No confetti celebrations for me

Last week when J. Crew put the Confetti dress and sweater on sale with an additional 30% off coupon, I jumped to order both. I figured I would keep whichever one I liked best and return the other. They arrived quickly. But when I tried them on I felt pretty ambivalent about both. Once I discovered that my car needed an unexpected repair, it was easy to decide to make the returns. This way I didn't need to dip too far into my emergency funds to cover my mechanic's fee. I figured I would offer my thoughts on the pieces even if I didn't keep them. First up is the dress:

I actually liked the dress the best! I ordered a large because snug sweaterdresses are more va-va-voom than is practical for my daily life. And ivory ones just become sheer when stretched. The large was a bit short once I got my adult woman body into it. And I'm only 5'3. I tried to take a side shot but the flash didn't go off. You can see how even the large is a bit snug on me.

Some general comments: The merino wool was very soft but in ivory it became a bit sheer to wear sans tights (in my opinion). I'd worry about long term wear on a delicate garment like this but the sequins seemed to be sewn on sturdily. The dress makes a little bit of swooshing noise when you move around. It is definitely a pretty conversation piece but I don't know where exactly I would wear it. I veer away from light colored dry-clean-only knits because I am too clumsy. I loved how it looked on various bloggers and am a little sad I wasn't as crazy about it for myself.

Anyway I ordered the sweater in my regular j. crew sweater size: medium. Despite the size difference, it was downright baggy! And the sleeves were a little longer. So weird! I will post some of those shots tonight. But if anyone is looking for either of these, I returned mine to the South Hills Village Mall J. Crew.