Thoughts on these dresses?

Steph

I went shopping yesterday to return a pair of boots I had purchased, and somehow came home with four new dresses. Oops! After trying them on again at home, one was clearly unflattering, and another didn't fit right (I ordered a different size online). I liked the other two, but would love some feedback if anyone wants to give any. Both dresses are by Nanette Lepore. You can't really tell from the photo, but the first dress actually has a slight sheen/iridescent quality to it. The skirt is very structured, so the way it flares/bubbles out is the design of the skirt. The second dress is a very sack-like sweater dress. I was surprised I liked it so much, because the built-in neck embellishment isn't really my style, and it's rare that I surrender the waistline. But somehow, I felt this worked.

What say you? Are both keepers? Is either just bad and should I return it? I have to admit that my biggest concern is always with trying to look thin, so if anything pulls strangely/highlights any imperfection, I honestly, truly want to know and will thank you for telling me.

I'm thinking of wearing the first dress to a wedding next week. I'm currently a little bit above my typical weight, which means that despite having several cocktail dresses that I love, none of them fit me quite right at the moment. If I manage to lose a few pounds in the next week, I might go back to one of my current dresses and might end up returning this one. (Also, ignore the shoes--I just threw them on so I would have some kind of heel with both dresses.)

This post has 2 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

15 years ago

Shopping

13 replies

Latest reply was from Steph

MsMary

Veteran

I LOVE the first one! It fits you just beautifully and really flatters your figure. The second one is fun, although I'm not sure it makes you look super-thin.

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

The first dress looks awesome on you Steph. Definitely a keeper.

I'm not crazy about the second one though. The embellishment seems overwhelming on petite you and does weird things over the bust.

On surrendering your waistline: If your goal in dressing is to look thin, I would say you may want to avoid this look. I love surrendering mine..but as you observed when we met, I don't have much to surrender. In a weird way it can actually be more slimming on me than a fitted top, since people who see me in a sack dress assume my waist is a lot smaller based on my other features, since they can't see how thick it really is. But you sort of have the inverse body type as me: slim through the torso with fuller limbs. I think you could totally wear volume because I don't prioritize looking thinner, but since your goal is to look thinner, i don't think it works as part of your personal style.

15 years ago

LeahJanes

Active Member

I truly love the first one. Amazing fabric and cut. Imagine how many parties you can wear it to!

The second one I dislike for a different reason than the others have stated. It's just a personal thing though so take it as you will. I don't like garments with overt decoration like that attached to them. I prefer to add my own decoration (scarves, mega necklaces, groups of brooches) at my own discretion rather than being stuck with the decoration that's attached to the garment. So the rope decoration kinda bugs me on that one. Otherwise, I kinda dig the sack shape and the colour is superb.

15 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

Dress #1, I like this but I don't love the bust area, is it bunching around the ahem, girls? Hard to tell from the photo but it doesn't look smooth to me. Nice shape, slimming style and lovely print and color for you. #2, is nice, but I do not find a surrendered waistline to be a "make me slim" look on myself or anyone with some curves. You have great curves and #2 really covers them up.

15 years ago

Steph

Veteran

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Seems like there is a consensus, although the reasoning for not liking dress two seems to vary.

Lisa, dress one isn't bunching around the bust. I think what you're seeing is the combination of some wrinkling from when it came out of my shopping bag, and perhaps an optical illusion because of the varying colors in the dress. It did fit well in the bust.

I'm really torn on number 2. I agree with everything you all are saying. LeahJanes, I am like you and typically hate built-in jewelry/embellishments on the neckline of a dress. And as I stated up-front, I never go for a sack-style dress, for pretty much the reason Maya and Lisa pointed out--I'm curvy and I have thick limbs (particularly my calves, which are on display in this dress), so the style tends to make me look bigger and is not figure-flattering. But despite all of that, there is something about the dress that is calling to me. Maybe it's because I'm feeling a bit large right now, since I'm trying to lose a few pounds I gained, and the idea of a dress that isn't figure-conscious is appealing? I think I will try it on again tomorrow and look at it again.

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

Steph, I don't mind the silhouette on the second dress. As I said, I think there are ways of being flattering without being slimming and I do think the silhouette of the dress is flattering on you. But since you said your priority is to look thinner, and I don't think it accomplishes that for you, I gave it a no. Is there any part of you that's open to something that isn't slimming? Will you still like the dress once you lose a few pounds?

I don't think it makes you look fat or big, but there's no question it doesn't make you look as slim as the first dress or the dress you tried on at Cusp with a defined waist.

I'm not into the embellishment because of the scale and weight over the bust area...but it's subjective. It seems like you like it a lot.

15 years ago

Steph

Veteran

Maya, I guess maybe I overstated my desire to look as skinny as possible. What I meant more is that I avoid dresses that highlight a flaw, like a dress that is kind of tight and cuts into lovehandles, or results in back fat, or pulls across the front, or skims the belly such that you can see its entire outline. Does that make sense?

I'm not sure how I will feel about the dress when I lose a few pounds, but only because when I lose a couple of pounds it can make a big difference in my size, so the dress might end up looking huge. But if that weren't the case, I don't envision myself suddenly disliking it just because I'm skinnier. But I definitely don't want to wear it if it doesn't look good on me, so I am going to use a much more critical eye when I try it on again.

The embellishment is strange, and actually interferes with my ability to belt the dress (which was my first thought for making a waistline, obviously). The embellishment would end up falling over the belt, which did not look good when I tried it yesterday. It might be workable with a different style of belt, but I'm not sure what that style would be. Ideally it would be removable, but it isn't.

Oh, and as for the Cusp dress, I ended up buying that one too. It's currently slightly too small because of my weight gain--it's a bit tight around the chest and armholes. I couldn't resist buying that dress.

15 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

Yay to keeping dress #1 here and that cusp dress too. Was this sack dress (#2) expensive? It sounds like you want to road test a different style, if it's not too pricey maybe keep it just to experiment with a new look? After all it would be the only dress in this style that you would own right? Then you can see how often you grab for it. I can see dress #2 with a feathered headband and some heels and being a flattering look, just different from the usual for you.

15 years ago

Steph

Veteran

Lisa, the sack dress was actually 60% off! Thanks for the thought on a feathered headband with it. I have my black and white feathered fascinator/headband, and I hadn't thought of it, but now that you mention it, it would be perfect with the dress. (Obviously heels will be worn!)

I think part of the appeal of the dress is that it is so big and sack-like that I can eat a lot and no one would notice. We're going to a 21 course meal tomorrow (for all you Top Chef fans, it's at Bryan Voltaggio's restaurant--he has a 21 course chef's table that we have been to before) and all I can think is "I could wear this dress and no one would even know I had eaten 21 courses." So maybe it's really my pigginess that is making me want the dress!

15 years ago

LeahJanes

Active Member

21 Courses! Oof they better not be more than 2 or 3 bites each.

It also looks like something about the sack dress is speaking to you, I'd say keep it as a new aesthetic experiment as Lisa suggested.

15 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

Hi Steph,
I really like the first dress on you. Fits and flatters perfectly.

I'm not crazy about the second dress. While I like the idea, the execution is not working for me. It actually seems a bit big and sloppy on you, and the embellishment at the bust is too heavy IMO. It gives the impression that it is getting ready to pull the whole dress down.

15 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Dress #1 is pretty! How will you stay warm?

15 years ago

Steph

Veteran

Leah, no worries--many (perhaps most) of the courses are small bites. But there is no question I'll feel full when I'm done!

QM, thanks for the feedback. I think you may be onto something about the sloppiness. Maybe the scale is just wrong for someone of my height.

Angie, the wedding is indoors, so everything will be temperature controlled and I won't need anything additional to keep warm. I have a few nice coats to choose from for the outdoors--either a satin Burberry trench or a wool coat, depending on the temperatures. I also have a purple cashmere cardigan that would work over the dress if I were somewhere cold, but I don't anticipate that happening, since everything will be inside.

15 years ago

Category