The Lime Juice Dres ($138) has me slightly kerfuffled. I just adore the medium green shade that I've seen a couple of other places recently. It's not so deep as an Irish kelly green yet it's not pastel either. It's more the color of grass a few days after a mow.
Here's the thing -- I know I was one of the loudest complainers (whiners) in 2009 about how friggin short everything was. And for shorts that will return this year. But dresses have gone completely in the other direction. Now they're super long. Many times hitting below my knees which is impressive on someone 5'8". As a 20-something this is a bit frustrating because length tends to age. Luckily many dresses end up being just the right length for day (34-35" for me) but I'm wary of anything longer.
I tried on my true size 6 in this Girls From Savoy dress. The dress was too loose under the arms and in the back but I would not size down as it was still the best fit overall. I noticed immediately that the ruffle at the neck seems to be shorter in real life than it is in the model shot. Or it could just be that they need a good steaming to settle down. As it is the ruffles are a bit clownish. I love the thick sashes at both the neck and the waist.
My main issue is that I feel too covered up in this. This is just a personal taste issue -- the quality of the dress is there and it's beautiful. I just was not loving it. Back to the rack.
Over on the party tip is Corey Lynn Calter's On-The-Fold Dress ($188). It's like totally 80s in a way that I love. I immediately sized up to an 8 to allow for my chest. The zipper on this dress is HORRIBLE. There is nothing worse than a sticky zipper on a dress on a corset with boning. It got stuck about halfway up and I had to turn the dress around on my frame to coax it past it's sticking point. I've noticed that Anthropologie has been using thinner zipper beds than they used to. Anthro, please change them back! This is the 3rd or 4th dress where I've had this issue recently.
Once on this dress was pretty cute. The boning was giving me decent support. I like the crossover heart shape of the bust. There's a high slit in back that makes this dress easy to walk in (though it may be too revealing). The main issue for me was that there was a big air pocket in front where the dress poufed out under my waist. This is mostly likely due to the curvature of the top of my thighs but no amount of pressing or smushing could get the pouf to go away. For this reason the dress became a pass for me.
This Leifsdottir dress is the Precious Stones Dress ($258). I tried on my true size 6 and it was a perfect fit. It's made of stiff cotton with an open back and adorable gold jingle buttons that literally jingle as you move.
I just adored this dress on. I'm not really sure how practical it is but I dig the Alice in Wonderland vibe it's providing. The top's v was perfectly cut to make my chest look fantastic and the skirt has just a bit of fullness to it. The back, while open, concealed my bra and even though there was a side zip I was able to get this one on pullover style with no issue. I wish it had pockets but that's my only complaint. As soon as this appears online it's headed right to my wishlist.
I have been looking for a nice denim shirtdress for ages. So I was very excited to see the Traced Denim Dress ($118) in-store. When I saw that Maeve made this dress I got nervous -- Maeve hardly ever fits me correctly. Luckily my size 6 in this dress worked perfectly.
Though it is denim it's pretty soft and it's lined inside. There's a denim tie belt which I'd probably forego for a thick leather one. The buttons are dark brass-colored perfection and I like the dark orange contrast stitching. I feared the double coin pockets on the top but they look alright. The only thing I do not care for are the sleeves. They are winged cap sleeves that fly away too much in my opinion. I have this dress wishlisted but will wait for it to go on sale. Then I'll take it to a seamstress to get the sleeves made into regular caps.
