Here is a pair of festive trousers that work for both the office and office party.
While celebratory, velvet is also practical — it’s warm without being bulky. These high-waisted bootcut pants are made from a lighter, slightly stretchy fabric with elongating seaming in the front.
Add a velvet blazer if you want to go all in or a nubby sweater if you want to keep things subtle.
The Naomi High Waist Bootcut Velvet Pants from Paige are $249 full price — but on sale today for $174.30 — at Nordstrom and come in sizes 23–34. Lysse has an option in sizes up to 3X; it’s on sale for $89.60 (down from $128) at Neiman Marcus.
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.
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Sales of Note…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – 2,100+ new markdowns!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything; extra 30% off orders $100+
- Eloquii – $39 select styles; 50% off select styles
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- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything; 50% off women’s dresses; extra 60% off clearance
- Loft – 60% off sale styles
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale: Extra 50% off markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ sale items (for women)! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
- J.Crew – 25-40% off kids’ styles; extra 50% off select sale
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all kids’ & baby clothing; PJs on sale from $25; up to 75% off clearance
- Carter’s – Rule the School Sale: Up to 50% off; up to 40% off baby essentials
- Old Navy – 50% off back-to-school styles; 30% off your order, even clearance
- Target – Backpacks from $7.99; toddler & kids’ uniforms on sale from $5
- Pottery Barn Baby – Summer sale: up to 50% off
- Nordstrom – Limited time sales on brands like Maxi-Cosi and Bugaboo.
- Strolleria – Free infant seat car adapter with any Thule stroller; 30% off all Peg-Perego gear in our exclusive Incanto Collection
Audiobook for 6 year old says
My six year old had taken to listening to an audiobook while snacking/drawing to settle down after school. Kid loves dragon masters, which is what we have been listening to.I’m looking for your best audiobooks recommendations (for a six year old). Dragons are always a hit, but not necessary
Anon says
I tend to save easier books like Dragon Masters for reading practice for my kids, so we listen to more advanced books. My 6 yo really enjoyed listening to the Faraway Tree series (with us reading, you’d have to check for an audiobook), Charlotte’s Web, and A Little Princess.
AwayEmily says
The Harry Potter audiobooks are wonderful and my 6yo has listened to the series several times now (caveat: as you probably know, there’s some serious fatphobic BS in there and so you may want to have a chat with him about that).
Anon says
I am not familiar with the audiobook versions, but you can check for The Wild Robot series, or the Mouse and the Motorcycle
Mary Moo Cow says
My5 and 7 year olds love the Ivy and Bean audiobooks. (I actually enjoy them too!) Is there a Magic Treehouse audio series? I’m a bit out of my depth with dragons/fantasy because my kids just aren’t that I to it.
Anne-on says
My kid loved the Magic Treehouse audio books but they’re read by the author and her fake scratchy little girl voice made me want to climb out of the car. If you’re less annoyed by badly done voiceovers then I’m sure your kid, like mine, would love them!
The Roald Dahl books were a hit with all of us on the other hand!
An.On. says
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, Talking with Dragons) says age 8 reading level, but I think the first book is definitely suitable for a 6 year old (they get sliiiightly more adult as they go on) and can be read as a standalone.
Anonymous says
Just chiming in to say that I loved these books!
tova says
seconded, those are v good
DLC says
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell! Very different from the movies… funnier. And there are a lot of books in the series.
Not dragons but very good- Miss Rapscott’s Girls, about a very unusual finishing school.
octagon says
The Roald Dahl audiobook collection on Audible is pretty good. Kiddo loves both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Fantastic Mr Fox (which has some mild swearing and a lot of gun usage, but we talk about both).
The Guinea Dog series is pretty different from Dragon Masters but he loves it and always cackles while listening to it.
Anonymous says
Both of my kids (preK and 2nd) are obsessed with the audio Fantastic Mr Fox! Means my 4 year old uses some borderline mid centimeters British swearing but we are ok with that.
