Corporette.com

152 Comments · by

Wednesday’s TPS Report: Knit Herringbone Jacket

The Personal Shopper (TPS) | · · ·

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Banana Republic Knit Herringbone JacketLove this knit herringbone jacket from BR. It strikes me as the perfect shrunken blazer-but-not-a-blazer to wear on top of dresses and longer untucked tops. It’s $150 (available in regular and petites). Banana Republic Knit Herringbone Jacket Seen a great piece you’d like to recommend? Please e-mail [email protected] with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2)

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Workwear sales of note for 3.24.23:

  • Ann Taylor – 40% off everything
  • Athleta – 20% off shorts, swim, linen & more
  • Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything; extra 15% off purchase
  • Boden – Up to 50% off
  • Brooks Brothers – Clearance styles to 70% off. Some pretty serious markdowns!
  • Express – 40% off dresses & tops
  • J.Crew – 25% off your purchase; up to 50% off special-occasion styles
  • J.Crew Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 15% off 3 styles; extra 20% off 4 styles; extra 50% off clearance
  • Sephora – Up to 50% off select beauty
  • Talbots – 25% off select styles; 25% off markdowns

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

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

About Kat

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

Comments

  1. No Drama Mama

    It’s ok. Haven’t been very impressed with BR this season.

    Question for the masses: I can never get the accessories thing down. What type of jewelry (other than pearls) is good for work? Can you wear chunky, colorful stuff? What jewelry are you wearing today?

    • Always a NYer

      I love jewelry, especially pearls. Today I’m wearing a double strand of black faux pearls from the BR Mad Men collection with cubic studs. The jewelry I wear every day is my gold watch, a gold bracelet, and my class ring, my claddagh, and a ring that used to be my grandpa’s.

      I normally don’t wear chunky jewelry but I have worn a black beaded necklace that used to belong to my great-great-grandma, think flapper. I also love wearing scarves, usually a silk one or a pashmina, depending on how cold I am.

    • ADL

      I say yes to chunky, colorful stuff, but really think it varies by office environment. I always wear a necklace: pearls, a single charm on a chain, a diamond solitare (my grandmother’s), or a “fun” necklace. A necklace can also “bring up” the neckline of whatever you’re wearing that day.

      My new favorite: I recently got this necklace http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/shop/necklaces/necklaces-all/n230.html and have been wearing it a lot. It’s a mix of chunky and pearls tied together.

      I’m actually wearing this one today: http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/shop/necklaces/necklaces-delicate/chelsea-necklace.html

      • b23

        I like both of those necklaces a lot. Basically, I have a love affair with 99% of the jewelry Stella & Dot makes (the other one percent, I hate, which I think shows that their styles are really unique). If only it weren’t so darn expensive! (Secret confession: I have bought some of their pieces on eBay before.)

    • AnonInfinity

      I absolutely wear chunky, colorful necklaces. Usually I wear very plain earrings (pearl, diamond-appearing, or plain metal studs), a watch, and a necklace. My watch is kind of blingy. I have a very wide variety of necklaces, but I always try to get ones that are interesting. I have one made from a fountain pen nib, one made from a plasticized flower (it’s a lot more tasteful than it sounds), and others that are generally interesting. As long as it doesn’t look juvenile, I will wear it to work. My feeling is that the rest of my outfits are always conservative, so my personality mostly comes through my jewelry. Also, it’s so easy to remove that if you get to work wearing something crazy and people seem to be feeling weird about it, you can always remove it.

      The only thing I stay away from is dangly earrings. Some people can pull them off, but I feel like they look weird on me, and I feel self-conscious all day.

      • b23

        I agree that pretty much anything goes. As an example, I wear this necklace to work often: http://tinyurl.com/69bscgt. (I don’t sell S&D, just wanted to give a specific example). I think it looks really professional even though it is pretty chunky. I’ll wear it with really simple gold hoops or studs.

        • b23

          By the way, I really like using contrasting colors to spice up an outfit. For example, the other day, I was wearing navy and brown. My first thought was to put on a simple gold necklace, but then I changed my mind and wore coral beads. They looked great! I also like wearing a bright turquoise necklace with a coral top, a dark green necklace with a yellow top, etc. So I would recommend buying brightly colored jewelry and then wearing it with more sedate outfits.

          P.S. I really love jewelry, if you can’t tell by the number of times I’m posting on this. :)

          • AnonInfinity

            Same here! I love doing the contrasting color.

