Washable Workwear Wednesday: Chambray Blazer
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This is a know-your-office situation, but this chambray blazer may now have a place in your 9-to-5 wardrobe.
Dress codes are generally more relaxed than in the Before Times, which can make it hard to decipher the line between office wear and non-office wear. This blazer from Draper James marries casual chambray with a traditional cut (notch collar, back vent, button-front closure).
The linen/cotton blend will take you right into summer. Just add a silk shell during the week and your favorite tee for the weekend.
Draper James’ Chambray Blazer is $165 and available in sizes 0–14 (some sizes unavailable).
If chambray is a bit too casual, check out White House Black Market’s Studio Blazer in denim blue. It’s available in sizes 00–18.
Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear.
Sales of note for 5/19/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Lots of markdowns on AGL (50%!), Weitzman, Tumi, Frank & Eileen, Zella, Natori, Cole Haan, Boss, Theory, Reiss (coats), Vince, Eileen Fisher, Spanx, and Frame (denim and silk blouses)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off summer-ready styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Eloquii – 50-60% off select styles
- J.Crew – 60% off sale, and 40% off packing picks (prices as marked)
- J.Crew Factory – New arrivals, plus up to 60% off everything plus extra 50% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Daily flash sales, and lots of twill suiting on sale! Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off. 5/19’s flash sale: Jardigans down to $175-$209, dresses down to $150, blazers down to $250
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 30% off dresses, skirts, shoes, and accessories
Sales of note for 5/19/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Lots of markdowns on AGL (50%!), Weitzman, Tumi, Frank & Eileen, Zella, Natori, Cole Haan, Boss, Theory, Reiss (coats), Vince, Eileen Fisher, Spanx, and Frame (denim and silk blouses)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off summer-ready styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Eloquii – 50-60% off select styles
- J.Crew – 60% off sale, and 40% off packing picks (prices as marked)
- J.Crew Factory – New arrivals, plus up to 60% off everything plus extra 50% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Daily flash sales, and lots of twill suiting on sale! Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off. 5/19’s flash sale: Jardigans down to $175-$209, dresses down to $150, blazers down to $250
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 30% off dresses, skirts, shoes, and accessories
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
My just turned 4 year old has informed me that she wants to learn how to read. I had no plans to teach this at home (she doesn’t go to K for another 16 months, and reading is not expected in K in our district) and she doesn’t seem at all close to reading to me (she knows letters but not letter sounds and is terrible at sounding out words), but she’s a very strong-willed kid so once she makes up her mind about something it’s hard to talk her out of it. Are there apps I can have her use? I feel like me trying to teach her would probably not go super well.
FYI to those who weren’t aware – US teacher appreciate week is next week. Reach out to your class parents/schools to plan accordingly so you’re not the frantic parent running into the local grocery store at 7am for the ‘bring a flower to class to fill a vase’ ‘bring in your favorite sweet treat’ days…not that I’ve ever done that…
Recs for maternity pants? Last pregnancy was during the height of the pandemic so I got by with leggings and maternity jeans from motherhood maternity. All of it was fine because I WFH and never left the house. I tried them on the other day and the jeans sag terribly and the leggings are see through. Oops.
Any maternity jeans or pants that don’t sag?
DD (2.5) has a gorgeous mop of very fine, very curly hair. How can I keep it from getting crazy and knotted? I don’t shampoo it every day, only comb it wet with a wide-tooth comb, condition and use leave-in conditioning spray. But we do bathtime at night, and every morning it’s wild and crazy again! It’s not long enough for a braid or ponytail yet. Anything I can do, or do I just need to lean into the feral toddler look?
so we were with our kids at soccer class this weekend and DH started talking to another dad who had just attended the school gala/auction the previous night. one item being auctioned was to throw out a pitch at a local MLB baseball game. DH asked me to guess how much I thought it went for and knowing that it is kind of a ritzy school I guessed $20,000. Well I was off by 250k! it is just crazy to me that people have so much money to spend on a whim like that. i mean i know that people give large 6 and 7 figure donations, but i’d think that usually those are planned and not just spur of the moment
cross posted from the main s*te. Ideas for an outfit for our PTO parents night out/auction event coming up one evening soon? Event says “casual” but is also at a country club. In New England where it might be 45 degrees or 70 degrees.