Anonymous says
Mid-CENTURY
Seafinch says
I might introduce these now just to achieve the borderline mid-century swearing!
Cb says
My son listens to loads of audiobooks – during quiet time and before bed.
Some dragon favourites – How to Train Your Dragon – voiced by David Tennant. Knight Sir Louis and the Dragon of Doooooom! Sir Louis is super annoying so be forewarned.
Anon says
This is my first holiday with local parents and in-laws visiting from out of town. How much escaping to my parents’ house is too much? I’m at my parents’ place today working (well, “working”) which I feel is legit because I no longer have office space at my employer and our house is going to be noisy. But since I have the day off work I should probably not leave the house on Friday, right? In the past I wasn’t shy about escaping to my bedroom to “work” or “nap” but leaving the house entirely is different, right? On the other hand, I feel like their son is the host and he and their grandkids are the ones they care about seeing. They don’t want to see me any more than I want to see them, but they also love to complain so they would probably add this to their long list of grievances against me. Both sides of the family are having Thanksgiving dinner together on Thursday.
NYCer says
Do they have any outings planned on Friday that you could skip? Otherwise, maybe you could manufacture some errands you need to run on Friday, but instead just go hang at your parents place.
Anon says
Unless there are other details we’re missing (like in-laws are toxic or you have more work to do on Friday) I would stay home and visit. If you wanted to run some errands, do Christmas shopping alone in your room, etc, I think that’s fine, but I wouldn’t leave just to go hang out with your parents, whom you can visit any other day. I think for a long weekend you also assume the role of host and hang out with the extended family.
OP says
Depends how you define toxic I guess. They’re pretty rude to me. But you’re probably right.
Anne-on says
Your call as to whether or not you want to take a firm line, but I do not stand for blatant rudeness/yelling at me in my own home. If nothing else it isn’t what I want my kids to see modeled by other adults/how we’re telling them to behave.
My MIL tried to passive aggressively shame me once and my husband read her the riot act. She may badmouth me to others but at least I have surface level politeness in my own space/around my kids.
Anonymous says
Stay home and socialize. Go for a walk or run an errand but rude to just hide at your parents house.
Aunt Jamesina says
If I were in your shoes, I would find an errand that gets me out of the house for maybe two hours total on Friday to give myself a break (and since shopping is probably crazy, I’d personally grab a coffee and chill out at the library or something). But beyond that, I think it will look strange to be at your parents’ for too long.
Hmmm says
I get it, and would find lots of tasks and errands to break up the day and avoid too much sustained socializing. But I would not just go to your parents’ house (unless there are additional details we don’t have.)
Anonymous says
This is probably a spouse issue, no? Does your spouse want you to do a visit with them? Could you do a structured activity? Breakfast/brunch, go for a walk/hike, take the kids to a playground, whatever, so you do your thing with them and then do your own thing. I don’t think you have to stay home moping all day, but I would try to be intentional about the time and they can complain but who cares.
Anon says
I don’t think it’s a spouse issue? My husband doesn’t have strong feelings either way.
They are not “go out and do things” people. They are “stay home and bicker” people, which is why I want to get away. Attempts to get them out of the house in the past have not been successful, and I’m not interested in trying to herd them like cats. If I go out and run an errand or go on a walk it will be solo.
Anon says
Maybe structured in home activity like baking or art project?
Otherwise, I think it depends on the age of your kids and whether they like being with the grandparents. If your kids are young or don’t like the grandparents, you should probably be there as a buffer.
Anonymous says
My mom always went shopping for Christmas gifts on Black Friday. In my mid 30s I realized she was using this as a much needed a break from extended family and us kids. I think going out to breakfast (my in laws are less passive aggressive in public for some reason) and then dipping out for a half day of shopping, then turkey sandwiches and a movie night would be about my tolerance.
buffybot says
We are total DisneyWorld newbies and looking to take a trip down there next year. I did Disney Land in my youth where we would, like, stay at a KOA campground in my grandparents’ motorhome with orange shag carpeting. So I gather things have changed.
