10th Commandment: July 23
Jul 23, 2014
Tinley Road Erin Top ($89, also in black and blush)
Who doesn’t love an inexpensive top to layer under blazers and cardigans? I know, I do.
This Erin top is great, so is the Cooper & Ella top that I mentioned yesterday. If you need a sleeve, don’t miss this dotted blouse from Daniel Rainn or this berry-colored, split-neck top from Collective Concepts.
Petite? This spotted Olivia Moon top is fantastic, and I love this Geo Print blouse from Banana Republic. Plus-size? I like this black and white print top from Modcloth, and this mod Vince Camuto top is great.
Need to get smells out of your poly-blend blouses? If the tag doesn’t prevent washing, I will put them in my intimates bag to protect them from the agitator and wash them on cold with some Oxi-Clean and detergent. Keeps that musty deodorant smell off of them.
Do I have a skewed definition of what an inexpensive top is? To me, inexpensive is $30-40, but according to this post, it is a $90 top. Do I need to readjust my expectations on how much I should be spending on my work wardrobe?
Note: I have a full-time job and make more than a entry-level salary.
Agree. $89 is definitely not an inexpensive top, especially considering how simple it is.
It also looks a bit see through, although hard to tell with online pictures. I agree that $89 is not an inexpensive top to me. It actually seems quite expensive for what it is and more than I would normally spend, but I guess it’s all relative. Like Bella above though, I have a full-time job as an attorney at a mid-sized law firm in DC and make more than an entry-level salary.
It is see through and really cheap looking in person. I bought it on sale and wish I hadn’t (was too lazy to return on time).
FYI, I don’t know about Piperlime, but I have returned things late by mail to Gap and Banana, and they have refunded me anyway (refund to my credit card, not store credit). They send me an e-mail noting that my return was late, but that they processed it anyway because I’m a valued customer. Then they say that they won’t make this exception everytime…except that it HAS happened everytime I’ve returned late. I figure Pipelime may do the same.
Readjust based off your needs. $89 dollars is reasonable if your personal budget allows. I have lived off a similar income with my only expense of gas and rent and utilities not exceeding $800. So $89 for something i wanted was reasonable. Also this changes based off how badly you want the item. If i knew the retailer had frequent sales i may have waited. Now i live a slight increase in salary and expenses at $1700 so clothing has a capped budget and a need basis. Use this $89 top for inspiration and maybe you’ll find something for much less!
I could see paying $89 for a more interesting or unique top, but this is pretty simple, but not the type of basic you’d get a ton of use out of. It doesn’t seem to be worth the (relatively) high price tag.
When I wrote that I thought the 20%-off sale was still going on. I removed the discount code, and then left the wording. It should have been described as affordable, not inexpensive.
I agree that for many junior professionals, $40 is more in keeping with inexpensive. I’ve gotten so warped by the rising prices of clothing at most moderately-priced retailers, that anything under-$100 seems reasonable. It’s kind of like the issue with the rising price of denim, once $125 for jeans seemed hugely expensive, now that’s the sale price.
These are cute, but If I’m going to spend $90 on a top I might as well just drop a few more and get a real silk top — more breathable, more attractive, and longer-lasting. I would love to see a roundup of real silk tops and layering pieces (a la Equipment) on the inexpensive (or at least affordable) side.
Thanks!
just to point out, this top is 100% silk according to piper lime.
Piperlime’s in house offerings are sometimes pretty bad, especially the polyester tops. Usually too big and ill-fitting, with weirdly thick, shiny, or stiff material. Totally fine at $30 but not $90. And now they’re doing “final sale” with most stuff that’s marked down, which sucks given that you can’t try it on or even feel it. I think I’m over piperlime.
Agreed. I’ve had no luck with the Piperlime house brands – the fabric is cheap and the sizing is all over the place.
I definitely have to agree with some of the other poster’s opinions on these blouses. I have purchased a number of Tinley Road blouses, though all were on sale, and they were all ill fitting and shabby. Definitely not worth $90. As has been said I would much rather spend $30 more on a good quality silk top that I will get more wear out of given that for a good sized portion of the general population, $90 for a poly-blend top is definitely not inexpensive.
I actually have a top that’s almost identical to this that I bought last year at H&M for $12. I appreciate the idea of layering basics, but agree with the other comments that $90 is a bit steep for such a basic polyester top.
I definitely agree with the other posters here. Tinley Road blouses are usually not at all worth it. And saying a $90 poly-blend blouse is inexpensive and worth that much money is a bit off base for a lot of women.
Love the Cooper & Ella top. I actually wore it to court today with the suit I just picked up at the Anniversary sale (https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/boss-hugo-boss-jolia-suiting-jacket/3733033?origin=shoppingbag).
Another, more eco-friendly, way to get the smell out og clothes is to add half a cup or so of white vinegar (5%) when washing. Or soak in water + white vinegar first and then wash as usual. No, it will not smell of vinegar afterwards.
I bought this top on steep sale, so it was inexpensive; but it fit horribly–really tight through the chest and shoulders. I returned it. I kept 2 Daniel Rainn tops however.