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WIW: Making lemon water out of a rental dress lemon (+ flares!)

Vix

Veteran

Hi YLFers --

So I posted earlier about how I'm doing a trial of Rent the Runway's monthly subscription service and have found some winners.

This dress was not one of them for me!

But every time I've seen this DVF dress pop up online I've loved the print -- conveniently forgetting 99% of the time I like smaller prints and/or low-contrast larger prints on myself.

Once I had it on I felt it made me look wider and didn't do much for my bust area. The color combo ended up too muted for me, too. Can't remember if it's matronly, frumpy, or dowdy that are more PC words on YLF but I kind of felt all of the above in it!

I debated sending it back right away, but thought, "eh, it's a lovely dress -- road test it, maybe you're being too critical." Since it was a little short (38") for my preferences and a cold wet day, so I decided to just funk it up and throw it on over the flares I bought last month and have been wearing tons.

[They're a lot less "flared" after alterations chopped ~ 3 inches off...and I'm wearing 2.5 inch heels here!]

It's kind of fun to get obsessions out of one's system this way.

NEXT!

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19 replies

Latest reply was from Vix

Anonymous

Oh, you know, I rather like the look of the print on you!. It's a lovely silhouette for you too and popping it on over flares works so well.

JAileen

Veteran

I think you look good. Like a secret agent.

Anonymous

That works great with the flares. Genius!

Mochi

Veteran

It's actually pretty great IMO. If that's a less than ideal print for you, I'd love to see you in one that you love!

Roxanna

Veteran

How cool do you look! And I am following your RTR project with baited breath, by the way.

Diana

Veteran

While I can see that as a dress it might be a little too "soft" for you, I really love how you've made it edgy by pairing it with the flares and black cami.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

What are you smoking? I think that dress looks amazing on you. But I love that print for myself... Too bad I'm like five sizes bigger than you, I'd take that dress off your hands! Is that a Jeanne 2? If so I think it's the same cut as my teal and white DVF. The bust on those wrap dresses is tricky -- I actually had mine stitched together where it wraps at my chest to keep it in place better (I can still slip it on over my head just fine and then wrap the waist).

El Cee

Veteran

Honestly --- you look gorgeous in that dress. I adore it worn over the flares. (I have been doing that with a lot of my dresses lately.) Nothing the least bit frumpy, dowdy or matronly about this outfit. You look magnificently chic.

rachylou

Veteran

Lol, what Janet said

Vix

Veteran

Hi all -- posting my general thanks during a quick lunch break...and bear with me as horrid allergies have me wilting (and not noticing weird red splotches on face and hands from trying to lighten very dark photo...I promise I didn't wear clown blush yesterday)!

I appreciate the love for the dress on me but I just didn't feel it. I do own pillows in a kinda similar print so at least I have that

Mochi asked what prints I like and in addition to the one in my OP and in some of my recent WIW threads there's an apples-to-apples wrap dress that YLFers convinced me to keep 3 years ago -- Janet included!! That one is collar less and I do like the collar on this one.

I think my, er, topography has changed a bit since I posted that K/R but the black-raspberry-cream animal print remains in steady rotation. Thank you flexible wrap sizing. In fact I work it a few days before this flower dress.

Janet, strangely the bust on this one had good coverage. Not always the case with this brand....I think the dress would look Great on you. This one's already en route to RTR but you could test it out.

Back with personal comments later!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Adding my voice to the chorus of "wows." But this seems like a great way to help yourself make those ultra-fine distinctions without breaking the budget; you get to try it, analyze it, enjoy it, and then let it go if it is not quite right. You're already a great shopper but I'll bet after this RTR experience your skills will be even more refined.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

The print may be big and hard to wear*, but you are such a master at design and styling, that you have rescued the dress. The dark jeans and footwear bookends your hair beautifully. Now off to check your thread about RTR. I have considered the monthly subscription myself, except I could really only use/wear the clothes a few months of the year, when I'm traveling and not in my usual milieu.

*What is it about big prints? I find them difficult to wear myself. Does it come down to one's features and proportions? (Delicate and/or petite a no-go?) Or are they hard to wear for everyone?

Brooklyn

Veteran

Love this! Very Trinny! I actually love big prints like this. But I am big boned. I think Trinny would say I have dinosaur bones. So fine patterns (like fine jewellery) can look wrong on me. I would say you have fine, delicate features so maybe that helps to explain the preference for smaller prints. But you still look fab

Sally

Veteran

I love what you've done with this....it looks great like this.

Vix

Veteran

So sorry for being a post-and-run thread starter -- rarely for me I was out super-late after work....

Diane G, Xtabay, Diana, El Cee, Sally -- Thank you! I really liked it over the flares too. JAileen, ha and thanks! I felt very Charlie's Angels and they were secret-agents-lite, right?

Mochi, Janet, Rachylou -- Thanks much, really. Prints are soooo personal and funny! And I am picky about where they hit on my body. I kind of felt I had a bull's eyes on each breast with this one. Also I've bought and donated a large print blue and white print before -- apparently they say SPRING to me. Much watch that tendency!

I'll add some of my fav big prints in a separate post. I have so many I need to combine a few!

Brooklyn, you mentioned Trinny and YES, I was and am a fan of her tunics/short dresses over pants and really do think of her when I wear mine, ha. [Last night I wore a rental that she would have "absolutely not'ted" for me, though.] I'm actually a shorter version of her body type and my bones aren't fine at all. She really helped me see I could and should indulge my love of big jewelry and chunky heels -- and the *right* bold print. Maybe why I covet your outfits so much?!

Suz, Roxanna, CocoLion -- Thanks for following my RTR adventure. Suz, I'm already finding what you say about the honing very true. It's been great to try on impulse THEN analyze vs doing that before purchasing and worrying about making a wise budget and closet choice. So much less pressure (and no guilt if it doesn't work out!).

Ms CLion, see my response to Brooklyn above re big prints. I think you're definitely right to some degree re delicacy/height but it really comes down to personality, print type (random vs dense or "clustered"), and level of contrast within the print.

I'm definitely more broad/dame than delicate flower, so I love wearing them. But lower-contrast prints that are at least medium contrast against *me* as well as highly clustered work best.

Vix

Veteran

So for those who asked about prints I *do* like on me or prints on the larger size, some visuals below.

The bulk of my spring/summer shopping money went to prints this year -- makes me smile as I do default to all dark neutrals a lot! It's been really freeing to say "I hate all prints except the ones I love!"

In general I prefer prints in my color palette and that are:

lower-contrast within the print
organic vs geometric (works with my features and hair)
at least medium contrast against *me* (which the rented wrap wasn't, really -- overall it read as too muted or "soft" as Diana pointed out)
highly clustered/tight

First, it's WRAP DRESS VS WRAP DRESS: #1 is a smaller print included for a not quite apples-to-apples wrap dress comparison (photo is ~ 3 year old and my body has shifted). This is one YLFers voted to keep and I do love/wear it still!

#6 is the only one not in rotation anymore because it shredded after several years, sob. It's so close to the rental wrap's pattern -- apparently I'm still missing the shirt, ha! #5 was a secondhand purchase this spring and it's pretty close to the old shirt in terms of colors....I'm such a uniform dresser.

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Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

It looks great in this outfit. What a fun experiment, to give it a try over the flares. RTR sounds like a lot of fun. I look forward to seeing more dress auditions.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for further enlightenment re: prints. My favorites on you are #3 and #5. Lower contrast and amazing colors on you. I also think the designs are particularly stunning. Abstract in #3 and kind of vintage in #5. This is personal, but I also love black and white prints, just as I love black and white outfits (#7).

Vix

Veteran

Thanks Firecracker! The flares are like pjs so the silk jersey dress made for one comfortable outfit. I put one more dress up today that was a Make It Work number. [I may choose one to audition for this fall's event in the next batch and see what you all think.]

Thanks for weighing back in, CocoLion; your choices are definitely 2 of my favorites!

I picked out the fabric for #3 (branded Haute Hippie, but I never saw anything for sale in it) myself several years ago when I wanted a custom dress/tunic and I still love it. The seamstress who made it did an awesome job with the print (the peacock feathers go from tiny to large). The best part about #5 was the price ($40, secondhand) but the print's Art Nouveau vibe is a close second for me!