CorporetteMoms

Updated: May 28, 2024 56 Comments · by

Splurge or Save Thursday: Everyday Blazer

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A woman wearing a tan blazer, beige top, and denim shorts

In the warmer months, my neutral of choice switches from black to tan. This blazer would fit right into my summer wardrobe.

This lightweight, modern blazer features traditional touches like a notched lapel and flap pockets. It’s as easy to style with your Monday-through-Friday trousers as with your weekend denim.

Frame’s Everyday Blazer is $698 and is available in 00–16 (lucky sizes).

There are lots of similar options at a range of prices, including this pair from Loft that comes in regular and petite sizes and is on sale.

Sales of note for 9.10.24

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
  • J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything
  • Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs

About Ann

Ann is a working mom, a longtime reader of Corporette and CorporetteMoms, and has been writing our morning fashion advice for working moms since November 2020! She has a daughter (born winter 2014) and a son (born fall 2019) and is a public interest lawyer in Washington, D.C.

Comments

  1. Anon says

    Any thoughts on how to slightly upgrade a weekend wardrobe?

    I’ve been work from home and pregnant/breastfeeding for the past 3.5 years, so have been living in joggers and breastfeeding t-shirts. I’m ready to start looking slightly cuter, but still want to keep it very toddler friendly. I also feel like I have no clue how to dress this new body of mine (my previous favorite gap t shirts seem to cling around the abdomen now). Going to go to a specialty bra shop to get properly fitted but outside of that I’m clueless.

    Thank you!

    • Emma says

      A few things that have worked for me as a postpartum toddler mom:
      – comfy straight or wide leg pants (I currently like linen for summer, but I got a lovely white linen stripe that is really not toddler-friendly, so I recommend darker colors)
      – some long skirts and dresses. All of my pre-baby dresses were so short, I honestly don’t know how I got anything done without flashing the entire world. Thankfully midi length is in these days.
      – some cute tops. I actually am leaning into the loose cropped style, with a higher waist pant or skirt. Is my stomach perfectly flat? Nope, but I don’t care, and if it hits your natural waist it adds some definition. I also like the square neckline trend.
      – one thing that always helps me feel put together is accessories. I got some nice sunglasses for the summer, good quality flats and a cute (but not too precious re:toldder) bag- mine is from Madewell.

      • Anonymous says

        +1 to these. I got a few pairs of Old Navy linen pants, and they’re super comfy but still look a bit better than athleisure. For spring/summer, I also really like midi sundresses with bike shorts underneath. Also even just a big gauze/linen button up shirt over a tank and shorts feels more intentional to me while staying comfy.

        I think the main thing that I’m working on to look more put together is doing my hair more often – like blowdrying/straightening rather than just putting it in a wet bun. I think I was rocking wild mom hair for a little longer than I should have.

    • TheElms says

      For summer I like skorts and the midi/maxi linen or gauze skirts. I’ve also bought all new t-shirts, in part because lots of what I had was stretched out or had small stains. I also have a couple knee length t shirt dresses that I can put bike shorts on under if needed depending on what I’m doing that day. I pair the skorts with cute sneakers and the skirts / dresses with some Rothy’s flats. I’m definitely not winning any awards but it feels a bit more put together than my early postpartum period.

      I find winter a lot harder. I moved from leggings to joggers and some Athleta wide leg pants but it still feels kind of boring and i don’t think it looks great.

    • Boston Legal Eagle says

      I’m more of a shorts and T-shirts person so don’t have a lot of dressy recommendations, but I like LLBean’s T-shirts and tanks – they’re less clingy than most T-shirts and still look nice – and Loft’s shorts in all sorts of colors. I’m generally in New Balance sneakers or flip flops at the pool/beach.

    • AwayEmily says

      Love this thread! I have a few recommendations (though honestly I’m not always great at non-schlubbiness either).

      – Find some comfy but “cool” jeans (ie not skinny). I have the “high-waisted wow loose jeans” from Old Navy in a light wash, and a pair from J Crew factory.
      – High-waisted shorts, with a tucked-in or shorter t-shirt

      Does anyone have t-shirt recommendations? i’ve really struggled to find ones that fit well (not too tight, not too loose).

    • Anona says

      I’ve also been thinking about this! One of the ways that I’m trying to upgrade is by looking at my tops – rather than a usual crew neck t-shirt finding something in a more textured fabric like linen or with some visual interest like a funnel neck (also good for toddlers who are constantly pulling on my shirt). For me, the key is getting these styles in dark colors that aren’t going to show stains!

      And I agree about doing your hair more often – I definitely feel like I look better overall when I don’t let my hair air dry.

    • GCA says

      Here are a few things that work for me, a short-legged, slight-framed 5’4 pear:
      – Straight, loose, lightweight pants that I cuff around the ankle. Old Navy OG Chinos are great for this because they have a zip front and elastic in the back. I need pants that are a structured fabric like cotton twill so they hold their shape, which looks better on me than a more formless tencel-type fabric.
      – V-neck short-sleeve Ts, worn with shorts, pants or midi skirt. Still figuring this one out re: favorite products, but in summer I slather sunscreen over my decolletage and let my collarbones get some sun.
      – Athletic-material above-the-knee dresses with bike shorts. Think high-neck Athleta dresses worn with bike shorts that have pockets. I can actually bike in these, chase kids around, and wade into the splash pad.
      – Accessories – for me that’s sunglasses and cute but not heavy earrings

    • Anon says

      I follow ThriftyWifeHappyLife on Instagram for inspiration and ideas for specific types of pieces to get, like a jean jacket. But I buy everything from Lands End to simplify the shopping and narrow down choices. I had one horrible day when I tried on things at Old Navy, TJ Max, Target, and Kohls, and nothing appealed! Like, not even close. A lot of it was total crap. So now I’m back to Lands End. They use better quality fabrics and online shopping makes it easy, and the prices are reasonable if you use a promo code.

    • DLC says

      I like to lean into the third piece – which for me in the summer is either a gauzy linen button down or a men’s crisp white button down – shirt – worn open with the sleeves rolled up, sometimes knotted at the waist. I throw that over whatever I’m wearing and feel a little more put together. Also – good for sun protection without having to slather on the sun screen.
      I also wear a lot of dresses and skirts in bright colours. I feel like colour and pattern help make my wardrobe look more intentional.
      I like Uniqlo for t-shirts – not a whole lot of colours, but the boxy cuts are not clingy.

    • Pogo says

      I’ve embraced the Gen Z matching sets/elevated athleisure. I have some from Outdoor Voices which are $$$ but good quality. I also like Popflex.

      For summer – I liked madewell whisper T and the Athleta Cabo linen short.

      Nice, clean white sneakers help me feel pulled together, tho I’ve been bringing back the Birkenstock clogs. Which I own from the first time they were in style 20 years ago.

    • Anonymous says

      I have a couple pairs of the Meg wide-leg jeans from Kut From the Kloth that feel more stylish than my pricey designer jeans. The brand tends to run large so consider sizing down. I wear them with a v-neck or crewneck slub cotton t-shirt from Rag & Bone, which is fitted in the shoulders but doesn’t cling around the middle. I also like band tees from the brands Letluv, Retro Brand, and Daydreamer. Anthro and Evereve both carry a decent selection. In hot weather I usually wear flowy linen drawstring pants or a cotton jersey midi dress. For toppers I go with a waist-length cardigan, a jean jacket, or an army jacket. I wear my big buckle Birkenstock Arizonas with all of these outfits whenever it’s warm enough.

    • Anon says

      Marine Layer makes an a-line/swing style tee that is very flattering. You can tuck in or wear loose – but it doesn’t cling to mid section.

  2. busybee says

    Ooh this is me!! I’m very much in the thick of the baby/toddler phase too. I upgraded my gym shorts to real shorts. I personally like the 5 inch J crew factory shorts. I got keds which are apparently trendy now and actually do look really cute if I do say so myself, plus they’re easy to run after my toddler in. I got claw hair clips which are also apparently trendy, and a good alternative to a ponytail.
    I like the bike short and boxy t shirt look too which might be an option for you!

    • busybee says

      Sorry, nesting fail. Meant for the wardrobe upgrade post above. I should mention sunglasses! I see trendy moms wearing great sunglasses and I really need to upgrade mine.

    • Anonymous says

      I have SO MANY Keds and I think they’re a great casual-but-slightly-elevated shoe to run after my kids in.

  3. Anon says

    Any recommendations for at home pregnancy fitness programs? I’m really looking for something structured that will tell me what to do each week or at least offer a path of progression instead of throwing me into a jumbled library of over 100 videos. Most interested in keeping my back and core strong because I have had chronic back pain in the past. I’m willing to pay, but also open to YouTube. Any ideas?

    • Anon2 says

      I discovered her a little too late to make it worth it, but KimPerryCo on insta has a whole pregnancy fitness program, with 15-20 min workouts for each (most?) day. She developed it because she found most pregnancy workouts to be too boring and her old workouts to be too hard so she wanted to hit the sweet spot. The portions she shares for free look great. She is currently about 8 weeks pp with her fourth, and did her own program throughout pregnancy

      • Anon says

        Where have you seen the free portions? Her program looks promising, but I’d definitely want to do a little trial before forking over $150…

        • Anon2 says

          Maybe that was a little misleading – I meant she posts portions of her doing the workouts on her grid and stories, and often explains what the move is targeting/how it’s preparing you for later pregnancy or postpartum. It’s possible she did this more frequently during her own pregnancy (she would post of clip of her working out every day) but hopefully some of it lives on in the grid or highlights. She’s posting clips of her pp workouts now, which will maybe give you a flavor of her style

    • Anonymous says

      The Sweat app has some pregnancy programs. Get Mom Strong is also popular. I would do free trials of a few and see which you find most fun.

      • Anonymous says

        i have enjoyed the Sweat App. But I hate doing weights so the style of the programs work for me. Not a big financial commitment to sign up for and the progression works. I have never done all the workouts they suggest because i do other stuff too (run / bike whatever.)

    • anon says

      Fitness Blender. There some pregnancy specific videos, but they also have lots of workout programs where the videos are picked out and you just follow their schedule. Their FB+ program is pretty inexpensive for the year or you can do a trial.

    • Anonymous says

      I loved the prenatal workouts from BodyFit by Amy. I did a more jumbled version based on what I like, but she does structured programs as well.

    • Anon says

      I love Get Mom Strong. There’s a schedule that you follow for pregnancy and then there are other programs like SLAM bridge for postpartum. I’m over 2 years postpartum and still use her program. There’s usually some kind of free intro trial.

  4. Mom of 2 says

    Help me make peace with being a mom of 2. My girls (3 and 7mo) are the sweetest little things and I could have 4 more if I was guaranteed to get more just like them, which obviously I am not. My husband is pretty done and talking v for all reasons I agree with – more time with each of them, more resources for them, logistically easier. I don’t know if it’s the hormones but I just can’t fathom being done with this stage of life!

    • Anon says

      Ask your husband to table the discussion for 6 months, then have another convo. You are barely out of the newborn stage and now is not a time for permanent decisions you aren’t both on board with.

      (FWIW my husband was very done, even though I wanted more. We both expressed our points of view, then let it lie for a bit, and he approached me that he had a change of heart and if it was very important to me we could have one more. I’m not saying this will happen to everyone, or to bank on it, but time and space can change minds – his or yours!)

      • AwayEmily says

        +1. We both thought we were done after two, then when our younger was four realized “oh wait actually….” and had a third. Things can change.

    • Anon says

      Weirdly, my hormones clicked on “baby crazy” at around 6-9 months post partum. Literally no idea why…maybe it was less nursing, more sleep, calmer babies, but no toddling yet?

      I agree with just sitting with the family you have for a while. This post partum desire for a third baby died when my younger son was between 1.5-3, but I still felt like I was missing someone. My husband and I re visited, and had our third and final when my second child was 5.

    • Anon says

      I’m the above wardrobe poster and am right here with you! I held a newborn last week and oh the longing.

      Things that have helped me:
      – realizing that I’m sad because my babies are outgrowing this stage, not because I want more babies.
      – I’m the oldest of 3 in 5 years. We all love my youngest sister and I don’t think my parents regret having her for a second, buuut it’s also fair to say they went past their limits. They were incredibly stressed throughout my childhood, their marriage suffered etc (both by my recollection and them expressing they wish they had done things differently now watching me have kids). My Mom actually really wanted 4 kids and they did not go for a 4th because “our marriage couldn’t survive that”. I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all limit, but that experience has definitely helped my certainty that 2 kids is mine.

