Reviews: Isabel Dress, Ackee Pencil Skirt, Monarch Skirt, Sky Wisped Skirt

Getting ready for the next round of reviews.
Isabel Dress ($128) by Deletta, TTS
style #20740791, black motif (009)
★★★☆☆

If structure is your thing avoid the Isabel Dress ($128), which is soft, thin and pliable. A beautiful pattern of lines thick and thin run all over this dress, which is crafted from rayon/spandex jersey. The reviews so far on Anthro’s website say this dress is curve-friendly but I think that’s deceptive. I do agree that if you have a straighter shape this dress may hang in a way that you may not find flattering. And I think that if you are thin but curvy this dress will be incredible on you. But add in any kind of extra shape and this dress becomes a tough sell. Bigger busts, wider hips, or any kind of thighs all gave this dress fits.

I tried on both a medium and a large. The large just hung off me so the medium is what you see on me above. The faux wrap style nicely frames my waist but left a lot of cleavage on display. It made me feel wider than I am up top. I’d have to wear a cami below this for work. And the shape of my thighs was troublesome for the fabric, which wanted to hug me a little too much for comfort. I wish that the top of this dress had been form-fitting with light give in the skirt. If it had just hung a bit off of my middle instead of curving to it Kardashian style I’d be in love. Instead, I’m meh on this dress. Wishlisted for further consideration at sale time.

Ackee Pencil Skirt ($138) by Corey Lynn Calter, size down
style #20719498, red motif (069)
★★★★☆

What a relief to see a longer pencil skirt! I’m already eagerly discarding my shorter skirts acquired over the last two years. I suppose the Ackee Pencil Skirt ($138) borders on being almost too long, but pencils and work skirts need to be at least knee length for me, so I’ll happily tailor shorter since tailoring longer isn’t really an option. The cotton skirt has irregular white blocks that recall clouds to me. It’s very pretty — I don’t think the online shots do this skirt justice.

I should qualify my fit review to say the size you end up with in this skirt will depend on your shape. I have a narrow waist and hourglass hips which means my body slips into the pencil shape perfectly. So for me my usual size 10 felt loose in the waist and hips. If you have a straighter shape you will probably need to size up in this and if you are a pear or apple stick with your true size. I found the lining to be a bit itchy, leading to a one-star knockoff. I plan on purchasing this skirt soon. For now, wishlisted!!

Monarch Skirt ($78) by Lil, size down
style #20608055, black motif (009)
★★★★★

Lil gives skirts a try with the last two items in this reviews set. First up is the Monarch Skirt ($78), a beautiful stretchy skirt with profile butterflies dancing about. From far away I thought the pattern was of pineapples or perhaps lemons. The material is very stretchy and there are two side pockets — a bonus. I found the length to be perfect as this skirt grazed my knees. I like the thicker waistband and easy feeling I got once it was on.

Curiously this skirt is number-sized. I can’t imagine there’s that much distinction between an 8 and a 10 but that’s not really a complaint. I grabbed my usual size 10 and the skirt slid right back down, so it was on to an 8 for these photos. The 8 still felt pretty loose but I think I would appreciate that after a day in my desk chair. I found the skirt paired well with the Button-Down Cowlneck (now $40, reviewed here) in green. It will work with many different colors on top. A truly versatile piece that landed on my wishlist!

Sky Wisped Skirt ($118) by Lil, size down
style #20627253, blue motif (049)
★★★★☆

The second skirt by Lil in this set is the Sky Wisped Skirt ($118). It has a Picasso-like abstract print with side tiers of ruffles cascading down to knee-length. It’s made of silk and falls about mid-knee on me. I had a bit of an issue deciding whether the zip belongs on the side or in the back. I eventually settled on the back, which seems to be correct.

Once again I started with my usual size 10 which was quite loose on me! I’m wearing it hipslung above. The skirt was selling very fast and neither an 8 nor a 6 were around for me to try. Still even with the extra room I could tell this skirt is a winner. It’s so pretty and moves in wonderful ways as you walk. Though it has side ruffles I didn’t feel wider while wearing it. I have so many blue tops that this skirt will work perfectly with! I’m trying to wait, but this skirt is already in my cart.

I’ll have more reviews up tomorrow! Have you tried any of these items yet? I’m curious to hear what others think about the Isabel Dress especially.


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