OOTDs: Three Dressy.

Agh!  I fell down the sewing rabbit hole this week.  Again.  It was worth it since I really like what I made, but I am really glad all that hand sewing is behind me.  (I have  link at the bottom of this post with where you can find out more about the project.)

Day: Saturday, February 28, 2015.

Where:  Rex's First Confession.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The coat dress is one of my favorites from J. Crew, mainly because the coat dress is angled out from the waist to make the skirt portion in an a-line shape, which covers my curves but also is comfortable over my curves.  I realized too late that the dress was a touch short for church, so I made sure to cover it with a longer coat (also from J. Crew).  I didn't end up taking off the coat at church, but you could see the collar of the coat dress poking out.  In general, though, if I am going to dinner or out, I don't let the shorter hemline bother me too much (in fact I never noticed until this event that it was shorter than I thought).

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I don't have a big opinion one way or another, I mean the look was fine for the event, but ultimately it was more about being right for the occasion than being cool.

Day: Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Where:  Rex's doctor to get the long cast off and a visit to Harris Teeter.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This is the way I would dress everyday if I didn't ever want to shake it up...but I fear tunics, leggings, ballet flats, and scarves would become a bit repetitive.  But so comfortable, and because of the tunic and shoes, it has a dressier edge than the typical jeans and tee.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I thought the pink scarf matched the tunic, but in these photos the color looks so much brighter and it seems to have a bluer cast.  I suspect the camera has a problem with properly capturing the colors as the hallway's lighting is subpar.  I almost always have to adjust the white balance in picasa to get the colors accurate.  But anyhow, colors aside, tunics are not cool, but I wear mine with pride as I love them so much.

Day: Thursday, December 18, 2014.

Where:  Substitute Teaching.  (This was an outfit I forgot to publish way back when...)

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I really wish Boden would bring back this fabric to their designs.  I think they only used it a handful of times, and only ever in their Boden Limited Edition line (RIP) or their evening wear collections.  It is made from a silk jersey and it is so lovely, with thicker hand and an incredible drape.  As it is a knit, it has some give, but doesn't fall out of shape.  The lining is a very soft knit fabric and helps maintain the life of the main fabric but also gives the dress a bit of heft for warmth. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  This dress has a timeless cut and feel to it.  I have had this one since 2010 (I think) and I can't imagine a time I wouldn't want to wear it.  This kind of dress is like the DVF wrap dresses, it is kind of magical on how it frames the female form.  The fabric is a bit out there, but since I wear prints constantly, it isn't inconsistent with my style.

Okay, so above is a photo of the jacket I slaved over this week.  I wrote up a lot more on it and its construction over at this Fabric Mart post.  Hope you take a look if you are into retro fashion or if you enjoy sewing related things.

Have a great Saturday!  Talk with you all soon!

Boden: Summer 2015 New Arrivals Are Here!

Good Monday morning!

When I saw that all the affiliate coupons in my sidebar and recent blog posts had expired (I checked yesterday), I suspected that meant there were new arrivals coming our way, and like clockwork, they arrived this morning, just like they have in the past (Boden typically likes a Sunday, Monday, or Friday rollout). 

Anyhow, here in VA it is supposed to get above 60 for the first time in forever, and I am appreciative of all the beautiful clothing of warm weather clothing for once.  Normally I just scoff at seeing bikinis in early March, but I am like, "bring it."  So done with cold weather.  I am always "done" with cold weather, I am not the type to herald the coming of fall, but this year's winter was just brutal. 

*I do, though, think the image they chose to use for their "new summer line" is a bit hilarious.  Bikini!  Sunglasses!  Rain Jacket!  In the SUN!*  If I wore that combo to the beach in July in the South, people would wonder what was wrong with me.

Okay, so take a look around.  A lot of these are from the preview we had way back here, so if you would like to remind yourself of my picks, they are here.  Some of those picks will be available the next time new arrivals will be rolled out, so if you don't see something over there at that blog post at Boden right now, it is not "out" yet.

Do you see anything you just adore?  Let us know!

Below is the current coupon from the affiliate.  It is the typical 15% off.  :-)

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: The Wrap Dress Fiasco. And Some Long Overdue Reviews.

Hey, all!  I know I should just rename the Boden Weekly Review Roundup to the Boden Monthly Review Roundup, but I think Weekly Review Roundup just sounds better...and there is still a tiny inkling in my head that one day I will get my act together and get the weekly review game up and running again.  ;-)

So on Monday I wrote a post announcing the 20% off all full-priced items sale that Boden was having.  It is still going on, which is why I really wanted to make sure you were able to see the blog reviews from my blog friends and myself before the deal ended.  It ends tomorrow night here in the United States, so if you are hoping to partake, you have around twenty-four hours in which to enjoy.  And if you are in the big storm's path, well, I guess that is one way to pass the time.  ;-)

Many of my blog friends were really excited about the new Boden offerings this season, and three of them wrote up "favorites" posts.  You can see Lizzy's choices here, AudreyBella's choices here, and Fashion Mommy's choices here. 

Okay, onto the roundup!

REVIEWS:

Wrap Dress.  Size 6 Long.  I so so so so wanted this dress to fit well.  I mean, look at that beautiful and bright orange geometric print!  And feel the soft rayon blend knit (well, you can't, but it's soft as a baby's behind)!

But ugh.  The sizing is just so wrong on me.  I would dare say this one runs large, especially in length and in the bodice.  I had to wear that *lovely* camisole for modesty when taking the photos.  The top half is so loose, it is pooling and wrinkling and sagging. Not especially flattering.  It doesn't even sag in a way that makes me look like I have something in the way of "girls" up there.  Nah, it makes me look even smaller.  Wah!

I am a size 6 L in most Boden jersey dresses, with an occasional 4 L thrown in if the dress is especially stretchy.  I think that if I were to try the 4 Regular, I might be good, since I anticipate the bodice would be a touch shorter and definitely more fitted.  Yes, I would lose length, but that might be okay since that is a lot of skirt there in the long.

Yes, I know that I wouldn't do this maneuver normally when wearing the wrap dress, but I put this photo out there to show you just how stretchy and loose it was on me.  I think if I had a size 34DD AND had a longer torso, I would have been golden, and the dress would have looked great on me, but at 32B and short of torso, not in good shape.

You can see the big wrinkle there at the lower bustline.

I will say, I didn't HATE it on me, I just disliked that I couldn't wear it without a lot of cover underneath and without a lot of fiddling. Nah, I ain't got time for that junk.

Not terrible from the back, but it is obvious the top bit is too long on me.  Meh.


Wrap Dress.  In stock in most sizes.  I *might* wait for a super sale and try to get the 4 regular at a much better price.  If not, I'm good.

HOWEVER, I know a lot of you out there have the type of body that looks amazing in this kind of dress, so definitely give it a try, especially if you are longer in your torso or have more of a bust to support this kind of neckline.



French Knot Sweater.  Wore this on a recent snowy day.  (One of many, I might add, ugh.)


Tilly Sweater.  Really love the mint shade, it is sublime.  Worn to do typical "momma" stuff.


Rainbow Knit Sweater.  Because I had to wear pink on Valentine's Day, I wore this sweater as a festive nod to the date, even though my reason for going out was for my son's birthday party at a laser tag facility.


Hotchpotch Trainer.  I love fun sneakers, and I really enjoy Boden's first foray into the athletic style choices.  They were very comfortable the day I wore them.


Casual Dip Back Sweater.  Yeah, yeah, clearly I like this blue vine design.  LOL.  This sweater was so warm and cozy when I wore it back in January.












Embellished Blouse, Edith Top, Eliza Top, Polperro Top, Annie Dress, April Tunic Dress, Rose Bow Skirt, Grace Skirt, Suzie Ponte Dress, Westminster Bag, and Verity Dress.  First I want to mention I am jealous of Lou being able to get to the actual Boden store, I mean hello!  Trying the clothes on before you purchase them, that is such a wonderful thing to behold.  :-)  Second, as most of us are not so lucky, her trip has allowed us to see all the clothes in real life, and not just overstyled/possibly photoshopped in the catalog.  THANK YOU!



Long Sleeve Breton.  I love this color lavender on Lou.  It really does suit her!!! 


Eliza Silk Tunic Dress.  Lizzy looks beautiful in this Eliza dress. :-)


Westminster Bag.  Lizzy shows off this bag for us, but in the very versatile navy color. 


Jersey Jacquard Top.  I barely even noticed this top in the catalog and online, but after seeing it on Lizzy, I have my eyes firmly fixed on it. 

Thank you to all my blog friends for their contributions.  :-) 

Hope you all have a great night!

Here is a direct link to the Boden 20% off sale: