Seapanes: Dress Review & ootd

    Oh, how I loved this dress when I saw it on Anthropologie's site.  How patiently I waited for the day it would go on sale.  That day finally came and of course my size sold out.  But this dress popped up on a resale site for the same as it would have been on sale, so I bought it as part of my blue dress buying spree in October.  

    While it is a lovely dress, I'm actually pretty disappointed in several key features.  The dress has a slip sewn into it, which creates an odd, puckering fold at the waist.  This would have been easy to avoid this by simply having the slip be a separate piece.  The other glaring flaw is that this same slip does not go over the bra line at the back, so the bra shows through unless you want to add yet another layer.  

    I can't see myself wearing this dress much without some modifications.  I'm still thinking about how to fix these flaws, or if it's even possible.  I'll keep you posted.  In the mean time, if you happen to come across this dress on a resale site or market place like Ebay, I would not recommend paying much for it even in new condition.  This is an instance of a really cool design that was poorly executed and over priced.

Light and Visionary: Dress Review

    I was so excited to just look at this dress.  It felt like looking at a painting, some dreamy combination of Starry Night by Van Gough and Water Lilies by Monet.  Listed as the Light and Visionary Dress on ModCloth, this dress is made by Closet London and it does not disappoint. 

    Although this style says classy 50's housewife, with its heavy brocade style fabric, this dress is better suited for special occasions and cooler temps.  I love the full skirt, the fact that it came with its own belt, and of course my favorite color combination of blue, yellow, and ivory.

    Since the yellow is the least used color in this palette, I wanted to bring it out by styling this dress two ways with yellow accessories.  The first is with a mustard (or honey as it's listed on the site) cardigan, black shoes and belt, and lots of pearls.  For the second outfit I went more subtle on the yellow with just a yellow belt and gray heels.  I could also have worn a navy blue jacket or cardigan to make a more casual look.

Shop the Look:

Dress & cardigan are from ModCloth.com
Jewelry is handmade by me
Shoes are by Mojo Moxy

That Lil Blue Dress: ootd

I reeeeeeeally liked this dress by Dear Creatures, but all the reviews were pretty negative about the unflattering fit.  So, even when I found it on sale, it was never low enough to justify the risk.  However, during my search I came across Anthropologie's Harissa dress by Lil. 

This is  the one that started it all; the dress that launched Blue November.  The dress was pre-owned, but in great condition.  It looked so much like the dress I'd been searching for, but with a much better cut and I think it's a lovelier print and color too.  I couldn't find photos from Anthropologie's site, most likely due to the fact that this dress came out in 2007, but it is even more lovely in person than photos could express.

This brilliant blue with the white flowers sort of remind me of something from Lord of the Rings.  Everything about this dress is perfect, and I especially love the attention to detail on the back as well as the front.

I've already had a chance to wear it on an unseasonably warm day last week and this dress  is without a doubt my new favorite.  I've seen it pop up on several resale sites, so if you're interested, do a search every now and then for "Lil Harissa Dress" and one is sure to turn up sooner or later.

Something I always take time to consider when buying a dress is how versatile it is.  Since this is a cotton peasant dress, I didn't think it would be more than a casual dress.  But, when I tried it on with heels, I thought it looked pretty sharp.  A dress that looks just as beautiful dressed up with heels as it does dressed down with casual walking flats is a wardrobe essential.

These cute Teva walking flats were a gift from mum and I highly recommend them.  My sunnies and this kawaii France theme wallet were both found during our October visit to Harajuku in Tokyo.  The wallet is by a brand called Paquet du Cadeau (a Japanese brand as far as I can tell) and I absolutely adore it.  I am hoping to add a few more items from them on my next visit to Harajuku whenever that may be.

Shop the Look:

Dress by Lil from Anthropologie

Black Heels by Qupid

Walking Flats by Teva

Wallet by Paquet du Cadeau

Jewelry is handmade