So, the other day I got to musing that I should try to replace my fairly worn LBD with a Little Blue Dress before my trip. http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....eath-dress

Most of you wisely counselled me to wait.

But afterwards I just (cough) HAPPENED to notice this Ralph Lauren dress at the Bay. On sale. http://www.ralphlauren.com/pro.....Color=Blue

In my defence, even if I hadn't noticed it, Glory would have alerted me to it. (It's all your fault, Glory!)

I haven't styled it -- just showing two sizes.

This is not the UR Little Blue Dress.

This is not even the replacement for my black jersey dress. It is quite different.

It is basically a sweater dress, and therein lie its virtues and its faults. But I find myself strangely attracted to it and need your thoughts. I guess the attraction is simply that it feels quite good on. Easy, know what I mean?

Pros: colour is great. Underarm and neckline good. Length good (on 5'4" me -- WHAT do taller women do??? This is NOT petite! ) Fabric feels nice - is a good weight for spring. (60% cotton, 40% modal). Washable. Feels "easy" to wear, so works well with my largely casual life. Packs without wrinkling. Can by layered under and over. Relatively inexpensive.

Cons: Will it bag out? The back is ribbed, which might help to prevent some bagging. But past experience with sweater dresses suggests that they tend to do this. Not a good thing.

Does not pack to as small a size as my black sheath.

Is it just TOO casual? Can I take it to dinner and the theatre? Is it a waste of money if I am still looking for a much better quality sheath (which I am)? Do I need it?

Note that I do already have a navy tube skirt in a midi length which I am planning to bring on the trip and I might not even bring this dress with me to London for that reason (but might bring the black instead).

However, apart from the worn black sheath I only own one other spring weather dress and that one is a bit difficult to wear as it has a somewhat demanding pattern -- so I might be consigning it or passing it along. (It was also donated to me by a friend so wasn't my choice in the first place).

Also, I have another small trip in May which will involve dinners out and theatre, plus my usual city jaunts, where I like to dress smart casual vs. casual.

#1,2,3 are the XS. It is a bit more body con and a fraction shorter. However, if the dress is going to stretch, that might be a non-issue. Hubs liked this size best at first but then wavered.

#4/5/6 is the S. It is looser fitting, almost as loose as my black dress. Hubs said that you could see extra fabric in front when I bent and moved, but he could also see why I might prefer it. Note that I wore it for a while yesterday, trying stuff on, so it might be more "adjusted" to my shape than the XS.

Would love your thoughts! Thank you!