J.Crew FO: Pique Strapless Dress Review

This is a dress from the J.Crew Outlet that I'm calling the Pique Strapless Dress (item #15039). It retailed for $59.50, and was numerically sized. It may have come in other colors, but I honestly can't remember right now, as I tried this on awhile ago (sorry :().

I tried this dress on in a size 4, and I thought it fit a bit small. It was a little tight around the chest area, so I would suggest starting with your regular size, but getting a size up for comparison if you can.

The dress is made out of a pique fabric which also has a bit of stretch to it. I wasn't a huge fan of the fabric, as it was a bit coarser than what I typically like, but it was a nice, casual fabric, and worked well with the dress itself. The fabric moves fairly well, but the cut of the dress doesn't really lend itself to a lot of movement.

The dress has a thin band at the top of the bust, and a wider band at the waistline. The dress helps to create a bit of definition at the waist. The skirt is fairly straight, but nips in a bit at the waist, and can easily hide any problem areas on the lower half, but doesn't add much volume. The bottom half of the dress has some shirring at the waistline as well as curved, off-seam pockets.

You could probably dress this dress up a bit with the right accessories, but keep in mind that the pique fabric is a bit more on the casual side. I would probably stick with neutral color pairings for this dress.

I left this dress behind because I thought it was just okay. I didn't hate it, but I didn't think it was really anything special, either.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you seen it or tried it on? Do you own it? What do you think of pique fabric dresses?

J.Crew: Printed Silk Chiffon Whitney Short Dress Review

This is J.Crew's Printed Silk Chiffon Whitney Short Dress (item #11440), which originally retailed for $225, and has been on promotion for $159.99 for quite awhile now. This dress is numerically-sized, and is available in this one color, sweet cantaloupe. J.Crew describes the dress as such:

Whether it's for a wedding or a warm-weather getaway, this dress is a sensational choice for any special occasion. Crafted from lightweight silk chiffon with a delicate crinkled texture, its strapless silhouette features a fitted bodice with knot detail at the center front, a slight sweetheart neckline and a pretty lettuce edged hem at the waist. A-line skirt. Back zip. Interior corset for added support. Fully lined. Falls to knee; 25" from natural waist. Import. Dry clean. Catalog/jcrew.com only.

I picked up this dress in a size 4, which is my normal size in J.Crew dresses. The dress fits true-to-size, and is a nice, comfortable fit. The fit is based on your bust and waist measurements.

The dress is fairly straight. From the bust to the waist is a straight line, then the skirt flares out a bit in an A-line shape. I wouldn't say that the dress creates a lot of waist definition, but I think it's a nice silhouette overall. I like the length, but wouldn't have minded if it were a couple of inches shorter, so that it didn't go past the knees as much.

Brief tangent on sizing: Normally I might say that I wish it had been offered in petites, but lately I've noticed that I've had some issues with the petite "equivalent" size dresses being a tad bit smaller than the regular sizes. For example, a P6 strapless dress will be just a tad bit tighter around the bust than the regular 4, and can potentially lead to the dreaded bust/armpit bulge (yuck).

The dress is lined in white, with a really nice silk chiffon overlay with a pretty light orange and white floral print. The silk chiffon is a really nice fabric - it's light, thin, and really soft. It moves and flows incredibly well, and is a really pretty spring and summer dress. There is some nice crinkly detail at the bust and waistline.

I'm not sure how casual you could make this dress, as it seems pretty dressy. I think you could wear it in a lot of different places, but I think for the most part, it'd be for more dressy occasions. I also think it would have been nice to see this dress offered in other spring or summer colors, like a light purple, pink, light green, or even a red or cobalt blue.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you seen it or tried it on? Do you own it? Are there any other colors you would have liked to see it in? Do you prefer the short dress or the longer version?

J.Crew FO: Marguerite Dress

This is the Marguerite Dress from J.Crew Outlet. I picked both dresses up about a month ago. The dress retails for $79.50, but I was able to get it for about $47 after promotions and discounts. The dress is numerically sized, and was available first in the navy floral pattern, and then in the black polka dot pattern. I don't believe that these patterns were both available at the same time at my local outlet.

I picked up both dresses in a size 4, and I believe the dress fits true-to-size. It's a very comfortable fit. Size is mainly determined based on your bust size, as it is an empire waist with a more voluminous skirt.

