jcrew review: jules dress in botanical print.

Hi everyone!

On the last day of the J.Crew sale (30% online, 50%! in stores), I wanted to post a review of the lovely Jules in Botanical Print, which just hit sale.

This was the one item that caught my eye in recent rollouts, and alas, it was not in my store to try. The entry price was insanity, but when it hit sale, I got the gimmees. Just as I went to pay online, poof, it disappeared from my cart. Not one to give up, I asked my long-suffering, angelic VPS for help and she tracked one down in a store. Awesome, b/c I got the lower store discount applied!

First, I must rave that the print and colors are so, so pretty and unique and even better IRL. Corals and wedgwood blue with brown on an ivory background can pretty much work year-round.

The word on the Street was it ran a touch roomier and longer and they were right. Yet I still ordered my regular size 4, not wanting to chance something too small. I do see what everyone meant in that there is a bit more room, but I don't think I'd have sized down. I could. If I was stalking on popback, I would chance the lower size pretty comfortably. (If you have wider hips, you might not want to chance sizing down.) While its not long by any shot, it is longer than my other Jules dresses. I don't think I can wear this one as a tunic, as I've done with my other Jules dresses, which actually sort of bums me out. I think I'll wear it as a dress for a while, then if I get tired of that, or don't wear it that way as much, I will shorten to a tunic.

The silk is a nice silk twill, watch any hangnails snagging the fabric. (Am I the only person with these nowadays? Argh. Need to get manicure stat!) As Dani noted in her review here, they annoyingly and cheaply chose to line the dress in polyester. Bah. At the original price, that is absolutely ridiculous. At the sale + discount price, I can deal, but it still annoys. It got a little static-y when I was trying it on, likely the poly. Oh, for the days of the silk-lined Verushka and Ischia. (top left and right of my banner). With the discount and my love of this print, the poly lining isn't going to be a deal-breaker for me personally, but just want to mention for those planning to wear in the heat.

What do you think of this one? I know many people had hoped to see the print in a top or a skirt, as the Jules silhouette is not a universal favorite, as much as the Copywriter from Space would like to think.

Thanks for your recovery tips yesterday, I pulled through nicely with the help of some rest, herbal tea and cookies. :) DH and I even rallied to go out for another, more casual dinner. I snapped another pic, but we're talking casual dress here.

Have a great day!