Reviews: Belle-Of-The-Ball Dress, Mod’s-The-Word Dress, Rosettes-And-Ruffles Dress

Anthropologie at ShopStyle

It’s an all-hyphen review post!

If the Belle-Of-The-Ball Dress ($188) by Floreat was 5 inches shorter, I’d expect to find it at Urban Outfitters. It has that carefree, youthful feeling to it. It’s cool seeing a dress like this at Anthropologie even if I find it a bit outside the sphere of their style. The dress is also a bit outside my style sensibilities so I tried it on mostly for the blog.


The velvet bodice is a bit thin and also pretty roomy. I tried on my normal size 6 which was OK for the fitting room but I’d probably size down to a 4 to buy this dress so I wouldn’t have to pull it up all night. There’s no boning or support of any kind in the bodice and the low back means I would need a corset-style strapless bra with this dress. It does come with removable straps.

The skirt is all kinds of fun! I am not in love with the cream underlayer — it strikes me as a bit odd. But the lace overlayer is beautiful and that’s what really makes the dress. I think Floreat did a great job of making a youth-inspired dress that’s whimsical yet age-appropriate. Not bad at all.


I have to say that Ruffian’s Mise-en-Scene line is confusing the heck out of me. The sizing has not been consistent at all for me. That trend continued with the Mod’s-The-Word Dress ($248). It’s a gorgeous, velvety number that is very 60s reminiscent as the name implies. The bodice has diamond quilting on it and the white collar is a nice touch. Unfortunately I had some fit issues.

I started in my true size 6 but it was too close for comfort. So I moved up to the 8 for the photos above. My biggest issue was extra fabric around the midsection. I would say this dress fit sheath-style. I don’t have good luck with them so I’m not entirely surprised the dress didn’t work. I was disappointed though.


Yoana Baraschi’s Rosettes-And-Ruffles Dress ($168) is a purple pleasure. The color is so rich! I grabbed an 8 as Yoana Baraschi tends to run small for me. But I would have been fine with my true size 6 in this dress. I like the idea of tying the thin sash in the front as the product shot shows though I kept it in back for these shots. The back zip on this dress was a real pain to zip up. Side zip please!

One thing I didn’t like much was the rayon material. It seemed cheap. The neckline is just as pretty in real life though. On sale I’m all about this dress, but at full price it’s a pass.

Happy Halloween! Stay safe out there.

8 Comments

  1. November 1, 2009 / 2:14 am

    I haven't really been wowed by any of their party dresses, not like I have in seasons past. I have done quite a bit of damage buying past dresses on ebay. I love the Baraschi dress on you. I would have to agree that for that price point, it should be a better material like silk.I saw the Floreat dress in person, but could not try it on. I have no idea when I would ever wear such a dress, despite thinking that it's really cute.

  2. November 1, 2009 / 12:59 pm

    I would buy that Yoana dress in a heartbeatHer styling for dresses is really my style.. paired with a leather jacket?? .. LOVE! :)Sometimes you have to try on things you don't think will work

  3. November 1, 2009 / 1:41 pm

    The last dress. in the purple, looks great on you! I like the color. Sometimes, even I, get tired of black. Hope it goes on sale for you soon.

  4. November 1, 2009 / 3:19 pm

    That's how I felt about the Floreat dress too adiaphane.FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com – OMG, I am all about dresses with a leather jacket over them this year! I'm pretty bummed at the moment though because my everyday faux leather jacket is starting to fall apart. My real leather jacket though is waiting in the wings!Thanks Georgine! Yoana Baraschi is becoming my hero. I love the whole line.

  5. Anonymous
    November 1, 2009 / 3:19 pm

    Love the reviews — longtime lurker, first time commenter. Wondering if you will be reviewing any of the (seemingly gorgeous) Leifsdottir printed dresses anytime soon? I'm craving the glasshouse dress and the gardener's choice dress, though the prices are still too steep for me…

  6. November 1, 2009 / 3:24 pm

    Hi Anon! The Leifsdottir dresses are HIGH on my list but none of the NYC Anthros seem to be carrying them yet. I might try Bloomingdale's this week just to see. The Horticulture Society Dress has my name on it.


Looking for Something?