Review: ModCloth's Days of the Chic Dress

Okay, so this review took longer than I thought it would. My first order for the Days of the Chic Dress tragically got canceled, but ModCloth was kind enough to offer me a discount code for 10% off plus free shipping on my next order as compensation. How classy is that? Psst, Anthro, if you wanted to do the same every time one of my popback orders got canceled, I wouldn't complain. Just sayin'.

Anyway, as luck would have it, I managed to find another size small a few weeks later, and this time it shipped. Hooray! This dress is rayon, which I know turns a lot of people off (including me), but it's pretty comfortable, and for the price point I think the quality is good. I love how the skirt moves. It's very twirly. I like twirly.

I primarily wanted this dress as a shell to wear over and under fun colorful pieces, but I think it would be nice with some bold jewelry and heels for a night out, too. As for fit, this is a small, and I really wish ModCloth always carried XS. I'd say it runs TTS in that I am an XS and this is too big, but I love it too much to care. Right now I am planning on attempting to shrink it with my friend Mr. Dryer. The hem is a nice length, just above my knees. If you can find a popback of this dress and are in need of a wearable, budget-friendly basic, I recommend it!

Here's how I wore it before realizing that it was way too hot for a long sleeved cardigan:



And here's a more seasonally-but-still-work-appropriate look:



I continue to be very impressed with ModCloth's customer service and already have my eye on a few more of their lovelies!

Derivative

I've been having a serious case of Outfit Fail lately.

I blame the miserable heat. I feel like I've exhausted all the ways I can think of to come up with interesting outfits that won't make me melt, and thus I've fallen into wearing very similar derivatives that I don't think you'd be interested in seeing on the blog. I miss my cardigans. I miss my boots. I really miss my tights. I love tights so much that I've been browsing wool tights online even when it's 95 degrees in the shade.

It seems like our weather has finally reached a turning point and is headed for cooler places soon, so hopefully I'll be back to a bit more creativity around here. Until then, you get another slightly-less-boring-than-my-other-outfits example from last week. I love this skirt, did I mention that?




ModCloth Crepes on the Cape Skirt
Old, old Old Navy shirt
b.o.c. cates shoes

Planetarium Casual

Okay, so I've had this post open in my browser for an hour, and it is time to post it, darn it!

This is a really casual outfit I wore to the planetarium (nerding it up with a labmate) and is pretty typical for me on summer days where I want to be comfortable. I wasn't feeling too well when these pictures were taken, so I didn't want anything restrictive or itchy. This old top of my mom's combined with my new(ish) skirt was the perfect solution.





Top: Stolen from Mom
Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Cupcake kids (You can't see them. Oops. I wear these enough that you can pretend, I think.)
Belt: Anthropologie

OotD and an APB

First, a quick APB: my lovely sister Ria has been searching for a Southern Chorus Shirtdress for some time now. She's interested in sizes 0-6 and is willing to pay a pretty good price for one, so if you have one to part with or any leads, please drop her an email at soragrrrrrrl@yahoo.com (yes, with that many 'r's =P).

Thanks so much on behalf of my sister!

And now, my OotD. I thought it was appropriate to post an outfit featuring a dress that Ria gave me for Christmas in this post:





Dreamy Drape Dress (Anthropologie, from Ria)
Anthropologie flower clips that I cannot remember the name of after a long run
Cupcake kids shoes from Rackroom

On another note, I ran 7.3 miles today! Long Run, I'm catching up on you!

A fall dress... in the summer

Dear Cascading Foliage Dress,

Why don't I wear you more? You are beautiful and flowy and colorful and everything that I love about a dress. What weirdness gets into my head that makes me think you don't work as a summer dress? Maybe it's your name or your fall color scheme. For whatever reason, you just didn't "work" without tights and boots in my head. I don't know why, but I'm going to try to get out of this rut and wear you more, because you really are great. Now if I just didn't have so much trouble styling you...

PS: You're a little big, but I forgive you. :)

Love,

Katie





Cascading Foliage Dress (Anthropologie)
Twinkle Headband (Anthropologie)
b.o.c. Cates (Belk)

Trickery, part deux

I was so inspired by my last adventure in creativity that I decided to try it again. I've always felt like this slip could be worn outside the house in several different ways, but I hadn't yet tried it as a skirt. I was pretty happy with the way this one turned out, too, and I'm already planning to wear it with a few other tops + tights for fall. This top is lovely but a little low for my tastes, and I liked how the slip gave some extra security while also keeping the color palette consistent. Did I just say "color palette"?





Chantilly Chemise, Night Skating Top, Zodiac Heirloom Necklace, Twinkle Headband (Anthropologie)
Cupcake kids shoes (Rackroom)

Trickery

Sometimes, creativity strikes me in the morning. Usually I respond by beating it over the head with a good dose of "What are you thinking? You can't wear that in public!" But sometimes I give it a chance, and this was one of those times. What to do with the lovely Maryam Tank? It's so pretty, but it's a little big on me, and it's way too early for fall sweater layering season. How to solve this problem...

Why, layer it between a t-shirt and a skirt and pretend the whole thing is a dress, of course!




Claudine Tee, Anthropologie
Maryam Tank, Anthropologie
UO Skirt
Softwalk shoes

Overall I was really happy with this outfit and received quite a few compliments on my "skirt" or my "dress." You know what this means, folks? Yep, I tricked people into thinking I knew how to get dressed. I'm a sneaky scientist, oh yes I am.

OotD and new shoes

Hello everyone! "Happy" Monday morning (ha). I had a relaxing weekend full of baking and cleaning and time with friends. I hope you enjoyed yours! Here's a (somewhat boring) outfit from last week, in which I wear pants again! Wow! This top always reminds me of fall. Can you tell I'm really eager to pull out my fall clothes?




Anthropologie Wind Rippled Tee
Old JC Penny shorts
Cupcakes kids shoes (Rackroom)

Also, SUPER thanks to Laura at Anthro Closet Chaos for posting about the Apple Pie Mary Janes being on sale at iDeeli! I got the pink ones, finally, after months of stalking. They just shipped yesterday, and I'm really excited to get them. Let's hope they work since they're (gulp) non-returnable. So not my thing to do, but for $35 shipped, I couldn't pass them up. I'll let you guys know how they work!

Pink and black and girly all over

Hi! I am half asleep as I type this, so you'll have to make do with a short entry.

I wore this outfit on the same day that I read What Would a Nerd Wear's post about a very similar color scheme. Totally amusing coincidence. I ended up really liking black and pink, although mine was much less edgy than Tania's. And yes, this was right in the middle of Grant Hell. You'll notice that my hair is well on its way to Grant Hair status.




ModCloth Crepes on the Cape Skirt
Anthropologie Hallowed Halls Oxfords
Kohl's necklace
JC Penny top (veeeery old and un-loved)

Back to bed with me. Happy Tuesday!

"Grant hair"

This is what I wore to stumble into lab to turn in some final grant paperwork:



I was promptly informed by my coworker that I had "grant hair." Because I love my readers that much, I am going to embarrass myself by posting it for you all to see. Sometimes when you had Heidi braids the day before (to distract from the fact that washing hair is not important while writing grants), you just want to take them down and leave them in pigtails. And sometimes brushing your hair is too hard. And takes too long. And uh. Yeah.



Grant crazy-face.



Katie circa Friday-afternoon-basically-done-with-grant. My hair received the benefit of a curling iron and some dry shampoo, but there was nothing I could do about my about-to-fall-over-dead expression. Still, when you're done with an amazingly stressful project, no matter how you look, things are looking up. Witness:



This was the last major movement I made before I fell asleep forever. Well, okay, I went to an art gallery. And promptly got sick, went home early, and fell asleep forever. I've been sleeping all weekend, and I'm happy to say that I'm feeling better (and hopefully looking less dead-tired). I think I'll be napping some more today, though, if it's all the same to you. And attempting to make these delicious-looking red velvet cupcakes. A step-by-step video for the baking-challenged among us? Yes please, Anthro Bakery.

Hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend and has fewer bags under their eyes than me!

Anthroholics United: Reviews by Katie AND Ria!

Good morning! Last week, my sister Ria visited me, and what was there to do but make a trip to Anthro? Overall I was underwhelmed with what we found, but we did find a couple items to like, as you'll see below. Read on to find out what we loved and what we didn't!


Alchemilla Tee, $68
Bleh. I know Roxy loved this one, and it looks nice on her, but it did nothing for me. This shirt looks like my sister's cats used it as a scratching post. I can'ont stand frayed edges; it looks unfinished. The only thing I liked about it was the mint color, and even that was ruined for the sheerness. For some odd reason, they had a petite petite hanging around. I tried that one and it was still too big and way too long. Nothing good to report here. Size down.

Last Pass or in the trash: Trashed


Cirque-A-Line Dress, $148
I never tried the Swing Sweetly dress (oh the joys of living three hours away from an Anthro), but I think I would have liked the black and mint combination better than the black and white. Even so, I wouldn't have bought that one either. Maybe I wasn't wearing it right or something, but my usual size 2 wouldn't even come close to zipping. It was a combination of being too tight and a horrible zipper. It's a shame because the print is so cute and reminiscant of my Pachyderm Parade dress, and if it was ever released in a shirt form I'd be all over it. As a dress though, this was definately a pass. Size up one, maybe even two sizes.

Last, Pass or in the trash: Trashed


Gull Wing Dress, now $99

Well. That's more like it. Sister didn't like anything about this one, but I absolutely adored it. The only tiny complaint I have is that it took me about five minutes to get into, but I think that was more me than the dress. The silk is high quality and the color is to die for (and I think it really suits my skin tone, though Sister disagrees). This dress wasn't on my radar in the "red" (read: orange) or navy, but I'm nuts over the plum. I stood in front of the mirror for a long time just swishing the skirt. In the words of Ron Stoppable, the skirt is so flippy. Some people might shy away from this dress and call it strictly a party dress, but I disagree. I can see a cherries 'n cream kind of thing with a long sleeved cream cardigan, brown tights, brown boots, and my 101 Dalmations Anita Daaaaaahling cloche. It looked big on the hanger, so I brought both a 0 and a 2 into the dressing room and I'm wearing the 0 here. It was so perfect I didn't even bother to try on the 2, so you may need to size down.