Hoping for some career advice. I have, by almost all measures, a unicorn dream job. I do meaningful work for a major non-profit organization that does work that is important to me (though it’s not the only issue I care about), set my own priorities and develop my own projects, work from home (even pre-covid) and have near-complete autonomy over my work and schedule (though it’s a very meeting-heavy culture so not totally flexible), tons of PTO, excellent health benefits, and a great salary. I have even been promoted to a more senior role recently and am being recognized for my contributions.
The problem? I’ve been there for over ten years, and I’ve been ready for a change for a while. Partly because I’m tired of having the same conversations over and over again, partly because the organization is a bit dysfunctional (but not in a way that impacts me directly), but also because I am just craving something new. Really, I think it’s that I feel overloaded and overwhelmed by the combination of the job + young kids (our kids are 4 and 6 with a baby due in the fall), and I’d really love to find a way to work significantly less to reduce my stress. But I have a hard time imagining that I’d find anything that would fit that bill and also allow me to enjoy all of the benefits of this unicorn job. I’m planning to stick it out for at least a year after the baby is born, but am I crazy to be considering a new job when I have SUCH a sweet gig and little kids? And if so, how do I make this job feel exciting again? Is there a compromise I’m missing? THANK YOU if you’ve made it this far.
FTM here just coming back to work from mat leave. It has been tough on both fronts even though I’m WFH. I run to baby at every cry while DH takes care of him (we are still waiting to get into daycare). I feel so dumb and unmotivated at work and just can’t get into a groove. Still nursing baby every few hours so work day totally disrupted. And DH has some medical issues we need to monitor. Feels like I’m barely making it through. Does it get any better? How do I motivate myself and deal with the mom guilt?
My son is in the 2s class at daycare, and he’ll turn 3 in July. The school is fairly rigid about moving kids up to the next class around their birthday. This morning our teacher said that he’s recently stopped wanting to participate in their activities and prefers to look at books by himself. Is this an indication that he’s bored with the 2s activities and could benefit from moving up to the 3s room early?
New to the mom board but long time reader on the main board. Any tips on dealing with antivax parents?
First time (and honestly probably only time) mom here. I’m 9 weeks along with our first, a happy surprise as we were planning to start IVF soon. My mom has strong feelings about vaccines and medicine in general that started when I was in high school (so, early 2000s) and has only gotten worse. My brother and her have not spoken in over a year due to her refusal to get the COVID vaccine and him shutting down her nonsense. My parents are long divorced and my dad is basically out of the picture, so my mom is the only family I have.
I had a discussion with my mom last night about getting the pertussis vaccine before meeting her grandchild and it did not go well. I feel like I am compromising a lot by not requiring COVID and flu vaccines, and I am pushing pertussis because it is so deadly to babies. My DH backs me up completely; he has many MDs in his family and no patience for pseudoscience. I want my mom there after I give birth and to know her grandchild, and my mom cries about how no one visits her anymore and she will have to spend holidays alone while all I can think is that getting a quick shot would clear this all up. Oh, and she smoked for 50 years so the idea of not wanting poison in her body is laughable to me.
On the flip side, my ILs mean well but live in a totally different environment – upscale suburb where everyone is vaccinated and voted for Biden. My FIL gave me a hard time recently for visiting my mom when she’s not been COVID vaccinated and acted like my mom’s vaccination status is something I could influence (lol, I wish). They will visit when the baby is born and are great grandparents to their other grandchildren, but aren’t really a source of emotional support for me.
I basically feel totally alone, and I know my mom expects me to cave on the shot because she expects everyone to bend to what she wants. My DH supports me and my decision, but doesn’t really understand the emotional minefield I’m dealing with right now.
I’ve read this is the start of many debates with grandparents over children and it’s really demoralizing so far.