Review of Frances dress in watercolor floral

Frances dress in watercolor floral

For some unknown reason J.Crew did not offer us many pretty summer dresses this year to chose from.  In fact, their offerings were dismal in the dress area, which is really a pity because they always did quite well in this category. But most of the dresses this year fell into 'too short, too twee or too blah' category.  Sure, there are some nice suiting dresses but I don't need any of those, I am talking about summer dresses to be worn either casually or as a date/dinner option.

The only dress that picked my interest was Frances dress in watercolor floral that seemed very pretty and wearable. I liked this dress and it reminded me of designers like DVF or something from Kate Spade before they went all Hello Kitty.  So I was definitely interested but it was just priced too high for me.

Last week however, I was browsing the sale section and I noticed the dress, in my size and with the 40% off discounted price, quite reasonable.  I have ordered it through my personal shopper (not a final sale).

My regular dress size 6 fits well with a little bit of room to spare, but because I lost some weight, I would say it is definitely TTS.  

It has a dramatic, plunging neckline that may be too low for some but I personally like it. I would stitch it up to keep it in place though, no big deal.  

The color and print are beautiful. I am also a big fan of crinkled silk fabric and it feels nice in the dress. Lining is poly, but feels nice and silky and it does not bother me at all but may be a deal breaker for some.

 

          

I also like the deep v in the back and the high-low hemline. The back drop is not too low for a regular bra. The straps have bra keeps but there are no pockets :(

Of course it can easily be a special event dress with some heels, nice clutch and a pearl necklace. Here I tried to 'casualize' it with a belt and a pair of gladiator sandals and I feel like it would be appropriate for a date or dinner and not too fancy. Black accessories would be a good option too, and they would toughen it up even more.

Overall, I really like the dress. My only reservation is that I don't really need it and have some other dresses with a very similar function like my Banana Republic knit dress I wore here.

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What do you think?  Is it flattering enough and distinctive enough to justify or should I save my pennies? 

How do you like the dress in general? Do you think it can be worn casually or is it more of a special event dress?

Do you agree that there is no enough pretty dresses at J.Crew this year?