James Perse brushed cotton polo dress | size 2
Birkenstock Arizona Sandals
To be honest I haven’t decided whether to keep this or not. I love it, and it’s wonderful, but…
I’d have to wear a racerback bra with it, and a low-cut one at that. Not a BIG deal, but it’s just one of my “things,” especially if I want to bring it traveling – I don’t really have to remember to bring multiple types of bras. And you can see from the image above why the ruched dresses work better on me; they don’t leave so much extra material around my waist, while still being snug at my hips.
It’s a great alternative to the ruched dresses if you want to try a different style. And it’s not horrible, by any means – I’ll probably end up keeping it. Oh, and I am absolutely wearing spanx with it.
With Eileen Fisher jacket…
James Perse twist back dress | size 2
It was really easy to decide to send the twist back dress back. The 2 is big up top on me and barely fits my hips. It would fit me much better if the straps were shorter (perhaps if I was bustier that wouldn’t be an issue? I don’t know), but they’re not adjustable, and I don’t love the dress enough to try and get it tailored. Although you could, if you were so inclined. The dress is fully lined, which makes it completely opaque, and has pockets. But you’d have to be okay with your bra showing, or wear a racerback bra, but even then I’m not sure it’s entirely bra-friendly. In this dress, the size 1 might have worked better on me if the top was cut a little smaller.
Oh, and the silver color in real life is very pretty, it looks brighter online than it is in person.
I also tried the recycled knit dress in size 3, and the linen shirt dress in size 2. They were both disappointing.
The recycled knit dress was too short and too snug in my hips. And the style is just blah. You could probably reverse it if you wanted to though, if you cut the tags out, which is cool. And that it’s made from recycled material. It’s a good choice if you have more of a straight style, and like an above-the-knee dress.
The linen shirt dress fit okay, but it was much too tight in my upper arms, which made it so hard to get on. And it’s too short on me (right above my knees). Linen will stretch though, so although I’m inclined to recommend that you size up in this one, I’d definitely suggest that you wear it around the house a little before deciding whether to keep it or not – to see how MUCH it stretches.
If you have any questions about anything, please ask! I liked the feel of some of the shirts, and as usual, I’m a big fan of the basic tees. The GRECHENMAR17 free shipping code expires on 3/19, so if you’re interested in anything, now’s the time! (the code is valid on orders shipping to the US and one use per customer)
I love the neckline on that second dress! Maybe using KT tape would work instead of a bra. I’ve tried it and it feels surprisingly comfortable.
To be honest, not crazy about the fit of these two dresses… You have another JP or two or three! that fit much better…
ha. yes, you are correct about that!!
i’ve never tried that…i think it might leave me feeling a bit exposed though? i do like to have another layer between my clothes and my skin sometimes LOL
I love the polo dress with the duster!!! I’m bigger on top than you are, but I don’t know about that twist dress, either. I don’t see a way to wear that with a supportive bra. But there are some other dresses on the James Perse site that would be bra-friendly, so there are more options. I think I need to check out some of the ruched dresses that you recommend, and that commenters have raved about as well.
Dress #1 shows off that hard earned Pure Barre booty!!! 🙂 But if you’re not comfortable in it, will you wear it? I think it looks great. I’m glad I didn’t get dress #2. Who would that fit??? It just seems “off.”
I like your otherJP dresses SO much better! These dresses seem just “meh” and not doing anything better than your other black dresses. But thank you for your reviews because now I don’t need to order the twist back dress.
Dear Grechen-
MArie Kondo is on the Morning Show today! Her last name has become a verb “Kondoing” your tee shirt drawer.
You look amazing in the first dress, again I agree with MamaV – the booty factor is high.
I like the deep V one – So sexy-
Would a strapless bra work? I don’t mind a matching bra strap showing a little like in the third or fourth pic.
Thank you for the review! XO
This is stunning!