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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 64 Comments · by

Everyone Thursday: Premium Supima/Modal Open Cardigan

Everyone· Machine-Washable Work Clothes· Recent Recs

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L.L. Bean Premium Supima-Modal Open Cardigan | CorporetteMomsI got this washable cardigan recently from L.L. Bean when I ordered some new sheets recently, and like that you can dress it up or down — they even have matching shells for it, which is not something I’ve seen with many washable cardigans. It feels like it’s made from a really nice t-shirt material, is stretchy and comfy, and comes in seven colors, sizes XS-XL (and petite), and is currently on sale for $44 (with free shipping). (Just a note that they have another verrry similar cardigan with a bit more shaping to it — hilariously I think I wanted this one, but actually ordered the other one. Whoopsies.) L.L. Bean Premium Supima/Modal Open Cardigan (L-3)

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

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Comments

  1. Meg Murry says

    Um, Kat, your two verrrrry similar cardigans actually link to the same product number – TK286458

    Is there another one, or is this the one you actually got? I like it on the model, but I’m concerned about the fact that it appears to be wider at the bottom – does it look bathrobe-like in person, like it kind of does on the pictures where it isn’t on the model?

    This kind of item is what I was looking for – basically a long sleeved tee cut into an open cardigan to wear at my super casual office as a layering piece that is nicer than my current go-to ancient hoodie. I picked up one of the open cardigans that was more tshirt than sweater that you had posted last year from Overstock – not necessarily the highest quality, but an excellent go-to basic, and I wanted to get an upgraded one this year.

    Either way, I like a lot of the options when searching for “open cardigan” – but unfortunately a lot of the basic colors are sold out in XL, which might even be a little on the small size for me :-/
    http://www.llbean.com/llb/search/?freeText=open+cardigna&init=1

      • Meg Murry says

        Ooh, I like that one even better. The first one doesn’t look bathrobe-like on the models, but the photos of it on its own look a little more bathrobe like, or like one of my less favorite maternity cardigans, which is what made me nervous about it.

        And this one you linked to is available in neutrals in XL. Score! It shall be mine!

      • Meg Murry says

        Ooh, thanks! I like the length of the LLBean, but the price is much better on the Old Navy one. Hmm, decisions, decisions. I might need to order both and return one. Or find something else that doesn’t fit in my closet to donate, so I can justify both ….

        Does the Old Navy one say “dry flat” or can it be machine dried (or have you been drying it)? I’m trying to limit the amount of stuff I have to handle specially when it comes to everyday workwear, so I’d prefer something that can handle going in the dryer.

      • Octagon says

        I have thee Old Navy one in 3 colors. It’s been a fantastic summer cardigan. Very thin, but could layer well over long sleeves.

        I wash it on gentle and then hang it up to dry, and haven’t had any problems. The fabric doesn’t have a lot of memory, so any wrinkles fall out shortly after I start wearing it.

  2. FVNC says

    While on the subject of LL Bean, has anyone tried the Signature jeans? I need a new pair, and these looked great in the catalog. I don’t want to spend the money for higher-end denim since I’ll used these for dog walking, playground, etc.

  3. AIMS says

    In light of yesterday’s conversation about maternity clothes that don’t feel frumpy and can be worn with a suit, I wanted to recommend a dress I just got from Old Navy: http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1040261&vid=1&pid=902603012#close

    It’s not the greatest quality fabric, but looks good enough for work and I think it will be fine for the duration of my pregnancy. More importantly, it’s very flattering, comfy, the neckline is high enough to accommodate my ever increasing bust and avoid any cleavage, and I’ve worn it to court with a blazer twice now and it looks totally fine. To the prosecutor from yesterday, I think this dress + jacket can be a good substitute for all but the most formal court occasions. It looks nice enough and I think you get a bit of a pass in this state. Sizing is on the large side like everything at Old Navy. Length might be an issue for taller ladies but at 5’4-ish, it’s right at the knee for me.