            Also, I love the bib necklace you posted above. And I see from a post below that you’re a reformed non-jewelry wearer. Me too! Now it’s my favorite part of an outfit.

            We are jewelry friends.

          • Monday

            Just as brightly-colored jewelry can add interest to a “sedate” outfit, I also find that I use jewelry to balance the funkiness or the boringness of the rest of my outfit overall. When I’m being a bit more fashion-forward with my clothes on a given day, I wear very subtle jewelry, perhaps only metallics. On the flip side, today for example my outfit is extremely conservative (white striped button-up and a gray pencil skirt with black pumps and nude stockings)–so I’m wearing a pink geode-like bean necklace and chunky pink studs. It all “goes,” but now I feel less boring.

    • Lyssa

      I think that almost anything’s OK, as long as it’s not too loud (chunky and colorful is fine, but you have to manage the rest of the outfit so that it is the only “pop” piece, and there are probably some things that could be over the top.) I also tend to think that large, dangly earrings tend to detract from the overall professionalism (small dangly earrings are OK, but I generally would avoid ones that actually swing for really serious things, like court or interviews.)

      Today, I’m dressed fairly low key; I have on a blue button down and a matched necklace/earring set in saphires- the necklace is a small, single stone with some silver and tiny diamonds above it, and the earrings are sort of a silver and tiny diamond top with a saphire that hangs down below (not dangly, but long enough that they end just below the bottom of my earlobe, if that makes sense.) The set was one of the first “nice” jewelry gifts that my husband gave me when we were engaged or just married.

    • Kanye East

      I’m tempted to say “wear what you like” and leave it at that.

      Not to start a $h!tstorm, but jewelry is no more mandatory than makeup or flat-ironed hair or heels. If your style is low-maintenance and low-key, you don’t need to break out of your comfort zone with fussy jewelry. But if you want to, then go for it.

      I realize not every reader is in law, but my only suggestion for a law practice setting would be to invest in quality over quantity. But, again, that’s a matter of [my] taste, and I don’t mean to project that onto others [any more than I already do].

      (:

      • b23

        I agree that it’s a wear what you like kind of thing that’s not mandatory, but as a reformed non-jewelry-wearer, I’ve really started to love the way it makes my outfits look. I used to get dressed after picking out my outfits carefully and then always just forget to put on jewelry besides my rings. I’ve since then made it a habit to stop by my jewelry box every morning and treat it like part of my outfit, not an afterthought. I really think it’s upped my fashion game, and people have told me I am one of the best-accessorized people they know.

        • Kanye East

          Sure; the flip side is, if you like color/statement jewelry/chunky accessories, by all means wear them!

          People can tell you what they think is office-appropriate, trendy, fashionable, etc., but don’t let anyone tell you what *your* style is.

          • b23

            Hey, KE! I wasn’t disagreeing with you; more like saying, you might try being more intentional about it before you write yourself off as not a jewelry person. :)

          • Kany

            Not disagreeing either; sorry if it came across that way!

            Obviously, I have a thing for jewelry, myself. (:

      • AIMS

        Agreed. And as far as quality over quantity, I would add that a well made version of a “cheaper” stone/metal is better than a poor quality “expensive” one. I’d go with nice silver studs over cheap gold ones anyday, or a nice turquise necklace over tiny shards of poor quality diamonds, etc. Jewelry doesn’t have to be expensive to be work appropriate, but it should be a good version of what it is supposed to be (if that makes any sense).

        • AK

          I totally agree with you, AIMS, but I’m a bit confused about your example on the studs. Gold is gold (provided we’re not talking plated) and studs are about as simple as it gets… not sure how you would tell the difference on this one, honestly.

          • MelD

            I’m with you there. For most jewelry of the size AIMS is mentioning, you’d really have to get inappropriately close to a person to be able to assess the quality. If it’s a tiny diamond, you can’t tell the quality from 2′ away.

          • AIMS

            Agree that gold studs from Macys and gold studs from Tiffany’s will not be discernably different without upclose inspection. But I have seen some absolutely terrible 10K gold jewelry, and I always think that for the same money you could get a really nice silver something that would look way, way better.
            In terms of diamonds, there is a difference between a small diamond which is done tastefully and something like this, which is what I had in mind when I made the above statement — http://tinyurl.com/3wwshgf
            Then again maybe it’s just a matter of taste.

        • karenpadi

          I stick with gold because I have a reaction to silver (or is it one of the metals they use in the alloy?).

