Boden: Floral Ponte Dress Review.

Hi, all!  Hope all of you have been well.  :-) 

I realize it's been a while since my last Boden review, and since I actually had an opportunity to wear something from this fall's collection this summer (most of the fall items are made from fabric not really suited for Virginia summers), I figured I could get it up before it completely sells out.

Floral Ponte Dress.  Size 8 Long.  I took a chance on buying this in preview since it was so pretty and unique that I was pretty sure it might sell out.  And it actually looks like it may just do that, based on the numbers/stock levels I am seeing today.  Others that I have noticed nearing sell out status include the Alisa Dress (in blue) and the Carolyn Ponte Dress (yellow on deep backorder).

Anyhow, the measurements were up for this one (by some miracle) in preorder, so I knew I had to buy the 8 Long in order for it to work for my frame and height.  And it does fit, with just enough ease to keep it from clinging to my curves, but still fitted.  It is a touch loose at the shoulders, bust, and waist, but anytime I purchase an 8 instead of a 6, that's what happens.

The stretch is just enough if you feel inclined to purchase a smaller size, but since I plan to wear this teaching, I would prefer the extra length and room throughout that the 8 provides.  The length is 39" and it hits right above the knee, which is typical for 39".  (42" hits right below my knee, and 37" hits two inches above the knee.  I will only go shorter than 37" if I know that it is a super loose style like I am wearing here in this Instagram photo.)

The decoration is so special, the printed border snaking up each side of the dress, and fully covering the sleeves.  The green is an army green, while the print is a nude shade, not quite tan, but definitely not white/beige, either.  The neckline and silhouette are not anything write home about, but they are both fine for day to evening, and as you can see, can be accessorized, provided you keep it on the simpler/more neutral end.

Those shoes are the Georgia Woven Sandal, btw, and I purchased them in a size 41, which is the right size for my narrow 9.5 foot.  The neutral color on the sandal matches the print on the dress, so it was the right choice for that day.  :-)

If I had sucked my tummy in even more, and got rid of my (very flat) chest, it would almost look like there is no solid green at all from the side.

If you are NOT a pear shape, this dress will likely be more a-line on you.  I clearly am a pear shape, and my thighs/hips/bottom fully fill out the skirt portion.  I wish that wasn't the case, but I do like the look of the dress as it looks on me (different from the model).  The model looks cute but not like this, at all. 

I love love love the way the print was placed on the back.  It makes me look so much thinner from the back than most dresses do.  I don't love the blue version of this dress, but had they made another colored version of it, I would be very tempted to purchase it. 

There is a zip, but I didn't need it.  I just slipped the dress on right over my head.

Okay, that's it!  Has anyone else bought this dress?  Thoughts?

BTW, if you have commented here on the blog in the past month, THANK YOU, and be assured I have read and appreciated every comment.  I will reply back.  I have been busy with a lot of swim team stuff (I am one of their in water coaches, too) and traveling, so I am now just settling into quiet time (phew).

I have a coupon from the affiliate, but do make sure to use the code 5H7B to receive the 15% off!

Boden: Fall 2016 New Arrivals Are Really Here!

I remember the days that Boden would do this glorious rollout of a gazillion items for fall/winter (with only a very small holiday rollout in October), so now it feels a bit less celebratory than it used to, but this one feels a bit more special than the past few seasons.  I think it's the fact that they went to Italy (I believe) for their catalog shoot, and well, that makes for a special looking set of photos/clothes.  :-)

Besides the soft rollout of a few items that they did a few weeks ago (I discussed that in this post), they have been keeping most of these items under wraps.

Before I briefly talk about what I am seeing in the new arrivals, I did see that the affiliate program has updated their coupons/links, and I have inserted two in this post to help you save 15% off.  You do have to use the code 5H7B once you are at the shopping bag page, and I have made sure to note that wherever the links are.  

15% off plus free shipping & return over $49 with code 5H7B, valid 7/11-8/7

Okay, some picks, etc.!

Above is the Lucinda Knitted Dress and the Carolyn Ponte Dress.  They are both very pretty, and I love LOVE this image.  More of this in your catlogs, Boden.  Some of the shots feature the models contorting themselves ridiculously (like the very crooked neck of the model in the Floral Lace Dress shot, yikes!). 

I have a similar dress to the Lucinda Knitted Dress (I love it, btw), so I have no desire for a new one, but the Carolyn Ponte Dress seems perfect for a teacher, and I just love that yellow color.  We'll see!

This is the Floral Ponte Dress (I bought this one in my larger dress size of 8 Long), and I actually brought this with me on vacation (I am in GA/SC until Wednesday) so I have plans to wear it tomorrow night.  I most likely would be unable to update this blog after wearing it, so check out my Instagram to see it (I usually update my Instagram at 7 pm).  Later this week I should be able to do a more in-depth review of it here at the blog.

Finally, the Mia Jersey Tunic...I praised its beautiful fit in this post, but I really think you can see how flattering it is here on the model.  The sides of the front have very deliberate seaming, and the placement of the darker splatter/animal print is there, and it very much slims and highlights the curves.  It feels magical to me.  :-)  I sized to the smaller of my dress sizes on this one (6 Long) and it's fitted without being too tight.

Do you all see anything you are loving?  How do you feel about the models' poses?  The location? 

Remember to use the code 5H7B to receive the 15% off.

Made by Me File/OOTDs: Four Recent Dresses!

Hey, all! This will be a photo-intensive post, but to ameliorate how much reading you'll need to do here, I will save the nitty-gritty details about construction and pattern/fabric reviewing to the posts on that I have made at either PatternReview.com or the Fabric Mart blog. Those links are scattered about. :-)

I hope all of you have been well. I have the night off from children and hubby (I am in Georgia with his family and they all want to go and get Krystal and see a movie, I gently declined both), so I am using it to my full advantage!

This is a dress I made in April for our annual auction at our school.  This year's theme was "My Big Fat Greek Auction," and it was recommended to wear dressy blue and white.  I think I accomplished that.  ;-)

The other years I have done the same, made up a dress to go with the theme.  Last year's was on Space, so I crafted a galaxy printed dress, and the year prior was Kentucky Derby, and for that I made a floral sheath and paired it with a light blue hat.

The dress is made using Vogue 1499, an Anne Klein pattern, that features a full, pleated skirt, and a fitted bodice with distinct seamed details and cap sleeves.

It was an easy make, but because I lost any stretch in my fabric by placing the border so it would run parallel to the floor, I had to be extra sure I was right about my size on my bottom half.  It fits, and it fits well, but if I gain any weight between my waist and hip, I will definitely be unable to wear it in the future.  (Must always ensure I get my steps in and swim!!!)

This dress is magic, I can see why Anne Klein has it in her collections. (It is also available in a yellow stripe and grey stripe!)  It is very fit and flare, so it truly emphasizes the waist, and if you use a border print fabric, you can make sure to place the print in a way that draws the eye to it.

The fabric was a leftover from Maggy London (her London Times line), and because I like to sleuth for designer fabrics and how they were used originally, I found this pin of the same fabric being used in a similar way.

I had a great time at the party, and the dress did well, as I felt comfortable and a bit carefree.

I wrote a blog post at Fabric Mart and did a review of this at Pattern Review, if you would like to see more on this make.

I made this dress for my June make for Fabric Mart.  I was unsure of where I would wear it, but after I was done with it, I decided it was comfortable and lightweight enough to wear to a winesday night a few weeks back.  It held up well, and didn't wrinkle at all, even though it was steamy and hot that day.

The dress is made from a silk double georgette, which is (to quote a lol sentence I recently read in a sewing forum) "the devil's favorite fabric."  It is a right B**CH to work with, and though I spare you the details on working with it here, you can read all about it over at the Fabric Mart blog (link is below the last photo).

For all of its work, the fabric sure is beautiful, and suited the pattern's silhouette quite well.  And because I underlined it in a light blue cotton voile, it was easier to work with (eventually).  It also was incredibly breathable and airy and feels fabulous next to my skin.

The pattern is a reprint of a vintage 1969 Simplicity pattern.  It is Simplicity 1059, and is an a-line shaped shift dress with a v-neck, and can be made sleeveless or with longer sleeves.

I knew I couldn't choose a pattern that was super fitted or had too many seams with the georgette, so this fit the bill perfectly.

This was a very simple make, and had I chosen another material (like a cotton lawn), I would have had a very quick make on my hands.  I definitely think I can push one of these out in a few hours given a less fussy material.

Apropos of nothing, this shot makes me laugh.  Angus wants to be in all my photos now.  I love this shot, it's one of my favorites since his recent turn as ootd photo bomber.

This dress was written up at the Fabric Mart blog.  The pattern was reviewed at Pattern Review, as well.

I was in Indiana with my bestie, Lynn, in May, and because I can't ever say no to the siren song of a fabric store, we went to Joann's where I spied this beautiful and luscious Nicole Miller (for Joann Fabrics) scuba knit. 

I had no plan for it, but I knew I wanted to make it ASAP, and probably in a dress.  I have worn it a few times since, including on a recent trip to Wisconsin (to the House on the Rock, which if you know this place, you will know my dress looks muted in comparison, lol).

This is made from McCall's 7122, which is a dress that features raglan sleeves, a slight a-line skirt, and a slight scoopneck.

The back was cut in two separate pieces, and though I prefer to sew up ones cut on the fold, this type of seaming means there is a gentle shaping, which helps shape the dress to the waist and the hips.  I really do like the shape of this garment, and have plans to make future dresses from this pattern.

The fabric is crazy, but as you all know, I like the crazy colors and crazy prints.  I am not quite to Pucci levels of crazy, but I appreciate the Pucci lovers out there for their unconditional love of the crazy.  ;-)

Nicole Miller has quite a few fabrics with Joann's, you can check them out here.

The pattern review is at Pattern Review.   

My birthday make!  I always like to have a special bday dress, and this year was no exception.  I had seen this fabric a few months back in one Julie's Picks (it's a member only fabric subscription service) and I knew I would have it and make it as soon as I could.

In the end, a comfortable, feminine dress was on order, and I really loved wearing out that evening.  I went to China Chilcano, which is a Jose Andres restaurant that fuses Peruvian food with Chinese and Japanese food.  It was amazing, and I really enjoyed my Pisco.  Yum.  After we went to see "The Lobster," a kind of terrible (probably in a good way) hipster movie at a super hipster movie theater.  BUT!  One of the actresses, Lea Seydoux, is a July 1 baby, too, so I was in the virtual company of a fellow 7/1 child.  (It's also the bday of Gigi of CA, my actual birthday twin Sufjan Stevens, and of course, CANADA!)

The fabric is a cotton stretch poplin, and features these little triangles in varying shapes and sizes abutting each other.  It is very distinctive.  The color is a deep brown/orange color and white, and I definitely do not have anything in this color in my closet.  Would I have loved this more in a different color?  Probably.  Am I better off having it in a shade I don't have anything in?  Yes, for sure.

Blurry shot, but it shows the adorable cutout back nicely.  This is why I made this pattern up, because it has this cutout.  It is made from Butterick 6351, and features a straighter skirt with an elastic waistband (back only), a tulip shaped crossover back bodice, and a button closure.

I had to line the skirt in a slippy fabric to ensure it didn't get caught on my underwear, but other than that, I kept to the plan of the pattern very closely.  I love this cutout.  It is very summer, and since my birthday is very summer, too, I couldn't think of a better choice for my (much older than I think I am) birthday.

Here's a closeup of the fabric.  Swoon.  So pretty and different.

After sitting for a while at China Chilcano, the dress became a bit crumpled, but it still did well overall.  I told my hubby to take a photo of me in front of the FBI building because I understand they are meant to raze one of my favorite buildings in the city (yes, I am one of fifteen fans of Brutalist architecture).

This dress was reviewed at Pattern Review.  :-)

I hope you all are having a great summer!  I'll check back in with you soon.

P.S. Boden fans, they have upped their sale to "up to 60% off" with an extra 15% off dresses and tops and skirt.  That's decent.  I just wish they had more in their sale, instead of shuffling some of the older spring and summer stock to "new and now."  The link to the sale is below and remember to use the code 3W5C for the extra 15% off those extra items that are eligible.

End of season sale! Extra 15% off Sale Dresses, Tops & Tees, and Mens/Boys Shirts., valid 7/7-7/1