      • Anon says

        My brother’s marriage fell apart after having a third child. Of course, this isn’t universal, but I do think it’s wise to be cautious and think about your whole life and what you want and how to support that in the choices you make.

    • Pogo says

      It’s OK to not be OK with it. We’re still not. But life circumstances have dictated that we’re done, and I’m still mourning.

      The one thing that has helped make it easier is my oldest becoming a fun little guy – he’s almost 7 and I genuinely enjoy hanging out w/him. To the point that dealing with the toddler I’m like, omg grow up already why are you so irrational! I can’t imagine now starting over again with a baby (which I LOVE the baby phase) and staring down another 3 years of toddlerdom.

    • Anon says

      We were very on the fence for a third and are getting a puppy instead. My youngest just turned four and there’s a tiny part of me that longs for a third baby but for a multitude of reasons, I think we’re all better off as a family of four.

  5. Potty training before or after new baby?? says

    I am expecting my 2nd in December, and am unsure whether to try to potty train my toddler before baby arrives. Any experiences or advice?

    LO is 16 months old (will be 23 months when baby is born. It seems a little early to try before baby, but she sometimes tells me when her diaper is dirty and goes 2-3 hours with a dry diaper on occasion. I got the “o crap” book and it suggests 20-30 months as the sweet spot. I’m assuming that regardless she’d still be in diapers overnight for a while.

    FYI, I’ll need to move her from her pack’n’play to a crib before baby arrives. (Not ready to try a toddler bed). I’m a SAHM so maternity leave won’t play a factor.

    • Anon says

      We are in the thick of a similar thing: new baby when toddler is 25 months, followed by a move (with new daycare) one month later, plus a bed change. We decided not to potty train until after the dust settled given all the upheaval. Toddler is similar – dry for hours, uses diaper at predictable times, tells us when diaper is dirty. Our pediatrician recommended waiting until toddler tells us before having a dirty diaper to potty train, not just when they announce after and we haven’t met that mark. Realistically toddler will probably not be potty trained until after 2.5, which we’re fine with. Also diapers seem a bit easier during all this transition than a kid with frequent and perhaps poorly anticipated bathroom needs? We did start the bed transition about a week after baby’s arrival so that it wouldn’t seem like crib was immediately being transferred to the baby (who won’t move from bassinet to crib for a few months and in the new apartment). That has been a little bumpy but really not bad – some crying but not much, some getting up, need for a more dedicated bedtime routine. Good luck!

    • Anon says

      I’d follow your child and not stress about the baby timing. FWIW, I’ve trained three boys and never once had a significant regression, so while possible, I think the regressions fears are overblown. If she seems to want to try this fall, go for it! Personally I’ve found 2.5 to be the sweet spot, though my youngest trained a little closer to 3 and that was fine, too (I always do it before 3, though — they are a little more stubborn by then).

      I’m also a SAHM and have trained with babies around. You do want to stay at home for a couple days, and pay close attention to cues to help the trainer succeed, but it’s not that overwhelming or onerous. I’m a big fan of the cold turkey, into undies, no diapers or pull ups except for sleeping method. But before officially training I do introduce the potty and offer it at natural transitions, such as before bath, and kiddo usually tries so has some familiarity with the process.

      • Anonymous says

        Um congrats to you. In our case we tried to train a toddler with an infant and it was a month-long disaster with so much laundry. Montessori school wouldn’t let us hit pause, as oh crap recommends. Toddler happily went in the potty but also went everywhere else. I went crazy.

        Fast-forward to the infant being a toddler, and we had a different set of disasters. She has enormous control and is already going to bed at night in underwear but she spent two months waging psychological warfare about the whole thing. Every pee involved the most insane negotiations. I was exhausted.

        The main factor in your decision should be whether you are in a place where YOU have the patience to deal with whatever your kid throws at you, rather than getting angry or freaking out because they aren’t following some parenting book’s playbook.

    • Anon says

      We were in this exact scenario! I held off until after the baby came and it worked well for us.