We want to do a resort hotel (I think) but find it sort of overwhelming to evaluate what is actually the best. Where would you recommend we stay with a 5 year old who will probably want to do Star Wars in addition to Magic Kingdom? We’re used to spending money on accommodations so wouldn’t rule out the higher end if that’s definitively the best, but open to better value as well.
Anonymous says
I think the fundamental question at the start of any Disney planning process is whether you want to spend the next six months becoming an expert. If you do not, so many travel agents will do this for you.
For instance, I would definitely not plan on skipping Epcot or Animal Kingdom having gone all the way down!
Anon says
I don’t use travel agents normally but would use one for Disney. There are many agents that specialize in just Disney trips and I believe they make money from Disney so you don’t pay out of pocket.
Mary Moo Cow says
We’re taking our first trip to Disney this coming winter and after nosing around the website, I cried uncle and contacted a planner. It’s been fantastic: she pit together 2 different plans, with three different hotels, for two different date spans so we could compare prices and amenities, gave me guidance on where to stay based on what I wanted to do, booked the hotels, and got up at 5 am to make dining reservations so I didn’t have to. She really is the reason I’m looking forward to this trip: it’s largely planned and I haven’t done most of the planning! She’s free; I think she gets a commission from Disney,
anon says
This sounds awesome. Where did you find the planner?
NLD in NYC says
+1 Please share!
ElisaR says
definitely use a planner! they are free! they know everything! we used disney dave out of cranford nj. There are many of them though, you may ask some friends and find out who they used.
Anonymous says
We stayed at the Caribbean hotel at Disney World and liked it a lot. The rooms themselves are just OK but there is a fun pool area, and you can take the sky buckets to Hollywood Studios which was a real highlight of the trip.
Anon says
We just came back from DisneyWorld and I’d argue the biggest factor for a hotel for me would be easy/cool transportation to the parks you want. We only did Magic Kingdom and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which was great because there was a ferry back and forth- made for a much more relaxing trip than if we’d had to do the bus system. We did the pool one night and ate breakfasts at the hotel, but otherwise spent the time at the parks.
SC says
If you can afford it, I would stay at the Contemporary Resort or, even better, in a one-bedroom at Bay Lake Towers. You can walk back and forth between the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary in about 10 minutes, and there’s a separate, quick security check on that sidewalk. It really comes in handy if you’re trying to make it the park for rope drop or when you’re heading home at the end of the day with a tired kid and the monorail is broken.
Of the mid-tier resorts, Port Orleans, either Riverside or French Quarter, are well loved. The mid-tier resorts have food courts, which have better quick service options than the Deluxe resorts. There’s also a little boat that goes from Port Orleans to Disney Springs, where you have dozens of food options. The Caribbean Beach Hotel is similar, and you can take the skyliner to Hollywood Studios, but lines for the skyliner are often long, and it may not be easy to Hollywood Studios at rope drop if you’re trying to do that.
Chl says
I like these pants but also just bought the high waisted bootcut velvet pants in this color from banana republic factory for like $60. They look good and maybe they’re not as perfect but for me this is kind of a novelty item that was good to save on (vs splurging on a classic I’ll wear a couple times a week for a while)
Prenatal workout says
Can anyone recommend a good prenatal workout on YouTube or elsewhere? I used Mama Strong postpartum and loved it, but the prenatal version has lots of fussy baby interruptions and while I appreciate the “realness,” I have enough fussiness in my own house and it’s stressing me out. Especially since I pay monthly for the subscription.
I’m looking for something relatively short, preferably with an instructor who isn’t annoying and doesn’t have a fake smile pasted on the entire workout.
