I'd pick #3 (has the slimming pleats), or #1 (has an flared bottom working for it). I would be concerned about boob fit issues with #2.

I'd hold out until some colors started appearing. It's only the beginning of the season, why not wait until the perfect one comes along?

I do love the shape, though, of the first one. I'd have to see it in person though and feel the fabric. I hate itchy dresses, and that one looks kind of itchy to me. I agree that the colors are boring. I've spent two seasons looking for the perfect sweaterdress, though, and I have a feeling compromise is going to have to come in somewhere.

Love no. 3 but you are right.. the color are boring. However you can accessorize with a colorful bag and a colorful belt and no one will think you are boring. I do it a lot!

Did Express get the YLF memo about the lack of cute sweater dresses last year? I think they're all great. I agree that #3 seems very Maya.

Maya, I agree with the others, dress #3 is so you. Perhaps Kristen is right and more options might open up if you wait a while?

I like the trapeze shaped one.

Maya, can you wear that gray? I would think gray would be versatile. Something in a color would be nice, but gray could be easily dressed up with a purple or yellow bag, chestnut boots...

I do like my black sweater dress but I really wish they had the gray version available last year. I would've much preferred the gray! And I love my purple sweater dress, but the reality is that it's just not as versatile, because the color is too memorable. Know what I mean?

Hmm, I realized today that the gray in the third one is different for the first two grays. I knew I liked the gray of the first two but couldn't place why, but now I see it's actually more of a blue-gray. I think if I went for the third one, I would go for the black. The other two would be gray.

Anyway I'm surprised that the third one is the winner so far. I thought the first one would be, since it's a silhouette I wear pretty regularly and nice and relaxed in the tummy. The third one could work if the pleats do their job, and don't distort where I'm biggest, but I'm skeptical.

Kristen, a sweater dress is one of the hardest things I have ever tried to find. I have been looking for two years, all year long. It's unrealistic to expect that I'm going to find one that is a nice color AND the right length AND the right neckline AND the right shape AND has long sleeves AND is the right material AND fits my budget. Color is probably one of the least important issues, so I'm willing to compromise on it. I can always jazz it up with accessories, as others have mentioned.

I like the first one best. Gosh, they're short though!

You know, most sweater dresses I've seen out have been black or gray. Boden has nice sweater dresses in interesting colors, or "knitted dresses" as they call them. I have one from 2 falls ago and it's a finer knit and not as bad to pill as a thicker knit one I have. I'll probably get another this fall if they go on sale.

Here's a link to my favorite cut this year:

http://www.bodenpreview.com/en.....Dress.html

Oh wow I had no idea about the Boden preview site. Thanks Melody! You say Express' dresses are short, but for me they're actually around knee length. I never judge by how they look on the model. Chances are if they are short on the model, they'll be perfect on me. Boden's dresses are always too long, and since knitted dresses can't be hemmed they would not work for me (and they are way too expensive too). I am very much in love with that 60's knitted dress though, but as always, too long and too expensive!

I'd be a little leery of #3 just for drycleaning the pleats, something I remember as being an expensive surprise back in the the day when pleats were very popular. Maybe it's no longer an issue, but you might want to find out if they have to be specially pressed or anything.
That said, my first choice for you is #1 in grey.

I love Boden's interesting patterns & colors, but they are expensive! Good luck on your search!

Oh good catch Joy. I didn't even notice these were dry clean only. Hmm, that complicates matters. normally I throw caution to the wind and just wash all allegedly DCO fabrics on the gentle cycle and it works just fine. But I try not to do it with sweaters because they will pill a lot faster. I did recently buy a Dryel kit though, so maybe it's not a big deal.

I like the look and the color of the first one the best. I know what you mean about the sleeves, and I bet they are quite itchy, to Christine's point - nylon is listed first in the fabric content, and knowing Express quality I wouldn't expect miracles.
I do really like the Boden 60s dress. Thanks for posting the preview site, Melody. Off to study it some more :)

Maya, the Dryel kits work very well, especially for sweaters, so they should be great for sweater dresses too. Knit items usually just need to be hung up immediately after they are removed. The pleats on #3 may need to be re-pressed though.

Late to the party but I like the first one the best. I think it looks very sleek. Option #2 is nice too. I'm not sure about option 3. I'm not a fan of pleats--they look fussy to me.

I like #1 the best, although I could be biased as I've been stalking it myself for a while hoping it will go on sale!!!

Maya - I think the heathered charcoal is, as Shiny said, a very versatile color and not boring because of how it can be "colored-up" with other pieces (hehe - I won't say "such as a belt.") ;)

I have realized that for me, brown and gray need to be heathered to escape boring-ness. A flat brown has to be a gorgeous fabric to look rich and beautiful, whereas heathered brown has more depth and the appearance of texture. Same with gray, and this one meets that criterion.

Also, as the companion of a cat, you may want to consider whether a black sweater dress will be a maintenance nightmare. (I can't remember if Toulouse is completely black or another color?) Even if she's coal black, the lint factor on a textured black item can be daunting.

Hehe, I never take my kitty into consideration with clothes April. That's why there are lint rollers in every room of my house. She is a gray tuxedo cat (she is very stylish, more of a pear shape I think...muscular haunches and whatnot :p). Her gray fur is more plentiful but her white fur seems to shed more, or maybe it just seems that way because it stands out more.

Gray just always seems so cheap looking to me, like the color of newspaper or black that is just faded. I like the grays of the first two dresses since they have a coolness to them, but the third one just looks like an old sweatsuit color to me. Maybe I need to see it in person.

I tried on #1. It's adorable with black leggings AND it's itchy:(

Itchy? Boo. I think they're all made of the same material. Maybe it isn't meant to be! I'll give them a try but it may not be meant to be...

Thanks for the input Shelly.

For the long sleeved pleated dress you could layer a silk long-underwear top underneath, but I don't have any ideas for the elbow sleeve one. It's funny, the sleeves were really the itchiest part.

Maya,

Along these same lines, I also bought the "sexy basic cowl neck pocket-tee dress" in purple. The color is great and the mid-weight tee fabric is really soft. It looked cute with the leggings as well, so this one's a keeper. It's a more form-fitting silhouette than the grey trapeze dress. I tried to link it, but I'm not sure it'll work.

http://www.express.com/catalog.....goryId=243