Dress time!
This Anna Sui dress is not online yet. It’s the first thing that grabbed me during my latest store cruise. I love the bold print although the spades are…interestingly placed. It looks like the dress has a face on the front of it. (That’s my Rorschach thought of the day.) The price is $198 and the SKU is 18768507. Update: It’s online now and is called the Paisley Pixie Dress ($198).
I tried on my usual size 6. I am often able to go down to a 4 in Anna Sui’s Anthropologie dresses but in this case the pattern looked better in my normal size. I am not really in love with the collar on this dress as I think it lends a bit of a muumuu effect. But I love the dress itself. I found it very comfortable to wear. It’s cut straight and yes a bit shapeless but the right overlayer will create the shape you need. With a cute black jacket over it and a long statement necklace this dress is party or event-ready. Will be wishlisted once it’s online!
I guess Tabitha is going to keep releasing this same ensemble dress in as many different combinations as Anthropologie has fabric. I’m cool with it. This time around it’s called the Tweedy Leaves Dress ($158). The new twist is that the skirt on this version is in fact tweed and they’ve traded in the front cargo pockets of previous version in favor of side slant pockets. I approve of this move. Previously the skirt portion has been cut very straight but this time around there’s a touch of pouf which made the overall fit better on me.
I sized up to an 8 here and was pleased with the results. Anthro reports this dress is 37″ long. No way. Or I’m getting taller. It’s 34″ max. I inspected the top to skirt stitching very carefully because there are many reports of this dress style separating! The stitching wasn’t fantastic (it was really messy on the dress I tried) but it will hold up. I love the print on the top of this dress. Not really loving the side view though — what’s up with that skirt? Still, I think this is my favorite of all the versions so far. Wishlisted, but waiting for sale.
Deletta gives dresses another shot with its Fukuoka Folds Dress ($138). It’s very tempting to cut & paste Kathryn’s review here as she nailed some of the points I wanted to hit. I should point out that I was wearing a terrible bra for this dress when I tried it so while the medium is pulling across the chest here once I put on a different bra at home it was fine.
I have been searching for a dress to pair with my Elodie Lily Cardigan and this one fits the bill well. (My Oratory Dress does too.) The high neckline is fantastic. Strapless without really feeling that way. The material is cotton with a hint of stretch — not quite enough stretch though. I am usually a small or an x-small in Deletta’s dresses but the chest on this one is cut so tightly that my normal size medium was best. There is a thick band that starts at the side of the bodice and meets in an origami style in the back of the dress. It’s cool looking but adds some bulk to the dress. When I first put on my cardigan over it at home it looked like I was wearing some kind of back flaps. I pressed them down with a cool iron and that seemed to fix the issue. I couldn’t resist buying this dress.
Girls From Savoy gives pretty necklines a try with the Dried Leaves Dress ($158). I’m surprised to see such a wintry dress in August. It seems…odd. The boiled wool material is nice and thick without being scratchy.
I tried on my usual size medium which fit comfortably. The piping down the front helps to slim and the pullover styling is a quirky touch. The leaves are cute but I feel that it makes this dress seem juvenile. The style of the leaves is not as sophisticated as what we’ve seen on the Felted Lei Cardigan or the Starflower Cardigan in the past. My biggest issue here is the price. It’s a boiled wool shift with felt leaves on it. I was guesstimating this dress at $98. I was rather shocked to see the real price. For now a definite pass.
