The
Akebia dress by Moulinette Souers was so darling in person and because it recently hit the sale rack, I decided to try it on. They only had a few left at my local store in Mt. Lebanon so I grabbed a 6 instead of my usual Moulinette Souers size (an 8). I thought the print colors were really lovely in person and it would make a great spring or summer picnic outfit. The tiers add dimension without being overwhelming. I think this dress is a decent value (at the sale price). But I ultimately passed. While the 6 fit, I think the 8 would have felt better.
The
Collected Calico dress by Maeve reminded me (in print but not in dress silhouette) quite a bit of a Marc by Marc Jacobs collection from a few seasons ago. I tried a size 10 because the sizes were picked through from the discounted price. The 10 was very big on top, even though I am fairly bosomy. I passed. I steer clear of spaghetti strapped dresses anyway so I expected not to love it.
The
Fragmented Pipevine dress also by Maeve was kind of odd. I tried on another 10 but it was way too big instead of mostly too big like the above. I hadn't expected the elastic panels on the side. It is on sale but I wasn't crazy about this one.
I loved the
Arribada Current Dress (aka the Turtle Dress) by Moulinette Souers on Rosa from Love at First Shop and since it went on sale, I was thrilled to try it on myself. They didn't have my usual 8 so I grabbed a 6 and found it to be too large on top (you can see the fabric drooping, which led to too much cleavage). I didn't ask for a four because I thought the fit would be off on the bottom in a size that small. Sad because the turtle print is adorable and the color is so vibrant!
The
Blurred Boundaries dress by Tabitha was among the only full priced items I tried on at Anthropologie that day. I meant to try on a lot of full price stuff so that I would know my sizes once things hit the sales, but I scooped up so many sale things that I didn't have the energy to bother grabbing much more. This dress stood out to me with its abstract painterly print so I grabbed it on the way. Now if the Turtle dress had too much cleavage, then this one was doubly risqué for a modest but busty lady. Maybe it was my bra but I felt very vavavoom in it. And my lifestyle is rarely vavavoom so I probably won't grab this once it hits the sales. It is pretty expensive at retail so even the sale price will likely be high. This is a size 6 and I would say it ran TTS but quite fitted in the waist (so size up based on that). The fabric's print was gorgeous but I would fear it could snag very easily.
More reviews including the one item I did buy, plus my Outfit of That Day, later.
13 comments:
i have the akebia dress! i've been saving it for a spring/summer work event.
Oh man I bet it is a knock out on you, Lindsay!
I'm a regular 'lurker' here, and this is my first time commenting!
The dresses are all nice, especially the turtle print and blurred boundaries - shame they're not right in the bust area :(
PS: I like your blog! And your clothes, well you have an amazing collection of lovely dresses!! I like your style
Hi Little Miss Plump! I am so glad you decided to unlurk and comment! You are very kind for complimenting me. Thank you! I loved the turtle print and blurred boundaries on the hanger and on other ladies. Not a big fan of them on me, but that's actually a good thing for my pocketbook. I hope you continue to read and occasionally unlurk. :)
I will definitely continue to read and unlurk (what a funny word!), as I like your style a lot. It's really an inspiration for me. And heavens know, I do NEED inspiration!
Yes, unlurk sounds so weird. I could have also used delurk. But regardless I wanted to convey that I am glad you are out of lurkerdom and into commentville. Thank you for your kind assessment of my style. I try to dress in a way that makes me happy rather than follow trends that I would look silly trying to pull off.
Too bad about the turtle dress...the print is so cute and it's doing wonders for your waist. And personally, I'm diggin the boobage. Just sayin!
Thanks Allie! I get a little shy about that much cleavage most of the time but I appreciate your vote of confidence.
I find you and your style inspirational. At the moment, I'm having a 'style-crisis' of sorts, and even if I find things that I like the fit of, I'm not sure they're really 'me', if you know what I mean. I'm really struggling both with finding things I like, and things that suit me and my body. So, I read blogs to get inspiration for outfits etc, which helps a lot. Also, I'm in my mid-thirties (eek, how did THAT happen??) and I don't want to look too trendy. But I don't want to look frumpy either. And I've started to think that I should try and buy more quality pieces, where both the style and the quality will last for a longer time, rather than buying cheaper things that only last for a year.
*sorry for the loong comment! just wanted to say I like your style and I'm no longer lurking!*
I love long, thoughtful comments. I think determining what is and is not "you" can be the most challenging aspect of consumerism and style. Because we have such a limitless array of choices, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. And because we're marketed to be "trend driven" the whole "buy new, buy more" mantra can cripple one's budget. Although blogs aren't perfect antidotes to that nagging aspect of trend-driven shopping, they are great sources that have inspired me to rethink items I already own and become more daring in the pairings of colors, prints, and shapes. I also think (as I am also now in my 30s) that it can help to go to stores without an intent to buy so much as an intent to try.
Maybe consider going to stores that carry quality items with that in mind. Try on lots of things to see what you like, what you feel good in, and what the price points are, at retail. After I found a baseline of sizes and shapes I wore, it made online shopping (and deal hunting) a lot simpler. If it is feasible, bring someone for a second set of eyes, since shop workers can occasionally be driven to shower compliments by commission incentives. Or take dressing room photos that you can look at freshly, and without the immediate in-store pressure.
Thank you again for reading and commenting!
This is something I'm finding really hard. So I tend to reach for my 'comfort items' in my wardrobe - black top, black skirt, but I really like to wear other things too! Sometimes I buy things (perhaps succumbing to the whole 'buy new, buy more' mentality you mentioned) and after one wear I think: 'is this really me?' and I never wear it again. Or I buy something but can't figure out what to wear with it. Although maybe I'm just having an identity crisis...? ;) Thank you for the tips you gave me, I'm definitely going to start taking dressing room photos - what a brilliant idea! I don't know why I haven't thought of that before, because since reading these outfit blogs I've started to take outfit photos at home, just trying out new things etc. It sometimes makes me see my outfits more objectively, and helps me answer the question 'is it really me?'. You've also inspired me with how you find good quality (designer) items you like and then wait and search for a good deal on those items.
*sorry, another long comment!*
I really appreciate your thoughtful response. I hadn't seen it til now! But I do think there is something to revisiting how something looks on you with fresh eyes. I try to do that though it isn't always practical. And I never ever buy retail. I will try things on in store to figure out my size then hunt for coupons and deals and wait for sales until it is affordable.
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