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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 49 Comments · by

Wednesday’s TPS Report: Caroline Dress

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. Le Train Bleu has a bunch of dresses on sale for just around $100 — including this great “Caroline” dress. I love the little things about this dress — the pintuck detail on the neckline, the pleated skirt, and the buttons on the back. Maybe it's the styling, but I also like that it feels like an independent, smaller designer. Was $158, now $94.80 (lucky sizes XS and M only). Caroline Dress 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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Comments

  2. meg

    Sateen doesn’t seem like a work fabric to me. Maybe as a blouse, but for a dress.

    • Mac

      I agree. I love the style and cut of the dress, but would never wear a sateen dress to work.

    • Nonnymouse

      I wear sateen dresses to work. If it’s not tight and not low cut and a basic office color I don’t think it’s an issue at all. I often wear them with thick tights and a carding belted over them.

      • b23

        I agree. It also depends on the sateen — some of it isn’t that shiny at all. I love this but alas am not an XS.

        It’s been quiet around here today! Is everyone at home because of the weather??? I’m sitting at work wearing a full-length wool coat at my desk because I can’t figure out how to turn up the heat, and I am the only one here today!

        • Mac

          Work from home day for me, so I’m currently on a conference call in my bathrobe. :)

        • AnonInfinity

          We didn’t get anything fun (snow), just really really really cold windchill.

          Boooo.

          • AnonInfinity

            If I had to choose one or the other, I’d definitely choose the windchill. But, I wish that we at least had something fun to show for the super cold temps, so ideally I’d like both!

        • anon

          Denver has been frozen over for 2 days and all the schools are closed. I’m working from home.

        • MHU

          Snow day in Chicago! This morning I looked out my window and couldn’t see the neighboring high rises, about 1/4 mile away.

  4. Anon in the snow

    I just love how there are no measurements to see if this would fit or not.

  5. Laker

    Love the dress.

    Resume question: I’ve been at the same employer since mid-2005, and I’ve been promoted multiple times. Do I need to list each title on my resume with skills and action items? Or can I get away with being in-depth about my current role and listing the previous positions with dates only (not bullet points under each title)? It is obvious that I have been promoted by the titles.

    • Anonymous

      If the responsibilities are redundant, I don’t think it’s necessary to list them multiple times. On my resume, where I got promoted from “associate” to “head associate” (not my actual job title), I say “in addition to associate duties listed below, supervise a team of 5 associates and 3 paralegals, interview and hire new staff, lead staff training.” If your duties are not redundant, I would enumerate those skills and action items that you want to highlight because they might be relevant to the position you’re applying to, but I don’t think it’s necessary to enumerate all your duties.

    • Divaliscious11

      Me too.
      As I moved up, I only include the additional responsibilities unless the job changes. Last promotion moved me to different area of business. Next promotion, which is hopefully coming soon, won’t be a dramatic change in responsibilities, more likely a blending of responsibilities.
      But DO list the steps… it shows growth and achievement.

  6. happyness

    threadjack! finally bit the bullet and am going to have my apt cleaned. I have allergies and asthma and think it is worth it to have someone else vacuum and dust. I am getting quotes from different places in suburban NYC (like Merry Maids, etc). Does anyone have a recommendation? And how much do you ‘clean up’/ declutter for your cleaners? They’re supposed to dust but my furniture is all covered with knick-knacks and the like. HELP!

    • b23

      Anyone who has read Nickled and Dimed would NOT recommend that you use Merry Maids. My number one recommendation is to get referrals from friends or co-workers who use individual housecleaners rather than services. I think they do a better job anyway, and the money goes directly into their pockets. If you don’t pay them a certain amount per year, you don’t have to worry about payroll taxes. (We use ours every other week and pay $60/cleaning, and we fall under the limit. I’m not totally sure what the limit is, though.)

      • b23

        Also, it’s up to you, but the more you de-clutter, the better job they will do. It really just depends on the week for us, but we clean up when we have time because it allows the maid to focus on the nitty gritty.

      • AnonInfinity

        Nickled and Dimed is what I always think of when I hear about cleaning services, too.

    • Anonymous

      If your asthma is bothered at all by fumes, I suggest buying your own all-natural cleaning products for the cleaning crew to use. If they bring their own, they’ll undoubtedly be harsh chemical cleaners, which would definitely aggravate my asthma.

      • somewherecold

        You can probably find a cleaning service that will give you the option of “green” cleaners. Our service offers standard bleach/cleaners, “green” cleaners (I think it’s the Clorox line of environmental cleaners), or vinegar, baking soda, and other homemade cleaners. Not in the NYC area, but I would guess you have a lot more options than we did when we were looking for someone.