    • Carine says

      Thanks for the recommendation! I just ordered it in both colors. Looks like a workhorse for sure, and it’s on sale!

  4. HSAL says

    First, I like both these cardigan options. I’ve been trying to figure out what my postpartum wardrobe would include (home October-December) and open cardigans are topping the list, along with leggings and nursing tanks. Other suggestions?

    Second, I’ve been casually job-searching for the last year and a half. I like my job a lot but find it limiting, and there’s a tangentially related area of law I’d like to move into. Positions like this don’t pop up very often, and I saw two today that I would be interested in were I not 8 months pregnant. Do I apply and if they’re interested, warn them I’m not available until January? Would I even want to start a new job post-leave? Both positions would be more demanding (and probably have less flexibility) than my current job. Going back to work full-time is non-negotiable, so there’s no risk of me changing my mind and wanting to stay home with the kid.

    • JEB says

      Definitely apply! I started in a new office when I came back from maternity leave (same government agency, but a new section). It was a little tough because I felt like I wasn’t at my best. But it also had its benefits, in that the first few weeks were the typical ramping up of a new job, which gave me some breathing room to mentally transition back. And I was starting out with my new identity as a parent and could set fresh boundaries without any expectations of my old-work-self (if that makes any sense at all). I’d definitely try to determine whether the new opportunities are family friendly, ie: they won’t hold it against you when you have to take a day off with a sick baby or leave at a certain time. But apply now and try to make those determinations in the interim if it looks like one or both of the jobs will work out.

      I remember being incredibly nervous about interviewing while visibly pregnant. It’s awkward, and telling them that I couldn’t start for 3-4 months felt like I was asking them for an eternity. But now that I’m back, I realize it’s really not a long time to wait for someone if they’re the right fit. And their hiring process will take some time, so it may not even be that big of a delay.

    • anon says

      For maternity leave, I thought I would wear a lot of open cardigans, but really preferred lightweight zip-up hoodies. Sometimes I just wanted my chest covered up. Plus, they’re warmer.

      • Anonymama says

        Also, pockets are really handy to have for phone/pacifier/handkerchief

    • Preemie Mom says

      +1 to the zip up hoodies. Also, I had an unplanned C-section, home October – February, and I found that until sometime after Christmas I had difficulty wearing pants that did not have a rise that was well over my scar, and anything at all constricting (like leggings) was out. My mom found this velour track suit at K-Mart that was so perfect I had her go back and get me two more – wore those to death until I could stomach my normal lounge wardrobe which consisted of a lot of wide-waste band yoga-type pants where the waste band was right on top of my scar.

    • hoola hoopa says

      Bobeau wrap cardigan. You’re covered and warm, but you don’t have to open to nurse and there’s no scratchy zipper to worry about when you’re burping, etc.

      Fleece is soft, warm, and very washable. I had a full-zip and a half-zip that was low enough.

      I liked Lands End starfish pants for when I wanted to wear something other than leggings but didn’t want to wear ‘real pants’. (I did not have a C-section, so can’t speak to stitches/scar comfort)

      I also converted a maxi dress + nursing bra into a nursing dress (like a nursing tank with a skirt)

    • HSAL says

      Thanks all – I think I might be sold on the hoodies, even though I never wear them normally. Pockets sound smart.

  5. NewMomAnon says

    Before having a kid, I used to walk or run every morning before 6 am. I miss it so badly…my kiddo usually wakes up between 6:30 and 7, and the only way I could get back in that habit is by waking her up around 6, sticking her in the stroller, and bringing her with me (no supportive partner to stay with her while I go walking). I treat toddler sleep as sacred; would it be insane to wake her up for a walk every morning? She is hit or miss about sleeping while in motion, so it’s not a given that she would go right back to sleep in the stroller.

    • TK says

      I think it would be insane unless its part of a larger plan to move her bedtime / waking time up accordingly. Can you put her to bed earlier to make up that time? Even if you could, do you want a toddler programmed to wake up at 6 every day, even days when you might not want to walk/run?

