Guest Post: Reviews by Betsy

Please join me in welcoming Betsy back with another round of guest reviews. Betsy’s reviews are always an entertaining read, and I love that she picks items that are different from my aesthetic. Interested in writing a guest post? Email me or click the “contact” link near the top of the blog. On to the reviews…

Hi all! I’m excited to take another crack at some guest reviews. My first choice was the Hanging Gardens Top by Deletta ($78). Normally I don’t go for tops with this style of oversized cut. I feel kind of like batman in them. But the moment I saw the beautiful trailing flower print on this one, I was a goner. Had to try it on immediately. I tried both a 6 and an 8 (my normal size at the moment). While both worked fine, I think that the 8 ultimately had a better fit in the hip area, so that’s the one I photographed. The fit of this top is actually quite flattering, mostly due to its fitted taper at the hips and elegant drape (rayon). I love the scoop neck that shows off my collarbone, and pairs well with a simple necklace – my little silver link necklace looked awesome with it. And the print? I felt like I was frolicking in a lovely garden. Frolic! Frolic! It looked good with the jeans I tried on, but I also think it would be pretty with a skirt or belted over the top. I really want this one RIGHT NOW IMMEDIATELY OMG but I’m trying to be better about impulse control. Sticking it on my wishlist and crossing my fingers for sale.

The Diamond Sky Skirt by Lil ($98) looked silky, flirty, and fun!  Once on, I realized that the print inexplicably reminds me of Pebbles Flintstone.  On the website, the front tie is left to drape down; in the store, they had it tied into a poofy bow that pooched out in the front.  I prefer the drape, so that’s how I modeled it.  I tried this in a 10 – the waist seemed rather petite – and paired it with the Portrait Perfect tee in orange.  It sat right at the waist… and daaaang!  Showed a lot of leg, a fact that seemed even more obvious with the heels I had on.  There’s a lot of material to this, though it’s light silk and quite drapey.  I think I’d prefer it as a summer skirt, paired with sandals.  I like it, but couldn’t wear it to  work, so this one is probably not for me.

 

The Cultural Heritage Skirt ($128) by Yoana Baraschi, on the other hand, would be work-appropriate. Oh, how I do swoon for a good pencil skirt! I think the 8 would have fit in the waist, but once again, I reached for the 10 – when your hips and rear are shaped like mine, you’ve got to accommodate ‘em. I love the larger polka dots on the waist coupled with the smaller ones on the body of this navy skirt. And the red stitched dart lines provide a really adorable contrast. You’d definitely want to tuck in whatever top you were wearing in order to showcase this skirt’s cute details. I can see it with a crisp white button-down and big pearls. It’s long, too, almost modestly so – reached just below my knees. I could do with an inch shorter, but you can’t win them all. Overall a really classic piece with fun updates. Wishlisted!

The Tessera Dress’s ($168) neckline reeled me right in.  I love that sweetheart action, though my bra did show a bit at the corners – you’d probably need a balconnet or demi bra with it.  The keyhole in the back is nice, and there’s some smocking below it to make for a more forgiving fit (this is an 8).  It hit just above the knee and had disguised pockets in the front (nice).  Oh, and this dress?  Is light as air.  Totally not a winter dress.  It is made of silk and not lined.  You would freeze your booty off in all but the warmest weather.  And you might need a slip to avoid being indecent in the sunshine.   Additonally, once I looked at the photos, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the print.  What do y’all think?  Does it scream “Swiss hausfrau?”  Should there be a dude in lederhosen posing next to me?  I’m just not sure.  Too many drawbacks for the price.  Back to the rack!

The Night Moves Chemise ($68) by Jonsey is marketed as a nightgown, but I liked the look of it so much on the website, I wanted to see if I might pull it off in public.  No mediums available, so this is a large.  The material was stretchy and the cut forgiving enough that I might even have been able to wear a small – in the photos this does look a bit big.  The skirt portion has two ruffled layers that are (much) higher in the front, and drape down longer in the back.  LOVE that asymmetry.  It’s not indecently short, and it actually looked really good with heels.  It’s swingy, too.  Light and flowy.  This… is fun.  It’s really fun.  It makes me want to tango around the room with a rose clenched in my teeth.  And perhaps do the Cha-Cha at some point.  I’m not sure how I’d wear it exactly – maybe with a cardigan over the top and tights, or a cute blouse underneath.  I think it could be worked into a daytime wardrobe fairly well, and would be really fun and kind of daring on its own with heels to go out. 


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