The neckline is a thick, twisted rope-like neckband, and is a nice detail, in my opinion. The fabric is a stiffer material, and I believe it's cotton. The fabric is very smooth, and the skirt has two layers of fabric. Because the material is a bit stiffer, the skirt doesn't move or flow really well, but I don't think it's meant to be a flowy dress. The skirt itself is a bit voluminous, owing to the shirring at the waistband.

The dress itself is very comfortable. It doesn't create too much of a waist, but it is very forgiving on your lower half. If you're uncomfortable with poufiness or extra volume on the bottom, then you should definitely try it on yourself to see how it looks in person. I personally like this dress silhouette, but I know that it's not for everyone.

I think this dress works well as both a casual dress and a more dressy one. I think you could leave it as-is and throw on some casual sandals for a dressed-down look, or dress it up with a wrap or a pretty sweater and the right accessories and shoes.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Which pattern do you prefer? Have you seen it or tried it on? Do you own it yourself?

New York & Company: CityStretch Tiered Colorblock Dress

This is a dress I picked up this weekend at New York & Company. I'm not positive on the name, but the same style is available online in a print. It is alpha-sized, and was also available in a bright teal/green/yellow combination in-store, which I really liked, but was not available in my size. I also saw the same style dress in some solid colors (white, black, coral). The dress originally retailed for $42.95, but was on sale during the summer clearance, so I snagged it for about $21! I cannot find this exact dress online, but there are a couple of other options: CityStretch Tiered Printed Dress (#07448645) and CityStretch Color-Block Flounce Dress (#07465709).

I tried this dress on in a size XS, and it fit all right, but I would have liked to try it on in a size small just for comparison. There were no smalls available in any color in my store, and because the XS fit, I just went with that. Because the dress has a lot of stretch and is really only fitted at the bust, you can definitely try a size down if you like.

This is a knit dress, made out of a jersey material with some stretch in it. It has a crossover V-neck empire waist, and wide band sleeves that work as basically cap sleeves. I think you could also probably tuck these sleeves under your bra straps to do a more sleeveless look, but I haven't tried it yet. The jersey material is nice and solid - the dress has some weight to it. It flows and moves very nicely, and is extremely comfortable.

I really like the color combinations in both dresses - they are really fun and summery. I think you could dress up this dress a bit with some nice accessories - maybe some nice metallics or a neutral colored cardigan.

I am a big fan of knit dresses, and I'm glad I was able to snag this one!

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you seen it or tried it on? Do you like any of the other alternative options that are available online?

Update: This dress is online. It's called CityStretch Tiered Colorblock Dress. It is style #07448644.

J.Crew: Dressy Jersey Empire Dress

This is J.Crew's Dressy Jersey Empire Dress (item #12564). I'm not sure what the original price was, but I picked it up when it was marked down to $39.99. It is alpha-sized, and came in this tea rose color, and I believe it also came in at least a light heather grey and a dark grey.

I'm wearing the dress in a size small, and I think it fits mostly true to size. The dressy jersey fabric is just like the other dressy jersey dresses - nice weight, very soft and smooth, flows and moves very nicely. I'd say it fits fairly snugly at the top, but there is plenty of stretch in the fabric as well.

There is a bit of fan pleating at the bust, and this pleating sort of flows down the front of the dress, and adds some movement to the dress. The dress itself is a fairly straight line. You don't get a lot of waist definition with this dress, given the empire waist and then the line of the bottom half. On the plus side, the bottom half of the dress would be good at hiding any lower half problem areas without adding volume.

Overall, it's a very nice dress. You can easily dress it up or down with the right accessories.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you tried it on or do you own it? Which colors would you like to see this dress in? What do you think of J.Crew's dressy jersey dresses?

Gap: Knit and Cotton Tank Dress

I cannot find this dress on Gap's website, but I'm pretty sure it is style #655030. It is alpha-sized, and retailed for $39.50. It was available in a number of saturated colors, including bright pink and bright blue. This is a rich, purple color in size small.

This dress has a knit tank with a pocket for the top, and a cotton skirt bottom. The skirt itself is very light, and the top is like wearing a really comfortable knit top. There are tiny pleats all around the waist. The dress itself moves all right, but is not super flowy, owing to lightweight cotton and the straighter shape of the skirt. I think the dress looks better from the front though - looking at the picture below, it looks kind of weird from the side, as it's not distributed evenly from front to back.

The dress fits true-to-size, and fits based on your top and waist size. There is a lot of room to hide any problem areas in your lower half, without adding extra weight. To me, this dress is a really great alternative to J.Crew's Cottage dress from earlier this season (in fact, I prefer it to J.Crew's).

The dress is a really comfortable casual dress. I think you could dress it up a bit with the right accessories, but I'm not sure that you could dress it up too much. Overall a really nice, summer dress, but I think you should try it on if you can to see how you like the skirt.

I was tempted to pick this one up, on more than one occasion. The first time I tried it on, and another time I almost grabbed it in the pink color, but I resisted both times.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you seen it or tried it on? Which color would you pick it up in?

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?

J.Crew: Linen Getaway Dress Review

This is J.Crew's Linen Getaway Dress (item #15610), which originally retailed for $49.50, with current colors on sale for $39.50. This dress is available in caspian blue, bright citron, dark charcoal, warm desert, fresh melon, sweet papaya, and white. This dress is alpha-sized. J.Crew describes the dress as such:

Simply slip on and go straight from beach to bistro. Linen. Straight bodice. Straight skirt. Tied keyhole. Adjustable ties at neck and waist. Sleeveless. Falls to midthigh. Import. Machine wash.

I tried this dress on in a small, in the fresh melon color. I think the dress fits true-to-size. I didn't try this in the extra small, so I can't comment on whether or not it really runs large or is more true-to-size. I will say that the small was very loose and flowy, but I think that is the cut of the dress. I would recommend starting with your regular size and sizing down for a more fitted shape.

The fabric is a very light linen. It's very breathable and a nice weight for the summer. It moves and flows fairly well. I think that is a combination of the fabric and the cut of the dress. The linen is also a bit on the thin side. It's not sheer in this color, but I would be curious if it were more sheer in the lighter colors.

The cut of the dress is fairly shapeless. It's sort of an A-line shape I would say, with its being a little more fitted at the top, and flaring out towards the bottom. You could maybe size down if you wanted to get a more fitted shape out of this dress, but overall, it is very loose and flowy. I wouldn't look to this dress to get a lot of definition out of it.

The dress does have a tie around the middle that creates a sort of drop waist. It also has a neckline tie that creates a sort of halter/keyhole neckline. I think tying both of these makes the dress look a bit more pulled together (I guess literally and figuratively), and is a nice option to have, as the untied look is extremely casual. I don't think tying the waist really creates that much more definition, but it does help break up the line of the dress a bit.

Personally, I see this dress as a really casual dress, and maybe even as a beach cover-up. The length was fine on me, but it might be on the shorter side for some of the taller ladies out there. I don't know that I would ever really wear this as a dress - maybe as a tunic-like top, say over a pair of shorts, but that is just my personal style. I think it comes in a nice range of colors that are fairly neutral, and will allow you to play with color combinations a lot. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a lot you can do to dress up this dress, given the material, weight, cut, and style of it. I think you can certainly style it a lot of different ways, but I'm just not sure it's up to the task of being dressy.

Here is a close-up of the neckline tie. The tie itself goes around to the back, and creates the same silhouette in the back. The tie itself is very thin.

I left this one behind. I thought it was cute and all, but I know I wouldn't wear it. I would consider it if it went on sale for a beach cover-up though...if I ever went to the beach, that is. :)

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Do you own it or have you tried it on? Which color do you prefer? How would you style it?

J.Crew: Ruffled-Hem Dress

This is J.Crew's Ruffled-Hem Dress (item #15341), which retails for $78. It is available in nut, caspian blue, and heather cloud. The dress is alpha-sized. J.Crew describes the dress as such:

A ladylike silhouette in our refined, sophisticated viscose jersey. Ruffles at hem. Sleeveless silhouette. V-neck with fitted bodice. Self-tie at empire waist. Falls below knee; 23" from natural waist. Import. Machine wash.

I tried this dress on in a size extra small, in the caspian blue color. I think the dress runs a bit large - I usually wear a size small, and I was able to size down in this dress comfortably. The fit itself is fairly comfortable. I would size this dress primarily based on your bust size, as this is where the dress is most fitted.

The fabric on this dress is a midweight, substantial jersey, which is very soft, but also felt a little less smooth than say the dressy jersey. It's not rough by any means, but it feels a bit more worn and less polished. I actually think that fabric fits this dress really well. The dress was a bit heavier than I expected it to be (just from looking at it), but I wouldn't say that the fabric is heavy, and it definitely doesn't weigh you down.

I think the shape itself is fairly flattering. The empire waist and the tie under the bust helps to create a bit more definition for your midsection. Other than that, the dress hangs in a pretty straight line, but I would say it flares out just a tiny bit at the bottom, but not enough to be noticeable or anything. The dress does move and flow very well, mainly because of the fabric.

One thing I would note about the bust is that it is a little low-cut. I think this is a result of two things, which are related to each other. The tie on the bust did not hit below my bust (ribcage), but actually a little bit on the bust. So thus when I tied below my bust, it may have pulled the front down a bit. And that gets into size a bit - maybe if I wore my regular size, I wouldn't have run into this issue. However, the rest of the dress fit just fine, so you should make this call yourself.

I thought the dress was a bit long, keeping in mind that it is past knee-length on the model even. As for the bottom of the dress, it has three layers of ruffles (two shorter, one longer), and additional rows of trim. I didn't really like the bottom when I saw it in pictures online, but I warmed up to it once I saw it in person. I don't think the bottom is as stiff and heavy-looking in real life as it does online (at least to me).

I think the dress is available in a great palette - a couple of darker neutrals and a light neutral. I think the blue would work with a variety of colors. Personally, I would probably pair the blue with brighter colors, or other light-colored neutrals. This dress strikes me as mostly a casual dress, but I think with the right accessories, you could dress it up a bit.

While I liked this dress, I didn't totally love it, and I know that I would not wear it, so I left it behind.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Are there any other colors you would have liked to have seen it in? What do you think of the ruffle hem?

J.Crew: Ink Dot Printed Claudine Dress Review

This is J.Crew's Printed Claudine Dress (item #15194), which retails for $148. I've added Ink Dot to the front of the name because the pattern is sort of reminiscent of that, and is a bit more descriptive than just "Printed Claudine Dress", which is what my PS told me the name of this dress is. The dress is also available in petite sizes. This navy is the only color that the dress is available in, and the dress is alpha-sized.

I tried this dress on in a size 2, as I heard some early reports that the dress runs a bit on the larger size. I found this to be mostly true, but as I did not try on a size 4, I cannot really comment on true-to-size the dress is. The main measurements for this dress are the bust and the waist, so ladies with a larger bust may find that their regular size fits just fine. I would recommend starting with a smaller size, and grabbing both the smaller and your regular size if you can.

In addition, there is a tiny bit of elastic in the waist, so that gives you a bit more room to play with in the waist, as it stretches very nicely. Just to give you a bit more detail on the sizing with regards to the elastic in the waist, there was still a bit of stretch in the size 2 for me (and trust me, I am not a size 2 in the waist).

The dress is made of a very nice, lightweight cotton fabric. The cotton is very airy, and moves very nicely. It is soft to the touch, and is a nice weight for a spring and summer dress.

The design of this dress is a more fitted bodice and a fuller skirt. There is a bunch of pleating on the bodice, as well as on the skirt. There is also a fabric covered belt in the same pattern as the dress, which is included with the dress. The dress has the very thin, belt loops for the belt, which helps to cinch and define the waist. I didn't find that the skirt of the dress adds a tremendous amount of volume, but I also prefer fuller skirts, so I am probably a little biased. :)

The dress has a bit of a retro vibe to me, given the overall shape (fuller on top, narrower at the waist, and fuller skirt), and has a very nice silhouette. I think the pattern itself is very pretty, as the dots appear in a somewhat random pattern, and have a bit of a blur effect to them on the edges. I think it's a fun pattern, and I think it works very well in the navy. Again, I am also biased here because I love polka dots. The navy is a pretty dark navy, very close to black, so I think you could easily pair this dress with many different colors.

The straps on this dress were just a tiny bit too long, but I thought the overall length of the dress was very nice. It hit just below my knees, so it would be a bit shorter on those taller than me (which I think is most people). The straps have those bra strap holder loops that allow you to sort of "clip" your bra to the straps of the dress and prevent slippage. The armholes are a very generous cut, and are very comfortable as well. The neckline is a nice, modest scoopneck.