      My daughter started showing those mild readiness signs at like 18ish months. We had a small potty out and she occasionally would sit on it and even once or twice peed in it. But, I very much did not want to deal with a newly potty trained toddler and it just kept being an occasional thing. Baby brother was born when she was 25 months old. During my maternity leave she kept showing stronger signs but we had a plane trip planned for Thanksgiving and, again, I didn’t want to deal with a newly trained toddler on a plane. In the middle of Thanksgiving dinner (so 29 months) she looked me in the eye, said “I go pee”, hid under the table for a minute and then handed me her wet diaper. I finally admitted it was time. We flew home the next day, did the Oh Crap method on Saturday and Sunday and sent her to daycare in underwear on Monday (with pull-ups for naps and bedtime).

    • Pogo says

      If you wait, I think you’re more likely to be able to do a 3day bootcamp and be done with it. I did this when our baby was 4mo old and it was such a nonissue I don’t even remember it. Granted he was older, but also a boy. I think just over 2 w/ a girl is pretty standard and will be much easier. And the 4mo was not crawling or really causing any drama. I have pictures of him sitting in his bumbo next to big brother on the little potty 🤣

      • Anon says

        +1 to just over 2 with a girl. It worked with both of mine around 2 y 2 mo. Super simple and mostly done in a weekend, with just reminders to potty and no accidents after the first weekend.

    • Anon says

      Oh Crap is based on her opinion rather than any facts about the “best” time to potty train. If you’re interested you may as well try and see if it’ll stick. The first time I tried with my first kid around 2 years old, he was just not interested. A few months later the second attempt was a breeze. We had a new baby then and the only downside was trying to simultaneously breastfeed and wipe a toddler butt. :)

    • Anon says

      I only have one kid but came here to say the Oh Cr@p lady is way too strict about the timeframe thing. We tried potty training DS when he was 2.5 and it did not go well, so we paused for about a year and tried again at 3.5, and he was fully potty trained in about a month – it was one of the easiest and most relaxed things we’ve done. So if your toddler isn’t ready then don’t be afraid to pause.

    • Anon says

      Our DS was 25 months when DD was born. At about 22 months, daycare said he was ready so we practiced occasionally using it and he frequently went at daycare, but we did not drop diapers cold turkey. No idea whether that was the right decision because baby was born, then we moved houses and daycare, and DS absolutely regressed to point zero. The new daycare was useless in encouraging him to retry the potty (and just an overall poor fit for DS). We tried again at 36 months after DS started at another new daycare for a few months. It turned into a 6 month slog before fully training with #2. I have no idea whether the multi-month journey would have happened regardless of all the life transitions, but I just couldn’t have controlled those life transitions. I don’t offer this to scare you, just to acknowledge that training my DS turned out to be far outside my control! Not every kid or journey will be in a “sweet” spot!

  6. Adhd meds info says

    For the mom yesterday looking for adhd med info, hopefully your doctor gave you info. FWIW we have had a good experience with stimulants. There is a reason why it is the first choice for adhd meds – if it works for your kid, it tends to be great. My kid hasn’t had any trouble sleeping and her mood and behavior have totally improved. It took me a year to get over the medication stigma, and I am so sad for my kid that we waited that long. The whole family has benefited – she is happier, her siblings she no longer fights with are happier. It didn’t happen over night but it was life changing.
    I think some of the anti medication bias our society has is based on the idea that you can discipline your kid out of adhd. It just doesn’t work that way! Properly treated adhd kids have better outcomes as adults. If stimulants don’t work – there are other options out there. Good luck

    • Anonymous says

      +1 to all of this, and also remember that you can always adjust the dosage or try another stimulant or discontinue stimulants if they don’t work or there are intolerable side effects.

    • Pogo says

      Didn’t see the convo yesterday, but a differing opinion – if stimulants DON’T work for your kid, that’s fine too. We’ve seen amazing results w/ Intuniv, which is a non-stimulant. Stimulants took away my kid’s appetite and caused major meltdowns. And yes, I wish I hadn’t let us both suffer for so long before getting him treatment, thinking we could discipline ADHD out of him.

      • Anonymous says

        The takeaway is that you really need to be open to trying different medications to find what works for your particular child. Stimulants work well for many children and are often the first type of medication to try for a lot of good reasons, but if they don’t work or cause problems you should definitely try a different dosage, another stimulant, or another class of medication. When you do land on the right med in the right dosage it is life-changing for the entire family. It’s cruel to withhold medication when a child is truly struggling on the assumption that you can just train your child out of ADHD or parent your way out of it.

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