      I gave brief consideration to a similar sleep shift for my 19 month old to fit in a morning workout, but he’s going to bed at 7 now … if I moved it up to 6 pm I’d only see him for 30 minutes (at most!) each evening.

    • Meg Murry says

      I think waking her an hour early could be ok – or it could be disastrous. For me, my problem would be that she would wake at 6 am on weekends too – my kids need to wake up at the same time every day, they don’t deviate from waking times.

      How old is she? Am I remembering correctly that you live in NYC? Could you either walk her to daycare, or get off the subway a few stops early and then walk her from there? It might mean hauling a stroller on the subway, which could be a pain, but maybe do-able? Could you wake her a little early and let her eat her breakfast in the stroller? I feel like waking her at 6:15 might not be so bad, but going from a 7 am wakeup to 6 am might be a big jump.

      Alternately, could you walk or run after you drop her off, and change clothes once you get to the office or get a gym membership nearby to shower and change at?

      While I agree toddler sleep is generally sacred, she might (might!) make it up by napping longer at daycare or going to sleep a half hour earlier.

      Could you find a way to do an evening walk with her once you pick her up from daycare instead?

    • NewMomAnon says

      I’m in an urban area (not NYC) and could walk or run to daycare/work and then shower at the office. I’ve always been deterred by the idea of lugging clothes/toiletries on a run to the office, but maybe that’s a better battle to fight than trying to change a toddler’s sleep schedule. I hadn’t even thought about the possibility that she would wake up that early on weekends too, and she is a difficult napper so hoping for a longer nap is a big risk (she talks through nap time….I’m so looking forward to the notes home from school when she is older).

      Thanks!

    • Pigpen's Mom says

      If daycare naps are structured at a set time, even if she gets up at 6/6:15 without an issue, she may hit the wall earlier than ideal for a post-lunch nap. My LO is struggling with this as her daycare now has her on a single, post-lunch nap, which is rough for her on the days she naturally wakes up at 5:30.

      The time of day makes it tricky, but any chance you can hire someone to ‘babysit’ from 6-7am a few days a week?

      • Meg Murry says

        Or what time does she go to bed? Could you take evening walks? We get a great rate by hiring a local high schooler to come to our house after the kids are in bed – she hangs out and does her homework or watches tv, and if the kids wake up she cuddles them and calls us to come home – but usually they sleep the whole time.

  6. D says

    I am searching for new books to read to my 5 month old. He is not yet interested in the touch and feel books, so I am looking for other options. My favorites so far are: Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site; Harold & the Purple Crayon; Inside Outside Upside Down; The Day the Crayons Quit; and If You Give a Mouse a Cooking. Any recommendations?

    • Carine says

      We got a lot of mileage out of the Sandra Boynton books in the first year–they’re short, they rhyme, illustrations are cute, colorful, and simple. They were some of my daughter’s first favorites, especially Night Night Little Pookie, The Going to Bed Book, and Snuggle Puppy.

    • Meg Murry says

      Favorites at our house:
      More “If you give a” books
      Little Blue Truck
      Are You My Mother? (the board book version, which is shorter than the original)
      Where’s Spot and other Spot books

    • Lkl says

      I think someone posted a similar question in the last couple weeks. We have a 6 month old and he has been loving, for the last month or two, all Eric Carle books (Brown Bear Brown Bear and Panda Bear Panda Bear especially), and the Pout Pout Fish is his all-time favorite. Goodnight Moon is pretty good. All Sandra Boynton are also very popular, as are some Doctor Seuss. He likes rhyming or chanting refrains.

    • anne-on says

      By the same people as Construction site is ‘Steam Train Dream Train’. We also have just about every Seuss book he wrote, my favorites are the ‘Sleep Book’, ‘And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street’. ‘The Sneetches and other Stories’ is also nice. Do you have the Otis the tractor series? The first is my favorite, but Otis and the Puppy is also very sweet. The illustrator of The Day the Crayon’s quit also wrote an “A through Z'” book with short stories about all the letters that I like a lot, its just too long to read right before bed!

