CorporetteMoms

Updated: Nov 1, 2018 53 Comments · by

Washable Workwear Wednesday: Faux Wrap Dress

Machine-Washable Work Clothes

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A woman wearing a Faux Wrap DressWe’ve mentioned the wrap dress from Lark & Ro before, but I’m kind of in awe of the number of configurations right now — short sleeves! Long sleeves! Real tie! Faux tie! Ruffles! Knots! Ribbons! And a zillion prints and colors. I like this black and white print (great for hiding stains), as well as the fact that this dress, as are all of the L&R dresses I’ve seen, is machine washable. Do note that this particular one is a faux wrap. It’s $69, available in sizes XS-XL. (Oooh, if you’re looking for a short sleeve print with a real wrap, this version is marked as low as $23 in some colors and sizes.)   Lark & Ro Women’s Long Sleeve Faux Wrap Dress 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. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

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

    • Anonymous says

      No.

      After trying to make DVF work for years (and all of the fashion tape in the world), I am #TeamLeota for their faux-wrap dress.

      It’s about twice what this is, but a whole lot less than DVF and I am always reaching for my Leota.

      • Penelope says

        How do you find the fit on the Leota dresses? I love the idea of a wrap dress but as a petite pear, they rarely work out for me.

        • Anonymous says

          I am a petite pear!

          5-4, 32C bust, high waist, 39″ hips, 125#. The skirt is slightly A-line, which helps. I have a S and a M. With the solids, a M might help more with things like the lines where my bra or UW stops (the elastic was just noticeable in a way that annoyed me but husband thought was me just fussing over what he did not notice), but a S was fine in the prints. [My office is so cold that I wear a top piece or scarf anyway but I actually wear these on date nights.]

          I felt so pretty the first time I tried one on and I never feel like that trying on clothes.

          • Anonymous says

            And it’s not a real wrap — it’s a faux wrap but I have hated every other faux wrap I’ve tried before. DVF really, really did not work with me as a pear. The waist is over my tummy, I can’t fill up the top, the skirt never hangs straight. I finally feel sleek and put together (like the DVF ad copy says), just not with their dresses.

    • EB0220 says

      I had a dress from Lark & Ro in a similar style. It was super cute, but the fabric was really thin and see-through. Also, it did make me look a little pregnant. It got donated.

  2. Tfor22 says

    I could use advice on body shape changes and clothes. As I slide towards menopause any weight I put on is in my middle (as opposed to my thighs, which is where it used to go). I realize this is normal, but it has changed the way my clothes look. This morning I couldn’t stand the look of a dress I have loved and worn for 6 or 7 years. Is it time to shop for new clothes that work with my new shape? Going on a huge (and successful) weight-loss kick is not going to happen given all of my other priorities right now.

    • Anon in NYC says

      Yes. You deserve to wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself.

    • Anonymous says

      I am you! And I feel that I am shape-shifting (and then styles change a bit).

      I used to be like Maria in The Sound of Music — squeeze every last bit of use out of a garment. Then donate. Some things even the poor don’t want.

      Solution: purge. Buy a little, constantly. That way, everything fits and you are happy. Your year-old clothes will probably find a new home with someone who needs them (not so much with the 8-year-old skirt suit).

      Everything on me shifted down and softened up (while the scale reads the same). I just had to dress the body I have now, not the body I used to have (or the body I wish I had). And it is just so, so much better.

      It is thrifty to spend $ on what you wear. Not what sits in your closet.

      [And don’t think tailoring will fix this (it may on new items). You can’t tailor things you hate into things you love. Much cheaper to just start over.]

    • Mama Llama says

      Life-long apple shape here with some tips! (Also short, big bust, flat rear, so YMMV) I look for things that skim over my mid-section, so not clingy but also not voluminous or sack-like. I never tuck shirts in. Hip length tops are best. I like high-waisted pants to keep things smooth under the shirt. A tailored layer, like a blazer, is good, weather permitting. For dresses, I like fit and flare with a high-ish waist.

    • Anonymous says

      Yes, get some new clothes. 6 years is long and faithful service, it’s okay. Your style can change in that amount of time anyway, even if your shape wasn’t.

