Washable Workwear Wednesday: Merino-Cotton Wrap Sweater Dress
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I love this modern spin on the classic wrap dress.
Designed for cool weather, this drapey sweater dress is something you’ll reach for all winter long. This relaxed maxi length style is knit from soft merino wool and organic cotton. The attached belt and side slit balance out the relaxed fit.
Banana Republic’s Merino-Cotton Wrap Sweater Dress is on sale for $159.99 (down from $200) and comes in camel and “gilded green” (looks more like gold or a dark chartreuse on my screen). It’s available in XXS-XXL as well as petites.
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 1/10:
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – 2,400+ new women’s markdowns!
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase + extra 60% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off + extra 20% off
- Brooks Brothers – End-of-Season Sale: clearance up to 60% off
- Cuyana – Free shipping on orders of $95+ (readers love their totes!)
- Express – All new and on sale, buy 1 get 1 50% off all women’s tailoring and jeans
- J.Crew – 25% off full-price styles, and up to 70% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory– Up to 50% off select cashmere + extra 60% off sale
- Lo & Sons– Winter sale, up to 50% off — reader favorites include this laptop tote, this backpack, and this crossbody
- M.M.LaFleur – Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Neiman Marcus – Up to 75% off when you take an extra 40% off sale
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale! Extra 60% off sale sweaters, coats, scarves, and shoes + extra 50% all other markdowns + Red Door Deals from $24.50
I’ll ask this again tomorrow since it’s late in the day, but any advice for contextualizing catastrophic health news (cancer) about a parent for little, little kids (oldest just turned 4?)? We aren’t at a formal diagnosis yet, but I want to start thinking about this now because all of the non-invasive testing so far is suggesting that’s where we’re headed.
people love finding things to complain about.
i live in a hot climate, think TX or FL. our school playground is a big field and an area with playground equipment. students and teachers (and neighbors who use the park after school hours) often complained it was too hot/sunny and so the PTO spent money to put up a shade structure. it looks great and is making it much more manageable for the kids to play outside…a parent is now upset that children are not getting enough vitamin D?!? (it’s not like the structure covers the entire recess area. this parent is more than welcome to instruct their child to go play in the sun)
the PTO also recently got some new picnic tables that are made out of plastic. each class visits them maybe once a week for half an hour. a parent is concerned about microplastics – um, unless your kid is licking the picnic tables or doesn’t wear clothing to school, this seems like the least of the problems in our public school…
My grandma had my mom at 24, my mom had me at 25, and I had my first baby at 26. That means that when I was born, my grandma was 49.
I grew up with active, involved and helpful grandparents and still have a great relationship with my grandparents, and my kids are growing up with grandparents AND great-grandparents who know and love them and who are just now requiring significant assistance.
In contrast, my DH’s grandma had his mom at 37 and his mom had him at 37. He had no living great-grandparents and by the time he was an adult, he had no living grandparents. When our oldest was born, his mom was already 63 (and that’s only because we had children 11 years earlier – if we had also waited until 37, his mom would have been 74!), and, after spending such a large proportion of her life without children in it, she had difficulty remembering what it’s like and adjusting to the idea of being a grandmother.
DH’s side of the family feels much emptier and he has much less connection to his family culture/history because none of the elders are alive still to pass it on, and we have already had to shift into a caregiving role for his mom. Obviously you often have little to no control over when you have children, but to the extent that you can make choices about it, I think there are major benefits to the child and family to grow up with young parents and grandparents and great grandparents.
We are getting eight windows replaced with wood, not vinyl windows (it’s an old house) and it will likely cost $17,000. This seems INSANE to me. Is this normal? We’ve been homeowners for almost a decade but this is (luckily) the first major thing we’ve needed to do. The original windows are from 1920 and incredibly drafty and kind of decaying.
What age is “too old” to have a new baby? A 20-something family member said something snarky in my presence about starting a family over 35. I quickly shut her down. I was over 40 when I had my first. At the same time, though, I would’ve loved to have had kids younger. We tried! Just didn’t work out for us. I have another family member in his 60s who is trying and I have to admit I probably feel about him the same way my 20-something relative feels about me. Maybe I’m just as bad as she is?
I have what seems to be a unicorn job: fully remote, very flexible schedule, current pay around 225k with unlimited higher earning potential. I like it well enough though don’t love it. I couldn’t care less about the subject matter (think legal sales) but I like the job for pay and flexibility.
The catch? I really, really miss my old job in public interest law. It was my dream job and I loved it. I left after I had my oldest and the dismal pay (60k in 2022, with 8 years of experience) was not sustainable, plus I had very inflexible work hours and a lengthy commute. I miss the camaraderie, the subject, and being able to use my strong skills as a trial attorney. Not to toot my own horn but I’m a really good trial attorney and hate feeling like I’m wasting my natural talent.
I know if I go back to that role, the same negatives will still be there and I now have two more children. I’ve been thinking about our state AGs office, which pays more than Old Job but substantially less than New Job (around 100k, with yearly modest increases). Same commute as before, though hybrid. But it would allow me to use those trial skills and feel more passionate about a job again. However, the pay cut will definitely be felt and will definitely affect our savings and lifestyle.
Can you all talk me out of it though? I know I’m in an incredibly fortunate position. I just miss the passion I had in my old job and know I will never feel the way in my new field.
Any tips on making a transition to a new room/teacher at daycare go better? Baby is 14 months, just moved to the toddler room from the infant room and is having a hard time. Teacher said she was sad all day yesterday, would start getting into an activity and then would suddenly get sad and start crying again.
Separately, how do we go about getting her attached to a stuffed animal/lovey? Teachers said that would help but she doesn’t have a particular friend yet.
Birthday present ideas for an active 4yo? It’s our foster son’s brother, so we don’t know him very well, but he loves to be running around and is way more physically coordinated than my elem-aged kids.
My daughter requested a “camping” themed birthday party for her 4th bday and she wants to set out a tent for her friends to play in! Sounds cute, but these logistics sound kind of crazy lol. Has anyone done something like this? FYI- not a sleepover party, just a birthday party with friends where I put a tent up for the kiddos to play in/have a few fun snacks (I’m thinking trail mix or smores) for the kids to enjoy! Also, her birthday is in the spring so we have some time to plan and the weather is usually nice around her birthday!
Paging CB (and others):
After a good game of Sushi Go last night, my 8-yr old said, “Thanks mom for getting me this game. I really like it. Oh, and tell your friends who told you about it thank you too!”
The other big board game of the holiday season is Trekking the National Parks. Recommended 10+ but my 6 and 8 year old can both play independently.
Anybody else discover new games to add to our repertoire?
Do y’all read juv fiction when your kids aren’t around?I always intended to skim kiddos’ books. But recently I’ve read a couple of audiobooks without him, and realized I might need to invest more time to find the really good ones.
I moved states last year. Should I open a 529 in the new state to get those tax advantages? Has anyone done this?
For those with older kids, what did summers look like for your rising 8th grader? This group has aged out of many camps, leaving only more expensive options. Did you do a lot of unstructured time at home or try to keep them occupied? If so, occupied with what?