The Afternoon Post: January 25, 2017

Jan 25, 2017

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1) I used to read The Skimm, but over time, it became more about style than substance.  My friend S introduced me to The Broadsheet, and I really enjoy reading it every morning. (Fortune)

2) These Adina Reyter earrings have real diamonds and real style for under-$150.

3) When sizes aren’t standard, do the numbers mean anything? (In short, no. So stop obsessing.) (Racked)

4) Talbot’s flounce-sleeve sheath is an amazing dress for $129.  Their tie-sleeve popover is also really chic.

5) Sallie Krawcheck on why men often leapfrog women mid-career. (HITC)

6) BR new arrival must-haves: A (machine washable) printed blouse, a bright wrap skirt dress, and a ruffle jacket.

7) Six 30-something women with different incomes talk about spending and saving. (Marie Claire)

8) This scallop Halogen belt is at the top of my ‘must buy soon’ list. A perfect add to a basic dress.

9) Savvy e-mail hacks to help you organize and empty your inbox. (Refinery29)

10) These Bijoux eye masks are a seductive addition to your V-day lingerie purchases.

11) How newspapers covered the wedding of one America’s first career women in 1895. (CNBC)

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Wearing: Blanc Noir Sweater Front Faux-Leather Jacket.

Drinking: Sortilege Maple Whisky.  It makes the greatest hot toddy ever.  It’s also good in tea.

Obsessing Over: This Fendi DOTCOM Satchel.  So incredibly chic, and so not in my budget.

Workday Reading

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  1. M says:

    YES to #1! I just started subscribing to The Broadsheet a week or so and really enjoy it. I also switched to The Week’s 10 things you need to know today earlier in the year over The Skimm. And I LOVED getting the Political Edit once I saw your instagram but they’ve been silent – what’s going on? I miss it!!

  2. KH says:

    So funny you wrote that about the Skimm. I discontinued reading it last week and sent them an email about how they covered some of the confirmation hearings. Their focus definitely seems to have shifted.

  3. Anon says:

    I clicked on the Marie Claire article and was disturbed to find that other than the African American single mom of three earning 6k a year, none of the other women were single -they were all married or living with a bf ect. This gives the reader absolutely no indication of what a single women earning in the low six figures saves or spends her money!

    • Belle says:

      I agree that the coverage got very one-sided. And with the reader below who said it had gotten “fluffy.” I think the day I lost it was when there were five stories, only one of which could be consider News, while the others were just pop culture. And then, it just got to the point where I couldn’t get past all the purple, cutesy prose to learn anything new.

      The last straw was when I started to wonder how they were making money. Because obviously, if you’re adding huge staffs of ppl, you are making money. Were they being paid to link to articles from certain outlets? Were they selling their list or their data? I know some of the content has a direct sponsor, but that’s not every day. I just got too perplexed as to where the money was coming from and how that might be affecting what they were choosing to write about.

      • MS says:

        Curious about the staff you’re referencing? My impression was that it’s a pretty small group still. They reference their “Skimm’bassadors” at the bottom which are just people that have had 10+ friends sign up for the Skimm.

    • Laura says:

      I agree that article sort of ticked me off. I’m African American I make $70K a year. I have a fully funded retirement account and I save religiously every month and I have no kids. Also I own my own home. I’m sick and tired of people going out to find what they think are “typical” African American people and finding the ones who seem to not have it together. It just further adds to the frustration about stereotypes. This article only reminded me of why I unsubscribed from their magazine years ago. Belle if you’re ever looking to write one of these articles on your blog one day please pick a more diverse group of women. I know you didn’t write this article and thanks for directing us to it I still learned something and hopefully these types of writers will take note.

  4. Amy says:

    I just wore the Talbots dress, in black it’s very professional and elegant. I’m always have room for another basic dress with a new detail. Great recommendations and thank you!
    PS. Felt same about Skimm… will try Broadsheet, thank you!

  5. AA says:

    I also unsubscribed from the Skimm. I got tired of feeling like ‘because I’m a woman, I need my news written in a fluffy way’. I switched to the NYT Morning Briefing.

