See by Chloe Trail Print Dress: My Saga and A Review

Sometimes my efforts to hunt for a specific piece occur too soon. The worry that something has sold out takes over. Rationality about there being "other dresses" or any notions of shopping destiny succumb and you end up paying a little bit more for fear you will never see the piece again. The above is one such example. I tracked down this See by Chloe Trail Print dress (just in as of today at The Outnet) last summer with the help of an Intermix sales associate in Georgetown.

I first tried on this dress at Saks in Pittsburgh. Since this store doesn't carry See by Chloé, I knew it was a random website return. I loved it but couldn't stomach full price.

Then I saw it at Intermix when I moved back to DC in May. They only had small sizes and it was still too expensive (one first cut sale) when I first visited. By the end of my trip I decided to stop in one last time and found it was marked down once more. Because they only had small sizes they had to search the company stores. They shipped it to me in Pittsburgh and it was there the day after I returned. It was still a little more than I like to spend on a dress. But I've worn it a bunch since, and the cost-per-wear is now low. Still, if I had waited a little longer (like a year) I could have had it with little effort thanks to Outnet or Yoox.

That was one of my only customer service interactions with Intermix and although I desired a sale item, they were very helpful and kind. For some reason this was surprising. Perhaps because what I knew of Intermix was limited. The website, the Vegas store (where my shopping partner and I weren't treated so well), and their ubiquitous presence on the Real Housewives of Orange County made me nervous about asking to for the service of tracking down a sale piece. That just wasn't so in Georgetown. They were great!

I really like this dress for it subtle details so I don't have buyer's remorse. The piping around the collar evokes Peter Pan without actually disrupting the silhouette. The print has plenty of color without feeling bright and conspicuous. The sheer sleeves can be rolled easily for summer wear. The lining is a cut more narrow than the exterior which can be a problem, depending on what fabric comprises one's undergarments. If you are thinking about tracking it down on ebay, Yoox, or Outnet, I would say this dress runs small for See by Chloé. I am wearing an 8 and a 6 would have definitely been too small in the bust and hips. Be warned that its solid color counterpart (on sale at Yoox) is unlined and cut more amply.

Have you ever allowed your impatience and irrationality to inform a hasty purchase?  Has the nagging feeling that something could sell out influenced a decision to buy at a price a little above what you typically spend?