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A Few things I have Learned (or am now willing to admit)

Thistle

Veteran

A few things have really been brought home to me recently regarding style.

First, I love skirts and dress, but I seldom wear them. Why? Because my office is arctic all year long. Freezing in summer so wearing sweaters and fleeces at our desks are a must. Freezing all winter so sweaters are a must. That, and my climate is super cold in the winter.

Second, our office temperatures require toppers in the summer. I much prefer the look of jackets to cardis, so I really need to figure out how to find a comfortable jacket.

Fabrication really matters. I have been a Talbots fan for years, and have recently discovered Nordstrom's. Wearing maternity clothes again has really brought home the difference. Makes me wonder in EF would be worth the price post maternity.

Dressing

23 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

Suz

(website)

Veteran

You know what, Thistle? I think it would be worth the price for you, if you could get the structure that you like in it somehow. You could even buy some pieces now...they might work as maternity wear for at least part of the pregnancy. Cardigans come to mind...

It must be so frustrating to have your style preferences thwarted by environmental conditions the entire year round! It's bad enough that we have the winters that we have. To be limited this much in summer is just too much!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I will never understand why office air conditioning is kept so, so cold. Hope your feeling well Thistle, despite it. And yes, I do think you should try EF!

Mona

Veteran

Oh Thistle, I so empathize with you. I love dresses and skirts but I run extremely cold. So they are out of question in winter for me. As soon as summer comes, the AC is everywhere. I find AC in my office, supermarkets and restaurant waaaaay too cold for my liking so that limits my wearing of skirts, dresses and shorts in summer. The only place I can comfortably wear these is my home on the weekends.
Summer toppers are a necessity for me.

Jenny H

Veteran

I also love dresses and skirts but have an arctic office. I love them so much that I have figured out how to adapt to the conditions. For winter, I live in tall boots and wool tights. This combination is warmer than some of my pants. For outdoors since I have quite a bit of walking to do, I add a long winter coat so that there isn't too big of a gap between the coat and the boots. For summer, I drape a big wrap over my legs when they get too cold at my desk.

Eliza

Veteran

Thistle- EF may be worth a try. Some pieces are well made, feature comfort and have enough structure. Having go to outfits will hel streamline your days, especially with 2!

I also had a revelation recently when I bought the Chelsea 28 satin lapel jacket at Nordies (an Angie pick). It is nicely structured, but soft and easy to wear and move in. More comfortable than most bathrobes. So even if it isn't the exact one for you, have courage that comfortable, but stylish jackets do exist. I usually have worn much more rigid jacket fabrications, but with my casual lifestyle, the ease factor is trumping all.

Good luck with your search. Also, I buy from Talbots a lot to help out my mother in law. Their styles, cuts and fabrications change periodically, so they might vary in their appeal by the season. Years ago, I found a soft, comfortable, but well tailored jacket at Chicos (believe it or not). It was part of their higher quality line. Not so familiar with them now.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Thistle, if/when you know your EF size it is plentiful on ebay. I find EF wears like iron and almost everything I've owned from her is used, with no issues.

Glory

Veteran

I feel for you! I remember many years ago doing a consulting job in Florida for a few months. Coming from cold and snowy Ontario - in winter - I was thrilled at the prospect of wearing lighter clothing. I ended up wearing my down jacket at my desk every single solitary day! I froze all the time. I do also agree that EF might be worth a try! Start with a couple of small items and see how you like them.

Diana

Veteran

Have you tried an unlined jersey blazer? (Not ponte, but thick jersey like you'd find in some jersey skirts. Thicker than, say, the VC tube skirts but similarly stretchy.). The key is no lining. I find mine great for summer especially, like in cold meetings bc I can stuff it in my purse with no I'll effects when I'm not wearing it. I added a teeny bit of structure to mine in the form of shoulder pads but otherwise it's like wearing a cardigan.

And definitely try EF. But try in person first since the sizing is big and long. (But the pants are oddly often really annoyingly short.). You may need petites. Shannon would be a good person to ask about EF.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I've recently discovered that I like wearing jackets with give. Ponte, or heavy knits, but shaped like jackets. It's the comfort of a cardi with the structure of a jacket.

Thistle

Veteran

Diana - I have never seen a jacket like the one mention. It sounds perfect! if you don't mind sharing, where did you get yours?

Anne likes red

Not Diana, but I have last year's version of this: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ca.....ts-_-1_1_B

As she says, it is very comfy and adds a nice touch of polish. I haven't bothered with shoulder pads.