    • Bonnie

      I clean like a mad woman the night before our house is cleaned. In my opinion, our cleaning lady can’t clean the surfaces well if they’re covered with clutter. I would not move things like lamps, picture frames etc, that belong in the spot they’re in but would certainly take the time to put away laundry and go through the pile of junk mail that may be taking over your coffee table. Having somebody come to clean actually motivates me to tidy up.

      • anon-ny

        agreed! I always laugh about how much I pre-clean (basically de-clutter) before I pay someone to clean! Glad I’m not the only one!

        • Anon too

          Totally. My SO thinks I’m crazy. But pre-cleaning
          1) allows her to clean better
          2) keeps us in the habit of straightening the house, throwing out the nasties from the fridge, shredding mail every 2 weeks and
          3 ) (selfish) it makes me feel like less of a lazy person since I work at home and am usually in my office on my heinie working while she is here running around for 5+ hours

          She has been with us for 4 years and has a set of stuff she does and then proactively looks for other things that need doing (fold and put away sheets), wipe out inside of fridge.

          I recently had to take a subsitute for about 8 weeks and the one thing I wish I had done beforehand was get together a list of each room and everything I wanted done in that room so that she knew what questions to ask me beforehand.

          Things that I typically expected weren’t happening (wash kitchen towels and replace in drawer), mainly because a new person needs to learn the house and layout before they can do certain things (and before you’re comfortable having them do certain things).

    • RKS

      I disagree on using an individual cleaner. #1, you may run into payroll tax issues. The limit is pretty darned low — $1700 for 2010. So it depends on how often the person will be cleaning and how much you’ll pay them. #2, how will you handle broken/damaged/missing items? IMO, it’s better to have someone who’s bonded and insured, so you’re not taking the money for your broken expensive vase right out of their paycheck.

      IME, decluttering is important. The cleaners will do a better job if they don’t have to worry about clutter that they may hesitate to touch. E.g., if my kitchen table is covered with bills, mail and homework, it’s not going to be wiped down.

      • Makeup Junkie

        The problem with corporate cleaners is that they have a formula for cleaning – something like kitchen first for 15 minutes, bathroom second for 10 minutes, etc. (not exact but you get the idea) that may or may not fit the needs of your place.

      • b23

        I see your point, but that’s why I ask for recommendations from friends. The woman I use now (after having her recommended) is extremely professional and conscientious.

      • somewherecold

        You can find an individual or a small service (i.e. where the owner also does cleaning, but may have a few employees) that is bonded and insured, but I agree, that’s an important thing to look for.

    • EC

      We always declutter – everything off the floor, try to clear off the dining room table and all non-essential items from the kitchen counters, and put all clothes away. The knick knacks can stay; if you want the cleaners to pick them up and dust underneath, make sure to tell them that.

      Also, don’t expect them to come in and make it perfect the first time. My house cleaner is great, but we had some discussions early on about how often the floorboards would be dusted, whether the light fixtures would be dusted, whether the inside of the oven would be cleaned, whether to use perfumed cleaners, etc. Treat it like an ongoing conversation with your cleaner, rather than a set plate of services, and you’ll be much happier in the long run.

  7. Nonnymouse

    Question: I just got a catalogue from LL Bean signature and I’m liking some of the stuff. Anyone have any experience with this?

    Thanks!

    • Anon in Ny

      I haven’t ordered from them recently, but Maggie over at MightyGirl.com did an entire series on their signature collection. I’d check it out – as she noted, the quality was very good and they have excellent customer service. The sizing tends to run a bit smaller than “classic” LL Bean (good for me as a thinner, shorter women) but a bit of a shock to some of their other customers.

    • eaopm3

      I got that catalog as well and I am really liked some of it as well. I am thinking about ordering my SO a gray suit, but the jacket is sold out in his size right now. If you end up ordering anything, please come back and give reviews!

    • Me

      I ordered a cashmere sweater from that collection, and unlike cashmere sweaters I have ordered recently from Talbots and other sources, the LL Bean one is a really nice thick cashmere – it looks great under a suit or by itself, holds up well, and just feels really substantial. So on that item, I was pleased with the quality.

  8. Jen L

    I love this dress and wish that it came in my size (and that I had the money to spend).

  9. Lynnet

    I love this dress, but I feel like on me it would look like a shapeless bag. I think you’d have to have the right bearing/attitude to pull it off.

