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I’m picking my head up from my exhaustive review of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (stay tuned, hopefully today) to check out the Last Call sale at Neiman Marcus. There are a lot of nice brands in the sale — Staud, Veronica Beard, Nili Lotan, Stuart Weitzman, Akris — and I’m liking this stripey tote from Veronica Beard.

(There are actually a ton of her Dash bags in the sale!)

The sale is a bit odd — some items are eligible for a gift card (spend $200, get a $50 gift card) while others are an additional 25% off but then final sale. Everything is well marked on the product pages, though.

The pictured bag was $598, but is now marked to $419.

Sales of note for 7/15:

• Nordstrom – The Anniversary Sale has started! Here’s our big roundup of what to get first, as well as everything we’ve selected thus far.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, 60% off sale and 40% off everything — readers love this blouse and I always love the variety of colors/textures for this jacket (it’s a great separate)
• Banana Republic – Summer sale up to 60% off sale styles + extra 20% off
• The Fold – Up to 50% off, further markdowns
• J.Crew – 50% off select cashmere
• J.Crew Factory – 60% off clearance
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Lululemon – Summer sale!
• Me & Em – Sale! Up to 60% off (new lines just added)
• M.M.LaFleur – 25% off jardigans (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
• Nordstrom Rack – Clear the rack, extra 25% off clearance! Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss and Rag & Bone, a ton of affordable work dresses from Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan
• Talbots – Red Door Sale! Prices start at $15

Miu Miu Dress & Flats (sold out, similar here and here), Hermes Bag (similar, less expensive here), Janessa Leone Hat

When it comes to getting dressed on the hottest days of summer, a dress has to pass the fabric test before I’ll even consider it. Some days I’m reaching for a look that is a little more polished, one that needs to keep its shape and feel sharp even when the sun is doing the most.

I always look for a few fail-proof dresses to have on hand for this time of year in a mix of cotton poplin, linen, or breathable jersey. Those fabrics stay light on the body while holding their shape and clean lines, while eyelet or delicate embroidery adds texture without extra weight. You get the ease of hardly feeling like you are wearing anything, but the silhouette carries that polished feeling across the finish line, so that getting dressed in the peak of summer feels like a breeze.

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Step into effortless summer style with the latest flat sandals for women from XY London. Designed for both comfort and trend appeal, these versatile styles are perfect for holidays, casual outings, and everyday wear. From strappy silhouettes to slip-on designs, each pair brings a balance of elegance and ease. Whether you prefer minimal tones or embellished details, there’s a perfect match for every look. Elevate your warm-weather wardrobe with sandals that combine fashion and functionality seamlessly.

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This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

This sweet cardigan from Torrid looks so fresh and summery that I’d be tempted to take it out for a picnic lunch instead of a trip to the office. I love a short-sleeved cardigan for folks who run warm but still need to cover up a sleeveless blouse or dress. This cotton pointelle knit will feel breezy and cool, even when the temperature is creeping up.

Wear this with a light blouse and swingy skirt for maximum coolness and comfort. 

The sweater is $69.90 at Torrid and comes in sizes equivalent to 10-30. It also comes in “whisper white.”

Sales of note for 7/15:

• Nordstrom – The Anniversary Sale has started! Here’s our big roundup of what to get first, as well as everything we’ve selected thus far.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, 60% off sale and 40% off everything — readers love this blouse and I always love the variety of colors/textures for this jacket (it’s a great separate)
• Banana Republic – Summer sale up to 60% off sale styles + extra 20% off
• The Fold – Up to 50% off, further markdowns
• J.Crew – 50% off select cashmere
• J.Crew Factory – 60% off clearance
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Lululemon – Summer sale!
• Me & Em – Sale! Up to 60% off (new lines just added)
• M.M.LaFleur – 25% off jardigans (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
• Nordstrom Rack – Clear the rack, extra 25% off clearance! Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss and Rag & Bone, a ton of affordable work dresses from Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan
• Talbots – Red Door Sale! Prices start at $15

Outfit Details: Montce Bikini & Pants, Eliou Necklace (old, similar here), Janessa Leone Hat, Ancient Greek Sandals, Retrosuperfuture Sunglasses

There is something so satisfying about a matching set, that feeling of being put together head to toe with almost zero thinking required. Swimwear makes an especially good case for it. I love when a suit has a second act, a sarong, a pair of pants, or a linen dress cut from the same print, so the move from pool to lunch barely counts as an outfit change. The last thing I want to think through is an elaborate look when the whole point of the day is relaxing by the water.

That is what a set like this solves. It adds polish and intention to beach dressing, building a look full of color and personality that still makes sense for a swim but can carry you through the rest of the day.

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional. Also: we just updated our big roundup for the best women’s suits of 2026!

I’m surprised to see some suits already down to lucky sizes in the Nordstrom sale! This basic blue suit is one of the more affordable options (with all sizes left, 00-16) and I can see it being the perfect suit for on campus interviews, to keep at your office as your “emergency suit,” or beyond.

