Showing posts with label ruffles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ruffles. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Banana Republic Fitting Room Reviews: July

Dear Readers,

The other day, I realized that most (well, probably all) of my reviews are for clothing from Anthropologie.  While this is one of my favorite stores, it is not the only store where I shop.  There are other fine retailers who I frequent quite often: Banana Republic being one of those places.  Over the years I've found that their sale items are priced much lower in stores than online (as a general rule of thumb).

Earlier this month I received a few emails about a sale at Banana Republic that enticed me enough to stop by my local BR store.  Here are a few of the items I tried on.

Silk Ikat Pencil Skirt in Blue, available here
I tried this skirt on in a 6, my usual size, but I found that the skirt had an odd fit.  Upon trying on the size 8, I was relieved when I found out that it was a pencil skirt. While the skirt was silky and beautifully colored, I decided to pass on the skirt because it had no lining.  Even though the skirt was made out of silk, it was a very thin silk that (in my opinion) needed some sort of lining.

Jersey Ballerina-esque Dress in Pale Blue
This dress reminded me a lot of Degas' paintings and sculptures of ballerinas- maybe a modern interpretation? I tried this dress on in a small and found it to be an excellent fit but I decided to pass on it because I couldn't think of a place where I could wear it. It was too formal for average-every-day-wear and the jersey fabric was too casual to wear to wedding or party. Very fun. . . but a bit too whimsical for me!
Silk Floral Knotted Dress in Green Combo available here
When I first spotted this dress in an email from BR, I decided that it was something I had to try on.  Upon trying it on, I discovered that it was, indeed, a lovely dress of verdant hues but that the draping was slightly off.  From the front it was fine (as you can see in the photo) but from the side the fabric awkwardly centered in the middle of my chest.  No thanks BR!

Pink Print Silk Dress
When I looked at this dress it looked like it ran big, so I grabbed a 4 for the fitting room and found that it, in fact, did not run large.  The fabric's print was delicious and it seemed to liven up an otherwise ordinary  dress style.  I recommend this dress for those of you who want to beat the summer heat while also dressing like professionals. Good job BR!


Thanks for reading!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Layers, Sparkles, and Boots OR You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile


Happy Friday Readers!

This morning was difficult: the person I was supposed to meet with this morning didn't show up, the camera in my first speaking class didn't work and the projector's light bulb was not in working order. This morning was a mess- but I guess not every day can be a day at the spa (like yesterday).

Despite these setbacks, readers, there is still a smile on my face thanks to: good friends (special thanks to Megan, Deanne, and Jasmine!), a positive attitude, and tickets to SLU's production of Much Ado About Nothing (and the prospect of a cupcake).

Today, I took a cue from the musical Annie, and completed my outfit with a smile (because "you're never fully dressed without a smile"). Also, I wore things that make me smile: a sparkly headband, a ruffly blouse, my favorite pair of cords, and boots.

Here is how I put it all together:

Retail Details:
Grey Sparkly Headband: J.Crew
Grey Cable Sweater: Abercrombie & Fitch
Off-White Ruffled Blouse: Odille (Anthropologie)
White Eyelet Tank: American Eagle Outfitters
Olive Green Cords: AG Stevie Cords (Anthropologie)
Greyish-Brownish Boots: Anne Klein

*NOTE: I am featuring another contest next week. Keep your eyes peeled!