          If your skin is OK with silver, go for it!

      • Mir

        I agree, but as another reformed non-jewelry wearer, more out of ignorance than intention, I now feel like I’m not quite all the way dressed without accessories. I forgot them today, because I a bit of a zombie this morning, and my bare ears are bothering me.

        Relatedly, I read somewhere (maybe it was here? maybe not) in advice specifically intended for women running for office that a woman without earings is the equivalent of a man without a tie.

    • Fiona

      I need help with this too, as I’m wearing pearl studs for the 500th day in a row. Where do you all shop for decent but inexpensive colorful jewelry to play around with?

      • AnonInfinity

        Etsy! Check out Kanye East’s store. She is teh awesomez. The store is the link if you click on her name.

        There are lots of other great Etsy sellers. If you do a google site search, some people have posted lists of their favorites in the comments.

      • V

        I think Lord & Taylor’s house line is a good place to start to find interesting but not over the top costume jewelery.

      • AIMS

        Fiona, I get a lot of my favorite items the Met Museum Shop, and other museum gift stores. The Met has great sales, btw.

        I have also found lovely, unique pieces at fair trade shops, including a really awesome beaded necklace from Kenya that gets me compliments every single time I have worn it.

      • IA_Eng

        If you skip some of the things that are a little too “blingy”, Express actually has some cute things that seem to be well-made for their price. And you’ve got to love that their accessories are always buy 1, get 50% off a 2nd.

        But my all-time favorite necklace for work (a multistrand one with pearl beads) came from Wet Seal of all places and 6+ years after purchase is still going strong.

    • E

      I would avoid anything too sparkly; I think lots of sparkle is more of an evening look. Otherwise, though, I agree that anything goes. Just don’t overdo it – wear just one attention-grabbing piece.

    • Genny

      Absolutely wear chunky jewelry!! It’s a great way for self-expression and to add some color and pizazz to a work outfit!

    • Anon

      I almost never wear jewelry. I honestly just never think of it when I leave the house. I do wear a lot of colorful clothing (today, a teal roll-neck, 3/4 sleeve belted dress with a black patent belt and black patent heels). I also have a lot of hair (naturally curly, long) so earrings aren’t really worth the time, and I hate having stuff on my wrists (I usually push long sleeves up). So, I’m not your girl!

    • Lawyer Jewelry

      Lawyer here. Traditional (though if I say so, elegant) dresser. I have three main suites of office jewlery: white pearls (10 mm single strand and studs); black pearls (ditto) and green jade earrings (still looking for necklace for this). I would add a very traditional suite of coral-colored coral or turquoise if I could find them (small beads, multistrand twist choker length and button earrings). I also wear my wedding ring (platinum three-band rolling ring with diamonds around each band).

      On BR jackets, I just bought a fitted black/grey/white tweedish one on sale a couple weeks ago. Not part of a suit. Cotton/wool. It goes with so many things I already own, transforming my every day “no clients today” uniform of black wool straight skirt and solid sweater set into an “oops, client now” outfit if I remove the cardigan and add the jacket. Works with any color sweater set.

    • MissJackson

      I think it’s about balance. If your outfit it otherwise sedate, it’s easier to add a pop of colorful jewelry and still look appropriate. If you are wearing something more adventurous, stick to more classic jewelry.

      Today I’m wearing pearls because I’m doing some pretty adventurous colorblocking with my clothing. But I wear a lot of chunky, fun necklaces.

      I stick with necklaces because as much as I love bracelets (especially cuffs), they are ridiculously annoying when you’re trying to type and I always end up taking them off. I stick with stud earring for work, too.

      As for necklaces, I have a pretty big variety of fun “costume” jewelry in addition to my more traditional jewels. While I usually agree with “quality over quantity” I have not applied that rule to my necklace collection — or at least, not if you assume that price determines quality. If we’re talking about costume jewelry, there is a lot of overpriced (not very well made + cheap materials) stuff out there. On the other hand, I have some amazing pieces that were literally in the $10 range. I think it’s all about having an eye. Much of the cheap stuff looks cheap — but some of it doesn’t.

      I will say that if you’re new to wearing chunky, colorful stuff, you might want to start out with some high quality pieces. That will help you know what kind of look you want in a bargain piece.

    • K

      I’m wearing diamond stud earrings and a long, gold, double-strand necklace from Ann Taylor (it’s one of my favorites).

      I tend to favor longer necklaces in silver & gold with an accent color over colorful and chunky, but that’s just me.

    • mamabear

      I am ordinarily a pearl girl but today I’m wearing what I call my Foxy Brown earrings (2″ gold hoops) and a stack of gold bangles, a pearl ring and a long print scarf around my neck.

      For a rule of thumb, until you get the hang of it, do either a chunky necklace OR major earrings, but not both. For my usual long-necklace-involving-pearls style, I wear stud earrings, tiny hoops or no earrings at all.

      Some people make the same rule with wrists and hands – either bracelets or ring but not both. Or, bracelets in left wrist, ring on right hand. But I wear my wedding ring almost every day on my left, and I prefer bracelets on my left as well, so I don’t sweat that one.

  2. Veronica

    When I tried this jacket on in person, it was wildly unflattering to my generously boobed size 10-12 form. FYI.

    • Veronica

      And (and!) there are no matching pants, which is a crime given how comfortable that fabric feels.

  4. yeshy

    Does anyone know of a good online thesaurus?

    I use thesaurus.com, and it’s awful. Relatedly, can anyone come up with a good synonym for increasingly? I’ve used it too much already.

    • Niktaw

      Progressively – courtesy of dictionary dot com. Which is not that great, but m-w dot com did not even have the word “increasingly”.

      • yeshy

        That may work… I’m writing something that focuses on how a certain thing has been happening more and more over the last few years, and what that means for an industry. Blah.

    • found a peanut

      This might fall into the “too obvious” category, but if you’re in Word and you right-click on the word you want a synonym for, it’ll give you an option for synonyms. It’s hit or miss but sometimes just looking at the list will help you think of a word.

      • yeshy

        I feel weird about posting the sentence because it will eventually be published online though. More and more does work; I’ll use it. I actually think “now” might also work, instead of “increasingly.” Like rather than, “increasingly, X happens,” I can just say, “now, X happens.”

    • Synonym Finder

      Not online, but try the get a copy of the The Synonym Finder published by Rodale. I was raised on Roget’s, but this is even better. (It took me years to admit that!)

      • yeshy

        Thanks for the suggestion. I may order one from my own funds, because I often have need of a thesaurus.

    • Alanna of Trebond

      Justice Scalia actually recommends thesaurus.com in his book, so I’m surprised to hear this. You might restructure the sentence and say “more often”.

    • Research, Not Law

      Additionally, again, furthermore, likewise, moreover?

      Merriam-Webster (m-w.com) is another source, but they don’t have increasingly. It’s a pretty decent thesaurus if the word is available, but sometimes I need to think of some similar words myself to come up with a hit.

  6. anon

    I ordered this and it was not particularly flattering. I’m petite (xs), but busty. Fell awkwardly over the bust (should have expected that with the single button) and the waist detail was weird. Might look good if you hold your arms at that angle across your waist…

  7. anon

    someone please talk me out of replacing my perfectly good Ann Taylor tropical wool suits with Theory suits.

    • ADL

      Perhaps not what you’re looking for, but only get the Theory suits if you’re using a percentage off; there’s no need to t buy them full price with all the discounts that come around every now and again.

    • Anne-on

      Have you checked out your local Marshalls/Loehmans/Nordstrom rack? I find the Loehmanns in my neighborhood always has a good selection of theory suits at 40-60% off retail, not counting any coupons I may have. I see no need to buy them full price.

      • Houndstooth

        Yeah, I have yet to find a Theory suit that works on me, and I usually have no trouble finding things that fit. I have a relatively “easy” figure to fit and Theory has just never done it for me.

        • b23

          Totally agreed on all counts. Plus, I just don’t want to buy a suit that is a good four sizes than the size I usually wear. Call me vain.

      • AIMS

        I have a curvy body and I love the way theory suits fit. In fact, they work better for me than any other brand, inc. Ann Taylor. And I don’t mind their unlined pants because the quality of the wool is so good.

        I guess that doesn’t help anon, though :(

        What about if you replace your suits gradually, and get one now, and one in six months, etc. My SO did that when he was out practicing a while and realized that he preferred Brooks Brothers suits over his law school ones from the Men’s Warehouse.

        FYI: Bloomingdales is having a 15% off promo, but I don’t have the code handy. Will try to post later. If you get the suit(s) @ full price, you can order them there.

        • found a peanut

          And Saks & Shopbop are both having 20% off. If you are dead set on buying Theory suit, now is a good time to do so.

