James Perse open back skinny dress | $195 at James Perse
If you like James Perse and don’t already have the open back dress that debuted last year, may I suggest you stop everything and order it NOW for spring/summer?? I freely admit that I wish I’d bought the open back dress instead of the belted dress I chose about this time last year. I went with the belted dress because it’s shorter, but always regretted not getting the open back dress, because, it’s AMAZING. Even on Tracee Ellis Ross. Especially on her!
Anyway, quite often with James Perse, once a style is gone, it’s gone, and they don’t bring it back, except for “classic” t-shirt styles, or in slightly different iterations after a couple of years. So, I was afraid I’d have to resort to eBay to find it, since I missed out when it briefly went on sale some places (not at James Perse).
BUT. It’s back, at James Perse in black, carbon (a nice deep dark gray) and white, and in black at Nordstrom (if you prefer free shipping…). At full price though, $195. (this James Perse dress is similar, but with a v-neck and shorter, and on sale at Last Call for $111)
The open back dress is phenomenal. And pretty much a classic James Perse ruched dress. I tried on my normal James Perse size 2 and liked the fit: not too snug, not too loose, and the midi length is growing on me. The neckline and the open back are incredibly flattering on too, and it’s absolutely bra-friendly.
I’m going to have to get it this year. I usually try to wait at least 24 hours between trying something on and buying it, and if I still want it after 24 hours, I give myself permission. In this case, I’ve waited a year, and am still obsessed with it…which means it’s probably time.
Do you have this dress? Will you get it this year?
*speaking of James Perse…I am usually really excited every season for the new stuff. This time, meh, not so much. Nothing is speaking to me, and honestly, some of the styling is a bit off. I know – I say that almost every time (Nike sneakers, Birkenstocks), but this time, it’s off in sort of a bad 90’s style sort of way. Am I wrong? I’m not “over it” by any means; there are still some individual pieces I like, but not as many as usual. What did you think?
OMG, Grechen, I think you’re making me want this dress VERY BADLY. It’s is pretty stunning on Tracy, love that carbon color! Do you have to wear any special underwear, like Spanx, when wearing this, do you think? I have a JP ruched, midi dress in black that I bought last year from their website and I haven’t even worn that out yet so I might feel a tad guilty if I bought this one but it IS beautiful and I just might cave in…
with regard to underwear…i usually wear spanx under my fitted JP dresses, because i can’t deal with the little hip bumps, saddlebags, etc. i don’t all the time, and i don’t strictly have to with the ruched dresses because i think they hide a lot of the bumps anyway, but i just feel more comfortable (for many reasons) wearing spanx with my dresses…
Thanks! What do you think of the white dress? I like a white dress (in theory), but realistically and practically, I think I’d be paranoid about getting it dirty while wearing. Trying to decide betw. the white and the carbon…
i love the white dress, but i know i’d never have the guts to wear it. i’d just feel too exposed i think, but then again, i’ve never tried to wear a white dress. so…
Because I know you’re as close to an expert as I’m going to get, I’ll ask you a question about sizing: How true are the garments to the size guide? I ask because I’m very busty and broad-shouldered but slim-hipped, so I’m trying to decide between a 3 and a 4. Do I err on the larger size, or do I trust that it’ll stretch and go smaller to avoid a droopy bum? Thanks, as always Grechen, for your advice and insight!
