Dressy Jersey Twist-Strap DressClick here for product page
Item 14994
Regular: $78.00
A big "thanks!" goes to AppGal who shared with us her great review (as well as several real-life images) of this dress (which can also be found at her great blog here):
In my quest to find the perfect knit dress for summer, I squealed with delight when I came across the "Dressy Jersey Twist-strap dress"--aka the "Lori Dress," according to the packing slip. When I saw it, I just knew this would be my "it"dress for the summer, just like my Lisa dress was last year. So I ordered the dress in the Tropical Aqua color (which, by the way, is a beautiful color!)
The dress arrived this afternoon, and I have to say, I am pretty disappointed. You will see why in the following pictures, but the fit was all wrong, the detailing was shoddy, and I just felt downright sloppy in it.First of all...the fit: I ordered an xs in the dress since all of my jersey knit dresses from j.crew seem to fit better in this size. I figured that with the xs, I would have more support in the boobular area, if you know what I mean. From the empire waist down, the fit is fine--no problems there. The problem lies above the waist. The v-neck is sloppy, and I felt like I was swimming in the top region. The fabric just laid over my chest lackadaisically. To get the support and fit I was hoping for, I would have needed an xxs or xxxs!!! It's not like a have a small chest either--I am a 34B, so usually I can at least fill out a dress. Also, the v-neck is way too low for me. Normally, with a low v-neck, I would just layer a tank underneath--but you can't do it with this dress. Because of the twist-straps, the tank's straps would peek out, ruining the effect, IMO. The same with bra straps. You'd have to wear a strapless or one of those nu-bras to make it work.
So it almost looks okay in the first pic...still sloppy though. Don't the bra straps look awful? And come to think of it, a strapless bra wouldn't work either because of the low-back (see last pic). In the second and third pics, you can see what I mean about the looseness a little better.
...Secondly, the detailing just looked cheap. It was actually the first thing my husband noticed about the dress when I asked him about it. It has that rugged, raw edge that has been so prominent in j.crew's recent offerings on the bottom hem and all along the v neck-line. I'm not a fan, especially on a knit fabric like this. The jersey material itself is wonderful, but the cheap edge ruined it for me. The elastic at the empire waist also looked cheap. In my husband's words (gotta love the honesty), "it looks like the waistband of some cheap underwear!"All in all, it's not horrible, but it's not the dress I was hoping for. Maybe if they carried an xxs I would give it another go! But I just wasn't comfortable with the looseness of the top part of the dress--if they could tighten that up, I'd be all about it! If you're dead set on this dress, definitely size down at least one size, maybe two!
"Thanks!" again to AppGal for sharing with us her great review!
What are your thoughts on the Dressy Jersey Twist-Strap Dress? Are you considering or already have purchased this dress? If so, please share with us your reviews too! :)
I was interested in this dress too, but now after reading the review I'm not so sure. I need more support up top! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThank for the review. A definite pass for the quality and unfinished look of this dress. Horrible for the price~
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting because I got a dress like this from the GAP a couple of years ago. The dress I have doesn't have a hem, and I have the SAME problems with it. No support, etc. I think the problem may have to do more with the material and the basic design of the dress then anything else.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is nice that J. Crew is making more casual pieces for summer, Forever 21 regularly makes a dress like this is many colors for a fraction of the cost. While there is almost certainly a compromise in quality, this is a specifically spring and summer piece that you might only want for those two seasons.
ReplyDeleteI ordered this dress in the grey and was so excited too...until it arrived. I ordered an XS, and I am a 34 A, and it was huge. I also agreed that it looked very sloppy with the raw edge. I also thought the jersey was way too thin. So disappointed...I was hoping for my go-to dress as well!
ReplyDeleteI think this dress could work on a woman with a fuller figure so I will pass. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI just bought this dress in pewter, and felt the same way! The product description on the jcrew website doesn't mention the raw edge, so I was a little surprised/disappointed when I opened the package! But, because I'll wear it a ton, I'm taking it to a tailor to hem the bottom edge, and to take in the elastic around the waist for more support.
ReplyDeleteThey are having a terrible time getting rid of these, they are on sale for $19.99 at my local store, and they've got tons of them. Like you, I was all excited when I first spotted them, and at that price I figured, who cares if it isn't perfect, so I bought two, thinking with the right bra it would be OK ... but I've decided to return them because the fit is poor no matter what I'm wearing underneath. What a bummer.
ReplyDeleteOf course I didn't read the review until after the dress arrived. I ordered this dress in black and was so excited too. My full figured 6foot friend has a similar dress that makes her look stunning so I thought I'd give it a try. I ordered a S, and I am a 34B. I can live with the low cleavage (v-neck tank underneath) but the 'raw' edges are too much. So I'm handing it over to my seamstress - which is an extra cost that I'm too happy about. Disappointed, to say the least!
ReplyDelete