          I have a curvy body and Theory fits me very well. I actually wear the same size in theory as I do in most other brands because Theory is cut to accommodate my curves. Strange, right?

    • Suited Up

      Check to see if there’s a Theory outlet near you…I had the same concerns as the poster below about the unlined suits and the quality of the fabric. I do love the fit on me – it looks younger and more modern. I do have a fairly straight figure.

    • No Theory

      Theory suits always make me think of the really young (and young acting), tall, gorgeous, blond lawyers who you just know will practice law in a big firm for about 2.37 years until marrying, wearing a big ring, having a baby, and “retiring” on their investment banker husband’s salary. They just never say “serious” to me. FWIW, I’m in southern California.

        • anon

          wow. i don’t think i can tell a theory suit just by looking at someone. usually i just think (or say) “nice suit.” to which they will respond, “thanks! theory.”

          • Anonymous Poser

            lol. That’s the only way I find out where anyone’s suit is from: if they tell me when I compliment them.

            :-)

      • Alanna of Trebond

        I can never tell where a suit is from unless I have that same suit, so this seems like a really surprising reaction. I also love theory suits. Not blonde either (but that part of this comment seems really catty).

      • LBLaw

        Wow. I’m in Southern California, tall, slim, and love Theory suits. However, I’ve been in law for 25 years, been married for 17 years with 2 kids. I feel I am a serious person Are you making snap judgments about me based on …. my taste in SUITS?

      • Anonymous

        Wow, really?? I am very surprised by that. I’ve been practicing law over 10 years. Theory is the go to brand for suits for me and my other female lawyer friends. I would say the same for my friends who are in banking.

        • Suited Up

          Yeesh! I agree- I love suits but I can’t identify brands (unless I own the same suit.) When I bought my first Elie Tahari suit (at an outlet) for OCI, a classmate told me she loved it and asked me if it was from J Crew! To be fair, I only paid a little more for it at the outlet than a similar suit from J Crew would have cost. I was still a little ticked though, lol!

  8. Anonimony

    Any recommendations for marriage counselors in the DC area? Especially ones who deal with substance abuse. TIA.

    • Eleanor

      I don’t live in DC, so I don’t have any recommendations, but good luck to you. That sounds like a bad situation. Maybe even if DC corporettes don’t know any marriage counselors, they could recommend a good therapist who could in turn recommend a marriage counselor who deals with substance abuse?

    • Anon

      Im not from your area but I suspect I have been in a similar situation. If you are not already doing so, I strongly suggest Al Anon. For you. I have been going for almost 2 years and its really helped me tremendously.

  9. PollyD

    Threadjack: Is it just me, or does Target have the MOST ANNOYING WEBSITE EVER? I like to shop online for some clothing items, since my size tends to sell out quickly in the stores. But it’s so frustrating! Separate links for the same item in different colors (instead of one link with a drop-down menu for different colors), page after page of Out of Stock items, and mysteriously disappearing items. For example, I saw a very cute-looking dress, short sleeves, top made of crisscrossing bands of fabric, on monday, and now it’s gone completely. Not out of stock, just… gone. I don’t think I hallucinated it. I was thinking about purchasing it as a reward for getting through this week, but I guess not.

    I wonder if Target realizes how absolutely crappy its website is? I should probably send this to their customer service link, but I bet that’s impossible to find, too.

    • Anonymous

      Yep. They cleaned up the graphics earlier this fall, but not, it seems, the functionality. I still shop it for half my stuff, but I know it’s never going to be fast, easy, or pretty.

    • GRA

      Target is one of the few places where I would shop in the bricks and mortar store instead of on the website. I can’t stand their website (and it always seems to be down?!?).

    • Tika55

      I was just thinking this! I hate the separate links for the same item in different colors. It’s often unclear what the price of a product is. AND I am double annoyed right now because I placed an online order on Sunday and it hasn’t shipped yet. Grr!

      • Tika55

        I usually shop in-store, but I am currently looking for maternity clothes. I need tall sizes that they only have online. Boo! And I just got an email that my order is delayed until 10/31!

    • Argie

      Well, their guy in charge of the website just “left for better opportunities” and they had outsourced the management of the website to Amazon in the past and have just recently brought it back in house. Which may explain, but not excuse. I rarely bother with the website, given that there are 3 Targets within spitting distances of me.

