Reviews: Garnet Glow Dress, Alcee Dress, Lolland Sweater Dress


I’m not sure where red has been the last few seasons but I’m so glad it’s back. I am officially under the red and purple spell this fall. Like the Garnet Glow Dress ($188). I was partial to this dress even before seeing it; garnet is my birthstone.


Burlapp continues to release pretty dresses that are hard to wear a bra with. Layer upon layer of ruched chiffon compose the bodice and then give way to loose pleats in the skirt. The top is lined and there is a basketweave pattern in the back to assist with the fit. The rosettes at the neckline are nothing short of darling. At 38″ long it hit in the middle of my knee. My true size 6 was the perfect fit.

As I mentioned last week I am on the lookout for winter party dresses. I wasn’t even thinking of this one though until one of the fitting room attendants remarked that red was a good color for me and that I looked pretty. I was in a bad mood but that just made me into mush. Awwww…suddenly a bit of retail therapy was in order. This one came home with me.

Anthropologie at ShopStyle

The star of Wendy Katlen’s Alcee Dress ($168) is undoubtedly the large rosette adorning the waist. It’s a fitting alternative to those who like the look of Burlapp’s Grand Cru Dress ($138) but aren’t fans of the rosette placement. Then again if you’re like me you just want one of both.


I tried on both an 8 and my true size 6 and the 6 was the right fit. I found the 8 to be too voluminous in the skirt. The photos above are the 6.

I love the skirt on this dress. The top, not as much. It continues the trend of cotton tops and it almost feels like the bodice from a different dress. I find it odd to have such a lovely skirt topped by such a basic material. The scalloped neckline helps a bit. The rosette seemed to be attached to the dress which for me ended up looking a bit off. On straighter shapes this probably won’t be as much of an issue. I was hoping to be over-the-top in love with this dress. It didn’t happen.


Another dress I’ve been scouring for is the Lolland Sweater Dress ($188). This is a review by request for several community members. Note the careful positioning of the model’s arms in the shot above…


…as soon as I had it on I knew why. It’s clear that this dress is very well-made. The details, from the stitching to the buttons to the creative mix of fabrics is laudable. So it’s a bummer that this dress made me look like even more of a pear than I am. It’s not because of the pockets — love those. I honestly believe it’s from the shape of the bust. Far too horizontal and small, it made my chest look like my tiniest part and as a result the rest of me looked wider. Not a flattering silhouette. The photos above are the medium.

Last week, my friend Noelle bought this dress while checking out the new Anthropologie on Regent St. in London. I emailed her to ask her how the dress fit. For reference, she is 5’5″, 110 lbs and boy-shaped (her words!):
I bought the XS, but it was far too large on me. I thought the extra material on the bottom made me look like a tent. It was far longer than I realized in the store as well. Such a tragedy — I have been waiting for this dress for months! It was not for me though.

The dress has been getting good reviews online mostly so this is one you may need to try on for yourself. I’m sad it didn’t work for me; I hope it works better for you!

15 Comments

  1. November 1, 2009 / 3:48 pm

    I love the Garnet Glow dress on you. Thanks for your reviews—it's helpful to get real life opinions!

  2. November 1, 2009 / 6:15 pm

    wow… i like the the wendy katelen's alcee dress. It's a perfect dress for holiday cocktail parties!

  3. November 1, 2009 / 7:03 pm

    Thank you for all your great, informative posts. 🙂 Been reading for a few weeks now and I love your blog. It's so helpful to see the outfits you try on as I love to shop online and am too lazy to go to the store most weeks.The red dress looks lovely on you!

  4. November 1, 2009 / 7:47 pm

    That Garnet Glow dress is divine! To the top of the wishlist it goes (and I'm a January birthday, too!).

  5. November 2, 2009 / 12:38 am

    The Garnet Glow dress is lovely! It looks great on you.

  6. November 2, 2009 / 1:15 am

    Thank you for all your reviews! I try to avoid my local Anthro because I'm weak and would be so tempted. Your blog definitely tempers my cravings and helps me think twice about my covets. By the way, I think Lolland looks great on you but with the right belt, it would look better! When I saw Lolland for the first time, it reminded me of Mayle's Astrid dress. Is anyone here familiar with Mayle? She retired her line last year check out the old lookbooks

  7. November 2, 2009 / 4:31 am

    e and Tracy – happy to help! If there's an item you'd like to see IRL anytime let me know.Daily Lily – despite being bummed by the top part I agree. I only wish I had the lifestyle to support such a fabulous dress.AL – January birthdays unite! :)Thanks Luci! The Where the Wild Things Are photo on your blog made my jaw drop. I would totally do those costumes if I had kids. Christina I love the belt idea. If only I'd had the Snakebite Belt with me, I bet it would pair with that dress well. I was a Mayle fan…I was so bummed at their last sale in April. I am not super familiar with her designs though — thanks for the lookbook link!

  8. November 2, 2009 / 6:50 pm

    I echo your UK friend and her 'tragedy' with the Lolland dress. I experienced a similar one 🙁 I SO wanted this dress, but being tall and also extremely small it was when I got it store this week, in a word, a sack, on me in an XS. No way to make it even close to working. And yes it is beautifully made. So sad. ….I should have paid more attention to the arms close pose in the pics.Nice reviews.

  9. khanh
    November 2, 2009 / 10:10 pm

    I agree with e. The Garnet Glow dress look marvelous on you. Thank you for posting all the dresses up. It's nice to read different reviews on it before I purchase them and know how it look on too. Heart your blog!!

  10. lilac cupcake
    November 3, 2009 / 9:30 am

    Love the Garnet Glow dress … good choice 🙂 Thanks for the pics of the Alcee dress too! It's so helpful to see these things on a real person.

  11. November 3, 2009 / 5:45 pm

    Holy crap the red one is fabulous. You look *stunning*.

  12. January 22, 2010 / 9:19 pm

    I love the Garnett Glow Dress. I just bought it off the sale rack to wear to an upcoming wedding. I'm trying to find a jacket or a wrap or sweater to wear with it. Any suggestions?

  13. January 23, 2010 / 3:07 pm

    Hi Charissa,Here are few options:- This one comes in a few color options and has sleeves, so you can drape to your liking while staying warm.- <a href="http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=SPLENDID-WO281&c=Sweaters+%26+Knits&s=C&sc=Wrap&n=n&source=shopstyle&quot; rel="nofollow">This one is more casual so you'll be able to incorporate into your normal wear after the wedding.- <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=CLOTHES-NEW-LOUNGE&id=953868&catId=CLOTHES-NEW&pushId=CLOTHES-NEW&popId=CLOTHES&sortProperties=&navCount=90&navAction=top&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=040&colorName=BLUE&isSubcategory=true&isProduct=true&isBigImage=&templateType=&quot; rel="nofollow">This one is from Anthropologie (had to throw one anthro option in there!). Hope that helps.


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