One last B&Lu post… I promise!
Yesterday I featured the Raquel dress in the Joan Holloway costume for a reason– because I’m kind of obsessed with it. And I chose it for a multitude of reasons- I feel like it’s a signature B&Lu dress, having seen it on their site in four different colors and throughout several seasons. I adore the Joan Holloway-esque styling of it, so when I saw it in blue, my heart swooned.
Choosing the Raquel dress meant something else too, though. It kind of meant conquering a fear. Look at the wiggle & fit in that dress! It’s slim fitting, snug, and sexy. While I consider myself the latter, I didn’t know how I’d fare in a dress like this. I was scared: what if it clung to every nasty little bit? What if I looked lumpy in it? To be honest, I don’t own many slim bottoms like that–not skirts or dresses.
♥ Fit & Fabric: The first thing the Raquel dress has going for it is the fabric. While it’s a stretch knit, it’s definitely on the thicker side (and according to the description, the brown dress is thicker still). Because of this, I don’t feel that it highlights the bad parts. While I could definitely wear a pair of hose or Spanx! under it for a little extra control, I didn’t feel disgusting in the dress.
I actually felt pretty hot in it.
Because I tend to run between B&Lu’s sizes, I chose to go one up on this. While I could have probably chosen to have gone down a size, I’m happy that I chose the one I did. The only area it felt “wrong” in was in the hips… and I’ll be the first to admit my hips aren’t the first place I gain weight. It’d be an easy fix to bring them in a bit, too.
(I tried to take a picture of my bottom half, but I don’t think you guys want to see the cat’s litter box…)
♥ The Down Side: My shoulders tend to run on the more narrow side, so the shoulders wanted to stray down a bit. I’d have to be conscious of not showing off my bra while wearing it, but I like that that gives me more versatility– I can throw it off my shoulders for a more Dirty Dancing look.
I’d probably wear hose or Spanx to feel extra hot in it. But that’s my own chubbeh belly’s fault, not the dress’s.
♥ Quality: I’m really pleased with how thick the fabric is. It’s almost got a slightly nubby feeling to it. It seems well designed, and the fabric seems sturdy and decently put together. Like the other pieces, it’s made in the USA for B&Lu. I could see this dress being really popular among the rockabilly and vintage crowds alike.
♥ Cost: $59. I think this actually might be one of the pricier items in the store, and it comes in chocolate & this blue. They had black and red earlier this year, so it’s definitely a piece they have often (I’d like to see it in a bold purple, please).
A few of you ladies expressed an interest in shopping at B&Lu (especially for party dresses!).
This week I recieved email (from their newsletter, so hopefully I won’t get busted for sharing….) where you can save an EXTRA 20% on your purchase using the code “SUMMER” (through 8/17/09).
That includes the fantastic pieces they have on sale right now, too. If anyone picks something up, please let me know how you like it!
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
That looks great on you! You really are rockin’ the B&LU. Yay for taking risks! <3
.-= Jaka Merriman´s last blog ..How to: Paint a Dresser =-.
what an amazingly sexy dress… i just love it!
.-= Jennine´s last blog ..My Head Revisited =-.
Totally hot! The blue is a great shade for you.
.-= Audi´s last blog ..Riding Habit =-.
I love the dress and the color. It fits you really well! Thanks for sharing the code as well. I’m really contemplating buying a top from there now and this makes it easier to make the jump.
.-= Sheena´s last blog ..10 Things About My Style =-.
Thank you, Audi, Jaka, & my dear Jennine! I’m loving the color, and how foxy I feel in it ;)
Sheena, of course! I was hoping you’d see the code, since you expressed interest in them on an earlier post. And thank you so much for the sweet words!
What a sexy dress! You look really hot in it!
I have a tip for you with the shoulders, I have so many vintage dresses that come with little strips of fabric in the shoulders with poppers to keep your bra strap in place. You could sew something in, like this http://sewing.about.com/od/adultclothingprojects/a/brastraphlder.htm
Or just use a safety pin!
.-= Retro Chick´s last blog ..Fashion Fairy Tales… =-.
I love it and think you look stunning and sexy in it :3
I am actually gonna check out this brand and see what else they offer
Much love,
Glendy ,3
Thanks so much for this review! I checked this out before purchasing the dress as part of my Joan Holloway costume… it’s perfect!
Thoughts:
It does look a little better on broader shoulders but the neckline stretches oddly on them as well. My bra straps stick out quite a bit so I’m going to have to pin them (and find myself one of those awful bullet bras for authenticity, haha).
Agreed on the hips–there’s a little pouchy area at the seams on the hip that can be fixed (I’m a yellow at Lane Bryant so am curveless–the fact that this highlights the curve I *do* have outweighs the pouchy hip problem!)
The fabric is great. It’s lightweight and makes you feel slinky, but heavy enough that my cellulite isn’t glowing through the fabric.
All in all, it’s a lovely dress! All I’m waiting on now is my pen necklace from 1928, a nice set of heels, a good red lipstick and some dye that will turn my medium brown hair red…
Oh, and a note on sizing: I’m a 22/24 and at Lane Bryant and a 20 or 22 regular at Old Navy. The 4x fits me pretty much perfectly. Kind of small for a 4x, actually.
I heard that Lucie of B&Lu is starting her own shop and she has some cute dresses. If you’re interested, check out lucielu.com. The Ardis dress has a snug and sexy feel, too!
{ 2 trackbacks }