  3. anon says

    We’re having potty problems. Kiddo has been potty trained for a year and a half (she’s 3.5), but recently has become very resistant about going to the potty for #1 and #2. She doesn’t drink much throughout the day, so I have been pushing water. That seems to help when she is at home, but not while she is at school. I end up giving her a bunch of water afterschool and at dinner. She goes to the potty before bed, but also wakes up with a super wet diaper and pants. She has a younger sibling, so she knows that diapers are for babies, and I think she might feel embarrassed about wetting her diaper, while also refusing to use the potty in the morning. This morning was full of tears and refusing to go to the potty and refusing to remove wet pants.
    In the poop department, she holds it in while at school. That causes poops to be painful, so she tries to avoid pooping altogether. Its a horrible cycle! I am trying to give her prunes (which she loves) to make it easier. I have also tried rewards, like M&Ms, stickers, and gummies. Those only work sometimes. I am also trying to be comforting and letting her know that her feelings are ok and that she is still learning. Ahhh I feel so overwhelmed, like I just can’t get this right.

    • Anonymous says

      Does she like pears? The pear/apply go-go squeeze pouches may help with this on the sly.

    • anon says

      We had some luck setting times when everyone is required to try to use the potty, for instance, right after meals or before leaving the house. I give my preschooler the choice to go before or after me, but everyone has to try.

      At school, we had luck setting up a potty buddy system with her best friend. My daughter was required to go to the potty whenever her buddy had to go. She liked the social aspect and peer pressure can be potent.

      • Anonymous says

        This is what we do. House rule that everyone sits on the toilet to ‘try’ after they get up, after meals and before leaving house. We usually take kids with us and let them pick if they will try first or the grown up will try first.

    • Anonymous says

      It is gross, but if she likes using an ipod or reading a book, have those by the potty and just leave her alone in there if you can when not at school. Stickers, etc. Crayons and paper, etc. Just to get her back in the habit of going and sitting on the potty long enough to relax and go.

    • Anonymous says

      Is it possible she is afraid to go in the bathroom alone or something weird like that? My 5.5 year old has developed a fear of the windowless bathrooms in our new apartment and prefers to have one of us go with him or to have the door propped open. We should probably also leave the light on in there all day too but don’t.

      • rakma says

        We put in a plug-in nightlight in the windowless powder room, to encourage DD1 to go by herself. It’s enough light that she feels comfortable, but not quite leaving the overhead light on all day.

    • Anonymous says

      1- sounds like she’s constipated, which counter-intuitively can cause problems going #1. She needs to HYDRATE and you need to resolve the constipation before she can use the toilet successfully. Consult with your ped, but i would do miralax 2x/day (AM and PM) for about 10 days.
      2- just let her wear diapers. Don’t make a Thing of it. She doesn’t want to use the potty — her options are (1) use potty; (2) tell you why she refuses to use potty so you can fix the problem; (3) wear diapers. Don’t shame her, don’t make it a rewards thing – this is a body problem, so you need medicine, food, and water to fix it.

    • JDMD says

      The Love Grown Power O’s cereal works like a charm when either of our kids (ages 3.5 and 18 months) is constipated (read: has eaten way too much cheese). It has never failed to produce the desired results in less than two hours. The original flavor is made of nothing but beans (no sugar of any kind), yet it is surprisingly tasty. Start with a small serving, like two tablespoons — learned that lesson the hard way.

      • JDMD says

        Older kid also loves the Daniel Tiger potty episode. “When you have to go potty, STOP! And go right away! Flush and wash and be on your way!”

  4. 2nd trimester says

    I just found out I failed my glucose screening, so now I have to go do the 3-hour test. Anyone have any encouraging stories of failing the screening but passing the test? Or want to tell me that having GD wasn’t really that bad? I’ve been eating a lot more carbs than usual while pregnant because of nausea and food aversions, but now I’m really regretting it.

    • rosie says

      My understanding is that GD is a function of something with the placenta, not your diet, so you shouldn’t feel like you caused this. I guess it’s possible that what you ate before the 1-hr impacted the results of the 1-hr, but if that’s the case, you’ll pass the 3-hr. And I would think of this as something that it’s better to know about that not know about–if you do end up having GD, better to know and work with a nutritionist (if that would be helpful) to come up with a solid plan for how you will eat & feel good (I hear you on the nausea & food aversions).

        • Anon in NYC says

          I didn’t either. But I did know that GD isn’t really a result of making “good” or “bad” food choices – sure, if you ate a bagel 20 minutes before your 1 hour test, the results might be elevated, but that should be clarified by the 3 hour test. And really, you don’t *want* to try to trick the GD tests… if you have GD, you should know! Undiagnosed GD can cause complications.

    • lala says

      With my first pregnancy I failed the 1-hour but passed the 3-hour with flying colors. They had me do a fasting 1-hour with the nasty drink. With my second pregnancy, my midwives did not require a fast and let me drink the equal amount of glucose filled apple juice. I passed the 1-hour with flying colors.

      So hopefully you will be like me, and pass the 3-hour. Although I have had friends with GD and while it was hard to change diet at the time, it was really short lived!

    • NewMomAnon says

      Hugs. I’ve had several friends fail the 1 hr and pass the 3 hr. But even if you fail the 3 hr – GD is not something you did to yourself, and you will feel so much better if you get the correct diagnosis and medical support. My mom had undiagnosed GD with me, and was apparently super sick, and I was born sick too. My friends who have had diagnosed GD disliked the restrictive diet but otherwise were really grateful for the support they got.

    • Anon says

      If you have any history of an eating disorder, make sure your doc is aware. My close friend was diagnosed with GD despite already eating extremely healthy and it initially triggered some very disordered eating in her trying to be “good.” Luckily her doctor picked up on it quickly and educated her that GD is not about good or bad eating in pregnancy. Her doc further told her that if restricting her diet was too triggering, she could use insulin instead. After that discussion, she was able to handle her diet much better and did not require insulin. It’s nice to know it’s an option though if you are too sick or have other reasons you can’t follow the prescribed diet.

    • Aly says

      I failed the one hour and easily passed the three hour. Totally possible! It was frustrating to hang out for three hours with a gross drink, but I bought myself a new book and made the most of it.

    • Anonymous says

      Yup, this is me. I “barely” failed the one hour. What helped is doing the test first thing in the morning (like as soon as the lab opened) so I didn’t have to fast for as long. I also had food on hand to eat immediately after the test was over. I felt pretty nauseous after an hour because it is a lot of sugar to consume on an empty stomach, but brought my work computer (they had wifi) so I could get some work done throughout.

    • Anonymous says

      I had GD with my twins and everyone is right– it is not a diet thing. A lot of people with di/di twins have it because two placentas are giving you twice the problem hormones.

      Dealing with it was not bad, honestly it was the least problematic part of that pregnancy. I had to do a blood test (pricked finger) 30 minutes after eating and keep my sugar levels under a certain amount. I didn’t feel that restricted in my eating– it’s not no-carb, it’s just spreading them very evenly throughout the day. Some “healthy” foods weren’t any longer (apples and grapes are just sugar bombs). I got really hungry at night when I was all out of carbs for the day so I started eating “night steaks”– at 9pm every night I ate a huge steak with horseradish sauce.

      I didn’t enjoy it per se, no donuts or ice cream while pregnant is hard, but I think it kept me eating healthier than I would have otherwise and I gained less weight than is normal with twins.

      You want to keep it under control mainly so that your baby isn’t producing too much insulin when born. One twin was growth restricted and even while keeping it under control, that baby had a blood sugar crisis right after birth because of a lack of body fat to provide sugar to balance the insulin.

    • AIMS says

      I failed the first test twice both pregnancies and passed the 3hr. I was convinced that I had GD the second time because my one hr reading was really not even close but it all worked out.
      I also know people who had GD and went on to have healthy pregnancies and babies, so either way it will be okay.

  5. Redux says

    Should I be annoyed that one of our admin assistant’s duties– going to pick up the mail– has now been reassigned as a shared responsibility among the department (which includes attorneys like me)?

    Many of you have been very helpful in dealing with my department’s admin assistant who makes snarky comments about my not working on fridays. There is a lot at play here, but one of the takeaways is that she has been slacking in her duties, which has become abundantly clear now that our organization has switched to a timecard punch in/ out system for non-exempt employees. I do not supervise her, nor do I rely on her for much, so I have not been at all involved in her issues as it doesn’t affect me.

    Recently, our department got a chiding from the mailroom for our overflowing mailbox. Apparently, the admin had forgotten to pick up the mail for a week, a problem that has happened in the past, too. Rather than insisting she perform her job duties, my boss instead made the task a shared one, so each day of the week 2 people are assigned mail duty.

    I don’t mind going to get the mail. It’s actually a nice excuse to step away from my desk on my assigned day. But I feel like there is a bigger issue here– a management issue: (1) my boss should be insisting that the admin do her job, and (2) it is not a good use of department resources to have high-level (and frankly high-paid) people doing these tasks.

    Thoughts? Part of my reaction of course is colored by the interactions I have described here where she gives me serious grief for my hard-fought condensed workweek. I don’t want to be an a-hole who is not a team player, but it also seems a bit ridiculous to reassign her job duties to much higher ranking people rather than insisting she fulfill them herself.

    • Tfor22 says

      I think you can be annoyed (because it is really annoying) but unfortunately you can’t do much about it. There may be some hidden reasons why your boss made that decision. Could there be some kind of performance improvement plan in place for the person that focuses on other duties? Or is having other people get the mail part of showing how little the person concretely gets done? If they are thinking about firing the admin they might not be thinking about how to insist she do her job.