I unfortunately do not think this dress is super versatile. While you can certainly pair this dress with the right accessories to make it more on the casual side, I think the silhouette and allover pattern make it a bit more dressy. I see this dress at a summer garden or cocktail party, maybe paired with a light cardigan and some strappy sandals. I'm not sure, however, that you could really pair this with much to dress it down much more than that.

I absolutely love this dress. I love dresses with this silhouette, and I think the pattern is very pretty and classy. I did not, however, take this dress home, because I've already pre-ordered it in petites. I'm hoping that this will help with the strap length and how long the dress is. While I love the navy color, I would have loved to see this dress available in a pastel print as well (although my wallet is glad it's not). Even though this isn't the most versatile dress, and isn't super inexpensive, I really love it!

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Do you like the silhouette? Are there any other colors you would like to see it in? What would you pair it with?

Gap: White Chevron-Striped A-Line Dress Review

This is Gap's White Chevron-Striped A-line Dress (style #620797), which retails for $59.50. It is numerically sized, and is also available in petite and tall. It is available in this one pattern, railroad. (However, the same style is available in black/pinstripe as style #620794.) Gap describes the dress as such:

An understated chevron print seamlessly highlights a flattering A-line silhouette, making for an elegant dress that you can count on for any occasion.

I tried this dress on in a size 6, as it was the only one close to my normal size 4 that they had in store. The size 6 fit very well, and was a very comfortable fit. It was just tiniest bit loose in the bust, so I would have liked to have tried on a size 4 for comparison, but the 6 definitely worked. Because I wasn't able to try on my regular size, I can't make a judgment call on how true-to-size this is. I would suggest starting with your regular size, and then potentially sizing up based on how it feels in the bust.

The fabric is a really nice, midweight cotton, almost like a twill or chino fabric. It is fairly soft, and moves very nicely. The A-line shape in combination with the empire waist and the band underneat the bust helps to create some shape, while still allowing the dress to move and flow.

The pattern is a very pretty pale grey all-over chevron stripe. It reminds me of seersucker stripes, but without the texture. Only the bottom half of the dress is really chevron though, meeting in the middle and creating a line down the front. The rest of the dress has the stripes either horizontally or vertically, and usually in a contrasting direction to the adjacent parts of the dress (if that makes sense). Overall, I think it's a pretty cute pattern. The monochrome allows you to do a lot in terms of accessorizing this dress with colors, and with dressing it up and down.

The bodice of the dress has 3 patterned buttons down the front, which are also a cute little touch. I like that they are also done in the same pattern, keeping with the contrasting look, because it's a cute enough detail on its own to make the dress interesting, but still subtle enough that it can be worked into however you style it.

The dress was a tad too long for me for a summer dress; I would have preferred it a couple of inches shorter. (I know, I know, ongoing issue.)

Here are the product details. I am almost always a fan of topstitching in casual clothing.

I think this dress is very cute. I didn't try it on with the strap because it was all curled up in the little envelope and I was getting tired of trying on clothes this trip, but it does look cute with the strap on the model. Even though this dress was a pretty good deal and I had a coupon, I left this one behind because I just know I probably wouldn't wear it that much.

On a separate note, I also would have liked to be able to try this on in a petite, just to see how it differed in fit from the regular size, especially in the length.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you seen it or tried it on? Do you own it? Are there any other colors you would have liked it in?

Anthropologie: Kerchief Dress Review

This is Anthropologie's Kerchief Dress (style #933100), which retails for $168. It is by Edme and Esyllte, and is alpha-sized. It is available in this one color, green motif. Anthropologie describes the dress as such:

An ethnic pattern and easy shape mimic the style of a free-flowing scarf. By Edme & Esyllte.

• Removable sash
• Pullover styling
• Silk; acetate lining
• Dry clean
• 36.5"L
• Imported

I tried this dress on in a size small. I found that it fit true-to-size, and was a very comfortable fit. I think it was a little bit loose/blousy on the top, but it fit very comfortably around the waist. The armholes were a fairly generous cut, so I would size this dress based on your bust measurement. I would say that if you are on the smaller end of your dress size range, you can try sizing down.

Both the silk outer and acetate lining are very light and soft. The overall dress is nice and smooth, and a very cool fabric for warm weather. The fabric moves and flows nicely, but it is not particularly drapey. The skirt is sort-of A-line, but leading towards a straighter profile, with a very generous cut, which gives you some room to play with in the bottom.