      • Lkl says

        I wrote a comment eaten earlier, which may yet show up, but our 6 month old has LOVED Pout Pout Fish for the past month and a half. We sing it like a song, and he loves the illustrations too.

        Also loving Sandra Boyton, Eric Carle, and Dr. Seuss.

        • Pigpen's Mama says

          My kiddo isn’t that impressed by it, even when I do a VERY DRAMATIC reading (so much fun) — maybe I need to try singing it a little more. Although now when I sing she reaches up and covers my mouth- who knew music critics started so young!

    • Lorelai Gilmore says

      My babies have loved books with real photographs of baby faces. Look at all the board books by Dorling Kindersley, including Baby Faces Peekaboo. Rhyming books are great – our favorite is Piggy in the Puddle. Jesse Bear is wonderful. We like We’re Going On A Bear Hunt too.

  7. MDMom says

    Kiddo is 4 months old and it’s time for me to go back to work on Monday. He is going to a daycare center that was our first choice, based on recommendations from friends. I am excited to get back into the adult world again. But… the thought of dropping him off on Monday and leaving just makes me cry. I also cried while labeling all his little things for daycare, and now again while writing this post. We are starting with half days the first three days, aiming for a full day hopefully on Friday. I hope that will help me transition back. Any tips? Words of encouragement? How do I stop crying? I really do want to go back to work! I just want to take him with me, which sadly is not possible.

    • Carine says

      I think you just let yourself cry! What’s that saying–you have to go through it to get to the end of it? It’s a really hard transition with lots of mixed feelings. You may not get to a simple place where you feel totally OK about leaving him–not by the time you go back, by that first full day, or if you do, you might still have hard mornings even a year (or three! in my case) from now. But there are a lot of benefits to daycare and once you see him adjust, see how much the caretakers adore him and, in their great expertise and wisdom, may often help you navigate through the newness of the first year, you’ll likely reach a comfort level and be able to trust that you’re both in a good place most days.

      I recommend being easy on yourself and taking it an hour, a day, one week at a time. Remind yourself of the reasons why this arrangement is overall best for your family, know that you are absolutely not alone! and just give it some time. (Of course, listen to your gut and if it doesn’t seem to be a good fit or you have serious concerns once he starts, make a change.) Good luck!

    • Lkl says

      It is hard, and that is okay. I still cry about it sometimes. But there are real benefits too: our baby LOVES watching the other kids, and having all the new experiences. We also think it’s great for him to learn that different people do things different ways — i.e, everything is still okay if you are put down a little differently for a nap. Seriously, all I wanted to do was stay home with him for longer than I was able to, but just a few weeks into daycare it seems pretty great for him.

      Make the most of your time in the morning and evening — it is SO important to me to have that snuggle time and playtime! (Not that there’s much in the evening, but anything helps.)

      • D says

        Can you have someone else drop off the baby if you think it will be too hard? Picking up the baby is always easier since you can see that he did well on that first day.

        • MDMom says

          Unfortunately the only way to do this would be to have my husband drop him off when he leaves at 7, but the baby wakes up at 7 so that would eliminate all of my morning time with him and also be kind of a rush for him. I think it would help but I’m not willing to give up the hour with him in the morning!

    • NewMomAnon says

      Cry if you feel like it (or don’t, if you don’t). I still get that ache on Mondays sometimes after a really good weekend with my kiddo. It’s a normal part of parenting to feel both proud and sad of our kids’ growing relationships with the outside world.

      Bring pictures of your baby to work (people will want to see them anyway). Bring video, with audio, on your phone – the little baby gurgles were my favorite balm. Try to leave your first weekend after starting work pretty unscheduled so you can cuddle, play, rest, smell baby’s head, etc.

    • CHJ says

      Aww, hang in there. I cried so much during the end of my maternity leave about going back to work. It’s hard! Cry as much as you need to cry and don’t feel like this shouldn’t be difficult.

      That said, from the other side of things, it gets better! I was so upset about leaving my son at daycare, but it was totally fine. More than fine. It has been great. He loved the teachers in the infant room and they took such great care of him. Even yesterday when I was picking him up (he’s now 2), he wanted to stop by and say hi to the infant room teachers. And he has some little buddies that have been with him since the infant room, and they are such close friends now. It is a hard hard HARD transition on you, but not so difficult for the babies. And once you get to the other side, I think you’ll be glad you stuck with it and pushed through the hard transition.

      And feel free to cry and vent here as much as you need – we’ve all been through it!

    • MDMom says

      Thanks for the responses. Looks like it’s just going to be the parent version of crying-it-out for the next few weeks. I visited the daycare today and am planning to go again tomorrow just so I can get more and more comfortable with it. I’ll just put my mascara on after I get to work on Monday, so I can cry freely for the entire drive.

      • Jen says

        I cried nonstop for the first day (9am dropoff, 1pm pickup). I then cried the entire morning of the next day (thursday, 9am-3pm). Friday I was sniffly. Monday was hard, but by Tuesday, I was more back into the swing of things at work and had come to peace with things.

  8. Due in December says

    Any recommendations for books on dogs and kids? Specifically, I’d like to read about (1) how to take care of the dog with the huge change of having a baby come home, and (2) how/when to teach kids about appropriate interactions with family pets and other animals. Thanks!

    • mascot says

      I can’t remember what books we read (likely whatever Amazon had). The best advice is to treat your dog like a pair of sharp scissors and don’t allow baby/toddler to play with them except under close supervision. Don’t leave them alone in a room together unless baby is safely contained in crib or something that the dog can’t reach. I know this is super inconvenient at times, but it’s really about keeping both dog and baby safe. Even with mild mannered dogs, it takes kids until preschool to be able to consistently be gentle.
      I really like Patricia McConnell- The Other End of the Leash on general dog behavior. We tried to keep in mind that dogs generally give lots of signals for discomfort and to respect those. Yawning, rigid fur, flattening ears, growling, even an air snap (deliberately missing and not biting) are all things we’ve seen our dogs do when they are uncomfortable and we repeatedly tell our child to watch for these things and back up/leave dog alone.

    • AIMS says

      I saw something on amazon called Happy Dog, Happy Baby, and someone recommended the book Tell Your Dog You’re Pregnant to me before, but I haven’t gotten to reading either one.

    • Anonymous says

      No book reccs but check with your local humane society or animal rescue group. Several of the Orgs near me (DC) have one or two hour workshops you can take on pets and kids.

    • Due in December says

      Thanks, all! On to Amazon. And Anonymous, I’m also in DC, so I’ll check up on workshops…

    • Lulu says

      Also due in December and have a dog I love more than anything. I’ve read a few books, incl. Tell Your Dog Your Pregnant (or whatever it’s called) and just haven’t found any that are that helpful. Instead, I’m hiring a trainer to help us with a couple communication issues before baby is born, introducing her to the baby’s toys so she understands they aren’t hers, and increasing her time with her dog walker (aka her best friend) since I won’t be able to spend as much time with her.

      If you dog has health problems like mine (or just needs vaccines in Dec) try to take care of them in advance. And figure out pet care for when you go into labor if not doing a home birth.

      • Anon says

        Our dog had some issues before our son was born, but we did work through them. Our dog took about 2 months to really “get” the baby, and was very uneasy/freaked out until then. Then one day, he got to (because i wasn’t paying enough attention) sniff all up in the baby’s business. it was like a lightbulb went off, “Oh! a person!”.

        Sadly, even though our son was EXCELLENT with the dog, after about 2 years, our dog snapped and bit our son. We were there, supervising, paying 100% attention–BOTH PARENTS– and our dog just decided at that moment that he was going to guard/be protective of my husband, which is who my son was goofing around with and lunged. Son got a major boo boo on the finger, but nothing permanent and no stitches.