GCA says
If you’re willing to pay, I used the prenatal workouts on the Aaptiv app a few years ago and enjoyed them. As with most apps, I think it works best for someone who’s used to working out and has a passing familiarity with how to do the moves safely (they do walk you through pregnancy modifications).
Not as New Here says
BodyFit by Amy on YouTube! I wish I had found her when I was pregnant. She has a lot of prenatal playlists. She has 3 kids (I think that’s the right number), so she gets it. And she has great post-natal/DR workouts and regular workouts. I do them in my living room all the time.
Pregnancy weight stress says
Please tell me something that will make me feel better about gaining a lot of weight in pregnancy. I’m near the end of my second trimester and already up 25+ lbs.
I’m trying to exercise and watch what I eat, but it doesn’t seem to matter. This is my third pregnancy and this has happened every single time so you’d think I’d be used to it—but I really thought I was doing better this time until the last couple of months.
Both of my earlier pregnancies were otherwise healthy, and babies were normal size (under 8 lbs). I just seem to gain a ton of weight starting in the middle of the second trimester. I passed my gestational diabetes screening recently, so it isn’t that. I’m just hungry all the time
I’m very tall to begin with, so I just feel huge and stared at and judged. I have come to a place where I’m very at peace with my non-pregnant weight/body, but this is harder for some reason.
AwayEmily says
I am not a very “woo” person but I am very convinced that for the vast majority of women, their bodies know EXACTLY what they are doing. Your body is putting on weight because that’s what your particular baby needs. Also, I know not everyone loves Emily Oster, but I thought the chapter on weight gain was good — basically, not gaining enough weight can have really bad consequences, and it’s so much better to err in the other direction in terms of keeping the baby healthy. Also, FWIW I also gained *all* my weight in like a two-month period in the end of the second/beginning of the third trimester. It’s always a little startling when it happens so fast but that’s how some bodies work, I guess!
Seafinch says
THIS. I believe for many of us it’s a set point and there is not a lot you can do about it if your eating isn’t out of whack. I have a twenty pound normal range as an adult and I end every pregnancy (four and a half so far) at exactly the same weight, regardless of where I start. This means if I am super lean when I get pregnant I gain more, if I start at the high end of the range, I gain nothing (literally, in my third pregnancy, I gained 0 pounds). All healthy babies. I know there is a lot wrapped up in it but I would try to trust the process. My mother is a 5’6′ natural bean pole who was always thin, would gain 70 lbs during pregnancy and it would all disappear. She is smoking fit 69 year old now, none of it ever stayed. Her body did exactly what it needed to.
anon says
Is your OB concerned? Assuming not, this seems normal in general and, given your history, normal for how you grow babies. It’s normal that you need to eat more and your body is bigger–you’re growing a whole separate human and maintaining a new organ just to support that human! Please don’t feel bad for needing more food.
If anyone is judging a pregnant woman for gaining weight, they can and should kick rocks.
I think pregnancy gets some extra attention, but a lot of it is because of the gazer: they fondly (or not so fondly) recall their own pregnancies, or are thinking about their desire to be pregnant, or when their loved one was pregnant, etc. It’s still rude for them to stare and you shouldn’t have to deal with it, but it might help to know it’s not about you.
anon says
Treat yourself how you would a close friend — remind yourself you are beautiful and should eat what you need to feel satisfied and to keep your baby happy and healthy! Pregnancy can be really hard with these types of body/weight/staring issues and people always have comments — you look hugggeee your you look tooo thinnnnn! Even if well meaning, the stares and comments can get in your head. If you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, try to enjoy those stretchy-waist pants and the gift that is plenty of food. And +1 to the comment above that people stare at pregnant people for lots of reasons. I try not to, but usually I’m thinking “omggggg they’re so cute, I’m so happy for them” even though I do not know them and know that sounds insane. I’m also a creep and stare at newborns because GAH they’re so cute.
anonchicago says
I’m at 39 weeks and have gained 45 lbs. I’m tall as well, but was overweight to begin with and frankly shocked at how the pounds packed on. I’d gained 12 lbs by the 8 week appointment which I guarantee was all bloat because my eating habits hadn’t changed much at that point and jeans still fit okay.