This one is currently on sale, but only goes up to XL (=16). Not sure if this will meet your current needs.

Susie

Veteran

Thistle, I definitely think that you should give EF a try. It is the brand that I have the most pieces of in my closet and I enjoy wearing every single one of them. I have probably 6 pairs of pants and a dozen tops (knits and sweaters). I recently discovered that a lot of her stuff can be found on ebay, including new things. For instance, I just got a very nice silk jersey top in an orangey red shade. The tag said $238 and I paid $55. I've also gotten a few pieces on sale but some I've paid full price because I know I will wear them and I know that they will last.

Diana

Veteran

Mine is by Nic and Zoe. I think this is the current version of it although mine is more of a bf style. I like this riding jacket variation too! Only petite right now for som reason though. On phone right now but I'll add a photo for you when I get to work. Kellygirl has the same jacket as well so I think it works for many body types.

http://m.nordstrom.com/Product.....wordsearch

ETA: added a picture of mine.

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lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Oooh, Diana's jacket is in such a smashing colour I think it would look great on you!

That's too bad that the crappy office climate has made it difficult for you to wear dresses and skirts (makes me sad inside) because you look so great in them!

Thistle

Veteran

I think they have decided to keep it cold enough that the majority male population can be comfortable in long slacks, a tee, and a button down all summer long. And, of course, men tend to run hotter than women.

*sigh*

Echo

Veteran

Blazer-shaped sweaters might also be an alternative. Kohl's (not particularly high-end, but affordable enough to try things out) had some and I think they still might on clearance racks. Fortunately, there are lots of knit options now for blazers, whether that is jersey, ponte, sweater-knit or even twills with stretch.

And regardless of whether it ends up being EF or not, I think when you find a brand that fits you and your style well and wear well, it is worth paying for. It is SO worthwhile to always have something to turn to when you are short on time or can't think of what to wear. The go-to items in your closet for times like that ought to make you feel fabulous.

And while this doesn't help your office situation, I just wanted to chime in for those of us who run hot. I am far, far more likely to leave a store if it is too warm than if it is too cold, especially if I a m wriggling in and out of dresses or jackets. Additionally, most offices are kept arctic so that customers coming in immediately feel cool and better than they did on the street. Even if employees are freezing, the customer will have a better feeling about the place than if it were warmer.

In college I worked in a store that sold leather jackets, and we kept the AC sub-arctic in there. That way, customers were happy to try on jackets and coats and think about fall. When it was warmer in the store, no one wanted to even think about jackets, let alone try them on, so I absolutely understand why places keep the temperatures so low!

Zibbets

Veteran

ITA that it's about making it comfortable for men in lots of layers.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thistle, you were made for skirts and dresses - which is why you love them so much. Can you wear nude hose? That might help.

Also, it might be time to embrace trendy voluminous toppers because they are a lot more comfortable.

Diana

Veteran

Thistle, here is another super comfy knit jacket option. A bit more casual. (This is the same cut as my rose print moto. Anthro keeps reissuing it in different colors and prints so keep an eye out for the next one if you don't like this color.)

http://m.anthropologie.com/mob.....038;catId=

Here is a slightly different one from the same line.

http://m.anthropologie.com/mob.....038;catId=

Anonymous

I'm not sure if there's anything sadder than an office where it's too cold for skirts and dresses all year long. So I definitely sympathize! Sometimes I think we just need to collectively decide that some very specific style of shorts is okay for men in business casual settings so everyone can happily enjoy AC set at a nice, reasonable level instead of Arctic all the time.

Thistle

Veteran

Angie- I would totally wear nude hose if not pregnant. Honestly, though, even with them, I would keep two jackets at my desk. One for my legs and one to wear when I sit for a while. It would probably be better if I didn't sit all day (literally, i set a little timer so I at least get up and stretch once an hour! Learned the trick from a gentleman in IT- guess it is someone common among desk workers).

And, this winter was especially brutal. It only got into the 20s a handful of times to break out the skirts and knee high boots.

Kristin L

Veteran

That's terrible about how cold your office is. I think EF would be worth it if it makes your life easier. Would something like fleece tights help in the winter?

Gigi

Veteran

Thistle, I'm glad you got these lights! Once you have had the baby, you will know so much better what to shop for.

I do think you should try EF. I have found that if I buy higher-priced items, I simply buy fewer of them. The happiness quotient is so high that you reach for them again and again, so you will wear them into the ground and get your money's worth. But you can't know until you try.