J Crew Sunbleached Flower Crinkle Tee & Weekend Review

J Crew Sunbleached Flower Crinkle Tee (#19095, $42.50). I have been seeing this tee pop up on Polyvores all over the place. So I had it on my check-it-out-next-time-I'm-at-J-Crew list. And then I found out the applique was actually black. And then I saw a really cute PV set Jillie made with cardi and jeans. And then I saw FFM's PV set pairing the tee with black cropped pants. I was done. It went on the definitely-getting-it-unless-it's-really-awful list. I love navy and black together. And I had a chance to get it last night.

So a few other DC JCAs and I met up last night at Montgomery Mall for supper at Nordstrom Cafe and then a little shopping jaunt to J Crew. We brought 2 of the mini-Aficionadas with us, E (mine) and CW (Dina's). The little girls had fun and E thought CW was the most adorable thing in the world. (who doesn't, really?) I wish I had pics to post but hubby & M went to the NASCAR race at Dover and took the camera. But Summer had hers and got a pic, so hopefully that will up on her blog later (hint, hint). Great girls, great time.

Back to the tee - Love love loved it. I actually ended up getting the L as I wanted shrinkage room and I felt the M was a little lumpy/bulgy on me. (hate it when the back bra straps show) And the L has more shoulder swinging room, not that I'm planning any YMCA dances today. So it's a size up from the boyfriend tissue tee, but the same size as my rosette tee and my silk-applique critter bow tee.

I love the caspian blue color - so pretty. The "flowers" are done in silk habotai. But I'll be totally honest with you, I am just referring to this as the "swirly tee." Flowers, whatever, I'm much more concrete than that.

One thing to be careful of (can't believe I'm calling attention to this) is the right hand flower. It's fine in the L because it sits a little lower, but in the M, it had the pasty on top of your shirt effect - yep, drew attention right to that. So if that bugs you, you may want to switch up your sizing a bit. Then again, maybe some people like that, follow your bliss.

I am wearing it today with my black cropped pants (the ones that I had tailored from too-short regular Gap pants into perfect ankle length) in a blatant rip-off of the PV set that FFM made. I love this with black pants. But I'm also going to love it with my white jeans and light khaki bottoms, too. I went with black sandals, Dina hoops, and a few bracelets. I'm not sure how a necklace would work with this - whether it would compete or enhance. But for me, I thought there was enough going on with the design.

Polyvore for today:


Wearing Today-5/31/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Polyvore set #1 from Saturday, E's soccer game: (Wish I had gotten pics as my friend Laura and I both showed up to the game in charcoal gray knit dresses. different styles, thank goodness.)

Wearing Earlier Today - 5/30/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Nike accessories

Polyvore set #2 from Saturday, meeting JCA's out for supper & shopping:

Wearing Later Today-5/30/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Wearing Today and a Tale of Three Necklaces

E is back in school, Lucy seems to be doing better and we were done with our walk before the torrential wind & rain blew through, and M is still healthy {knocks on wood}. All is well.

It is warm and humid...or at least it was, apparently the rain dropped the temp from 88 to 70. But the sunshine is back out.

A good day for JC's ringspun painter tee and linen-cotton seaside pants. And of course, I pulled out the Target Samala peep toe flats - but I am afraid they are done in. I totally tripped while we were walking because, well, I'm not at all graceful and that scuffed off the material covering the whole front of the shoe. It's awful looking. I guess that's what happens when you wear cheap shoes from Target (like I do so often). At least I wore them a bunch before this happened. Still...don't know that I can justify getting another pair if this happens so easily, and hello, I would definitely want to wear them for walking because of the comfort factor. Major bummer.

But enough about shoes for now, let's talk necklaces. The one I'm wearing today is a particular favorite that I got from BR last winter, on sale for about $24.99. I love the mixed metal chains. I love the sparkle on the pendant. I don't love that it will snag the occasional sweater, but I can deal with it usually. It's just a unique fun piece and it looked so fab paired with the Samala pewter flats...which just bit the dust. Oh well. Necklace works with a lot of other things, too.

I have 2 J Crew necklaces to post about as well.

The first is the Cherry Blossom Necklace (#17074, orig $75, curr $49.99). I spied it in the sale jar at checkout last time I was there, in shadow. It also comes in deep rose which looks pretty. I loved the smoke, as I love the smoky quartz look. However, when I came home and tried it on, it seems a little noisy - noisier than I would expect it to be. Pics with black dress and gray tee.