The suiting pieces are $86-$119, but they’ll be $129-$179 after the sale, with lots of matching pieces.

Some of our favorite suits from the 2026 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale include these — they all come in black as well as the color featured. I also love this St. John; these Santorelli ones are gorgeous but may be limited to lucky sizes. See all our NAS roundups here!

Sales of note for 7/15:

• Nordstrom – The Anniversary Sale has started! Here’s our big roundup of what to get first, as well as everything we’ve selected thus far.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, 60% off sale and 40% off everything — readers love this blouse and I always love the variety of colors/textures for this jacket (it’s a great separate)
• Banana Republic – Summer sale up to 60% off sale styles + extra 20% off
• The Fold – Up to 50% off, further markdowns
• J.Crew – 50% off select cashmere
• J.Crew Factory – 60% off clearance
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Lululemon – Summer sale!
• Me & Em – Sale! Up to 60% off (new lines just added)
• M.M.LaFleur – 25% off jardigans (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
• Nordstrom Rack – Clear the rack, extra 25% off clearance! Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss and Rag & Bone, a ton of affordable work dresses from Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan
• Talbots – Red Door Sale! Prices start at $15

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This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / littleny.

I just saw a story on MSN summarizing a woman’s TikTok about how her “hobbies” are essentially lying in bed watching TikTok videos. But it got me thinking — I’ve seen so many things over the years about how you should “choose” your hobbies. One to keep you active! One to keep you social! One to blah blah blah! So here’s today’s question — do you “choose” your hobbies according to some guideline? Do you feel more encouraged to pursue specific hobbies over others? Would you consider “lying in bed” a hobby?

We’ve talked about hobbies before, from the difference between relaxation vs procrastination, to how to find fulfilling hobbies, to how to use hobbies to build your network. We’ve also had discussions on more specific hobbies like hiking, gardening (with plants!!), writing a novel, and more.

For my own $.02, I feel like there’s been a change recently, but maybe it’s just what the algorithm feeds me. It feels like maybe 5-10 years ago meditation and mindfulness were getting a lot of emphasis — and I’m not seeing a lot of it now. I recently saw a coloring book I’d bought for myself a few years ago and couldn’t imagine sitting down to take the time to do it. If I were waiting for something without WiFi then, hey, sure, but actually carving time out of my day to do it seems like a lot.

I’ve seen funny social media posts about how millenials/GenXers are all randomly picking up the same few hobbies, from bird watching to gardening to barre. So maybe that’s why the algorithm has stopped showing me mindfulness posts – I’ve been assigned gardening. (With flowers.) (ONLY on this blog do I have to clarify that, haha.) Much to my surprise, I can spend hours outside without so much as an audiobook to keep me company — I’m not sure it fits as a “mindfulness” exercise but it’s interesting that it’s definitely a time when only one mental tab is open for me. I didn’t choose this hobby with any intentionality — I started seeing Facebook posts about winter sowing, then seed starting, then natives, and I enjoy the consumerist aspects of it (a seed packet is usually under $5 so clearly I need 15 different types!). I also enjoy trying new things, as I’ve been wildly unfamiliar with flowers for most of my life — until recently I could not have told you what flowers were in my wedding bouquet — so seeing flowers I’ve never seen before has a fun discovery aspect for me. Oh, and the spreadsheets — you’d be surprised how many flower friends I have who are as obsessed with spreadsheets as I am, all for our flowers. (When did they germinate? When did they grow their first set of leaves? When did they bloom? How did different varieties of the same flower differ in all of those metrics?) As my husband always jokes, he did not have “Kat turns into a gardener” on his bingo card.

(Again: for plants!!)

Readers, how about you — how do you choose your hobbies? Do you feel pressure to choose hobbies? Are you leaning into ones that feel “healthier” than others, or seeking out hobbies that check certain boxes?

Few artists can redefine the pulse of pop music like Madonna, and her latest release signals exactly that kind of shift. With  Confessions II, she leans into rhythm-heavy production while revealing a more introspective side rarely seen at this scale. Created alongside Stuart Price, the album bridges nostalgia with forward-thinking soundscapes. Beneath its club-ready beats lies a deeper emotional core that adds new dimension to her artistry. It’s a project that doesn’t just revisit the past – it reshapes it for a new era of listeners.

After a seven-year hiatus from releasing an album, Madonna is finally making her grand return. The Queen of Pop unveils the very house-influenced Confessions II this Friday, July 3, 2026 , a follow-up to the phenomenal Confessions on a Dance Floor , released in 2005. We listened to it in Paris with her producer, Stuart Price. Here’s our verdict.

On June 24, 2026, in the middle of a heatwave (it was nearly 40 degrees in the French capital), we were invited to a highly confidential and very private event: the listening of Madonna ‘s new album , Confessions II , which is released this Friday, July 3, 2026. And not only were we able to listen to the long-awaited opus – seven years after Madame X – in advance, but in addition, we were (along with about thirty journalists), in the presence of Stuart Price , the British producer behind the cult classic Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005).

