Wednesday’s TPS Report: William Rast Twill Blazer
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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. We begin the week in splurge mode, with our most expensive suggestions, and wind our way to Friday, where a less expensive item of clothing might be just what you need to make it to the weekend.
Today we're liking this navy blazer, on sale at Nordstrom — the wide lapels and textured twill strike us as such an interesting look. We'd wear it wtih gray trousers and a white silk tee on a casual Friday. Now $129 (was $328). William Rast Twill Blazer
Sales of note for 3/26/25:
- Nordstrom – 15% off beauty (ends 3/30) + Nordy Club members earn 3X the points!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale + additional 20% off + 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Friends & Family Event: 50% off purchase + extra 20% off
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles + extra 50% off all sale
- J.Crew – 30% off tops, tees, dresses, accessories, sale styles + warm-weather styles
- J.Crew Factory – Shorts under $30 + extra 60% off clearance + up to 60% off everything
- M.M.LaFleur – 25% off travel favorites + use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – $64.50 spring cardigans + BOGO 50% off everything else
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- I'm fairly senior in BigLaw – where should I be shopping?
- how best to ask my husband to help me buy a new car?
- should we move away from DC?
- quick weeknight recipes that don’t require meal prep
- how to become a morning person
- whether to attend a distant destination wedding
- sending a care package to a friend who was laid off
- at what point in your career can you buy nice things?
- what are you learning as an adult?
- how to slog through one more year in the city (before suburbs)
Mmmm, I dunno. Shall we all agree right off that it would be worn with a high-necked good-quality t-shirt or thin sweater? And it’d have to fit you better than it fits the model, especially from the back. The fact that the collar doesn’t go all the way around to the back makes it look cheaply made. Not too happy about that awkward patch on the left sleeve, either. All in all, I’d pass on this and put the money toward a couple of really good jackets to start with, and add to them over time. Same for pants. I’d get my variety (and that important feeling of putting my personal style-stamp on it) from t-shirts, sweaters, scarves, jewelry, hair. Seems these days you can’t get a decent jacket for under $1000, or pants under $400, not allowing for sales. These numbers seem shocking if you’re just starting out, but if you choose a timeless cut, you can wear them forever.
I think the weird patch on the sleeve makes this one not work appropriate.
I have a strange feeling you’ve mentioned this in previous post like 2-3 months ago…
I love this one! Although it probably looks better with jeans than slacks, which means that it would be reserved for a rare “jeans day” at the office.
Ah yes, the essential $1,000 jacket. Spare me. Unless you have a third arm that requires you to buy bespoke, You can knock at least $600 off that number.
Agree about the weird patch. And when you click on the pictures, Nordstroms says that the item is unavailable. That seems to happen a lot whenever an item is linked from this site — either it’s totally unavailable or only in, like, sizes 2P and 18. Why is that? Not that I’d buy this jacket anyway.. Though the sale price is far more on par with what I’d spend on a jacket than the $1000 suggested above, that’s completely ridiculous.
I’m sticking with my $1000 jacket, the point of which is that it LOOKS like $1000. The people you want to impress really can tell. Of course you’re not actually going to pay that much for it, see above, “not allowing for sales”. I can certainly see the attraction of having a dozen suits, or jackets, to choose from, relieve the boredom of dressing for work at a conservative office (as it says in the blog’s masthead), but even a $300 jacket often looks cheap.
a $300 jacket looks cheap?
The cheap $300 jacket. Yes, afraid so, they do exist. Look at the fabric, and imagine how it will look in six months. Will the sleeves and underarms be ratty with wear? Does any top-stitching present go where it’s supposed to? Are the buttons cheesy? Does the collar sit right?
How about this: go to a high-end store and try on a $1000 jacket, and, just for the education of it, a $3000 jacket. Who cares what the staff think, they make less than you, so don’t let them intimidate you. Spend a little time with the jacket, and see what you’re spending your extra $ on.
Two kinds of people in the world: ones who like to own a good variety of less-expensive jackets. And ones who like to have a small selection of higher-end ones. They’ll never agree with each other. Just remember that there are people in the world – senior staff, and clients – who can tell the difference. A younger person can get away with the cheaper stuff, but as you rise in your career, not so much.