Lanston racer-back maxi dress | XS & S on sale at Shopbop, I’m wearing a medium,
purchased in 10/2011 (made in the US)
James Perse exclusive Birkenstock Arizona sandals
Margot Wolf necklace | (made in the US)
Admonish leather tote | mine is distressed gray/black (made in the US)
I bought this Lanston dress right before we went to Rome for my birthday (November) in 2011 and it has been a workhorse ever since. It’s not meant to be dried, but I accidentally put it in the dryer once or twice when I first got it; it’s no worse for the wear, honestly. I love the feel of it (so soft, and mid-weight, so it hangs really nicely), and it’s held up well over the years of wearing/washing (I haven’t dried it recently). I do have a gray Lanston “boyfriend” dress that seems to have pilled and doesn’t look quite as nice as this black one, FYI, so I wear it only at home.
Now, it is rather big on me, tied at the waist like this, and I mentioned recently that I’d had the shoulders taken up a little to shorten it. I really prefer to wear it NOT tied at the waist, hanging down a bit/low-waisted, but since this was the second-day in a row wearing it, it stretched enough so that it was too long again to wear it untied, I was stepping on my shoes.
I wear this dress all the time – it’s great for traveling, because it doesn’t show wrinkles or wear at all, and is really easily layered. I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially if you get the right size/fit for you. I tend to think it gives/stretches a little with wear, though, maybe not enough to size down completely, but it’s worth considering. It’s a staple in my closet and a travel essential.
At this point in the life of this dress, on me, it’s too large, so I have to tweak it a bit, and maybe wear it tied at the waist more often than I’d like – unless I take it BACK to the tailor and get it hemmed as well. All in the name of “perfection” and extending it’s life though…
The “old” me would have purchased the small since I know I love the dress and will wear it, but the new me wants to make this one work.
What is one thing you have in your closet you still wear four years later, how has it held up?
In my experience, the “exact same equal” item is never as good as the original one. I have a super favorite Coach demi bag that I bought with one of my very first post-college / first legit job paychecks. I still have that bag, but wanted a replacement for just in case, so years & years later I found the same one on eBay. Still had original tags on it, etc. It’s ok. Maybe it’s the nostalgia associated with the original handbag. Maybe it’s knowing it passed thru a middle man. Maybe it’s because the original is the one that holds all the sentimental power in my mind.
Having said that, when I find a new item (whether it be a dress, tee, etc) that I immediately fall hard for & it becomes one of my top 10 – then I tend to buy a duplicate of it right then & there for any just in case’s. But still, even with an exact match – I can always tell which one was the first one I bought.
I totally lost my train of thought with this & was pretty sure I was going to add something else that was more relevant, but apparently there’s a blip in the Matrix today. LOL
very good point jane. it’s true, the same piece never quite lives up to the original, indeed i think i mentioned that in my why not to buy duplicates post LOL
I’ve thought a lot about this (but not too much…don’t worry about my mental well-being…), and the only thing I can think of is the dress that you and Sydney raved about: The T by Alexander Wang maxi dress in Navy. I still love it and it still looks perfect!