Mompos Review

Mompos Dress by Tracy Reese

I'm so late to the party on this dress but with good reason. Since I've been limiting my shopping, I've also decided to limit the items I try at anthro. Smaller wishlists mean less buying at sale time or otherwise! It's a pretty obvious and effective strategy. The Mompos dress fit very similarly to the Spinning Lace. And although it is very pretty and the fabric is of significant quality, I will be skipping it. I don't know that the shape is one I like enough to have in multiple fabrications. I am wearing a size 8 which is the size of my spinning lace dress. There is ample bust room. The hips are free. The waist is true. It has an attached slip with crinoline to add poof to the skirt. It is indeed very pretty but indeed something I have no reason to own.

Regarding more critical, conscious shopping, I want to suggest the following: Although this article focuses on fast fashion, I think it makes some really salient and more general points about materiality, identity, and the constitution of an aesthetic self (not to mention its smart analysis of the role of social media in fostering the desire to brand human identities among its users). The title is the Accidental Bricoleurs by Rob Horning, and my very smart friend, Shar linked it on her Twitter.

Styling Spinning Lace for Night

After your thoughtful comments, I started trying to assemble and style this pretty dress for day. And I didn't do too well. But I need to work at it again. I didn't really like cardigans or my leather jacket with it. I'm not giving up just yet.

Instead, I found myself imagining the non-wedding,* evening occasions for this fancy frock! The velvet finish of the lace influenced my desire to pair this with a velvet jacket. The dress is so stunning on its own that I just wanted to keep things simple. I tied the thick grosgrain ribbon sash in the back, grabbed some black tights and pumps, and called it a day. Chris caught me playing dress up and said, "Looks like we have to plan a fancy date!" I couldn't agree more! We settled on going to the symphony and dinner. And when we do (second week of February) I will wear some version of what is shown at the top of this post.

*Although I realize some would be comfortable wearing it to a wedding, I personally couldn't. I would have been fine with my entire guestlist attending my wedding in shades of white and ivory but that opinion is subjective and I don't want to risk any potential offense from others.

Spinning Lace Dress is MINE!

Hooray! The Spinning Lace dress (sold out online from Anthropologie but you can buy it here) is even more lovely than I remember. But it is also SO DRESSY. And clearly not something that I could wear to a wedding. So, I ask you: How can I make this wearable/appropriate for day? After all was said and done, it was 70% off so I am happy to own it. But can I wear this to campus or will I look like Professor Muffet (as in, Little Miss)?

Elimovna (Through the Lens) in November

I bought this Plenty by Tracy Reese coat on sale late last winter. I didn't get to wear it too much but when it was time to pack it away I felt conflicted about whether it would be worth holding onto. It's not the thickest or warmest coat. And it looks kind of silly when it isn't buttoned up. Still, once it became cold again, this ended up being the first coat I pulled from storage. Underneath it I wore another sack dress that apparently becomes too short when it gathers up from under the coat. I swear it isn't so scandalous when I am unencumbered by the top layer.

The dress is Marc by Marc Jacobs. I picked it up from a Rue La La final sale a few years back. The hat was made for me by my friend Kristen. I wanted a purple elfin hat that was super warm. She's very talented!

Correction! A reader informed me this was not the Elimovna as that name was reserved for the beautiful muted pink and black version. This was called Through the Lens. Thank you so much to the commenter for the information! 

Slow to Spring Change: Buying in the Off Season

 Anthropologie Elimovna Coat by Plenty by Tracy Reese

I've never been the type of person who sees something, full price and buys it right away. My desire for bargains has always trumped my desire for things. This is particularly because I am practical enough to acknowledge the distinction between "want" and "need." But sometimes a steep discount or sale can be intoxicating. "Sale googles"- the scenario in which you reconsider an item with a new lens once it hits a discounted price point-- have led to a few regretted and many beloved purchases. So when I came upon a store return of Plenty by Tracy Reese's Elimovna coat discounted by nearly 80%, I had to try it out.

 

I read this coat ran small and the quality was lackluster for the retail price point. But I wasn't paying retail so I grabbed it from the return rack and headed to the dressing room.

Even though the return was one size smaller than my regular coat size, it somehow worked. I wouldn't be able to layer my thickest sweaters underneath, but with a coat so busy and unique, I wouldn't want to wear with it anything fussy or layered.

I got it home and knew I'd have to seize the final opportunities to wear it until next late fall because it is the end of the season. But because it was the end of the season, I also spent less than I would have on a coat at Target or H&M.

I wore it that night to dinner and  got many compliments already! I will be sad to put it away for the year in a few weeks. But it makes me all the more excited for future cold weather!