Rustic Elegance

I know I've said it many times before but ModCloth started it all.  They were the place to get the most wonderful and unique vintage style clothes.  And then they changed.  Founder Susan Gregg Koger, A.K.A "Mod Susan," sold out to Walmart and ModCloth's soul was dead.  Walmart later sold MC after it had been gutted and strung up, and whomever is in charge now seems to be trying to make a comeback, but I've never been as crazy in love since the Susan-days.  For that reason, it's been years since I've bought anything from ModCloth directly and only purchase vintage MC second hand.  Until now.

An ad came across my instagram feed during Christmastime with an adorable cotton sweater, and it was so pretty and unique I decided to visit the site for a closer look.  While I was browsing I saw this vintage style button-down Rustic Elegance dress as well.  This dress retails for $109, but since I had a very nice holiday discount, I decided to purchase both sweater and dress.  

In the beginning, most ModCloth dresses cost $80-$100, standard.  That is a steep price now, but it was even more so in 2012.  And yet, we were all crazy for them because the dresses were generally worth it.  I decided way back then, as someone who had Zero dresses and nothing at all nice to wear, to work it into my budget to buy one per month for a year until I had a nice wardrobe built up.  At that time, ModCloth also sent a 20% promo code with every purchase, so I felt like I was getting a real bargain.   Each month was agonizing as I had to decided which to buy and which to let go perhaps forever as they tended to sell out quickly. 

Orignal ModCloth dresses (and those from the brands they carried like Retrolicious, Fervour, and Dear Creatures) were well made, unique clothes that were usually made by smaller brands in the US and UK, from natural fibers, in flattering styles and before the age of size inclusivity, were already offering a broader range of sizes than most.  They were worth every penny.  My most recent order?  Shipped from China, took three weeks to arrive, and this dress feels like very thin polyester flannel (even though it says it's 100% cotton).  It wrinkles easily and doesn't iron easily or well.  This, my friends, is not a $100 dress, it's $50 at best.  The sweater on the other hand is quite nice and probably worth its hefty price tag.  This dress certainly has its perks but I'm glad I got it on sale.  Under this current management, MC has made great strides but it's not back to its former glory.  Time will tell, I suppose.

Outfit Info:  Rustic Elegance Casual Dress in Sailor Sea Plaid from ModCloth, Bag from Ecosusi, Cardigan from YeMak