Monday, August 13, 2012

Review: The Perfect Fall Day to Night Dress

As you know, last week I overhauled my fall/winter wardrobe and made a list of what I needed on a go-forward basis so I would not get caught up in simply buying any bright/shiny/new object that caught my eye.

One of the items that was most definitely needed was a day dress.  In fact, my day dress category was one of the few areas of my wardrobe that was in dire need of a couple of items!  I have been watching J Crew's site to try and catch something and perhaps there will be something lovely in the major rollout this coming Thursday, but for me, J Crew dresses have mostly been misses.  Dresses with defined waists that I have purchased have waists that are slighly too high; since I am busty, they fit oddly, as if they are a dress aspiring to be an empire waist dress but not quite making it...I do have one of their sequin shift tank dresses from last year and I love it - it fits divinely.  So I will likely pick up another dress as the fall goes along from J Crew if one pops up in my fall colour story (black, navy, with pops of green, royal blue and rosy pinks).

En route to the dry cleaners, one of our local shops was placing mannequins in the window, replete with some of their new fall dresses.  One dress in particular caught my eye and so I hied me in immediately to give it a try.

The dress is by the Canadian Company, Judith and Charles, whose website you can visit here.  While it is a Canadian company, they do have a shop in NYC and until recently you could order their clothing online and since their website appears to be undergoing some kind of renaissance, I suspect you may be able to do so again soon.

I love their clothes - I have a few pieces and all are elegant and cut amazingly well and look equally appropriate in the boardroom and for a formal event. 

How chic are these outfits?


This one is pure Audrey:



And as I blogged before, I really like this blouse (and those trousers are divine!):



Of course, evil salesperson brought me MANY items to look at (they had met me before!)  However, thanks to "The List" I was able to stand firm - "No Thank You, I do not need a $2000 leather blazer or a $800 trouser.  Thank you VERY much, I simply want a day to night dress!"

I tried it on and could have wept with delight.  The fit was perfect, IMO, as evidenced below.




What I like about this dress is not only the flattering cut, but the little details at the hem that allow the dress to set itself apart from its LBD compadres.  It is 100% wool, with an acetate lining.




So I decided to style this dress three ways to show its versatility:

1) For a very formal event/meeting with black blazer and simple black pumps, single strand of pearls




2) A day in the office, paired with my Byzantine blue jackie sweater, slightly different accessories and those Aldo blue suede shoes, all to bring out the blue in the hem





3) Cocktail party with sexier shoe, simple bracelet. 




I truly love this dress and this is just so simple and elegant and is exactly the kind of look I am now going for.  What do you think?






18 comments:

  1. Kudos to sticking to your list. The dress is fabulous and since you have all of the accessories and a few toppers to go with it-perfection! I know you will enjoy wearing this dress for years to come.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's absolutely perfect, elegant and wearable, well done!
    Have you ever tried a minimiser bra? If I had the spare cash I'd go for a breast reduction this minute I'm actually squirming at some pics on my iphone of recent outfits, I wish I had an elegant top half rather than that of a busty barmaid.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny - I am not wearing it today and was thinking the same thing - an inch can make a difference!

      I am scared of operations so will pass on the breast reduction - plus I have seen some oddly shaped bodies afterwards!

      Delete
    2. Oh no, I was just asking if you had ever tried one! I haven't, do they work?

      Delete
    3. They will go down by an inch and an inch can be everything... :-)

      Delete
  3. That dress is fantastic. Well done it is the perfect day to night frock and so flattering on you. You will get loads of wear out of that one!
    I would like to try on something by this label, I'm going to go check the site now.
    Oh and the countdown to Paris begins in earnest now! You must be so excited!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dani! I really do have to start getting my butt in gear now and get the packing planned! I keep getting sidetracked!

      Let me know if you buy anything - it is pricier than J Crew, though not the collection items, and very well made!

      Delete
  4. The dress looks absolutely beautiful on you, WMM! I am so proud of you for not giving into temptation and sticking to your list, too! :)

    Your trip is getting much closer now. I can just imagine how absolutely excited you must be! Are you still on vacation or do you have to go back to work before you leave on your trip?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks FFM! I leave next tuesday! I had the whole month of AUgust off and really needed it - I was tired! I actually went to see a movie in the middle of the day today! such fun!

      Delete
  5. What a find. I think it is an especially wonderful color combination. It is also very flattering on you. A good fit is more important with a dress thank separates, and is usually so elusive. I love the way you paired it with the Jackie and the Byzantine pumps. It is lovely on its own, but now you can justify buying a statement bracelet or a long strand of pearls (I wear mine with everything) for evening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks knit yarns! I do love this dress!

      I love a long strand of pearls as well - so Coco!

      Delete
  6. Oh my - gorgeous!! Like Dani, I must check them out - to this point I have only tried a few items from the line that were on the Holt Renfrew sale racks. I used to like their previous incarnation, TeenFlo, as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I liked Teenflo as well, but find the new liner even more chic!

      Delete
  7. this is a fantastic dress - perfect from day to night!! i have looked longingly at judith and charles since they opened here. will have to definitely check them out now!

    may i ask how you found the sizing to run? thank you!

    xox P

    phiphisblog.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi!

      I took a size 6 in this dress - typically I would be a 6 or 8 in JC, if that helps!

      I love the fabric that Judith and Charles use - very luxurious! The dress is even more flattering in real life!

      Delete

Kindness is a virtue...