And I also saw this - oops - dent in the tubular bead. If that's how it came home, I worry how easily it can happen again. Guess it's definitely going back.


The second necklace is one I was eyeing in the catalog and in store. And then, when I ordered the 2 dresses with 20% off, I decided to take the plunge, as even just 1 kept item more than justified the 20% off. (My version of J Crew Math, which isn't nearly as entertaining as Paper Bag Princess' J Crew Math)

It's the Double Strand Confetti Necklace (#17075, $98). The beads are a cream color (or rather, champagne quartz), but they aren't pearls. I like that they are a change from pearls. I mean, who doesn't love pearls, but a change in nice sometimes. I think the length is perfect and it can tackle just about any vneck without being too short. And well, I just loved the exuberance of the necklace.

The problem with that exuberance is that IRL, it almost seemed a little too messy for me. Pics with black dress and gray tee.

I am leaning very much toward returning this one. I like it, but don't know that it's worth FP or just 20% off. I think I'll wait this one out. Gigi did a review of the confetti necklace along with some F21 potential subsitutions.

And I can't forget Polyvore set for today:


Wearing Today - 5/29/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew



Happy Weekend!!

Wearing Today - Polyvore Inspiration

Don't you love it when you are browsing around Polyvore in the evening and see a set and go "Oooh, I am totally wearing that tomorrow!" That was me last night, cdp had a set with a gray tee and white jeans, and I decided that was exactly what I felt like wearing today.

Cute, comfy, and cool - since I had 1 sick kid home today (she had a fever going to bed but it broke overnight and was gone, but no school today - got to be fever free for 24 hours and it really kills me when parents just try to dump their kids back on school too early). But I digress, as usual... And we had to go to the vet as Lucy is having tummy issues again. And you *really* don't want me going into detail. But I am happy with course of treatment and hope we will be straightened out soon.

Of course, the gray tee is a bf tissue, and the usual white Chicos jeans. But I am thinking about trying a pair of white matchsticks this weekend. I do need to get a pick of the regular matchsticks to post on, compared to the outlet ones. Anyway...sparkled up with a cute multi-chain BR necklace and my pewter Target Samala flats. Have you all tried those shoes? They are so comfy. I really need to check out the black ones. I didn't even need the jacket. So many thanks to cdp and Polyvore for making this morning a little easier for me!

Polyvore for Today:

Wearing Today-5/28/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Lots to post on tomorrow as dresses & necklace arrived today.

I know this has been a pretty boring post so I will share with you this commercial that I just saw and it totally cracked me up. Enjoy and have a good evening!

J Crew Cotton Ruffle Tank and Harbour Oxford Capri

Dressing Room Review - J Crew Cotton Ruffle Tank (#15697, $69.50) and Harbour Oxford Capri (#15382, $59.50). Hehehe, I love that it's harbour, not harbor. I love the colours. They are my favourite. (I'll stop now.)

I tried these on last week and my B&M. Let's start with the top. The Cotton Ruffle Tank is such a fun summer piece. Loved it! I tried it in white, but it is also available in papaya, stone, dark mushroom, and navy. I tried on an 8 because it looked loose at the bottom. And that size was perfect. So if you aren't curvy or busty, you may want to size down. The white wasn't that sheer, compared to many other tops, so you wouldn't have to wear a cami underneath it. Major bonus! And I love a crisp white top in the summer. The neckline is just like the Ruffled Cotton Sateen Dress. I did not get the top because I already have a white sleeveless ruffled top from ATL from last summer, so I didn't think I needed 2. Although I certainly wore that other top a lot, and it needed a cami. If I still worked in an office, I would definitely scoop it up. But how cute would it be with jeans and a cardi? Hmmmm....lots of thoughts to think.

On to the bottoms...it appears that the Harbour Oxford Capri is only available online in khaki. My B&M had plenty in the blue. Unfortunately, since the blue is not online (and these are after all, crappy pics I took with my BlackBerry), you can't really see the detail, but it's just like an oxford shirt, with the blue and white thread, which is what I love about it. They are just so darn cute & preppy. The cut is nice and lean. They are perfect for spring & summer. I got a 10, I believe, and it was fine. With the lighter color, I am always leery of sizing down because they can be much more revealing.

(Current) Final Verdict - I brought home the capris in blue but not the tank. If I don't get the ruffled cotton sateen dress, I may pick up the top. I have not worn the capris yet, but will soon I am sure.