  6. KS says:

    Yes yes yes re: the Skimm. I unsubscribed back in 2012 based on their horribly biased coverage of the election – it was clear to me back then they were not offering women an honest readout of current events and honestly found it insulting that they “dumb down” news because their readership is largely women.

    • Caroline says:

      How are they dumbing it down? I’ll admit, I often skim over my Skimms (ha) because I’ve already read about the stories they’re briefing, but I think the conversational style of dissemination make the news a lot more accessible to most people.

      • Belle says:

        For me, it was when the writing got really cutesy. In the beginning it was kind of wacky and charming, but then it became like they were trying to make it sound fun and hip. I don’t need a Nicki Minaj reference in coverage about a refugee crisis. So I just tired of that and the prevalence of pop culture news pretty quick.

  7. R says:

    Any advice on Talbots sizing? Never bought anything from them but I know they have a rep for being a bit on the matronly side. Runs large of true to size?

    • Belle says:

      Size down if you are between sizes. I should be a S, I buy an XS.

      • Shanghai says:

        Agreed, size down one size unless it’s a really fitted dress (or you want a loose fit). Talbots is my secret weapon–I get a lot of compliments on my dresses, and no one ever guesses it’s Talbots. It’s because I size down! Takes it from matronly to cute, if you work in a more conservative office. I look for their ponte and knit dresses as best bets for the office.

  8. PEN says:

    I put both Talbot’s shirts in my cart last night—seeing you recommend them makes me feel like I am finally developing a stylish eye. lol

  9. D says:

    I tried to understand why so many of my intelligent friends were in love with The Skimm. The cutesy, girly tone it’s written in always grated on my nerves.

    The WaPo’s Daily 202 is my morning newsletter of choice these days for analysis. When I need a quick hit on just the key headlines, I head to Google News.

  10. S says:

    I’d also recommend the Quartz Daily Brief for a daily news email. Covers global and domestic issues.

  11. Elizabeth says:

    We have some maple whiskey and it’s delicious. I’ve had mixed results with hot toddies, however… Would you mind sharing your hot toddy recipe?

    • Belle says:

      I fill the mug 3/4 fill with water, add some lemon juice. Then I microwave it (I’m lazy, it happens.). Then, I add one double shot of maple whiskey, and stir in 1tbsp + 1tsp of Turkish honey. Then I add one lemon or orange wedge. I skip the cloves, because I hate cloves.

  12. Caroline says:

    I would stop obsessing about inconsistent sizing if it didn’t make online shopping so difficult! I recently ordered some pants from Loft that fit perfectly, so I immediately ordered a second pair in a different color. The second pair is at least a size bigger than the first, even though they’re both supposed to be a 2. I’ve send back so many pants because the sizing is all over the map, even when you stick with one retailer.

    • Belle says:

      I meant more stop obsessing over “I have to be a size four.” It would be easier to order online, if they’d stop lying in their size guides. Most guides say I should be a six, I almost always end up in a 2-4, and occasionally a 0 regardless of what the measurements are supposed to be.

  13. MS says:

    I’ve been reading the Broadsheet for ~9 months and while I like it, it does inherently have to ignore some big events because they aren’t about women. It also has a little bit more advertising/sponsors (like focus on Fortune’s lists and a Deloitte sponsored section). To supplement I also get the NY Times morning briefing which I really like for a quick scan of headlines.

  14. Lindsey says:

    I’ll have to check out Broadsheet and 202. I hardly read Skimm last year, and thought I’d give it another shot this month. There’s more extra commentary than news, I think I’m over it. In addition to WSJ scanning, I also get the Fortune CEO daily. It’s intelligent commentary plus news blurbs too.

  15. Thanks so much for the Broadsheet recommendation!

  16. Elisa says:

    I’m late to reply, but just this morning I was looking around for something else to replace The Skimm. I’m tired of reading through the cutesy writing to get to the news and I also feel it doesn’t cover the news well. I subsribe to 10 Things… but I’m going to check out Broadsheet and the 202!

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