Debating whether to return the Vince Camuto color block dress - YouLookFab Forum

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Debating whether to return the Vince Camuto color block dress

Makrame

Veteran

I have this dress hanging in my closet still with tags. Seems too dressy for my work, and there have been no events to wear it to. I am preparing a return to Nordstrom (yellow Gallery trench) and am debating returning the dress.

The vote was somewhat split when I first posted K/R. Not sure if this is the most flattering dress for an apple, especially with the white stripe at the waist. What kinds of occasions would you wear this to? I love the orange and the mod-ness of it but I am wondering if it's a bad use of my money to have it just sitting there. The price was down to $60 when I bought so it was not as expensive as the original price. What to do, what to do...

Oh, I no longer have these booties (they were returned immediately) so I would either wear it with sandals, wedges, or tall black boots, depending on the season.

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27 replies

Latest reply was from catgirl

marianna

Veteran

I still love it on you. I think it's totally appropriate for work and would be easy to dress down with a cheeky denim jacket.

I vote keep... unless you truly think you'll never wear it.

(PS: I saw this dress in real life on Laura and it is killer. She got endless compliments from strangers when she wore it!)

Makrame

Veteran

Oh, I like the idea of a denim jacket! I only have denim jackets in dark blue and red, and I think this one is begging for a white denim jacket.

marianna

Veteran

Or faded blue denim!

Anonymous

How long have you had it for? My rule if it is not worn by the time the return period is expiring, it goes back. I make exceptions for things I'm buying off season, but nevertheless, I'd say return if you had it for more than 30 days. That is a sign the item might not work well with your current wardrobe and needs.

Makrame

Veteran

I bought it in the end of March (definitely not sleeveless dress weather, although I could have worn it with boots, I guess). We are just getting into summer weather (still to cold for sleeveless most days) so I am still unsure whether it did not get worn because it was out of season or because it does not work for my lifestyle. I suspect the latter, which is why I am thinking of returning.

Meredith1953

Veteran

I like it but if it doesn't make your heart sing then maybe it isn't right for your style or lifestyle. Sometimes though it just takes getting used to a new look. Go with your gut. Which is to say listen to your heart.

cinnamon fern

Veteran

I vote return. You obviously don't love it. And it doesn't seem like you'll have much occasion to wear it - it's dressier than you usually do, and the combination of sleeveless plus heavy knit rules out most of the year. Plus, with orange and colorblocking, I would worry that it'll look dated really quickly.

Marie

It looks great on you & I like it with the blazer. It sounds like it doesn't work with your lifestyle so I vote return & remove the stress of "trying to make it work."

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Well I love it on you and think it goes great with the white blazer. I'm an apple too and sensitive to tummy unflattery but I don't see any here--I like sheath dresses because they have some structure as opposed to straight (unruched) jersey dresses that cling to the curves. I love the color on you too.

That said, however, if you're not wearing it because it doesn't fit your lifestyle or you don't love it, then return it. Kristin just said in my other thread, don't keep something that's going to end up as a closet orphan--good advice.

My other advice--if you don't love it enough to want to rip the tags off right away and wear it, then it doesn't belong in your closet! Find something else that makes you feel super fab! I've even returned stuff before that Angie has said looks killer on me, just because I wasn't in love with it.

Amy

(website)

Veteran

I like it, but it seems obvious to me from what you wrote that you're not excited about it. Return it. Something else will show up that makes you excited.

MNsara

Veteran

It does look fab on you, but if you've had a few weeks of weather where you COULD have worn it and didn't, that's the zone where I wonder what your gut is trying to tell you. . .it's difficult!

a) it might turn out to be a gem that you are SO glad you pushed yourself to try out
b) it might turn out to something you have to force yourself to wear to get used

I have a few items still waiting for this kind of decision. . .for myself I'm leaning toward: I'll never miss it if I return it

Vix

Veteran

Hi Makrame --

Can't remember whether I already shared my extreme like for this dress on you but here it is, possibly again.

I actually think the white band at the waist that you're concerned about *gives* you a waist -- and that overall the dress is super-flattering.

Generally I am a "if it's sitting there with tags and you haven't worn it yet, return" person but sometimes I make exceptions with those seasonal transition-y items.

I know I don't like wearing too much white until late spring, and since you are JUST getting into warmer weather why not plan to wear this? If you can't force yourself to leave the house/cut the tags you'll have your answer.

Personally I love it sleeveless with the black sandals -- it screams "easy casual summer dressing" to me -- and with the white jacket and possibly more closed-up shoes (if needed for your place) you're ready for work.

Ok, I'm done enabling!

christy

Veteran

I think it looks really great on you and agree with Vix's assessment of why it works so well for you. I have a dress that I bought recently that took a few outings before I felt really comfortable in it, but now I'm really glad I kept it....that said, if you don't see the occasion for wearing it, that might be a deal breaker. It looks great both with and without a topper, which makes it that much more versatile. Okay, I'm apparently no help at all! Tough call!

Makrame

Veteran

I really like everyone's thoughts, thanks so much! I just had the same situation with the striped Loft blazer than Angie recommended- it spent more than a month in my closet because I felt like I would have to push myself to wear it; for some reason I felt it would get a strange reaction at work. Well, once I started wearing it, it feels just fine - I think I am going to wear that blazer at least every other week so it will quickly earn its keep. I wonder if this dress is similar - a bit too "out there" for me to feel immediately comfortable wearing it.

I also agree with Cinnamon Fern that it might look dated next year so if I don't wear it a lot this season, it will be a waste.

Vix

Veteran

I know I said I was done enabling but I really don't think mod/shift dresses will be dated anytime soon.

[I rarely wear this style so no vested interest here!]

In fact, with Vidal Sasson's death and the flood of images of his cuts paired with Mary Quant clothing, I think we'll be seeing MORE 60s style and geometric cuts around.

/.04

Makrame

Veteran

How are these more casual styling options? Does blue denim work at all?

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Makrame

Veteran

Vix, this is very interesting - I need to look up those images.

I used to get a haircut called "Sassoon" back in the Soviet Union (!) in the 80s. I think it is more or less the same style I see in the photos of Mary Quant.

MNsara

Veteran

The length of the blue denim looks good to me, but I'll let others comment on the colors. What I pictured more is a light wash denim of that same length or a tad shorter. (Maybe it's just me - but I wear denim jackets shorter with dresses than with pants.)

Can you wear the dress on its own to work, or do you need/want a topper? Laura layered a black/cream striped blouse under hers. . .
http://youlookfab.com/2012/03/.....0%99s-day/

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I think the dress looks fabulous on you Makrame, but I also think that if you haven't worn it in the two months you've had it that maybe it's just not for you? I'm sorry I'm not much help - but I do want you to know it looks really good on you.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I like the dress and I think it is not too dressy for work at all - I would wear it to my casual office in a heartbeat. It is bold for sure so it may take some adjusting to: is this your reservation? I think it depends on personality and how comfortable you are with challenging yourself. Your story with striped blazer tells me that adjustment is possible. I also think it is quite flattering on you. Laura wore this dress during our Chicago get together and it looked lovely and not over the top at all.
I did not know you were from former Soviet Union too. I am from Ukraine - where are you from?

Makrame

Veteran

Hi Sveta, I am originally from the suburbs of Moscow.

Yes, I thought the dress was along the lines of what you would wear with confidence and panache.

Typical summer attire for most people in my lab is shorts, sneakers or sandals (I try to remind them to wear closed-toe shoes but it does not always work) and t-shirts/polo shirts. Other faculty members in basic sciences (my department) will often wear shorts and polo or woven shirts. You can see where this dress kind of sticks out.

The slightly more dressy style I favor (jackets, woven blouses, pencil skirts) worked out great for teaching but seems unnecessary in the summer. If I could figure out a way to make the dress work in more casual combinations, that would be great.

MNsara, I think you are right about a cropped faded jacket - that would be perfect - but since I don't have one, I would need to look for one. Reminds of what someone (maybe MaryK) said "I am not buying clothes for my clothes!".

Vix, just wanted to thank you again for sharing your thoughts - the dress does have that "cool, mod, slightly retro" vibe that makes it difficult for me to just send it back.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Actually I don't see it. Most of guys in my office wear baggy jeans and polo shirts - and you have seen what I wear - so what? Who said I should be like them? Who said I should "blend in"? But then again - this is my personality, I am not afraid to be different from everybody else. This dress does not strike me like very dressy really especially when combined with sandals or flats. The fabric is not shiny or embellished. Let me ask you why you think it is not appropriate. Is it because of the bold color block colors? Would the same dress in black feel more appropriate? If this is the case I would say that bold pattern does not make dress dressier and less casual, it makes it bolder, yes but not dressier. Or it is the fact that it is a dress and not shorts? Do you wear other dresses to work in summer? They wear shorts because it is summer and they want to be cool, right? Well, this dress has the same cool factor because it bares your legs as shorts would do. Just because others don't wear something does not make it not appropriate. I would only think a dress is no appropriate if you need to perform some actions at work which are better to do in pants like bending and climbing.
Sorry for such a novel, but it does pain me to see when women think they should suppress their style just because other people they work with decided to not care how they look...I see it all the time and it is pretty sad.

Makrame

Veteran

Good points, Sveta!

Well, part of it is that I do have to do some things at work that are more physical. Sometimes I have to bend around a microscope, put things on the upper shelves while standing on a stepstool, bend down, pull boxes out of deep freezers, put lab coat on and off etc. Certainly, casual summer clothes work best for this types of activity. But then I might spend much of the day in my office or at meetings, and feel like looking a little dressier. This dress is similar to what many women in administration or on the clinical side of things might wear but I am assuming they don't do much "hands-on" stuff when they are dressed like this (or perhaps the clinicians switch to scrubs).

Anyway, you are quite right that we should not be imposing too many arbitrary limitations on our dressing choices. I was quite happy with my choice to dress up while I was doing intense teaching this winter - I got very nice evaluations from students (not mentioning clothing, of course, but from what I heard, some students have grumbled in the past when professors were dressed "too casually"). Since summer is when most faculty stop teaching and sitting in committee meetings, they usually "get down to dirty work" and therefore dress in comfortable, casual clothes.

I do wear a lot of pencil skirts in the summer and our building tends to be quite cold because of the AC so perhaps this dress, with its heavy knit, will work out quite nicely.

Makrame

Veteran

Oh, and one more note - I think this has been mentioned before by the other women in the sciences. Of course, the "other people" at work are the ones who will be deciding whether or not to give me tenure. Surely they won't be doing it based on my clothing choices but whatever their perceptions are (i.e., regarding professionalism, ability to work hard etc.), they will have some effect on their opinion.

I did find that "dressing up" worked great for conferences, especially those that involved clinicians and people from the industry - made me fit right in.

Anonymous

Makrame, I've loved reading your thoughts and the back and forth between you Vix, Sveta and the others. This dress fits and flatters you nicely. The colorblocking looks more serious and professional to me than a sweet floral sundress might. If you really love it, but are a little afraid to wear it, that's a good sign you should push yourself to dust it off and get it out of your closet. Maybe it will be just like your AWESOME striped blazer and will begin to feel like *you* once you start wearing it.

On the other hand, if you have fallen out of love with it since the purchase, that's another thing entirely. Then you should return it and find something that tickles your fancy now.

Isis

Veteran

M-- I think this dress looks fantastic!

IF you feel fab in it, and not too encumbered by it, I'd say keep and start wearing it!

As for tenure, and going against your environmental norm, I do not think it gives off a vibe that suggests you are not willing to get your hands dirty and do actually do experiments....particularly when you pair it with sensible shoes and the casual jackets (yes, you "need" a white denim jacket!)

catgirl

Veteran

This is a lovely dress on you, but if you haven't found an excuse to wear it, then you ought to return it - trust me, this is the bane of my shopping life, buying things I never end up wearing. I've become much more likely to return things lately rather than than waiting to see if they find a way to be useful.