Last, Pass, or in the trash: I would have brought this one home if I wasn't 100% sure a second cut was coming (it's still available in all colors and most sizes online). Waiting very impatiently for 2nd cut.


Spiced Dress, no longer online

Okay, this dress is beautiful in theory, but I'm not sure who it's supposed to fit. The bust was insanely tight, for one, and I don't consider myself particularly well-endowed. I tried on a 0, and it didn't even come close to zipping, so I think I'd need a 4. I didn't bother, though, because the straps were ill-fitting and would have been way too long in that size. The fabric is very nice and the skirt is awesome, but this was not a dress that was going to work for me. I also felt like the color didn't do me any favors. Pass for me, size up two sizes if you love it unless you are very small-busted.


Sunrise Shirt Dress, now $50

I was not a fan of this dress. Maybe it was just because I tried on a 2 and needed a 0, but it felt big and shapeless, especially in the black. The fabric is soft, but that's about the only good thing I had to say about it. Pass for me. I predict this will get another cut if you have your eye on it, since there's still stock online at the second cut price.


AG Stevie Ankle pants, $158

Finally, an item I liked! I came to Anthro to try on these pants, and they didn't disappoint. The kelly green color is gorgeous, and they're very soft and comfortable. It's definitely a "skinny" fit, so if you're not into that style these may not be for you, but I didn't mind. On 5'3 me, they weren't particularly "ankle" length in my opinion, but I actually liked that since they'll be more appropriate for colder weather. I might want to try on the 26s just to see if they fit better, though (this is a size 25, which I took in the cords, but these aren't as stretchy). I felt like they might be too tight on my newly-athletic-from-running calves. Regardless, once these pants hit sale I am definitely picking them up, possibly in two colors. I think they'll be great for fall and spring.

Preemptive rewards

Hi readers! I'm still in stress land, but I wanted to take a break to post an outfit for you.



Look, I actually have a bag! This is my typical accessory for all my outfits, actually. It's either this or my laptop bag. Yes, that's right: I only have one purse, and it was a gift. What's wrong with me? I'm not sure.



I'm going to go ahead and pretend that this picture is "artistically" blurry.


Target dress
Kohl's necklace
(much-beloved, best-shoes-I've-ever-bought) Rackroom kids' shoes

Okay, so in a stress-induced bout of shopping I've sort of already bought myself my congrats-on-not-being-killed-by-your-grant-Katie presents. I was inspired by Molly's post on LBDs and got myself this lovely when I noticed my size was back in stock. Yes, Molly's post on why you should re-think LBDs inspired me to buy one. What gives? Well, a loooong time ago, one of my favorite bloggers ever, Maria, posted this outfit. I loved it. I wanted it. I needed it. I had grand images of pretending I was an adorable first grade teacher in it. But I couldn't find a suitable black dress. I'm obsessed with wearing dresses as jumpers in the fall and winter, and I can see myself making a ton of Maria-inspired outfits if this one works out. Now I just need the perfect striped shirt...

I also got some of these. I'm obsessed with this shampoo, and it was love at first sight when I found it at Disney World last spring during my trip. It's the only shampoo I've used since. The swim repair one is amazing for you mermaid wannabes out there!

Now, if I want to get these presents, I'd better get back to work, so I've gotta go. Do you like rewarding yourself for a job well done? Better yet, are you like me, planning out your reward in advance?

Hello from stress-land

*waves sheepishly* Hi everybody! First, I've got 70 followers now! HI FOLLOWERS. I love you! I'm going to have to do a giveaway if I ever get to 100, let me tell you. Now to think of something cool to give away. Hmm...

That said, I don't deserve you. Why? Because I've been pretty much abysmal at posting lately. Please don't hate me. I have an excuse! I've got a massive grant I've been working on for the past week, and it's kicking my butt. But here's an outfit to thank you for sticking with me. I've got a bunch of backlogged pictures to post, and hopefully I'll be back to normal when this grant is done on Monday!

Okay, with these pictures I had to stop being in denial about this skirt being too big. Luckily I've since acquainted it with my dryer, and it fits a little better now!





Wind Rippled Tee, Anthropologie
Crepes on the Cape Skirt, Modcloth
b.o.c. Cates shoes, Belk
Headband gifted from Mom a few years ago

See my purple nail polish? It was painted in honor of my swim team's Championship meet (our team color is purple) -- yeah, that's how old this photo is. I had to finally take my purple polish off a few days ago after being in denial about swimming being over for far too long. Hopefully I'll have the mental energy to adopt a new color soon. =)