        Dog was rehomed, and now, a year later, I still cry about it. But after we rehomed, it was like a weight of uncertaintly was lifted. We loved (and love) our dog, and he has a great home with a childless adult couple of ours. But he did not really like kids and just never was comfortable around them, including, apparently, ours. Our trainer did say that there were Herculean Measures that we could take, like pretty much rearranging our entire life around keeping the dog and baby apart, but that wasn’t fair to anyone and we did have a good home for him on standby :( I miss that dog every day, but I would never let him back in the house as a family pet.

  9. Anon S says

    High chair recommendations? My daughter is 5 months old, and I imagine we’ll start solids sometime after her 6 month appt, so looking at high chairs now. We live in a condo in the city, so while it’s not a tiny apartment, it’s not a huge suburban style house either, so looking for something with a relatively small footprint and easy to clean. Anyone have the nuna zaaz?

    • NewMomAnon says

      My only recommendation for a high chair is to get one that has as few separate pieces and corners as possible. Ours has a removable, washable cover, which sounds great in theory…but it’s just one more thing to remember to wash. I wish I had something that was molded plastic or wood so I could just wipe it down with a wash cloth after the meal.

      I can’t tell from the website – is the “air cushion” on the nuna zaaz part of a separate removable cover? Are there crevices in which crumbs could hide (for instance, under the air cushion seat)? If you entertain, you might want to check whether it can be either folded up and stored away or easily converted to a regular dining chair and then back again.

      FWIW, if I had to do it over again, I would have just gotten a seat that sat on a regular dining chair. The high chair takes up a lot of space and my kiddo at 19 months old already looks like a giant in her high chair, so we really only had a year or so of use. She is in a booster seat at the table now and refuses to be clipped into the high chair.

    • anon says

      We have the most basic molded plastic Fisher Price booster seat (high chair you just strap on another chair) and are quite happy with it so far, although it’s on a fairly rickety chair that I’m afraid will tip over. We can just wipe it down or, if it got REALLY bad, I suppose we could plop it in the tub and turn on the shower.

      People seem to swear by the Ikea Antilop chair, too — it’s what our son has at daycare.

          • CHJ says

            +3 for the IKEA Antilop. One solid piece of plastic that you can wash in the sink? Amazing. Also funny side story – we took a trip to Italy earlier this year and 90% of the restaurants and hotels had the IKEA high chair too!

    • MDMom says

      I’m also starting to look at high chairs. I’ve been leaning toward the graco blossom. Anyone have it? The multifunctionality appeals to me- I’m a sucker for things like that.

      • VKJ says

        May be too late for you to see this, but we returned our blossom in favor of the wooden ikea high chair. I also loved the idea of multifunction and growing with the kid. The reality is that your tiny baby does not need a chair to hold it while it drinks it’s bottle. The blossom seemed to be a huge plastic monstrosity and I realized I actually would be better off with something simple and streamlined. Plus $60 for a wooden chair that matched our kitchen was a no brainer. We also picked up the Antilop for my parents house. Easiest $20 decision ever.

        • MDMom says

          Saw it- thanks. I was thinking more of the future booster seat functionality. But its probably cheaper and better value to buy something simple like the Antilop and then a separate booster seat later on.

      • NewMomAnon says

        This is probably too late – I have the Graco blossom. It is a mess. There are all sorts of little parts where wet things like to hide (yogurt….gr) and crumbs disappear into crevices, and it’s a big huge beast of a chair. Get something smaller and easier to clean, then a small, molded booster later. Boosters are cheap; mine was only $12 and it’s so much easier to keep clean. And yes, I rejected using the booster option in the Graco chair because of the cleaning issues.

    • Anon says

      Tripp Trapp! It’s an investment if you buy new (though there are often ones lurking on craigslist). Our niece still has hers at age 8 and we are super excited to get one when our LO is sitting up!

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