    • avocado says

      I have similar issues with my admin–in her case, she wants me to do her job so she can do my job. I have learned that no one is willing to fix it, so my strategy has been to ignore most of it, rely on her as little as possible, and speak up to management when something truly egregious happens, just on principle and not because it will actually make a difference. I think having attorneys pick up the mail rises to the level of truly egregious for the reasons you state, and I’d say something about it to your boss. “Boss, I understand that we all need to be team players, but I really don’t think it’s the most efficient use of resources to have attorneys picking up the mail, and if it’s a rotating responsibility then it’s more likely to be forgotten. Is there a particular reason that Admin can’t pick up the mail herself, or that mail pickup can’t be reassigned to another admin?”

    • Anonymous says

      I would be annoyed but not complain. It’s a rotating duty, if it had been assigned just to you – definitely inappropriate. Agree with other comments that they may be getting ready to fire her.

    • Redux says

      Good points. My boss did also start instituting a little accountability check at the beginning of each day, and I wonder if it is in order to better monitor what she is up to day to day. I doubt very much he would fire the admin, but maybe stripping away some of the little tasks will make it more clear what she is up to all these hours and still not getting things done.

  6. jlg says

    any suggestions for wrap dresses that are machine wash (and preferably dry!) that are not mostly polyester? i love dresses but i’m still pumping and wrap (not faux) is really the only feasible dress style to avoid completely disrobing at work. most seem to be at least 90% poly, and my body chemistry sadly does not play well with polyester — no matter what kind of deodorant i use it creates a smell. not a terrible smell, but a smell that I can smell, which makes me self-conscious even if no one else smells it, and then the dress doesn’t get worn. other synthetics are ok, and some poly is ok, but preferably 40% or less. thanks for any leads!

  8. TBK says

    Lesson: double check you’re posting here and not the main site before you hit “post.” Getting excoriated on the main site right now for complaining about impromptu happy hours. I’d love to go, but I can’t arrange child care with just a few hours’ notice. I was much harsher in my wording because I thought I was here not there. Lesson learned.

    • Jeffiner says

      Yeah, I just read those comments, and was reminded why I avoid the main site. They are way too ugly over there.

      • TBK says

        I hadn’t been there in awhile. It didn’t used to be like that over there.

    • Tfor22 says

      Yikes! I am sorry the cranky anonymouses were out in force. I did like the idea from one poster of always having a sitter on Thursdays so the parents had some evening options. That is not practical for us but maybe I could swing once a month. Then I’d organize the drinks with work pals or girlfriends or go to the group run at the running store.

    • Anon says

      I had to turn down a client event this week because it was a multi-hour sporting event and there was no place to pump and more than 3 hours is just uncomfortable for me at this point. Sad but a part of life I guess. Comments were way harsh though. My single, child-free 30 something male co-worker leaves at the same time I do every night to pick up his dog, so not just parents! I am spoiled with my SAHD husband, but usually choose not to go to happy hours (impromptu or otherwise) because I’m a tired, cranky sleep-deprived working mom.

    • Katala says

      Ugh, they were so jerky :(

      It’s ok to be frustrated about this. Being frustrated doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate that other people have reasons they might not be able to do impromptu after-work events, sheesh. My old job had after work stuff often (or really, between work, people would go back to the office after) and I’m really happy that it’s not really a thing in my new job except during summer recruiting. It’s great not to feel that I’m missing out on networking/bonding. We do lunches instead and it’s much easier on my schedule, even if it means making up hours at night.

    • Anon, come on. says

      Insulate yourself here on the moms page at your own risk – I found the comments there to be a reality check that you don’t want to admit you needed given your post.

      You were taking an impromptu happy hour way too personally and if you want to join in with the group, plan a happy hour yourself, in advance, get your child care in order, and invite your coworkers.

      They really don’t have to plan coworker socializing around your personal or family life.

  9. Glucose test says

    Kid 1- passed 1hr
    Kid 2- failed 1hr pretty solidly (not borderline). Did the 3 hour and it wasn’t even close- passed.
    Kid 3: passed 1hr

    Same office and same test protocol, pretty much same meals beforehand.

    Caution: I almost passed out during the 3 hour. Bring a serious snack for afterward- I had a bottle of water and a nutrigrain bar or two and it was not enough. I had to pull over on the way home and briefly,ah, nap on the side of the road. Nuts, a smoothie, a sandwich, yogurt, all of the above…

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