  11. Jas

    What a lovely dress. It’s sadly a bit dressed up for my casual office, though.

    Threadjack time!
    About 6 months ago I started my first job out of school. It’s gone well, but I have a problem with my boss: he seems to have no concept of how long things take to do. He regularly gives me a task and a number of hours to bill to it, but he assumes it will take far less time than it actually does. I’m not the only one with this problem, all my coworkers find the same thing, and his own work often ends up late and over budget because he doesn’t give himself enough time. So how do I deal with this? There’s only so much free after-hours work I’m willing to do, but I don’t want my performance reviews to reflect his poor planning. Luckily, the division leader, my boss’s superior, does the performance reviews, not my boss, but I’m sure my boss will be consulted beforehand.

    • surrounded by lawyers

      Common problem, I think! A few thoughts:

      –You mention that many of your coworkers have the same issue with him. Anybody more senior, who is well-regarded, who has a coping strategy they would share? Also–related–if his assignments show up late and over budget that often, you at least have some data on your side. If it were just you, it could look like you’re inefficient, but since it’s everyone, it looks more like the actual scenario: he is underestimating the workload.

      –What is the culture surrounding working extra hours for free at your employer? If you were told in orientation that you are supposed to log your exact hours, then you can present your time limitations in a very detached manner. “I’m required to complete work by 6 pm and cannot bill any hours after that, and so I will need one more day on this project.”

      –Is there any chance that your standards for the quality of the work are higher than your boss’? He may be allotting the amount of time to do something “good enough,” whereas you are doing a much more thorough job. If that’s the case, it might be worth sitting down to describe to him what the stages are that you usually go through in assignments for him. If he thinks any steps are unnecessary, he can say so.

      If he doesn’t–which is more likely–that could be a good opening for saying “Great, I’m glad we’re on the same page about what this work entails. However, I find that it usually takes me X hours/days/weeks to complete it according to this standard.” If he’s not willing to have you cut corners, then the time will be ripe for him to adjust his expectations.

      • Jas

        It’s good to hear it’s a common problem. It’s been driving me nuts!

        It’s generally expected to do volunteer overtime occasionally, but with some of his projects I end up doing extra hours every day, which isn’t.

        I’ve tried your last tip before, telling him how long it will take me, but his reply was along the lines of “Oh no, it should only take X hours”. I might try doing it again, though, and hope that if I do it enough he might realise his expectations are unreasonable.

    • EC

      My boss is the same way – my solution was to always ask, “Is it more important that it be done in [x] hours or that I get the right answer?” Usually getting the right answer is more important, and having my boss acknowledge that made my life easier.

      Another strategy has been to say, “How about I check in when I’ve gotten half way through your allotted time?” This way, they can redirect you if you’re going off track, or at least they won’t be blindsided when you take twice as long as they expected. It will also help you plan your life, because you can use that half-way meeting to say that you hadn’t anticipate spending so much more time tonight, would it be all right if if you finished tomorrow.

      Caveat – I’m a lawyer. I am expected to work as late I need to work, so for me these are stress-management tools rather than personal-time preserving tools. Good luck!

      • Lola

        Great suggestion to ask whether it’s more important to stick to the time limit or have it done perfectly. I’d guess that his answer would be that it’s more important to stick to the time limit and have it be “good enough.”

        If you’re a perfectionist, that’s not his problem.

        A new attorney in my office told me this year that, ideally, she wished that everything she wrote would be treated like it was when she clerked for a local appellate court: Drafted by one person, edited for content by another person, edited for grammar by another person, cite-checked by another person, and finally read aloud. All before turning in the piece (memo, brief, whatever it was).

        That’s just not anywhere close to realistic in practice. You should be able to write and proofread your own work, and the citations should be correct.

  12. Quick Vent

    No snow day when the rest of the city is shut down. Everyone has the ability to work from home. 90% of the staff just took a sick/vacation day. So not fair to the staff to make them do that. I’m here because I live close but really, being a lawyer is not like being an ER doc, you can take a snow day. Grrr.

    This seems to go back to the trend where some lawyers don’t eat, some don’t think certain people are stressed enough, etc. When are we going to realize we are not that important?

    • anon-ny

      I (a lawyer) was complaining to a friend of mine (not a lawyer – works in the oncology unit of a hospital) about how stressful my day had been and was venting a bit. He listened, then said, “did anyone die?” It put everything in a bit more perspective. Lawyers want their jobs to be crazy important but in the end, a snow day (or vacation) can be taken and the world does not end.

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