Confessions II , the highly anticipated new album from superstar Madonna

This album by Madonna of pop won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album, sold 10 million copies, and includes the hits “Jump” and “Hung Up .” And this brand new album, once again conceived with Stuart Price, is a continuation of that success.

While we were settled in – without phones or computers, but with speakers blasting the sound – at the Artistic Palace , a studio located on Boulevard Ney in Paris ‘s 18th arrondissement , the artist told us about the making of this unreleased album, teased by several singles in recent months and a stunning music video of over thirteen minutes. “  Madonna wanted a continuum between the songs, the videos, the images, and the performances,” explains the artist, also known as Jacques Lu Cont. “ Then we had to adapt this concept for streaming .”

Madonna for the album Confessions II (2026) . © Alex Antonioni.

A new album produced by Stuart Price, the architect of Confessions on a Dance Floor

Stuart Price, known for projects like  Les Rythmes Digitales and Zoot Woman, recounts that initially, he didn’t know this album, recorded in London between 2024 and 2025, would be a direct follow-up to Confessions on a Dance Floor , until  Madonna  posted the title on Instagram. This album was born from their collaboration on the superstar’s last tour (the producer even says he doesn’t think this album would have existed without the Celebration Tour (2023-2024) because it had been a long time since they had worked together).

As for their sound (deep house/ house /disco/ pop / dance /techno/electro/trip-hop), it stems from their shared love of house music and club culture. “ Detroit and Chicago house music is one of our biggest commonalities. Except Madonna, she was really into the clubs back then (laughs). Not me. She was turned away by a bouncer at the entrance of the New York nightclub Dancetaria (which gave its name to a track on the album where she lists all the people she met there) before becoming one of its icons .”

Madonna wearing Messika jewelry at the Saint Laurent men’s spring-summer 2027 show. © Getty Images / Messika.

An album tailor-made for the dancefloor

Initially, the singer wanted to record an album entirely dedicated to the dance floor . But as the recording progressed, little changed. Stuart Price explains: “ Madonna  wanted to make a dance album. But in the meantime, life happened. She lost her brother, Christopher Ciccone, and her stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone. It’s an album about the power of vulnerability. For someone known for her strength and hard work, it’s all the more powerful. ”

While Madonna and Stuart Price weren’t aiming to recreate Hung Up II, the album features numerous hits, including the irresistible “Good for the Soul” and “One Step Away .” It also contains many sonic allusions to different periods in the diva’s career, notably the Erotica era and the Bedtime Stories era . Confession II is packed with dancefloor anthems, but the lyrics are intimate and profound. Some tracks are quite melancholic, such as ” Fragile” and “Bizarre .” There’s also a song written with her daughter, Lourdes Leon ( “The Test “), and what sounds like an evocation of her tumultuous relationship with Sean Penn.

Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (2026).

The power of vulnerability

“ Madonna ’s music has always been a mirror of society,” notes Stuart Price . “She expresses her ideas and deep feelings through music, often blending joy and sadness. And I find it very powerful that someone so well known for her strength and work ethic (she worked even harder than I did on this album. She listened to it even more often to refine every detail) shows her vulnerabilities so openly. This album speaks to the power of vulnerability. ”

On this album, the star addresses her relationship with her younger brother, who passed away in 2024, and her vision of love. She also discusses her image and the prejudices surrounding her. “When I asked Madonna what the biggest misconception about her was, she told me about her controversial and scandalous side. She never sought to shock and never used controversy as a marketing strategy. She simply wanted to push boundaries to move things forward and change mindsets. That’s what the song ‘ My Sins Are My Savior’ is about. ”

The star seems to be addressing the blasphemy accusations leveled by the Vatican after the release of her music video ” Like a Prayer . ” “I wasn’t lost, just broken,” the star sings on this track, which could be translated as: ” My sins are my saviors . “

Madonna for Confessions II (2026). © Rafael Pavarotti.

Sabrina Carpenter and Stromae, special guests on the album

On this track, you can hear the voice of Stromae , a singer Madonna is a fan of, according to the producer. “ He’s supposed to be a reclusive genius, but he showed great generosity by coming to London to record this track,” recalls Stuart Price . “And he didn’t just translate his part and sing it, he embellished and transcended it. ”

Another prestigious guest? Sabrina Carpenter : “ Sabrina and Madonna have been exchanging messages on Instagram for a long time. There’s a mutual respect between them. ‘Bring Your Love’ is a somewhat hard-hitting track for which Sabrina was perfect. Their meeting at Coachella was magical, as was the chemistry between them when Sabrina entered the studio. And besides, it’s a way for Madonna to reach a new audience. ”

With Confessions II , which, despite its unevenness, remains Madonna’s best album in twenty years, the star, who already counts FKA twigs and Addison Rae among her successors, is sure to inspire a new generation. And she proves that at 67, there’s no shame in shaking your booty in a corset on the dance floor…

Madonna’s Confessions II (2026) is available.

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