Thursday, June 18, 2009

Anthropologie: Esmee Dress Review

This is Anthropologie's Esmee Dress (style #933094), which retails for $98. It is numerically-sized, and is only available in this color, white. Anthropologie describes the dress as such:
Delicate eyelet embroidery and subtle pintucks fill Maeve's breezy voile silhouette.
  • Side pockets
  • Side zip
  • Cotton; cotton lining
  • Machine wash
  • 36"L
  • Imported
I tried this dress on in a size 4, and I'll be honest, I was in love with this dress as soon as I saw it on the hanger. The dress fits true-to-size, and fits very comfortably. I'm probably biased, but this dress fit perfectly. I wouldn't have considered sizing up or down in this one.

The fabric is a wonderful cotton that is both soft and light, almost airy. It is a nice, comfortable cotton for the summer. Because of the cotton-on-cotton (due to the cotton lining), the dress itself isn't flowy at all, but the cotton on its own does move fairly well.

I think the dress itself has a nice shape - more fitted on top with a band to accentuate the waist, and then a slight flare in the skirt with a bunch of shirring at the waistline. I think it creates a fairly nice shape from the front, and an okay shape from the side. I also like the length - just about knee-length (so it may be shorter on you taller ladies). The dress also has side, on-seam pockets, which I really like.

The dress has a number of details - pleating on the bodice and again on the hem, as well as some ruffles and embroidered lace-like material. I think these details work well with the overall style of the dress, and especially work because they are all the same color. This way the details don't overwhelm the dress, and it looks a bit more interesting, without being over the top. I know there will be some (including Boyfriend probably) who think that this dress is too old-fashioned looking, but I like that look sometimes.

I like the color on this dress as well. It's a sort of off-white, like a light cream color. I actually prefer that to the white for this dress. I think it works well with the design. I think dress could be a casual dress on its own or with very casual accessories, but I think the cut and details make it a little bit more on the dressy side. The lighter color makes it pretty easy to pair with other colors. I would probably stick to lighter pastels or very dark neutrals for this one.

I took this one home (thank you, Boyfriend!). I haven't worn it out anywhere yet, but the summer weather is hopefully breaking through soon (after 10 days of rain), so I'm sure it will be making an appearance shortly!

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you seen it or tried it on? What do you think of the details? Would you like to see this dress in another color?

10 comments:

Anonymous June 18, 2009 at 1:54 PM  

Too "little house on the prairie" for my taste, but good that you liked it.

lilac cupcake June 18, 2009 at 2:39 PM  

I have this dress too! It's so flattering; it looks great on you :) I like that it's machine washable and very comfy. The versatility is also fun - you could wear this dress with gladiator sandals and a denim jacket, or with heeled sandals and a cute clutch for something a little more upscale.

I will have to post some pics of it ... I have been meaning to, but things have been a bit hectic. I absolutely love this dress though and I'm so glad it worked for you too.

Allyson June 18, 2009 at 2:52 PM  

Love it! It has a very cute milkmaid kind of look.

AppGal June 18, 2009 at 3:01 PM  

I'm so glad you got this dress! It's adorable and very flattering on you :)

Anonymous June 18, 2009 at 6:01 PM  

To me , this is the perfect white summer dress that literally will never go out of style.
It fits you perfectly too.
Maybe it's just me but so many clothes this year do not seem fit women correctly?
I think it's important to have a true waist on clothes.
This year tops seem so boxy?

Anyways enjoy the new dress!!!!!!

Emily June 18, 2009 at 9:39 PM  

I love this on you! Its so sweet and perfect for a warm summer day.

Julia June 20, 2009 at 8:44 AM  

That dress looks super cute on you! I'll have to look for it the next time I'm at Anthropologie.

Anonymous June 20, 2009 at 8:24 PM  

I am looking for a white cotton dress and saw this one today at Anthropologie. I read your review and description - so helpful, thanks! I plan to buy one just as soon as I can figure out my size. Happy continued shopping!

post-fab princess June 21, 2009 at 7:38 PM  

So cute for summer!

kris June 22, 2009 at 4:49 PM  

i love this dress! i get nervous wearing white dresses though because i'm so prone to spilling stuff on them! i do love anthro dresses and tops though, and this is no exception! :)