version of anthropologie. Not my thing.

      • Anonymous Today

        Have you seen the most recent catalog? I feel like, with each season, they move further and further away from that “suburban mom” feel. I do feel like the clothes used to be a bit like that, though.

  9. N

    It was 59 degrees fahrenheit here yesterday, and 68 today… and this is meant to be summer? Guh.

    This coat is coming at the right time for over-coat inspiration.

    • Anon-J

      I want to be where you are!! It’s mid-90s and disgustingly humid here in D.C. I went out for a mid-morning coffee and thought I was going to melt.

      • Anonymous Today

        +1

        There was a suspicious package near my building this morning, so I couldn’t get in right away. I was sweating just standing there.

      • Karen

        It’s in the mid-100’s here…someone please remind me why I’m in Oklahoma? Oh yeah, super cheap cost-of-living…and family…

        • 3L

          I’m in North Texas and we’re in the mid-100s (heat index 110) too…I remember the unusual “cold snap” of high 90s we had a few weeks ago when some storms lingered in the area for a few days. I would love the high 90s that some of y’all are posting right about now.

  10. FEF

    I love it on the model, but I think it looks dumpy on the dress form, which means I will probably think it looks dumpy on me. It is a pretty color though.

  11. Anonymous

    Thread hijack: I am in desperate need of some impartial advice.

    I graduated this spring with a MPPA and started work mid-June with the federal government. When hired, they asked for, and I gave, a verbal commitment of two years. So far, I’m pretty happy where I am and could easily see myself learning a lot from the position.

    Yesterday my former manager from a co-op position with another department emailed me with a job opportunity that he wants me to seriously consider. It is 1 level above where I am now with the strong probability of another promotion within 6 months. I’d be working in an area more in line with my interests and past experience and I would be the lead on a major project I helped get off the ground while there last summer. The only major downside to accepting the position is that I wouldn’t just be burning my bridges, I’d be napalming them.

    I honestly don’t know what to do. Making a pros and cons list was useless as there are many pros but one giant con. I’m not unhappy here, but could go much further much faster in the new position. However, in some ways government is like a small gossipy town and I don’t want to tank my reputation just as I start out. Please be brutally honest. If you were me, what would you do?

    • Anonymous

      While a verbal commitment is obviously not binding, I would think very carefully before changing jobs after just 2 months on a job that you “committed” to for 2 years. I think it would reflect poorly on you in the future if a potential employer were aware of your defection. That being said, it depends on where you really see your future going. If you can imagine taking this new position and staying there for many (5+) years, then it might be worth it. By the end of that time, you would have shown yourself to not be flighty and presumably would have put yourself in a position to stay within the circles of the new department as opposed to the old. Just be prepared that there would almost certainly be negative fallout from reneging on the commitment and that will reflect on the way you are perceived as a professional.

    • anon

      I would wait at least a year before considering other positions. At this stage in your career, your reputation is really important.

    • Anonymous

      I’m inclined to say take it, but if you break your commitment, you are probably burning serious bridges and might end up unofficially blackballed from working with your current agency. Does your former manager know the people at your current agency? Could he help smooth things over? If you know the right people and pull this off right, there won’t be a big fallout, but if you play your cards wrong it could negatively affect your career for years to come.

    • Ms B

      I started my career with the DOJ. I had to give them a three year written commitment. However, fewer than five months in (and a week before I was taking a bar exam), my boss and his boss told me that as a result of budget cutbacks, I would be laid off in about five months. Last in, first out, you see.

      Because of circumstances outside of my control (one employee decided to go part-time for personal reasons, one employee transferred to a different division, and one employee left a remote office), I ended up being able to keep a job, but not the one I had signed on for. I had to agree to change to one-third travel and agree to go to any other office in the country in order to help out, i.e. do the work no one in that office wanted to do. Trust me, business travel on the government budget is not fun. And to top it off, because of the budget issues, I only got one of two normally scheduled grade level raises during my time with DOJ.