My first OB shamed me about my weight and about taking antidepressants and allergy meds during pregnancy, so I found a new practice that seems much more evidence-based with doctors at a variety of ages. None of those OBs have expressed concern about the weight gain; I asked one directly and she said to cut back on the carbs and try to walk more, but said she wasn’t concerned given my scores on the GD test and blood pressure.
I hear stories of women losing 20lbs immediately after giving birth and I hope that’s me, but even in that case I’ll have another 25 or so to take off. Sigh.
TOLawyer says
I feel you. Pre-pregnancy I was ~125 pounds and gained 60 with both of my pregnancies. For my first, I was sooo sick in the first and second trimester I lost about 10 pounds, but then was eating anything I could keep down without worrying about calories. I confess I was feeling rather smug with my minimal weight gain until I started rapidly gaining around 20 weeks…and ended up +60lbs. I lost it all fairly easily (9lbs was baby).
With my second pregnancy I watched what I ate way more and…still ended up at 60lbs (10 lbs was baby). I have largely lost it again, a few pounds up that is more related to my general laziness than pregnancy. I agree with the others who said your body knows what it needs! You also really cannot control the water weight that comes from swelling.
Also, with my first pregnancy one of the OB nurses shamed me a bit and told me I needed to slow down and stop eating so much “sweets” (okay). With my second pregnancy, I mentioned that to the OB (as I was sort of embarrassed I was gaining so much again) and he was like, SHOCKED that someone would have said that to me – he said, what are you talking about, you look great, you are healthy, you are not gaining too much weight, stop worrying about it. I feel like the “gain 25-30 lbs exactly” advice of yesteryear is over and you should just focus on how you feel and if you are healthy – to a large extent you cannot control what your body does while it is pregnant!
Anonymous says
I’m also tall and struggled with occupying so much space when I was hugely pregnant with twins. What helped me was (1) staying active – walking or yoga everyday. Usually both on the weekends. (2) eating lots of protein – more than you think you actually need. Protein was the only thing that helped my hunger – steak, greek yoghurt etc. (3) And figuring out reasonable options for my cravings like popcorn or pretzels instead of chips.
Anon says
I agree with what everyone else said, but I’m also really tall and I feel like we hide weight better than shorter people do? Both general weight and pregnancy weight. So I’m not sure why height would be a bad thing in this situation.
Anon says
I gained 50 pounds in my last pregnancy and managed to lose it all within two years. I do regret having stretch marks, but pregnancy is a tough time with extra stress and hunger. Like motherhood, you just have to do what you can and find a sense of acceptance for not being perfect.
Anonymous says
I gained about 50 pounds (stopped tracking it at the end) and lost all but about 5-7 pounds within 3 weeks after my son was born. I just didn’t have a lot of appetite those first few weeks and was nursing up a storm. That final 5 pounds never exactly went away–well I did eventually lose it when he was 5 but I gained it back immediately–but I don’t really care any more. My son was 9 pounds, but he was born at 42 weeks and was over 22 inches long. Also remember that the weight gain is not linear – you may slow down. Or not. But if you are hungry, eat!
Anonymous says
ETA – I realized this timeline is wrong – I think it was maybe 6 weeks, and I had no appetite for 3 weeks? Take my 10 year old recollections with a grain of salt; the point is I gained more than I was “supposed to”–I was technically a few pounds overweight to begin with–and most of it came off without much effort.
Anon says
It’s definitely not linear. I gained zero pounds in my third trimester, to the point that they sent me for extra growth scans and stuff. Baby was fine and fairly big (8 lbs 6 oz, born shortly after due date).