Let's All Go to the White House!!! (Mini-Review of Twist Sash Dress, Also...)

I have been telling Gingersnap that I was going to publish this post for over a week now, and all because she and I have a love for Cole-Haan shoes in common. She wanted to see the fabulous-ness that these new Cole-Haans I have, in all their amazing glory.

Well, it turns out that we have another thing in common, a love for the amazing Banana Republic Floral Statement necklace, which she and I both fell in love with because of the world's biggest jewelry enabler, aka Ms. Patina. So now I felt DOUBLE the pressure to publish this post...the shoes and the necklace!

And being me, I really wanted to show you all a fantastic dress, the twist-sash dress by J. Crew, that is currently on sale, so that those of you considering it for purchase will know if you are choosing well (and you will be...). :)

White House Tour, 8/29/09 by dinagideon featuring J Crew

First things first...the polyvore of the entire outfit I wore to the White House. Yes, I was even so inclined to wear the nail polish you see in this set...admittedly it came off two days later, but I did wear it!

Second, the wonderful Slastena and 3-Penny Princess each had their own posts about the day, so go ahead and click on their names so you can see their write-ups (which will be way better than mine, because I am really tired right now and barely able to give this write-up everything I should). (Which is also why, if you have further questions, add them in the comments, and after a couple of hours to a couple of days later, I should be able to answer any question you have!)


Yes, I wore what is basically a party dress to the White House. I was feeling very mid-century modern woman when I was planning my outfit. I also knew that it would be hot and ridiculously humid outside, and because this dress is made from linen (with metallic threads interspersed), I knew that it would help me stay cool...linen is any preppy southern girl's best friend in July and August! I also threw on the navy patent open-toed Carma Cole Haan heels on, a knotted satin headband on, and the amazing floral statement necklace on. Altogether, pretty nice...but lacking...I threw something else on but I will get to that in a second.

The dress is well made and perfect for a summer party. The twist sash is just precious enough, without being all in your face twee. I like that this is a dress that can be worn to the office (see how in the next photo), but with just a few tweaks can be all sweet and sexy for a couple of mojitos or mint juleps out on the patio or veranda. (Can you tell I spend a lot of time imagining where I will wear things? It is all part of my pre-purchase process....and this time, it actually came to fruition!)

I ordered the twist sash dress in my normal J. Crew dress size 8. I could have just fit into the 6, but I would rather take something in than squeeze in... It is flowy and full on the bottom-half, so if you are bigger on bottom (like me), you should go normal size or possibly size down. If you are a bit "bust-ier," go with your gut and size up...the empire waistband sits right at your bra strap line, and it can be a tight squeeze if you don't properly size the dress (there is a metal covered zipper at the back of the dress).

If you are now interested in purchasing it, please visit here to find it, on sale. I bought it at nearly full-price and I don't regret it, so I think if you buy it on sale, you have scored!


Now, I wasn't about to traipse into the White House wearing a linen dress whose hue is almost a match for my skin color (it looks less so in real life), so I knew I had to find a jacket or cardigan to wear. The cardis I tried were all too unstructured and looked sloppy, and many of the jackets I tried were too boxy or the wrong kind of fabric. Then I remembered...I own a navy, belted linen jacket by Ann Taylor Loft that is just the right fit and fabric and weight for this outfit. I tried it on and voila, perfection...this was the right jacket. What made this jacket even better was realizing I had bought it on sale for something like 15 dollars (down from near 90 dollars) and in a size petite 6. I know...a petite 6. CRAZY! This jacket even reminds me of the Fiona jacket by J. Crew, with the exception of being well-fitting versus boxy.

So there you are, everyone...a perfect outfit for a perfect day. Thank you, Cleo26 for arranging the tour, Rosa for getting us into the Occidental Grill, and Kelly, 3-Penny Princess, and Slastena for being the absolute best company ever. Oh, and so you know...this necklace is like some sort of drug...after Gingersnap and I saw it on Patina, we just HAD to have it, and after Kelly saw it on me, she just had to have it...so funny...I love that we are all just enabling one another left and right...I guess that is what friends do for one another!

P.S. I answered comments earlier today from the fairly recent posts, so if you have left a comment or asked a question, I have attempted to answer it as best I could!