    • Corporate Tool

      They just switched recently from Amazon hosting to their own, and have totally mismanaged the process. I was hoping they’d learn from the Missoni debacle, but apparently not yet.

    • anon prof

      It’s so frustrating. Sometimes you’ll look through a category and absolutely everything will be out of stock. It’s as if they don’t want people to buy online but are trying to drive traffic to their stores or to their competitors. And the shipping seems oddly slow.

    • a passion for fashion

      yep. it sucks. and i was just having this conversation with someone about a week ago.

    • PollyD

      I have at least 3 Targets relatively close by, too. But a lot of the stuff that I want is “website only.” Or, as I said, they run out of my size. It really is unexcusable, given the generally high quality of retail websites these days.

      You’d think with high US unemployment they could find a good programmer!

    • IA_Eng

      This. SO annoying, especially since I live a good 45 minutes away from a Target so don’t get their in-person often. Oh well, at least it saves me money!

  10. AnonAnon

    Threadjack…

    I am so proud of myself that as a Consultant I officially have enough work that I do not have to take on that project with that potential client I don’t particularly want to work with….

    • Corporate Tool

      Congratulations! Being in the position to prune unprofitable clients means that you’re in a good place.

  11. Margaret

    People on here seem to like 6pm.com, is that right? But they don’t have return labels. I recently placed my first two orders through them, and although I was happy with the selection on the website and the quality of the items I got, I do have to return something. I was very surprised to see that I have to hand-write my own label, which of course also means a trip that I don’t have time for to the post office/Kinkos to measure postage. I’m pretty sure this is a deal-killer for me and that I won’t be shopping 6pm.com anymore. It is crazy to me that in this day and age, they don’t do return labels for you (even if they don’t cover the return shipping and subtract it from your refund). Does anyone else think this is ridiculous?

    • anon prof

      Yup, it’s ridiculous. Talbots is like that, and I will not order from them anymore until they change that.

      • AIMS

        At least with Talbots you can return in store (at least in areas with a Talbots nearby).

        I hate that aspect of 6pm, and find it especially baffling as the company is owned by Zappos, which has the easiest returns ever.

        But I think 6pm is great because of the great sales, so it’s kind of like if you want to order Cole Haan pumps for $55, then you risk having to deal with an annoying return if they don’t work out. It does limit my purchases to things I am really sure I want – I don’t find it onerous to scribble a return label, but I hate going to the post office and paying the shipping.

    • Fiona

      I had the same experience – went to return something I’d ordered and was shocked that they don’t have an option for pre-printed and pre-paid return labels. I had to go to the post office and wait in line and pay something like $16 to return it. I haven’t used 6pm since then.

    • PollyD

      Well, I guess it’s because they (6pm) do offer some amazing discounts. But I agree, I wouldn’t buy anything unless it was a duplicate of a shoe I already owned, was able to try it on at a bricks-and-mortar but found it cheaper at 6pm, or is a brand I am very, very sure of, size-wise. In other words, I’d need to be at least 90 percent sure I wouldn’t be returning.

      And, I really don’t need more shoes, so shouldn’t even be browsing 6pm. After all, I’m not a millipede.

    • E

      6pm is an outlet. It doesn’t really bother me, considering I pay like a third of the original price for items I buy on 6pm.

    • heatheresq

      That’s odd. I returned something. I called and asked for a label and they emailed it to me. About 6 months ago now. Has this practice been discontinued?

    • Anonymous

      Cus it’s the cheapo outlet discount Zappos. Zappos still has crazy good free returns, but 6pm is the stepchild.

      • SF Bay Associate

        I hope you choose a different term next time, Anonymous. Stepchildren are considered “full” children by most, though sadly not all, blended families, and treated exactly the same as the “full” children.

        I’m glad to know about 6pm’s policy. Adding another errand to my list is quite unappealing.

    • LMo

      Hopefully this might save you a trip. I hate the postage thing too, so I was really proud of myself for figuring out this trick – if you have a scale in your office you can get the weight and print a shipping label from PayPal and then drop the now labeled package in your work mail. Bam – no more post office ever!

      • AIMS

        You can do this through the USPS website, also. I ship everything back parcel post, which is cheaper. You can even order free boxes.