      Long story short, the federal government offers great opportunities, but do not kid yourself: they are like any other employer and will jettison you if they deem it necessary. Because the economics may not always be good, you have to love what you do there to stay. If this other opportunity is the right fit, then make the decision that is best for you. Raises are hard to come by in the government and they make a big difference down the road.

      As to breaking the commitment, I know that a number of people at DOJ were peeved when I left, but I handled it as gracefully as I could and remain both personal and professional friends with many of them. I was fortunate that I was able to give eight weeks’ notice so that my replacement could be selected. Many people will be understanding of your ambition and interests. The ones who are not understanding mostly will be jealous of your opportunity or unhappy because they will have to spend time training a replacement, but that is the nature of a workplace.

      • Anonymous

        OP here. Thank you everyone for your input. Money, while not a primary consideration, is an issue. I would immediately start making almost $5,000 more than I currently do with the strong probability of an additional $5,000 by March. The job itself is more interesting and higher profile than what I do now. Pretty much any way you slice it, this is a better job.

        There are ways to reduce the negative impact of my leaving, but there is no way to remove it completely and ultimately, while not breaking my contract, I would be breaking my word. I’m going to think about it for a few days and get some discreet input from people who’ve been in government much longer than I have. I don’t need to make a decision right away and this requires some serious thought.

        • A.M.

          Not knowing your office situation, I’d say getting advice from other government employees is the best bet.
          A far-flung possibility is going to your boss directly. If you an s/he have a good relationship and s/he seems like a genuine person you might be able to schedule a sit-down closed door meeting and tell him you got a job offer somewhere else. Don’t tell him it’s your dream job or the financial incentive, but maybe mention you’d be working on a project you started. Ask his opinion, or just gauge his reaction. If he seems ticked off at the mention of a job offer then there is your answer. There is a small chance though that he gives his ‘blessing’ of sorts for you to leave.
          That kind of conversation could only work with certain people and certain relationships, though.

          A question to ask yourself is, will you spend the new two weeks, months, years thinking ‘what if I’d taken that job??’ If it is weeks, that is normal, but if you really think that by the time your ‘contract’ is up you will feel like the last two years were a waste of time then you might want to risk it.

    • RR

      I would honor my verbal commitment. My first job out of law school also required a verbal two year commitment to a judge. I interviewed for and had offers for a job in December, but I had to wait until August. I didn’t want to screw over the judge and I really wouldn’t have wanted to work for a firm that pushed me to screw over the judge (of course, he was a local judge, so they didn’t want that either). It’s a honor thing to me. If they won’t let you out, you need to honor your commitment.

      • RR

        I should say that the reason for your commitment is also important. In the staff attorney arena, there is an obvious interview season to get the best candidates, and I would have been leaving my judge in the lurch at a time that wasn’t ideal for hiring someone new.

  12. Sharon

    An 8 in a Talbots is what in Ann Taylor, B Republic, J Crew? Thanks.

    Great jacket, Kat – that’s a perfect example of stylish yet classy.

    • AIMS

      I would recommend comparing their size charts. I find little consistency in anything but that seems like a tangible move.

    • Anonymous

      I may be the only one but I am the same size or even a size larger at Talbots than I am at the other stores you mentioned. I have a large chest, though.

    • Nony

      I’m a pretty consistent 4, but I ordered a size 2 jacket from Talbots and ended up sending it back because I was still swimming in it. I’m far from busty though (34A). So, for me, I tend to buy at least 1 size down (in jackets) at Talbots.

    • Anonymous Today

      I love it! I love the green, the buttons, and the slightly retro feel of it. That being said, I would only get the green if I already had a reliable tan coat and a reliable black one. I love coats, though, so I’m always playing with fun colors.

    • Ru

      Oooooh, that coat is nice! I don’t know if I have the guts to wear the bright green but it looks so much nicer in green than black, imo.

