Dots Within Blouse - $118
Let's start with the positives. I love the gorgeous green color and print of this blouse. The silk seems to be of great quality - very smooth and soft. This reminds me of last winter's Precious Particulars Blouse, but better (as in, more my style and a little more casual). Although other reviews complained about the sleeve length being too short, it was perfect on me. The v-neck was not too low cut and I love the ties. I also felt the overall length was just right - could be easily tucked in or worn out.
Now for the negative - the fit! This is a size 12 (I always wear a size 12, sometimes a 10 in blouses), but this way WAY too tight in the bust and upper arms/shoulders. So tight in fact, that I nearly had a panic attack trying to get it off. It look a lot of manuvering and I'm so shocked that I was finally able to get it off without either ripping it or calling for help! I would definitely recommend sizing up in this one. I'm going to wait it out and see if the 14 makes it to sale in hopes of a better fit.
Note: I tried this on right after I finally got the Dots Within Blouse off...notice my very red upper arms from the trauma of wrestling it off..haha!
Anyway, this tank has been on my wishlist all summer, but I was underwhelmed in person. I sized down to a medium and it fit pretty well, so I'd say it runs about a size big. In my opinion, the material was just too thin and semi-sheer to justify full price. I would imagine this tank will hit sale soon, but I'm going to pass. The colors of the flowers just seem too bright to transition into fall. Plus, the best part of this tank is the back lace-up detail which would be hidden when worn with cardis or jackets.
I just love this in the navy bird print! I have this same blouse from last winter in the blue floral print (then called the Eastpointe Garden top) and I've gotten a ton of wear out of it. I grabbed a 10 (shown in the first two pics) since that is the size I bought in the Eastpointe Garden. This one seems to run even bigger than the Eastpointe did. The size 10 was very loose and the underarms hung down pretty low. Plus, the ruffles seemed to poof out a lot making me worry that it wouldn't layer very well under a cardi. I tried on the size 8 (third pic) and although the bust was a bit tighter, it seemed to fit better overall. This size seems like it wouldn't cause nearly as much bulk in the shoulders when layered underneath a cardi. So, with this one I'd say definitely size down at least 1, if not 2, sizes. I plan to pick this one up soon either next time I visit the store or before free shipping runs out.
Mystery Cardi
This isn't online yet, but the colors caught my attention in the store so I decided to try it on. On the rack, the large looked too big, so I grabbed a medium to try on. However, once on I realized I really should have gotten the large because the medium did not even come close to buttoning. So, I'd say it does run true to size. I must admit, the only thing I really like about this cardi is the coloring. The bright pink looks great with the neutral taupe and I like how the wrists and front pockets are trimmed in the pink. Now the cons: this is a wool blend and was really itchy...not at all soft and/or comfortable. It was also really stiff which made it hang kind of strangely. If this were made of a different material or even a softer wool blend, I'd definitely consider it.
