A few months ago I ordered a dress from the website of New Zealand designer Karen Cole. I very much liked the design of the Grecian dress and was looking for something in a deep, vivid blue. When the dress arrived it was an exceptionally good fit but there were two problems: first it was the wrong blue (this is always difficult to see online) and second, it was extremely creased so I sent it back. I also felt that at £132 it was rather expensive for what was, after all, a simple jersey dress. I felt rather bad about this as I like small designers who make clothes for real women, but it wasn't what I wanted.
Before I went to Toronto I found the blue dress I'd been looking for in Nicole Farhi and was disappointed in another dress I'd been waiting to come in, having seen a sample, and which was turned out to be smock rather than empire line. So I still had a space for a dress.
I still kept on thinking about the Grecian dress, because it was such a very good shape, and though I need another black dress like a fish needs the proverbial bicycle, I reordered it. This came it came with no creases.
I spent a lot of time last night looking at this dress. Without the creases I could see that the exact weight of the jersey makes it hang incredibly well and that the cut, which appears simple, is actually quite cunning. It outlines my waist while flattening my hips (a bit). Further, the low neckline is perfect for displaying a scarf, as I discovered when I played around. Which breaks up the black.
Karen Cole is now on sale, 20% off if you enter TWENTY as the discount code. And I'm going to recommend it. Which I usually don't.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
A change of heart
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9 comments:
Hmmm. Although I told the sales associate I needed another black jersey dress like a hole in the head, after trying on a multitude of printed options I came away with a sleeveless Teenflo self-lined jersey dress. Maybe I should go play with some scarves ...
Linda, could you advise on sizing? What size did you buy and what size are you normally? Many thanks
Um, compared with what? Top Shop? I thought the sizing was pretty true to what it said on the site. ie if you're a top shop 12, you'll want to go a size down but if you're an M&S 12, you'll want to stay within their range. It has a fair bit of stretch.
To me it's one of those dresses which is a canvas, a dress which if it suits your body type, as it does mine, will give you a very good shape against which you can accessorise. It's a dress which does not say look at me.
Hmm, wonder how it would look on someone short an big-busted?
déjà pseu, hard to know via a website - I really can't buy online for that reason - but the style is fine; looking at that dress, I like it very much.
Also short and busty...
Linda, what body shape does it suit? It's very hard to tell on the picture, the dress being dark.
geri
Pear shape. At least that's my shape and it works for me. I have a very defined waist, narrow shoulders and big hips. Not big bum, but the bit that sticks out on either side below the waist which you would see if you drew an hourglass shape.
Thanks!
geri
Damned if I didn't order it. In blue. (I'm a tall hourglass, sz XL.)
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