      • fresh jd

        From my experience (maybe it’s just my screen?), the Talbots website distorts colors. For ex., I ordered a sweater jacket with the same green shade online and when I received it the green was a completely different shade. I imagine this coat is not bright at all, but a rather neutral shade of green.

        • Ru

          If that’s the case (or not), get the green one so that I can live vicariously through you! ;)

        • RR

          I agree with you on the distortion but would still expect this to be a bright green per my recent experience with Talbots green colors (I LOVE green and have been buying profusely from their recent offerings in sweaters and tees). I’ve also seen it in the catalog, and it’s bright–albeit not as bright as the website pic.

    • Legally Brunette

      I have a very similar style coat that is bright emerald green, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t get compliments on it from coworkers as well as strangers on the street. Wearing that coat really brightens up my day and makes me happy. It’s also a great color for my skin.

      With that said, I agree that Talbot colors are way off. This very well could be a different shade of green than what is pictured.

    • Anon for this

      Loooooove it. Especially the buttons and cut around the top. And I like the green, not the black – I agree that the ‘real’ color is probably more muted. I want one!!

    • RR

      I’ve been looking at that coat. I love it. I’ve had several coats from Talbots (2 wool and one trench), and I’ve been extremely happy with the quality and durability of all of them.

  14. Louise

    Such a cute coat! Too bad I have a moratorium on buying more coats. The coat closet is full, I don’t want to get rid of any I have, so no new coats.

    I just bought this jacket http://www.scooter-girls.com/products.html#military
    to wear on my scooter. It has back and elbow armor, an abrasion-resistant lining, and reflective material on cuffs, collar and belt. But the outer material is a nice black wool blend and it looks like a normal coat on. Okay, a normal black coat with some silver accents, but way better than a typical PowerRanger-style safety riding jacket!

      • Louise

        The woman who owns the company is a real inspiration, too. Laid off from work, single, feeling desperate. Took the idea of fashionable safety gear and turned it into a successful company in about year.

  15. housecounsel

    Total change of subject: Has anyone ordered shirts from Carissa Rose, which is advertised on this site? How is the quality?

    Also, has anyone ever ordered from Rebecca & Drew (shirts based on bra size, very expensive).

    I have ordered a couple of shirts from Bravissimo, but was not terribly impressed with the quality.

    Thank you!

    • L from Oz

      The only thing I buy consistently from Bravissimo are swimming costumes – I find the clothes quality to be pretty ordinary. With shirts, I buy the Thomas Pink semi-relaxed fit, which works, but is awfully pricey (they have vicious shipping costs as well!) Would be interested to know if something else works…

    • anon

      I ordered from Rebecca and Drew and won’t again. You may not have this problem, but I am tall, and was surprised to find that the long sizes were not long enough for me. To me, they seemed the length of normal shirts. Also, the shirts ended up looking boxy (I’m pretty busty, so may be different at smaller sizes).

    • Anon L

      The good re: Rebecca and Drew: The blouse buttons without looking like a tent!

      The bad: The way the buttons are set up pretty much makes it obvious that you have a large bust and needed to buy a specific type of blouse.

      I think Thomas Pink is a better buy for the money, and I’m a 34 D-DD, and a size 4-8 (depending on the outfit) generally. I go up a size, but they don’t look too boxy.

    • AE

      I’ve ordered from Carissa Rose. I like the button downs that are “Urban Fit.” I wouldn’t say they are of the same quality as Thomas Pink, but they look nice untucked when I have my dry cleaner iron them. People have commented that they look like I had them custom made.

    • Sarah

      I’ve ordered from R&D. Definitely agree re length; I needed the long size and I’m only 5’4″ (albeit, with a fairly long torso compounded by the bosom). The regular was basically cropped on me. I’ve since found that Benetton buttondowns fit me basically as well as the R&D and for a lot less $.

  16. housecounsel

    Thank you so much! Anon, how tall are you? I am 5’7″ and a well-endowed 8.

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