There is a very pretty sash that matches the purple in the pattern. The online pictures have this sash tying in the back, but I tied it to the side, and I think it looked okay. The neckline starts as a square neck, with the wide straps, and then goes into a modest-to-deep V-neck. I am not the biggest fan of these sort of "hybrid" necklines, and would have liked this better as a squareneck, I think. This dress also has on-seam pockets, which I really like, and they are at a pretty comfortable angle.

As for the pattern, I think it is just okay. I am not the biggest fan of it, although I do love the rich shade of purple that is used throughout the dress. I think I would have liked it better paired with a cooler shade of green. I also don't get the big pattern right smack in the front (and back) of the dress. This is the third or fourth pattern I've seen/reviewed this season that seems to be drawing attention to your bottom half, and I'm not really a fan of that. This is really a function of the way the fabric was cut to the pattern, but it still kind of bugs me. I think I would be more into it if the placement or distribution were a bit different.

I left this dress behind, mainly because of the price, and also because I wasn't just totally loving this one. While I love sashes and purple and dresses, I just knew I would never wear this.

What do you think? Do you like this dress? Have you seen it or tried it on? Do you own it?

Banana Republic: Cotton Embroidered Dress Review

This is a Banana Republic dress that I believe came out last spring/summer, but I'm not entirely certain; it could have been the year before that, too.  Before I get to the review, I need to give you a little background.  Boyfriend and I were strolling through the mall one day, and we popped into Banana Republic, and this dress was right in the front.  I tried it on, and...I honestly can't even remember what I thought of it.  Boyfriend and I were discussing the dress recently, and he thought I hated it, but I didn't have that same recollection.

Boyfriend: oooh, now I remember it

  you hated it after you put it on! (or did you just lie??)

Me: no, i didn't think i hated it? :(

  i might have just lied

Either way, this is one of those rare garments that I actually regretted not buying.  There aren't many things I actually regret buying - I eventually move on and don't really think about things any more, but this is one that I always wished I had taken home.  Well, thus began the internet hunt to find this dress.  I was at a bit of a loss because I couldn't remember what it was called, and couldn't remember exactly when it came out.  A few searches on eBay proved fruitless.

Then, two suddenly appeared (and sort-of in my size, to boot!), and after almost a week's worth of eBay agony, I was finally able to nab the one I wanted (the other one didn't come with the sash).  The best part was the price though.  This dress originally retailed for $148, and I was able to get if for $27 (including shipping)!

So, I got this dress in a size 6.  It is a very shapeless shift dress, with triple strand spaghetti straps and embroidery at the bust.  You use the same color sash to cinch the dress at the waist.  I believe this dress fits true to size, but maybe a bit on the smaller size.  I usually wear a 2 or 4 in Banana Republic dresses, but the 6 fits fairly comfortably, if not a teeny bit loose.  I haven't decided if I'll have this tailored or not.  The most constricting part of the dress is the very top, where the embroidery is, so I would base fit around this measurement.

The fabric is a soft and light, but a little bit on the stiffer side.  That said, because of the numerous pleats on the bodice and the swingy shape of the dress, the dress does move very nicely.  On the other hand, even though the fabric is light, because there is so much of it, it's a little heavier than you might expect it to be (but not heavy overall).

The dress is a little bit on the long side for me, so I may look into getting the straps shortened a bit.  The back of the dress has a really pretty two-button closure that is in line with the embroidery around the top.  There is no zipper on this dress, but because of shape, it's pretty easy to slip on over your head.  Because the dress is so voluminous overall, I think it does add a little bit of volume around your hips and backside, but it can also work to hide those areas very well.

I really like the sash on this dress - I think it really helps to pull the dress together, and give it some shape.  I didn't take any pictures without the sash, but without it, the dress really just kind of hangs there and looks shapeless, and not in a cute, shift dress kind of way, but more of a sack kind of way.

Here is a close-up of the pattern on the bustline, and the sash as well.

Here is a close-up of the embroidery on the bottom hem.

I really love this dress (as evidenced by my eBay hunt)!  I think it is a really pretty shade of blue, and I love the details - the embroidery and the sash.  I am really glad to have been able to get this one!

What do you think?  Do you like this dress?  Do you own it?  What do you think of the details?  Are there any clothes out there that you regret not picking up when you had the chance?