  12. Anon

    Can’t focus today at all — have literally billed 0.4 hours. I am waiting to hear back from my dream condo! I put an offer in, there was a ridiculous counter offer, I came up about $30K and submitted an independent appraisal which was pretty much my newest counteroffer, and now waiting to hear back with bated breath. I have been looking for months and this is 1) a great deal on the condo, and 2) literally my favorite regardless of the great deal, and 3) in a great neighborhood with amazing restaurants where I could reasonably walk to work. I have been stalking my email and mentally decorating all day (and I have spent a mental $7,000 on furntiure and mentally moved all of my possessions into my new 25′ walk in closet with built in shelving. Le sigh.

    • Houndstooth

      Good luck! That’s a really exciting process and I know how stressful it can be at the same time. I hope it works out for you… before you mentally spend all your down payment on gorgeous furniture and decor! :)

    • Anonymous

      That’s awesome! Good luck. I went through the same process last year. Very exciting (but the waiting part is nerve wracking)

  13. Ru

    Random: My Corporette dependence is ridonkulous. I’ve been in the field the past two days so I’ve been catching up on the comments at night….and last night, around midnight, the site was down. As in NOT WORKING. I gasped in horror, refreshed like madd, blamed my laptop, tried it on my phone and yelled. I wanted to share my horror with other Corporettes and then realized I didn’t know how to contact them without Corporette. Facepalm. Kat, you’ve created a dangerous website. And I’m happy it’s working today.

    • Houda

      It is a great community and we get to have goto gurus (e.g. road warriorette for travel; Ru for color combinations, Eponine for yoga questions and kinky curly hair, LPC for sturdy gals fashion etc.
      I just love the feeling that no matter my question, there is always someone in here to answer it based on experience… love love loooove this site.

      • Ru

        That is SO SWEET! And I also wanted to thank you for the comment you replied to in the natural hair post. I always look forward to reading your comments =).

    • E

      I emailed Kat in a panic to let her know the site was down. Then it occurred to me that if the site was down, the entire domain including her email address might be down, and I was afraid Corporette might never come back. So glad it did :).

      • Ru

        I almost did the same thing and told myself to calm down and go to sleep. It was past midnight, maybe corporette.com needed its beauty sleep, too, right? Thankfully, I’m not the only one out there with this kind of panic, lol =).

      • Ru

        Oh hot fudge, I know! I was THIS CLOSE to hunting the two of you down last night on tumblr. And then I thought, duh, their tumblr info is on corporette.com. Bah.

        • Accountress

          Tumblr is amazing, you should get one. You never know what awesomeness will pop up on your dashboard. BAM Donald Glover BAM Penn Badgely at Occupy Wall Street BAM pandas on rocking horses BAM pretty jewelry Kanye East makes BAM Sassy Gay Doctor Who BAM video of every slap from HIMYM.

    • SF Girl

      I have been getting quirky “server cannot connect” messages every so often the past few days when I try to connect into the comments pages during the day. Not sure it’s connected, but I need to feed the addiction… lol…

      • Bunkster

        I couldn’t get on at all on Friday. Then Monday I had problems again. Yesterday I switched from IE to Chrome and now I can get on.

      • MissJackson

        I’ve been getting this message recently, too. I usually take it as a sign that I should get back to work and stop hitting “refresh” to read more comments!

    • L

      I told myself no Corporette today. I have to get work done.

      Clearly that goal isn’t working out so well.

  14. Diana Barry

    Dude! I have to say THANK YOU to whoever recommended the Laura Mercier cake liner and the youtube video for tightlining. I just ran out to Sephora (working at home, heheheh) and got the liner and brush and did my eyes like she did on the video. It worked PERFECTLY and didn’t take very much time at all! Woohoo! :)

    PS – sorry for the Ellen-esque CAPS. :)

  15. conbrio

    Did anyone else get the Talbot’s e-mail today with the picture of Julianne Moore in the long, full black and white houndstooth-print skirt with the striped (zebra?) shoes. It’s stunning and leaves me wishing I had somewhere to wear such an outfit!

  16. Dee

    Needing advice on a touchy situation from the hive mind.
    The receptionist for one of my higher-ups has a small office next to mine. Before we became office-neighbors I had heard some kidding around about this guy in the organization having a thing for her and she was part of the good-natured kidding but firmly insisted that the attraction was purely on his side. The man in question uses an electric scooter to get around and can’t get it into her office so she comes out into the hall (directly in front of my office) to talk to him. My door is basically always open unless I’m on a phone call or working on something really urgent.
    So here’s the tricky part: I try to never ever listen to their conversations even though they’re right there, but in spite of this I hear things now and then. In the past couple weeks the tone he’s taken with her on a few occasions has bordered on nasty. As in, saying things (loud enough for me to hear clearly) that I would expect from a boss who was really unhappy with my performance. This guy is not her boss and I would be really surprised if she had been assigned to do any work for him. I think she does things for him sometimes, but probably just because she’s being nice.
    She is a really nice but very timid person and I know from prior experience that she does not want to do anything that would get another party in trouble. If the guy is taking advantage of her kindness I know her boss would be furious at him and would make sure it stopped. Her boss is also really unlikely to be mad at her aside from something like “why didn’t you tell me?”
    And of course it’s totally possible that I’m misreading the situation because I don’t have all the information. His tone just seemed so wrong to me and I really don’t want this lovely person to be put in a bad situation.
    So what do you think? Do I say something? To her? To her boss?
    Thanks ladies!

    • E

      I think it would be appropriate for you to say something to her, if you consider yourself friends with her. Just something like, “hey, I overheard Colleague snapping at you, is everything ok? I wanted to make sure he’s not taking advantage of your kindness.” If she wants to vent, this will be her opportunity.

      Other than that, butt out. If you go to her boss, the colleague who uses the scooter will find out about it and be angry at you for going behind his back and essentially tattling on him. Plus, there’s the possibility that you misunderstood.

  17. b23

    YES! I got that too, and my first thought was, “Oooh, Corporette would like that.” :) I love it. What a gorgeous outfit and picture.

    P.S. I just got my first posting comments too quickly that was actually justified. Must. Get. Back. To. Work.

  18. anon for this

    Long story short I applied for a job at my old org. Director really liked me and thought applying was a good idea. I sent in my stuff and he left me a message to see when we could get together to discuss the “situation.” He’s now proposing lunch. I’m going regardless, but is there a polite and discreet way to figure out if this is an informal interview or a letdown lunch. Any help would be much appreciated.

    • Ru

      I’m pro-dressing-as-formally-appropriate and being mentally prepared for the worst, so dress as if it’s an informal interview and be mentally ok with not being offered a position. Just a touch above business casual for that organization – so the nice version of whatever you’d wear, plus a knit blazer or something along those lines. And it’s lunch, enjoy the conversation and catching up if it turns out to be no more than that. Good luck!

  19. Dutchfan

    I have never owned a pair of patent pumps. Any I have tried on have been very stiff.

    I scored a deal on a pair that is leather upper and leather sole (but not leather lined…odd, but apparently “breathable”). Does anyone have experience with a shoe like this? Will it be comfy or will my feet be sweaty and cut up from the stiff patent by the end of the day?

    It’s from the Expression line at the Bay, if there are any Canucks out there.

  20. Moving Help

    Hi Corporettes, I just found out I’m going to be moving from my apartment into my new place on *Sunday*. As in, the Sunday that’s not even a week away. I’ll be hiring movers for the heavy stuff, and the things I manage to get boxed up between now and then, but I’m wondering what your best moving tips are. It’s a process no one likes, and it’s one of the more miserable experiences I’ve ever had, so I’m trying to make it relatively painless. Luckily, I don’t have to be out of my current place until mid-November, but the new place is WAY nicer and the lease to the new place has to start this Saturday. So, hive mind, what are your tips and strategies for making a move go smoothly?
    TIA!

    • Suited Up

      I’ve moved quite a bit over the past few years. My number one suggestion is to use this opportunity to pare down your belongings. Every time I move I seem to give away 50% of my things (a large exaggeration, but that’s what it often feels like.) It’s a great time to let go of things that you don’t need or have been thinking about getting rid of. Since you don’t have to be fully out of the old place this week, you could move everything BUT what you want to give, and then give Goodwill or some other organization a call to come and pick up the rest.

    • Always a NYer

      Kat did a post on moving a while back that had some great advice. I’d search for that.

  21. Tika55

    You know those days when you just feel like nothing is under control? I’m having one of those. My maternal grandfather passed away last Friday (somewhat unexpectedly), my paternal grandfather is on the hospital with an infection because my grandmother convinced the nursing home staff that she was caring for him properly, but wasn’t (we think). I am 19 weeks pregnant and trying to finish a dissertation while working full time at a not calm job. And my husband has this annoying habit of emptying an entire dresser drawer looking for some shirt, and then not picking it up. Of course, I picked it up myself today because our cleaning lady is coming tomorrow. Arrrghhh! I need a (non-alcoholic) drink, and about two weeks off!

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions