Boden: Phoebe Jersey Dress.

Hey, all.  Well, there are about three hours left in the 25% off diminishing discount over at Boden, so I knew I'd better get this one last review in before it ends (west coast people, you all have around 6 hours left!).

Before I do the review, I had a few comments over the past few days who were wondering what the Boden Preview 20% off code is...and it is AP7X and it expires on May 18, 2017.

Also, I did a written review for the Phoebe Jersey dress way back when, so you may want to check that one out in addition to the review I am writing here tonight.

Phoebe Jersey Dress.  Size 6 Long.  I am glad that I have this in this size.  Though I would have been happier with it being a touch shorter, it really isn't as frumpy as I thought it was initially.  I did order the green vine version in the regular, and it does hit right above the knee, which makes it a bit less conservative, but still long enough to wear to school.  The size 6 is a good fit, nowhere too fitted, but definitely not too loose.  The 8 would have been too loose for what I was looking for in this dress.

The pockets are wonderful, super deep for whatever comes your way (including acorns found by Angus and placed in there quietly at some point during today--I see him from time to time in the hallways--definitely a benefit of teaching at the same school as your kids).

As I mentioned in my original written review, this fabric is lovely, a nice stretchy cotton slub jersey that is comfortable, but in no way stretches out during the day.

These shoes are the Joanna flats, and I believe they must be all sold out.  I can only find a pair or two for sale over at the Boden UK site, and nothing at the US site.  I like them, and hope they can bring flats out like this again.  I love patent leather for our rainy days, and don't feel like enough retailers carry them.

The necklace is the Lena Longline necklace (in gold) and I really like it.  It reminds me a lot of the Scattered Glass necklace from J. Crew.  Now it's not the same exact look, but it a long necklace with variation in bead size, and in a neutral color, so it serves a similar purpose.

Back and the side show it works fine on my curvy lower half/smaller upper half.  I am beginning to think I should just move onto exclusively buying stretch fabrics.  LOL.  No, but still...stretchy is so wonderful!

Okay, that's it for awhile.  This weekend is set to be crazy (we have our school auction and I am wearing this handmade dress to it), and I am not sure when I'll be back (likely later this month).  But I definitely will be at instagram until I get back here, so check that out if you want to keep in touch.

Okay, less than three hours now left to receive the 25% off (use code 5N3R)!

Boden: Marina Jersey Dress Review.

Hey, all!  Had a long day yesterday, and as soon as I got home I went to sleep, so I figured I would post twice today.

Yesterday I wore the Marina Jersey dress to school and Winesday, and it is such a pretty little dress.  Today I'll finally get the chance to wear the Phoebe Jersey dress.  (I've wanted to wear this but the weather was not compatible for most of March, but today it will be 80 and sunny, exactly right!)

I wrote three posts (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday) this week in conjunction with the diminishing discount going on right now at Boden.  It does end tonight, hence the reason I will post now and later today.  :-)

I also hope to respond to all the comments that have been left (many which have questions), so if all goes well I can do that later today.

Marina Jersey Dress.  Size 6 Regular.  I went with my regular jersey dress size, but went with the shorter regular length since the long is at around 42 inches, which falls below my knee, and which is a length that would be a bit too dowdy on me, especially in this silhouette and print.

The print is very pretty, but from far away it looks like a floral ditsy print, and it isn't until you get closer you see how interesting and detailed it is.

I like the shape, especially the cap sleeves.  The one thing that would be a great addition would be pockets, but they weren't added.  Oh, well.  Maybe if they bring it back, they can think about that in the next version of this dress.

The morning I took this it was a bit overcast and the greens of the trees were very bright, so the colors of this shot are off.  I color corrected as much as possible, but the whole photo seems a bit "verdant."

The green sheen of the photo is worst here.  Wowza!   Anyhow, the side view shows how full the skirt is, without being too twirly.  It is a perfect dress for anyone who teaches or needs to look dressy while staying comfortable.  The fabric is a viscose/elastane jersey, so it is soft and stretchy.  The bodice is lined in a solid colored viscose/elastane jersey as well, so it is not see through and will hold up well to wear and tear.

Here is the print, taken by me away from spring green forest.  You can see the print is a delicate daisy print with littler white florals behind the yellow ones.  The background is grey and a super dark grey.

Close up you can see the details a bit better.  The waist is positioned where mine is, so pretty high, but since the jersey stretches in multiple directions, if you are a bit longer in the torso, it should still stretch to work for you as well.  The waist pleating is the one fault I can find with this dress.  I think a plain dart would have worked better here.  The pleats are small enough to not be an interesting detail, and large enough to be noticed.  Hmm.

Okay, this dress is in stock in the long lengths, but from what I can see the regular lengths are sold out or in low stock status.

Last day!  Remember to use code 5N3R to receive the 25% off.

Closet Sale: Dresses and Swimwear.

Hey, all.  After saying I was going to hold a closet sale for the last year, I have finally gotten around to it.  I am so freaking slow.  This will be a multi-week thing, starting today with some summer dresses (one or two year-round dresses on here, too) and some swimwear.  I have a gazillion other things to sell including skirts, shorts, winter dresses, coats, jackets, shoes, etc., but this seemed as good a place as any to start.

The prices are pretty good (between $10 and $35), I keep them low because I just want to get them out of my closet and into a closet of someone who will actually wear them.  :-) 

Shipping is extra (about $5 for most of the United States), but if you buy three items or more, I will comp shipping (unless you are in Canada or Europe, then I will give you a $5 discount on your shipping).

I can only ship to the US, its territories, its military bases, and Canada and Europe.  It is too difficult to ship elsewhere, unfortunately.

You can email me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com to find out more/express interest, etc.  I will answer as quickly as I can, but I am not always right there on my computer, so know that I will get back, and that I will give the item to whomever expresses interest first. 

Thanks for looking! 

Newquay Dress. Size 6 Long.  From Boden Spring 2013.  That's navy striping, not black. Worn here by me. $25. SALE PENDING.

Kristy Dress. Size Small. The dress is somewhere in color between the upper photo and the below photo.  Here it is on me. From J. Crew: Soft, midweight cotton interlock—a more substantial knit. Shift silhouette. Fitted. Boatneck. Short sleeves. Patch pockets. Hits at midthigh; 18" from natural waist. $15.

Jennifer Shirtdress. From J. Crew 2007.  This is black, so you know. ;-)  Worn here by me. $20. SOLD.

Printed Tunic. US 6 Regular. From Boden Spring 2010.  Worn here by me. $20.

 

Thicket Low Back Tank. Size 4 (runs wee compared to normal J. Crew swimwear). Has a black mark through tag, from clearance center.  Price reflects this. From J. Crew: One of our favorites—from the floral print to the delicate ruffle trim. J.Crew nylon/Lycra® spandex with a ruched band at front. Quick drying. Fade resistant. $15.

Sassy Silk Dress. Size 8 Regular. From Boden Spring 2011. Worn by me here. $30.

Ruffled Hem Jersey Dress. Size Small. From J. Crew Summer 2010.  Color is in-between the two images. Worn by me here. $10.

Factory cotton-silk shimmy dress. Size 8.  From J. Crew Factory. I misplaced the black belt (it was a length of black grosgrain ribbon, so easy to make yourself).  I adjusted the price down to make up form the lack of the belt (still has slip, though). $15. SOLD.

Lyric/Drift Dress. Size Extra-Small. From J. Crew Spring 2011. Definitely not as dark as my photo, but not quite as blue as the still shot.  Worn by me here with a cardigan. $15.

Sconset Dress. Size 8. From J. Crew Factory (second image is from the retail store not factory).  I shortened the straps by an inch (price is lowered for that reason), but I tucked them and sewed them versus cutting then sewing, so if you need to re-lengthen them, you can take the stitches out and have them back at their original length.  Worn by me here. $10.

Sleeveless Draped Knit Dress. Size Small. From Garnet Hill.  Color is definitely closer to the purple Edda is wearing in the model shot, but not the exact shade.  (It was hard to photograph some of the darker colors well.) Here I am wearing it. $20. SALE PENDING.

Starlet Knit Dress. Size Small. From Garnet Hill. I am giving up one of my beloved Startlet Knit dresses!  :-)  Seen on me here. $20. SALE PENDING.

Printed Dress. Size M (which I think is about a girls 13-14, or a size 4 in regular Boden). From Johnnie b, the juniors line at Boden. Worn by me here. $10.

Villa Dress. Size Small.  From J. Crew Spring 2012. Worn by me here in CA a few years ago. Between navy and black. (I loved wearing this dress, fwiw, I just am ready to let it go.) $20.

Fitted Ponte Dress. Size 8 Regular.  It is a bit rumply, but it has been folded in storage for a year after washing and line drying.  (It wears fine, though, since on the body it stretches out, but it can be ironed, too, obviously.)  Here it is on me. $25.

 

Lucille Dress. Both Size 8. J. Crew Spring 2012. Beautiful dresses, white is brand new with tags, I wore the purple a couple of times, including here.  As much as I love them, my pear shape does best when there is even more fullness to the skirt, and less fullness at top.  This worked better on my frame when I was postpartum and heavier, surprisingly. White--$35. Purple--$30.

Crossover swimsuit. Size US 4. Boden. Worn by me here.  Has been washed in machine with soap for sanity reasons, and line dried.  I don't recommend washing suits with soap and in the machine, though, on a regular basis, since it wears the suits down over time.  I usually just rinse with super cold water (maybe a little bit of mild soap)h and hang to dry after use. $15.

Liberty Board Shorts in Phoebe Floral.  Size 10. From J. Crew. I never wore these, as much as I wanted to, they were always just a bit too tight through the thighs and the crotch length and depth was not a good match for my frame.  I think they run small, tbh.  $20. SOLD.

Have a great day, you all!

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!