Return to Normalcy

Well, it's only taken me a week, but reviews are back at last! I'm trying to work out the best way of balancing OOTD posts with reviews. I find if I just post reviews, I get less comments, but if I post OOTDs then people complain that I haven't done reviews in a while. Hmm. Dilemma. 

I actually promised to post pictures of my new glasses today but that's been a bit of a farce, of which you'll hear the details over the weekend, but for now, you'll have to just trust that I can see and content yourself with reviews:

 Tangerine Flicker Dress by Tracy Reese

I had to study a poem at GCSEs, called Presents From My Aunts in Pakistan, and there's a couple of lines that stuck with me, one of which is: 

"They sent me a salwar kameez, 

peacock blue,

and another,

glistening like an orange split open."

I was reminded of that last part when I first saw this dress online. I'm a sucker for orange. I don't know why...

I'm wearing a US6/UK10 here and I'm a little torn about the sizing. On the one hand, it fit really well through the bodice, with not too much pulling over the chest. However, the material has very little stretch and it wasn't fitting terribly well through the shoulders. I would probably size up to try and avoid this, but I wasn't able to get my hands on the size up this time around.

The material was slightly less orange in person, with more pink tones in than I expected. The consequence is that this is not going to be a terribly versatile colour in your wardrobe. I can't help but wish it came in black or navy as well. 

The sleeves were a nice length and quite unusual. The best feature of this dress, though, is the fantastic back. It's cut perfectly so that your bra isn't exposed but still looks daring. Love. I'm going to try it again in the size up, or try another in this size to see if the fit is any different. A maybe for sale.

Cloak of Quills Dress by Rutzuo

This caught my eye fairly quickly online - something about peacock feathers is so eye catching, I find. The drapey style appealed too, as it looked perfect for the oncoming colder weather (sob). 

The material of this piece is man-made and feels like a rough silk to the touch. I was half expecting it to be jersey, from the photos, so it came as a surprise to find that it's quite a light dress - you're going to need to layer up to wear it in cold weather.

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here and I could quite easily have sized down as there is tonnes of room to spare before you start tying the waist tie. The waist tie, however, is where the trouble lies. I had a nightmare trying to figure out how the hell to tie this thing without hitching up the hem somewhere. I finally settled for somewhere at the front, off-centre, but the dress still didn't seem quite right. This is failing my "10 second rule" (where if I can't figure out how to get it on properly within ten seconds, it's outta there).

I love the print and the mossy green of this dress, but it's not quite right. I'm slightly lusty still, but I think that might pass. The only way I'd get this is if it made it to at least second markdown. Disappointment.

Eastward Dress Coat by Lauren Moffatt

When I'm looking at retro clothing, I find that the pieces tend to be broken down into different camps, such as  Marilyn (wiggle skirts, halternecks, seven year itch skirt), Audrey (Breakfast at Tiffany's, pearls, high necks) or Grace Kelly (elegant, circle skirts, low backs). This coat falls firmly into the Jackie category, wouldn't you say? It looks like it should be accompanied by white gloves and a pillbox hat (and a Kennedy). 

I'm wearing a small in this coat and I would size up to a medium as I found it was a little snug over my hips and boobs, interrupting what should have been a subtle a-line. 

The coat is more of a salmon colour in real life but as you can see, I'm wearing it over the green Rodna Dress, and I found that it was surprisingly neutral, in a bright sort of way (a bit like a red coat). 

The three quarter length sleeves were really cute and would look adorable with gloves, but I think if you're looking for a heavy winter coat, that's got to count against it. I didn't find it too itchy, but I know some people have found it so, so if you've got sensitive skin then you need to try this in store.

I really liked this piece, but there seem to be more around at the moment that fit into my general aesthetic better, so it'll probably be a pass for me.

Tupelo Dress by Maple

This has already gone on sale in the US, though we're still waiting on it in the UK, so I'll keep this review short. I'm wearing a UK8/US4 here and this is the size I would stick (and in fact have stuck) with. The back is hugely elasticated and the cutaway back means that it's very flexible when it comes to sizing. I would guess that most would want to size down one from your usual dress size.
I love this dress utterly, as evidenced by my tapping my foot as I wait for it to cross the Atlantic. The colours are really gorgeous hues and I think this will transition nicely into autumn (I see myself wearing it with tights and brown boots!).

That's all for tonight. I'm sorry that I've started posting so late again, I'll try and get back to my earlier hour soon.

Things seem to be calming down now, so I hope that's a good sign for the Anthro blogs. 

I'm past the 250 mark of readers now, which is very exciting. When I reach 300 I'll definitely have a reader contest, so stay tuned (or follow, if you haven't already!).

Night all.