IRL Dressing Room Pic (on right is a better pic of the top, worn with the stretch summerweight bermudas). What do you think of the tank and capris? Do you have either piece?

J Crew Cashmere Cabin Popover - Yes, it is May 26 and I am wearing cashmere

The J Crew Cashmere Cabin Popover (#12525, orig $178, curr $129.99). I first noticed this in one of 3-Penny Princess' Polyvore sets and loved it. Headed over to the Crew site, and sure enough there were Ms & Ls. 3-PP was gracious enough to answer my million sizing questions - and I went ahead and ordered the M, with the 20% off. It fits perfectly! Thanks, 3-PP, you are awesome!!

So imagine my delight, or at least adeptness at the lemons-to-lemonade transformation, when we got 60 degrees and torrential rain the day after Memorial Day. Hmmmm, cashmere today, I think. I have mentioned my love for cashmere, haven't I? Oh wait, it's been so warm lately and I've just been waxing poetic about the boyfriend tissue tees. So cashmere...soft, so soft, really really soft. Mmmmmmm. Ok, I'm done. But still very tactile, clearly.

It really was the perfect sweater today with the weather. Cozy, but not too heavy. And not too sheer, either (I know we've all had our issues with that.) I love the shawl collar and the kangaroo pocket on the front. Very nice details. The cut is slim but not the least bit constricting (in other words, bulge-revealing). The sleeves are 3/4 length, but since the sweater length is longer, they don't give you the dreaded horizontal line right across mid-hip that some 3/4 sleeves do. I anticipate wearing this 3 seasons out of 4.

I paired the sweater with a plain white tank, my outlet matchstick jeans, the Target Samala peep toes, and Anthro initial necklace. (And, to be honest, my garden clogs when I walked to the bus stop to get the kids this afternoon. The rain let up but it was so wet & soggy!)


It was a fun day today. M's class had an Author's Tea this afternoon where they showed us a compilation of a lot of their writing over the year. They had an illustrated story bound, a poetry journal, a bound report on a national landmark, and several other pieces. Very nice. And they all are just so cute. I think when I was in 2nd grade, we were still writing in crayon.


Tomorrow is M's 9th birthday. I hope it will be a good day but E passed out on the sofa right after school and I put her to bed around 6:30 with Motrin and a fever of about 100.5-101. I didn't take the temp, but pulled the mom trick of kissing the forehead. I am accurate within .5 degrees. (M used to spike fevers all the time when he was younger, so I got good at it.)

Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today-5/26/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Old Navy

Here's hoping for better weather tomorrow to pull out the new swingy shirred pique shift. (thanks, Dina!) But oh, the cashmere was so yummy today.

Anatomy of a Bag and a Clinique Conversation

Well, ok, so I decided to keep the J Crew canvas boardwalk city tote in the tennis-ball-bright neon yellow. In the end, the color made me happy and I was dying to pull it out and use it with many of my neutral ensembles. And the color reminds me of summer because of how much my mom played tennis when I was growing up. I never caught the bug but my sister did.

Now, this is a wide open bag with 1 zip pocket, so the question naturally arises, how do you keep it organized? Rather, how do you find anything and prevent it from becoming a jumbled mess? I know some people swear by those pocket systems that you move from bag to bag, but I like my stuff in the middle where I can see it and get to it.

Here is the inside of my bag. I picked it up Saturday morning and didn't even try to neaten it, I swear. My sunglasses were, I believe, sitting on the counter, so they missed the pic.

How To Make It Work:

Key decision - what to put in the zip pocket. If you put too much in, you won't be able to find a thing. I have my BlackBerry, an all-purpose -works-with-every-look lipstick, blotting papers (seriously, these from Clean & Clear are the greatest!!), and my keys.

Key item #1 - The plastic-Velcro envelope. I use clear for coupons, red for receipts, and purple for prescriptions to fill or other lists. (Get the alliteration? I'm such a geek.) They are easy to get into, thanks to the Velcro. And because they are translucent, you can even see what's inside the red or purple ones. I got mine at Target, who unfortunately doesn't seem to carry them any more, so I'll have to check Staples or Office Depot for a replacement. This saves a lot of miscellaneous pieces of paper floating around. And the receipt envelope saves on weight & width of the wallet.

