OOTDs: Festive White and Polka Dotted.

Happy New Year's Eve!  I am actually going to a party with some teacher friends, and I really hope to have a good time, but it's been forever since I have gone to a party like this, so I have a feeling I might feel out of place for at least a little while.  Thank goodness for champagne!

Before I begin, Boden is offering an additional 10% off clearance/sale styles.  I have a link for it in the sidebar and at the bottom of this post for those of you interested.  The affiliate program provided me with the link, which is awesome.  (Sometimes the affiliate doesn't get all the good ones.)

Day: Sunday, December 13, 2015.

Where:  Mass at our newly remodeled church.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It was kind of hot that day, so the topper (which is an ancient spring coat from Anthropologie) was worn for a grand total of twenty minutes.  But overall, a very easy outfit considering we had a very long mass that day (all total around 1.5 hours). 

Outfit Details: Coat, Anthropologie; Dress, Boden; Shoes, Nine West; Scarf, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (here, they are the Meteor style).

Anecdote of the Day: The church looks lovely and bright now.  It used to be a touch dark in the space.  I was in the first Confirmation group to be confirmed in the original "remodeled" version of the church WAY BACK WHEN, so it is wonderful to know that my kids will be part of another group to enjoy their sacraments in the second remodeling of the church.  (Though Rex had his First Holy Communion in the old church design, and all the kids were baptized in the old design.)  They kept some of the original bits, including the ceiling, which was the one thing I didn't want them to touch.  So glad they kept that!

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

Where:  Christmas work party.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This pretty sparkly polka-dotted dress by Boden is made of jersey, which is perfection for ease of wear.  I thought it was made with a woven jacquard fabric, so I ignored it as a possibility to wear, but by a stroke of buyer's luck, discovered it was a jersey stretchy material right around the Black Friday sales, so I was able to purchase it for a fairly decent price.  It had to pop back in my size, but once it did, I jumped on it, and was glad I did.  The sparkly shoes from last year are flat, so there was no pain there, either.

Outfit Details: Dress, (Sparkle Spot Jacquard Dress, here at Boden; my review of it here); Coat, Halston Heritage; Shoes, Boden; Necklace, Stella and Dot; Tights, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (here, they are the Meteor style).

Anecdote of the Day: I like my drinks hard and manly, so when offered a neat Scotch or Bourbon, I will happily drink it.  I had the pleasure of enjoying a really lovely Scotch that strongly tasted of peat, which if you have traveled to any bit of countryside in the UK, you have smelled burning in the air.  It tastes amazing, but I do understand that the taste may be an acquired one.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, December 24, 2015.

Where:  Christmas Eve Dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I originally planned on wearing this one only in the morning, but in the end decided I was fine with wearing it all day because 1) lazy and 2) need easy waistband for dinner gorging (ugh, must show more restraint in the future).

Outfit Details: Dress, Boden (Casual Weekend Dress, here; my original review here); Jacket, Boden (Boucle Jacket, here; original review here); Shoes, J. Crew; Necklace, gift from my dad; Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (here, they are the Meteor style).

Anecdote of the Day:  Dad brought Popeye's for dinner.  Popeye's.  I was appalled, Mr. Dina was thrilled (he loves Popeye's almost as much as he loves his white tennis shoes).

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Extra 10% off sale prices with code 2SAL plus free shipping and returns over $49 valid 12/31-1/3

OOTDs: Two Dresses.

Day: Friday, June 26, 2015.

Where: Bobby Van's, a steakhouse here in the DC area.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Ha, though this Zara dress is made from a scuba knit fabric and is in its largest size available, I still needed to wear the proper shapewear and suck the gut in so that it would look decent on me.  My hubby liked it, and I think it does look nice for the most part, but it is definitely a "date" dress that you wear for a few hours at a time.  God bless you, Zara, and your teeny-sized clothing.  ;-)

To be fair, it was very hot that evening, and I suspect both the shoes and dress would feel better under cooler and drier conditions. I'll try again in late October.

Outfit Details:  Floral Printed Tube Dress, Zara here (a medium is back as of 11:56 am); Shoes, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Earrings, Premier Designs.

Anecdote of the Day:  Parking in downtown DC is always an exercise in patience, and after driving around the White House area a few times, my hubby was convinced we were really far away from the restaurant.  I looked on the phone and saw it was like two blocks away.  I was like, "dude, two blocks...super close."  It turned out to be three.  He complained.  Eye roll.

Food was worth it, though.  Great steak is still great steak!

INSTAGRAM of outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of the dirty martini here.
INSTAGRAM of the dress and skirt in this pattern.

Day: Sunday, July 19, 2015.

Where: Church, Whole Foods, and a BBQ.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The linen zip-front dress in gold foil leaf from J. Crew is very lovely, but the waistband, right above the elastic shirring, is a fixed measurement/seam.  Many others have pointed this out in reviews, but what's the point of having an elastic waist and then having part of it not stretch?  Sigh.  STUPID.  But, because I chose the exact right size for my body (6 regular), it fit just fine.  You do need to know your waist measurement, where your waist falls on your body versus the dress, and from there you can figure out where it work on you.  Honestly, I lucked out.  Usually a style like this I would order in a 4 regular (or petite if this bodice looks really long--I have a short torso), but because of the reviews, I tried the size up and it was perfect. 

The linen is very nice for summer, very stiff, especially the hem (it is faced with the same fabric to keep that effect--it does allow the skirt to fall more like a full skirt), but it breathed well in the near 100 heat (plus full humidity) yesterday. 

I only wore the jacket in church for modesty reasons.  I was hot in church, but whatever, it's only an hour.

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew here; Jacket, Loft; Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, History Store.

Anecdote of the Day:  I had to go to Whole Foods before the bbq at my friend's house.  She lives two blocks from the one in Arlington, so my brother, Angus, and I walked to the store.  I knew Angus would be a wriggly mess at the store (that one is SO CROWDED), so I just strapped him in my ergo instead.  Hoo boy, was that a brilliant way to make 98 degrees feel like 120.  Still was a great idea since the store was, as predicted, full of people who I have noticed are not the "kid-friendly" types.  (They are a bit more kid-friendly at the Old Town Alexandria one, fwiw.)

INSTAGRAM of outfit and Angus in Ergo here.

Okay, thanks for stopping by!  :-)

I am thinking I can do a special "clearance" Boden Weekly Review Roundup (now that I am starting it up again) this week.  If you are interested in adding a review, and you are not one of my "regulars," you can email me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or put the review in the comments section of the Boden Reviews tab.  (You can always email me if you are a regular and just think I won't get your review, too.)

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Kiera Goes to Communion.

Hi, all!  Happy Sunday!  I have a very small BWRR this week, only three reviews.  There are lots of pretty items for sale, but it seems most of the bloggers and friends that usually do reviews of Boden items have been purchasing less, so we are seeing fewer items overall, which considering my insane schedule may not be a bad thing this time around.

That said, Boden has made a new tag for Instagram called #bodenbyme.  I have been using the tag #boden on any of my Instagram posts that feature Boden, but apparently they want you to use this one.  Whatever.  Will do!  If you want to check that page out to see how folks like us are wearing their Boden, head on over here for that.

Some reminders:

1. Boden's Autumn Preview 2015 is set to end its additional 20% off preview orders on May 24, 2015.  I will definitely do a picks post this week, in fact if I can get my act together, I will write it on Tuesday morning (bowling has ended for the year).  The preview code for 20% off is 7D4N.  BTW, mini Boden has its preview up now, too.

2. Boden had a very tiny rollout of summer items.  I missed it.  I think an email was sent, but unlike J. Crew, who literally SCREAM from the rooftops that there are new arrivals (their emails always seem over the top that way), Boden's are more subtle, so likely it said something like, "something's afloat here at Boden HQ--come check out all the beachy new garments for your holiday!"  Anyhow, they are cute, and I recall seeing some of them in preview, so if you ordered some items from the summer preview, it is likely that you will receive them soon if you haven't already.

Lou also mentioned that the Festival line is set to roll out and when that does, I will let you know.

3. Coupons. Sigh, coupons.  The affiliate program had a coupon last week, but every time I clicked on it, the coupon did not give 15% off, but instead just landed me at Boden with no discount.  Something is not right over there.  I wonder if the manager is a robot that isn't bothering to check emails or links, etc.  It's bizarre.  They used to be so much better about getting coupons up and running, and if I had an issue, I could email and have a response that day.  Ultimately this hurts Boden most, if I don't have proper working coupons, I don't bother to promote them, and while I am in no way, shape, or form more than a little teeny tiny drop in the big bucket of money that Boden makes, I must help somehow since I see the sales that are made from links here at my blog.  Anyhow, when the act actually comes together and proper coupons start rolling back in, I promise to let you know.  For now, I recommend using the emails that come your way from Boden, as they usually have a discount attached to them (I have received recently a 25% off one, and one for buy 3 items, receive the fourth for $1).

Kiera Dress. Size 8 Long.  This dress was a purchase made during preview last year, and was officially the last item I received from Boden from a preview order that didn't get massively screwed up.  I am really glad it didn't get screwed up as this dress is just lovely and a great addition to my wardrobe.  (Although we all know how many yellow dresses I own, but in fairness they all get worn!)

The 8 Long was a guess as they didn't have the measurements up on the page during preview.  I made the right choice, though the 8 Long bodice is pretty big overall.  The 8 Long hips and length, though, are exactly what my body needs. 

The skirt portion of the lining, though, suffers from the ill-conceived "let's use a pencil skirt lining for a full-skirted dress" phenomena that only Boden seems to do.  Ugh.  Having said that, the skirt's lining is not as excessively fitted as I found it to be on the worst offender of this tragic trend of theirs, the Selina Dress.  I still need to take the skirt's lining out (it isn't needed for modesty, and I can always wear a separate skirt slip if I need it for some reason), but I wore this dress just fine at my son's First Holy Communion (that is an hour plus service at the church), so it isn't too terrible of an issue.

The shape is pleasing, a bit more fitted at top and a slight a-shape tulip skirt.  If you carry any weight in your stomach area, this dress may be a difficult fit for you as the waist is the most fitted part of the dress.

It has a back zip, which I prefer, it made getting in and out of it quite easy.  The photo here really shows just how loose the bodice is on me, especially through the middle part.  I found that if I took up the straps a touch, it fit better, so that is a possible future alteration I may make on my sewing machine.

The fabric is a substantial rayon/cotton blend, which I wasn't sure I would like, but it wore very well, and the colors are very vibrant and summery.  The color you see in this photo is the closest to its real life color.

Instagram of my outfit here.


Kiera Dress.  It is currently 30% off since it is an older spring item, and I would say the price is good for what you receive.  The stocks are running low, and considering how very "Boden" this is, that doesn't surprise me, at all.  With Boden featuring fewer "Boden" type items, those of us that love Boden for being unique are probably buying up what they still offer that are like what we have always loved from them.


Cerys Dress.  Lou loves hers, and it is absolutely stunning on her in the tropical blue shade.


Lily Skirt. Lisa mixed her plaids!  The Lily Skirt in light blue looks adorable as she styled it.

Okay that's it!  You all have a great Sunday!

OOTD/Made by Me File: Rosalyn's Easter. New Look 6262 and New Look 6335.

Day: Sunday, April 5, 2015.

Where:  Easter services and Easter lunch/supper.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I had constructed the dress myself with my sizing in mind, so I was very comfortable.  The only thing that bugged a bit was the underarm portion, which makes me fear that I have even more of a square shoulder adjustment to do the next time I sew up this pattern.  (I don't have a lot of fluff up top, but my shoulders go up at the end instead of sloping down, and since the patterns are all drafted for a much more sloped shoulder than I have, I always have to do a "square shoulder adjustment."  I thought I had done enough of one here, but I must need another 1/8 to 1/4 inch to be truly comfortable.)

Outfit Details:  Dress, made from New Look 6262; Shoes, Target; Tilly Cardigan, J. Crew (available here); Necklace, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  So in Mississippi and apparently this part of Indiana, people say supper instead of lunch.  Or is it dinner at lunch and supper is what I call dinner?  I don't know, lol.  Here in Northern Virginia, and maybe the rest of the state, supper is dinner, if we say supper at all.  I find it all so fascinating. 

I say yard sale instead of garage sale and every big road (interstates, freeways, etc.) are highways.  Other states round here do the same, but you go further west/north and the differences in terms are more pronounced.  Speaking of pronounced, if you really want to have some fun, ask a Virginian to pronounce either Fauquier county or Norfolk.  Trust me.

Do you have any local idioms that are a dead giveaway you are from somewhere? 

New Look 6262.  Without fail, I knew that I would likely be making the size 10 at the top bit (hey my absent flat-chested self), but because of the smaller waist measurement on the tissue, I decided it would be smart if I made the rest of the dress below the bust in a size 12.  It worked out great, and though I could have maybe squeezed into the 10 at the waist (the hips would have been fine, obviously), the 12 gave me a lovely amount of ease.

I specifically chose the fabrics because I really wanted to make the Rosalyn Dress from Boden since the debacle with my preview orders about two months back.  I didn't ever intend for this to be my Easter dress, but I was so fired up about the way Boden handled processing the credit that I CANCELED my order and got in my head that I could make something just as great as what I canceled.  The top bit is made from a cotton lace broderie fabric I bought from Fabric Mart last year, and the bottom is a home decor print from Waverly (Blossom Boutique Twill Aurora) I knew would look nice with the lace. 

I love how many options New Look 6262 gave me in terms of necklines, sleeves, etc.  I chose the cap sleeve with the scoopneck option, and made sure to follow the instructions for the lace version at least in the bodice.  It asked me to underline versus line my bodice, and so that is what I did.  It did feel a bit odd to underline (I used a stretchy cotton poplin fabric for that) and then use a facing, but the result was great, so I am not questioning it.  I clearly did not need to underline the skirt, but I did end up adding pockets, which I grabbed from Butterick 5211 (they were absolutely perfect as is).

Back view.  I didn't have any long white invisible zips at the house, but because they are invisible, except for the top pull, I just used a baby blue that matched the skirt perfectly.  It is fine!

The Rosalyn dress doesn't have a back zip and since I prefer back to side zips, AND I prefer this floral to the one they have on theirs, I am claiming sewing success on this dress.  I love it way more than the Rosalyn.  Rare for me to say this, but Dina 1--Boden 0.

Rosalyn Dress.  Still a very pretty dress, just not for me.  I think had all of the credit processing been more normal (or at least more timely in dropping the extra charges placed on my account), I would have gone with this one and not even been tempted to sew my own.  Ultimately I was glad I did since I also had enough fabric left over for my daughter's Easter dress, too.  If you do like this dress, it is on sale right now, for 20% off.

For CW's matching dress (which Boden has no version of for their mini line) I used New Look 6335 for sleeves and skirt, while rest is Simplicity 1211.  Since she is a wee girl with few curves, she is super easy to fit (and that makes this super easy to sew, too), but I did decide to make the skirt from one long rectangle rather than three rectangles (one for the front piece and two for the back pieces with a zip in the middle).  This means that her skirt has no side seams but does have a back seam that meets up with the middle back seam of the bodice.  I could have used a zip that went all the way down into her skirt, but again, girl with no curves, so I just added a small 7 inch zip at the top of the bodice and called it a day.  If she does get big enough that I need to add a longer zip, I have the infrastructure in place to do so.  I don't see any big difference between her skirt fullness and the one on the New Look 6335 package.  Hers is plenty full enough but uses far less fabric.  I tell you those girls dresses require SO much skirt fabric.  Ridiculous.  This is like the tenth time I have chosen not to use the full amount because I refuse to waste fabric if the end result will only look marginally different.

I do want to mention two things--

1. Gathering has always been a bit of a bear for me.  This time I did the proper three rows of gathering on the longest stitch length and then pulled them up to the length needed to match the bodice pieces.  In order to make sure the gathers didn't get folded down and smooshed by the presser foot, I made the *bold,* lol, decision to decrease my foot pressure on my machine.  Why in the world I hadn't done that before is beyond me, but wow, what a difference.  I still had to take it nice and slow and maneuver the gathered bits properly so they wouldn't get misshapen by the machine and the foot, but the gathers lie nice and prettily rather than skewing to one side as they want to do if I leave the presser foot pressure at the higher amount.  (They skew towards the opposite side that the presser foot is approaching from, so if the presser foot comes from the left on the wrong side, the gathers all skew to the right on the front, probably barely noticeable, but it drives me batty.)

2. I have laundered these dresses on delicate, in a cold wash, and hung them to dry.  They came out great, even though the skirt fabric recommends dry cleaning.  Just a bit of a "go on and do it" for those of you wondering if you should.  ;-)

I wrote up a pattern review on my dress here at Pattern Review.  It has a bit more of the technical dealings for those of you that care.

I will write up the pattern review for CW's dress soon.  When I do that I will update this blog post.

Okay, you all have a great night!!!  

OOTD: It Matches!

Before I start the post, I wanted to congratulate Julie, she won the NOVICA $50 giveaway. Random.org gave me the result of #18 of 20 entries, and that was Julie's comment.  I will email Julie with more information.  Very excited Julie gets to enjoy some NOVICA shopping.  :-)

Day: Tuesday, March 31, 2015.

Where:  Substituting for the upper grade's Spanish teacher.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Skirt was made by me back when (here is the original post on its construction), and I have lost a couple of pounds since then, so it fits very well now and is very comfortable.  The Tippi sweater from J. Crew is also amazing, I know there are lots of women who are fans (and own multiple colors) but I haven't really dipped into the Tippi pool, outside of a handful of versions from years past.  I am a fan, but I don't actively seek out having multiples of it. 

The only ding came from the loafers, which fit fine, but after standing all day in class and then walking to Harris Teeter on my break (in warmish weather), I found they felt really small and were rubbing against my feet uncomfortably.  So I went ahead and purchased those "half-socks" from the grocery store and that helped a bunch.

Outfit Details:  When I made this skirt, I was thinking I would have no problem matching tops to it, but I was surprised by how hard it was.  I either just don't buy these shades and can't get things to work with it, or the print has a very specific look and needs something especially unfussy for it to work with it.  I had tried regular white tee-shirts and blouses, but it was too plain, however anything with any amount of print or sequins or embellishments was too much.  The top I wore with it originally is fine, but I want to sell that one as I don't really love it.  I did not purchase the Tippi with the intent of matching the skirt (I just really loved the color), but found that it was exactly the right shade for my skirt.

Long story short, lol, is that you can find the Tippi here at J. Crew (this is the heather aqua shade).

Anecdote of the Day:  The big burly cashier at Harris Teeter really liked the old school J. Crew necklace and said it perfectly matched the skirt.  LOL.  I love it when people you don't expect to be into style are into it.  :-)

I am not 100% ready to reveal the dress on me yet, as I still have hemming of the skirt and sleeves to do, but I know that a lot of you are both fans of sewing and of Boden, so I kind of figured you would be into seeing my latest project, which is my Easter dress.  It is New Look 6262 and is supposed to be a close approximation of Boden's Rosalyn dress.  I had originally ordered the Rosalyn dress, but after the huge mess of the preorder and my card company having problems with the double charges showing up, I decided to cancel my order and just make the darn thing instead.

The floral fabric (called Waverly Blossom Boutique Twill Aurora) is actually a home decor fabric, but it is lightweight enough to work with this pattern.  I have to admit to preferring this floral pattern to the one Boden used.  And based upon the fact that I know the Boden version's bodice would have likely been too long for my short torso, I was glad to have creative control and a tape measure in my hands to ensure my version wasn't too long.  I also decided to add a back invisible zip instead of a side zip, so I won that way, too.

It's not that I don't love the Rosalyn version, in fact, seeing it on AudreyBella made me realize it is a very beautiful garment, but knowing I could make my own gave me fuel to just get it done.  I also had enough fabric left over to make my daughter a version, and so far so good.  Wish me luck on getting that one done in time.

If you would like to see the nearly finished version above on me, I gave the Instagram folks a sneak peek last night.
 

Here is a close-up of the fabrics.  The eyelet broderie fabric is from Fabric Mart last year and is definitely not around anymore.

Okay, that's it for now.  :-)

Real quickly, before I go, Boden has upped their mid-season sale to 50% off on some items, including a lot of the ones I have reviewed (Rainbow Knit sweater, French Knot sweater, etc.), so go on over to this post to learn more about the sale.  (The post says "up to 40%," but it was written earlier this week.)

OOTDs: Dressing Up, Wind Whipping Style.

Hi!  Happy Thursday.  :-)  I have been nose to the grindstone, and with great concentration, furiously sewing up my son's suit for his First Confession on Saturday.  I started the project last week, and whenever I could find the time, I worked on the blazer.  I am *still* working on the blazer, but at least the shell is done, I just need to finish the lining.  I am actually insanely proud of the work so far, but I won't exhale until the finished product is being worn by him on Saturday.  Anyhow, wish me luck, and I hope that explains a bit of why I have been away so much lately.

Also, NADA is going on with Boden, sale wise, so there's that, too.  I had plans to do the Boden Weekly (haha) Review Roundup this week, but with the details I need to follow to the tee with the blazer pattern, I realized something had to be given up.

Okay, I do have a few brief moments to show off a few recent dressier outfits I wore in the past two months.  I have definitely been more focused on casual wear, especially since Rex is housebound and I am going nowhere, but there have been a few occasions that required me to give a little more effort than a pair of Turner pants and an embellished sweatshirt.

Day: Friday, January 16, 2015.

Where:  Fairly certain I went grocery shopping with the Angus that day.  This was before Rex got injured (that happened 1/25), and I saw I took photos of him fooling around the house that day, so because I got dressed up and I have photos of him at the house, I have to assume that Harris Teeter was the reason for my "dress up."  LOL. 

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I never know what size to get at J. Crew or J. Crew Factory when it comes to these straight shift style dresses (this one is the Factory Printed Shift Dress).  I always know that the bust and shoulders will be too big unless I get a size 4, but my hips don't lie and are a size 10, so that's what I chose to purchase.  That was a wise choice, but I still could use a half-inch more if I am being honest, I would prefer just that little bit of extra ease.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Love this look.  I need to wear this again before it gets too warm (ha, no threat of that here in Southern Canada aka Virginia).

Anecdote of the Day:  Angus made some cute faces when I was taking photos of him that day.  Other than that, nada.

Day: Thursday, January 22, 2015.

Where:  A friend's father's interment at Arlington National Cemetery.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It wasn't about ease that day, since the occasion called for very formal.  I am glad I had proper funeral clothing, but with the very chilly day and windy weather, I have to admit that I was close to frostbite (especially on my feet) by the end of the ceremony.  But again, more than okay by me, we were honoring a man's service to his country on this day, my cold feet are nothing to complain about.

Cool Factor: (N/A of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Again, unimportant.  Not a concern of mine that day.  The look is very proper, very put together, and in sedate coloring.

Anecdote of the Day:  I cried at one point, even though I had never met my friend's dad.  The ceremony was so moving.  I felt honored to be there for her and was in awe of how reverent the military is in honoring their deceased veterans.  And the day, though bitterly cold, was incredibly beautiful, and from what my friend said, she knows that her dad would have been so pleased with both the weather and the ceremony.  :-)

Day: Monday, January 12, 2015.

Where: Subbing.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Super comfortable, and the outfit kept me warm.  Let me give a shout out to the J. Crew Factory Harper Double Bow ballet flats.  These shoes fit well on first wearing and have been worn at least fifteen times since I purchased them in early January.  I bought the 9.5, which is my normal size.  They are great for folks who want something pretty but are also flat enough for those of us on our feet all day.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Exactly the right look for substitute teaching.

Anecdote of the Day:  Everyone loves that collar necklace from Accessorize that I bought when I went to Ireland two years ago.  I have a pattern for collars from Simplicity, so I bet I could figure out how to make the base from a firm fabric (like canvas) and bedazzle it with beads.  Hmm...

Okay, thanks for stopping by!  Hope my next post is sooner than later, as that means the suit sewing didn't do me in...

Boden Reviews: Beatrice, Eliza, and Isla.

Today's reviews will be in this order: Beatrice Dress, Eliza Coat, and the Isla Dress.  I purchased the Eliza Coat way back in preview, and reviewed it here when it came to me.  It has only recently gotten chilly enough to justify wearing it, but I have worn it three times this week alone, so yay for that.  :-)  (Still hate cold!)  The Beatrice Dress and the Isla Dress are both very recent purchases, bought when Boden was having a good sale or another (can't remember if it was the dresses sale or if it was the Black Friday sale, I am 100% sure the Isla Dress was purchased during the Black Friday sale, though, since I was only able to buy it after receiving a $50 gift card from my mother- and father-in-law).

I am partially doing these reviews as a way to tip my toes back in the water of blog writing after my recent loss, but also because I know that the big end of season sale has moved into second cuts and I am sure some of you really want to see some of these items on someone already.  ;-)

FWIW, the Beatrice Dress is 60% off (very good price for what you receive), the Isla Dress is a mere 20% off (except the beetroot check which is 40% off), and the Eliza Coat is 30% off (that's a good price, the coat is gorgeous in real life).

Beatrice Dress (here at Boden).  I chose to purchase a 6 Long as it seemed to have enough of a bell to its skirt to make that my choice rather than an 8 Long which I will sometimes purchase if a skirt is more straight on a dress.  I was nearly right, it is a slight bell, but it is definitely not as full as I thought it might be.

Regardless it fits well.  The top half is a touch long in the bodice, but this is the case with nearly every dress I own, so bear that in mind, as most of you are not super short through your torso.

The length on the dress is awesome, though, hitting right where I like my skirts to hit, mid-kneecap.

If you look closely you can see that there are two pleated tucks in the waistband of the skirt.  It's fine, but I would prefer that Boden consider a different application in the future.  They always want to do this, but a lot of women can't wear that well.  I felt the need to stand very straight in order to keep this dress from poufing out.  I think a pretty gather there would be a better choice (where the skirt front is a bit more full at the bottom to compensate for it).  Or if they really want a more straight silhouette, just go with a couple of darts at the waistband.

BTW, no pockets.  Boo!  It is easy enough to add them, but that is for the future. 

The material is amazing, a lovely mid-weight brocade polyester.  The florals are all woven into the fabric, but well done, and even though it comes with a delicate care tag, I didn't feel like I was going to pull the threads out at any point in the evening (I wore it to my kids' Christmas Pageant at the church).

The back features a back zip!  Hurray!  The bodice is fitted, so while I *can* zip it up with a bit of a struggle, it is helpful to have someone else help.  Just letting you all know.

The pleated detail on the front does NOT extend to the back, thank goodness.

I hadn't even noticed the back of the sleeve until I was editing these photos, but there is a cuff placket detail back there.  That takes work and care, and that bit of tailoring you rarely see anymore.  I did the same effect on a dress I sewed up recently, and I appreciate that Boden still adds these features.


Beatrice Dress.  Not really selling out in the color I chose, but the other colors appear more popular.

Eliza Coat (here at Boden).  I rarely ever purchase a size 8 in coats from Boden, but this season I had to buy two that size (I usually wear a size 6 in their coats).  I think they narrowed the shoulders and waist on their coats, and normally that is where I am smallest, so keep that in mind if you choose to buy this one.

I think you can tell this is a good fit on me and it is over just the dress and some tights.   I think it is meant to be a traditional ladies coat, one worn out for dressier events, so I don't think the intent was that we should wear it out over thick sweaters and pants.  (I did wear it over a thin sweater, though, no problem.)

Buttoned up you can see how its buttons look.  It does look like I have properly buttoned them up, but they are actually snaps with a fake button front.  I like snaps, but I have read a few reviews where the reviewer questioned the choice.  My son did spend a lot of this week (I taught his class while his teacher is away) popping my buttons at recess (he was "line leader"), but whatever, I just snapped it right back.

Side view you can see the placket and how it features snaps.  The pocket is so pretty, I love the slanted welt detailing.  Those pockets are deep, btw, great for when you absolutely need them to keep your hands warm (definitely the case yesterday).

Back view is very simple and you can see that they chose a raglan sleeve.  The silhouette was very popular in the mid-60s, so I think they made the right choices for the look they wanted to achieve.

Like a dummy I forgot to clip that vent.  I always do that, lol.

 
Eliza Coat. The Eliza coat is popular, but not selling out.  I think the sizing issue is a big deal.  Remember to size up.

Isla Dress (here at Boden).  Since I already own the Amy Dress (that review here), and this dress is exactly the same but in a woolen check fabric from Moon, I knew that the same size would be the right call for me.  And it was, the 6 L fits the same way the Amy Dress fits, and if I am being very honest, I think the Isla dress may fit me even better!  (The bodice seems less troublesome on this dress, which may ultimately come down to how it was cut in the factory.)

The length is like the Amy Dress and the Beatrice Dress, exactly right for my frame.  Mid-kneecap is my favorite and am thrilled that the Isla dress in this shade popped back in my size over the Thanksgiving weekend when I could get it on a discount and with a gift card in my pocket.  (Yes!)

I had intentions of sewing this up for myself, but after calculating amounts, and adding in the gift card, the type of wool, etc., I knew that the price I paid out of my own pocket was less than making it for myself.  That doesn't mean I don't want to try, but I will save that for next fall and winter.  ;-)

Same side view as I get on the Amy dress, but you can see that the bodice fits me a touch better here on this one.

The checks are nicely aligned, it is difficult to match plaids, especially on the bias and at the side seams (the skirt is placed on the bias).

The sleeves are not 100% aligned on the same plaid, but it doesn't look bad, so I am good.

The back really shows the craftsmanship.  Here you see how the back seam is perfect, with the plaid on either side exactly matching up in the middle.  Bravo, Boden.  There is also a zip there, and that, too, is nearly invisible.

You can tell (kind of) that the lighter stripe is a pale pink, the same shade as the Eliza cot.  The blue is actually more teal in real life, and the grey is a mid-color grey.  All around very beautiful plaid and a bit unusual.

My hubby said I looked like a Catholic school girl.  LOL.  Good thing I was teaching in one yesterday when I wore this.

Love how full this skirt is, and fully lined for protection of the wool fabric and for ease of wear with items like tights.

The wool is very soft to the touch.  I kept stroking it yesterday.  It is not itchy at all.  Definitely consider it if you are wary of wool because of the itch factor.

The shoes, btw, are the Low Heeled Loafer (review here), and suited the occasion of teaching well.  I felt fine in them all day.

Whole ensemble together.  I love this ladylike look.


Isla Dress.  Very popular.  If your size pops back and you like it, I recommend grabbing it.  This dress sold well this season.

Okay, that's it!  Have any of you tried these items?

The sale banner below says "up to 50% off," but it is actually "up to 60% off."