I have this dress in black and love it and recommend it too! I bought it last May in Las Vegas as a treat to myself after having an eye on it for awhile. I think it’s super versatile and comfortable – I’ve worn it out to dinner and at a casual summer wedding. I also love that it’s bra strap friendly! I’ve gone back and forth between wearing a Commando slip underneath when I felt like I needed the extra smoothing, but I’ve also felt just as comfortable not wearing the slip too because the dress’s thicker, double layer fabric is pretty forgiving on its own. I have an old Madewell army green vest that I like to wear with this dress when I feel like layering, and I really like how it looks. So, if anyone is contemplating how to style this dress after buying, I would definitely recommend pairing it with some sort of army or utility vest. I took my usual JP size of 2, and I’m a size 6/8 and jeans 29. I will say that the tighter fit at the bottom coupled with the midi length took some getting used to, but the dress is so stretchy that I haven’t had a problem walking in it. Just maybe avoid taking the stairs two steps at a time and I think you’d be OK. 🙂
thanks for the style tips, Michalla! I love the idea of pairing this with an army/utility vest–interesting contrast. I’m going to Las Vegas in a couple weeks, and I’ll be sure to pack this dress along with me! I ended up getting it in the “carbon” color. I almost didn’t buy it at all b/c of the almost $10 shipping fee (which I forgot about til I was at checkout)! I wish JP would offer free shipping since their items aren’t exactly inexpensive. But, I bit the bullet and now that I did, I’m looking forward to getting lots of wear from this dress!
so sorry for my late reply to this!!
according to the size chart, i should be a size 3 in JP, but am much more comfortable in a size 2. my bra size is 34 b, my waist is about 30″ (I wear a size 28 or 29 jeans) and my hips are about 40″. obviously my bust is very small in relation to my hips, so i always size towards my largest part, which i think is probably the best option for you too…although…i wouldn’t go too big, because droopy bum could be an issue, especially given the fitted nature of the dress. i was getting that with my size 3 dresses and skirts and couldn’t stand it…
so i guess i’d recommend going with the smaller size first, to see what it does, and then trying the larger instead of the other way around…
hope that helps!!
Grechen: you’re an enabler.
So I stopped by Bloomingdale’s yesterday to try this dress on (it’s available in stores, but not on their web site). Much to my surprise, a size 2 fit me really well. Per the JP size chart, I should be a 4 in bottoms (I’m a 1 on top), but I regularly wear 3s, although some recent final sale purchases in 3 were actually a tad big. So anyone else reading: I’d size down on this. Meanwhile, a few other close-fitting JP dresses in size 2 from a few seasons ago are still too tight for me too comfortably wear right now.
I didn’t buy it, but now really want it! I own a lot of JP, but I’ve never, ever paid full price for anything. There’s a sample sale in New York next week so I’m crossing my fingers that maybe I’ll be able to snatch one there… because otherwise, I might break down and get it. Carbon is a nice rich gray, but I might default to black.
So I received this dress yesterday and YES, it’s gorgeous! I ordered a size 2 b/c I’m usually a 2 in JP. Just for reference, I wear size 27 jeans and usually a 4 in most clothes. This JP dress however felt a tad looser on me than another JP dress I have which is also ruched, midi length. That one in the 2 fits me perfectly. I called their customer service just now and will be getting the size 1 sent to me in exchange for the 2. The cust svc rep did tell me that this dress and my older dress may not be of the same materials so that’s why the fit may not be similar in the identical sizes. I’m hoping I’ll be happy with the 1 and I’m also hoping the fit isn’t TOO tight on me. (fingers crossed!)
Mustard, I just commented about the sizing too and I totally agree–size DOWN on this one. And I also agree…Grechen IS an enabler! (but in a good way)! 🙂
JP is amazing—I got my size 1 yesterday only after ordering it the day before (it helps that the warehouse is just a few cities away from me), and it fits perfectly. So YES, definitely size down on this one.
Holy moly! I tried this on a whim today… the whim being your recommendation. I tried both the grey and the black and they are amazing! I agree with sizing down – I am a typical size 2 in JP but the 1 was more than comfortable. I almost prefer the grey more – while most grays tend to accentuate weight, I feel like this one is just the perfect flattering shade. I cringe at buying this at full price but it seems like a miracle dress. I can’t imagine any size not looking flattering in this one.
yay! so glad you tried it. it will probably go on sale later in the season (it did last day but sold out REALLY fast!), so keep your eye out. i actually tried it on again and would probably stick to my “normal” JP size, which is 2, interestingly enough. it’s my hips, i think 😉
Ok. Now, I really want it in black. I’d be a size 4, I think, since I wear a 12-14.
I think you’re ALL enablers!!! 😉