Key item #2 - Mini-purse catchall. For mints, band-aids, tissues, additional lipstick/balm, brush, lotion, pill bottle (OTC of course), pen, market, head band...basically all the stuff that is usually rolling around loose in your purse. With a bag this size, you can't have all that little stuff just littering the bottom.

Here's the outside. Yep, it's the Trina Turk bag from the current Nordstrom's Clinique bonus. What I really love is that it is a bit bigger than your standard makeup bonus bag. Plus the colors - yummy, they scream summer.

And the products seem pretty good, too. I don't love the lotion, but I always love trying their colors.

Includes:
- Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips (1.7 oz.)
- Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (1 oz.)
- Blushwear Cream Stick in Rosy
- Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Sun Burst
- Lash Doubling Mascara in Black (0.14 oz.)
- Different Lipstick in Tenderheart
- Superfit Makeup (0.5 oz.)

Just in case you are wondering what to get to qualify for the bonus ($25 purchase), I have a few suggestions:

#1 - Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick ($14). I love this lipstick. I am just not a lipgloss girl. Too sticky. This gives me the best of both lipstick and gloss - sheer color, shine, not too sticky. Great colors to boot. I have Ambrosia (great summer orange), Poppy Love (a nude-y pink they don't seem to have any more), and Raspberry Rush (yummy raspberry for summer that I just got). I also tried Fresh Watermelon - another great summer color.

#2 - Lash Power Mascara ($14). I have been a fan of this since last spring. It's my standard summer mascara. I also use (per GingerSnap's excellent recommendation) the L'Oreal Beauty Tubes Double Extend Mascara. But this one is just a little easier, with 1 formula to apply. It's not as volumizing, but just so summer-appropriate for me. (still keep the tubes for the vavavoom lashes, though.) The new Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Mascara, which I tried at $23 for a tube was so similar I was amazed, except that the Clinique mascara was better. Bobbi's formula was a little too wet for me and I looked like I had black dots on very weird places around my eye. Big, huge fan of the Lash Power. The tube is nice & skinny, so it packs easily, too.

#3 - SPF 45 Targeted Sun Protection Stick ($17.50). I had the previous version, in SPF 30 from 2 summers ago, so it needed to be replaced. I use this religiously on my lips - and on my eyes, which often sting from sunscreen. It's easy enough to take a quick swipe. This newer version is oil-free, so I will probably start using on my nose since I feel like the sunscreen slides off there first. I love love love this. And if you haven't seen my sun safety rant from a couple weeks ago, you should. Ok, off soapbox.

UPDATE - I just got an email that says the promotion runs through June 6.

Memorial Day Weekend Review

First of all, I would like to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. I wish I could be eloquent, but instead I will direct you to Lula Mae's post and Joyce's post about the holiday. So well said. Thank you, ladies.

We started with work-day on Saturday to get things picked up, organized, and set up for M's birthday party here at the house on Sunday. Once all the sweaty work was done, we hit the pool because hello, opening day and it's actually not thunderstorming or 65 degrees.

Post-pool, I actually got dressed in normal clothes. It was hot, hot, hot, so a definite day for the white gauze skirt and a Target boyfriend tissue tee - flamingo that day. Hair up, Dina hoops, fireball necklace...good to go.

And can I tell you how much I am loving my Havaianas Fit flip flops? Because the strap holds the back on so it's much less strain on your feet. Yay, happy feet! My mom got a pair a couple of weeks ago per my suggestion and I ordered a pair for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. Just trying to spread the joy here, folks.

Polyvore for Friday:

Wearing Today-5/23/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

In other exciting (to me) news...Lucy turned 5 months old on Friday. She is just over 30 pounds, so I guess we are halfway to her projected adult weight of 60-65 pounds. And I think she's teething because she has developed a new love for everyone's shoes in the last couple of weeks. She will try to pick up my sandals right in front of me to go chew on. The only casualty so far is a pair of E's sparkly pink flip flops from last summer that needed to be tossed anyway. (thank you, Lucy!) And we have birthday pics...trying to get her in front of the peonies that managed to survive her daily presence. (the secret was the 3 little coated wire panels of fencing that allowed them to grow just high enough and kept her from jumping directly on them)

And this one is "is she done yet? can I go now, please?"

Sunday was M's party and well... we were just too busy and I didn't get pics. Outfit wasn't too exciting - but did include the new Gap outlet khaki shorts which were way comfy. I'll get a pic of them soon, I think. But the party was a blast - we had an backyard splash party with 2 slip-n-slides and a huge inflatable pool. Great for a group of 8 & 9 year old boys. M loved it. And then friends invited us over for dinner so, yay! we didn't have to cook.

For dinner, I wore a cute little black knit shift dress from AT Loft last summer. So comfy & easy. Flat black sandals, silver hoops & cuff, I'm good to go! It's practically mindless dressing. No Polyvore since the dress isn't on PV and I actually couldn't find a great stand in. But I paired it with a lavender Jackie later when it got cold.

And since I couldn't Polyvore the outfit, here is my dress pic for future Polyvores: (just scroll on down, sorry)

And pic of the sliver cuff. It's Silpada, but a discontinued piece. I love it. (polyvoring this one, too, sorry, scroll along) (And guess what? Now I can Polyvore Sunday night's outfit! It is a sickness, really it is.)

And, blissfully, no plans today. We did some yard work to clean up from the party and take care of a plum tree that hubby had to chop down last weekend while I was away (long story) that was sitting out back behind the fence just waiting for us to break it all down. So we have 2 bags of yard waste for the recycle truck on Thursday and a pile of wood to use in the outdoor fireplace.

Never mind the corner of the yard where he chopped down the tree that I need to re-landscape or re-configure or re-something. I know it needed to be done, but still...

So today's outfit incorporates my version of Summer Sweats - the C9 running skort from Target. It's cute, it's comfy, it's cool. Works with just about any tee or tank. My sister and her friends actually get these for tennis. I love it for walking or the occasional jog, since I have actually started doing just a little jogging with Lucy - I despise it, but she loves it.

Skort with BF tissue tee, cami, and the french terry double zip hoodie (which was perfect after the rain when it cooled down), and the Havaianas. A relaxing outfit for a relaxing day. I feel very lifeguard-y in this outfit.

We grilled pizzas for dinner. On the grill. We each made our own. (Did I mention what a fantastic cook hubby is? Makes his own dough, since clearly I'm not going to.) I made my knockoff of a pizza that Fat Tony's here has - the Pizza Gina - crust, sauce, mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, goat cheese, and pesto. Of course, I can only think of the fab John Candy/Dan Akroyd flick, The Great Outdoors, whenever I think about goat cheese pizza - but that is one of my fave flicks.

Polyvore for Monday:

Wearing Today-5/25/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Wearing Today - Inspred by the Start of Pool Season

I think I must have been inspired by the pool opening this weekend. I went with all blue-green today. It's also a pretty close replica of my yellow/navy combo here that seemed to go over well, and that I really liked. Started out with the navy Nicky skirt. Swapped out the yellow ringspun painter tee for one in aqua green (which I got on sale 2 weeks ago for 9.99, yay for in store markdowns). Swapped out the Erickson Beamon bubble necklace for the J Crew fireball. And added sandals instead of flats because it is 80 degrees outside.

I love this Nicky skirt. Even though I had to iron it this morning. which I hate. I hate ironing and try to buy as few needs-ironing clothes as possible, and that would probably explain my tendency toward sweaters and tees. I can use Downy Wrinkle Reducer Spray on those. Have you all ever used it? It works so well, it's just like magic. A friend of mine was laughing at me until I actually showed her. Now she is a convert.

Ironing aside, it's a great outfit for a warm day because it's comfy and easy but not so sloppy. I actually find skirts/dresses to be more comfortable in hot weather than shorts. They may not always be practical, but I try to stretch it when I can.

Polyvore for today:



Wearing Today-5/22/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


ps - don't forget to help me pick which dress in the post below. Thanks!

Some More J Crew Dresses - Group 2 (Under Consideration)

To follow up on yesterday's post, here are the dresses that I am really liking and having a hard time deciding among. And I have decided I can only get 1, so it has to be the right choice. (all you enablers, go home.) I included the catalog pics in non-dark colors, so you can see the detail better.

#1 – Ruffled Cotton Sateen Dress (#15199, $110). This is the dress that Summerilla was wearing for the DC JCA tea in dark mushroom. It also comes in classic navy, papaya, and warm shell. Well, of course, I made a beeline for the navy when I went to try it on.

I don’t usually do belts, as you know. And I don’t usually do anything that ties at the waist. But this dress ties a bit above the waist, so it sits in a good spot. I love the feel of the cotton sateen. The ruffle around the neck is a fabulous detail.
But the best detail, that you don’t even see in the online pics, is that the lining is finished with a pleated hem “for added flounce.” Too cute!!

You can see Summerilla’s pic in the dress here.


#2 – Tiered Linen Playa Dress (#15191, $138). This is the dress that Slastena was wearing for the DC JCA tea in papaya. I tried the papaya but it was not saturated enough on me – it just was kinda blah with my skin tone. But I really liked the white.

The main question is how often would I wear this? And, is it too young for me? But, as I commented on someone’s post about this dress…I felt so light…almost ethereal – and finding something that can make me (5’10”, size 8…in the dress) feel ethereal…that’s quite an accomplishment.

You can see Slastena’s pics of the dress here. And reviews by Gigi and J’Adore These Stores.


#3 – Stretch Cotton Sateen Daphne Dress (#12600, $128). This is very similar in cut to the dress I wore to the DC JCA tea. (Have you sensed the theme here? It’s a good thing there weren’t more ladies there or this list would be a mile long.) My dress was a knit from AT Loft about a year and a half ago, so this would be an upgrade. The Loft dress will be starting to show its age very soon. But it always makes for a perfect backdrop. And it always feels “right” no matter the occasion.

I loved the way the Daphne fit, so I think it would be a great replacement. The shirring in the bodice is so pretty and gives some added detail to the rather simple shape. It feels a bit Mad-Men-ish to me (which, of course, is a good thing).



So what do you think?

#1 – Ruffle dress in navy
#2 – Playa dress in white
#3 – Daphne dress in black
#4 – None of the above

Some J Crew Dresses - Group 1 (not under consideration, but for information and entertainment)

Lots of cute J Crew dresses out there right now. And I took several for a try-on last week when I was at the store. I actually am curious about your opinion on 3 of them. But...first up... a couple that are not even under consideration for me, but thought I would post for both information and entertainment value:

#1 - the Drawstring shirtdress (#14940, $69.50). When Summerilla described the dress to me at tea, I was interested. So I tried it on. Just did not work. I actually think it looks better in the IRL pic than it did in the mirror, so you can imagine how bad it was on me.

The dress comes in sahara and navy. The fabric is really nice and lightweight, making it a perfect summer dress, even with the sleeves. (And I don't know about you, but I always freeze in AC.) But because the fabric is so lightweight and the skirt has some fullness, I felt rather breezy in back - like the skirt could fly up at any moment and I wouldn't even know. Not a comfortable feeling. I tried this in an M, and it felt big on me, but I don't think I could do an S. I like how the sleeves are rolled in the catalog pic, but I don't think that would save it on me.

The problem with the fit on me is that I have high hips. My hips don't curve out gradually, like a feminine shape, they jut out like a rectangle - it's weird, but hey, I know how to work with it, so I wouldn't change it - but it makes dresses like this with a waist on the actual waistline fit weird. Who would look good in this? Someone a little shorter, so that you won't worry about the skirt flying up, and someone who has a semi-normal waist - could be really cute and a great summer piece (and at a nice price!). Just wasn't the piece for me.

#2 - the Cotton bonbon dress (#15324, $78). Ok, I'll admit finding out the real name of this dress almost made me reconsider it because I love the bonbon idea. But no, it really was not good on me. But it could be good on someone. I didn't try this on because I was seriously considering it. Rather, it was because I saw it in store after hearing about it. (Again, Summerilla had tipped me off. Have you seen her blog? Way cute, check it out.) Anyway, to totally date myself again here, all I could think of was Sarah Jessica rocking this with a big scrunchie holding her side ponytail. I'm pretty sure I saw this actual dress in Footloose. And you know what they say about repeating a trend that you were around for the first time...

The dress comes in navy, dark charcoal, spearmint, and seashell. The cotton lawn trim around the neckline is very pretty. And the knit top is quite comfy. The dress has definite possibilities...for someone else. If you don't have much of a shape on the bottom, it can definitely give you one. And if you aren't exactly smooth across the rear (you know, the whole VPL thing), no worries because the tiers camouflage all of that. I tried an M, and the top was just too vacant. But the S was too tight across the ribcage. I think if you had a non-curvy/straight figure, this would be the definitive dress to give you curves.

Updates: J'Adore These Stores also did a review of the bonbon dress, as well as Laura in Real Life.

I am realizing that including the 3 contenders would make this post waaaaay to long, so....

Next up: the dresses under consideration.