Before I get into today’s post, I just want to give you all a heartfelt Thank You for your response on yesterday’s Why I Decided to Stop Trying to Grow my Blog post. Sometimes it can be scary to ‘pull back the curtain’ on blogging culture and your comments have totally reignited the fire I have for throwing my voice out there into the seas of the Internets. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Now, let’s talk about winter dresses!
I love Boden, but sometimes it is really difficult to imagine how a piece of their clothing will look on someone who is shaped quite different than their website models. I did my first ‘website vs reality’ post with Boden dresses over the summer (you can find it here) and I think it’s time to do one for a couple winter dresses I recently ordered.
Item #1: Annabel dress (find it here)
Current price: $118
Wearing: Size 10 (I’m typically a size 12 elsewhere, but a 10 in Boden)
Here is the dress on the website model:
Here is the dress on me:
A pretty black and gray pattern, ¾ length sleeves and a fit-and-flare shape pulled me right in. Add to that the fact that it is knee-length and I thought I’d found a winner. If you look straight on it does look really cute. But, then I checked out the side view…
I swear if you ask me when I’m due you will be dead to me. There is no baby in my tummy. But holy hell does this dress ask someone to rub my belly and give me all their thoughts on breastfeeding vs bottle feeding. Nope, not gonna happen. Oh, and it’s a sweater dress so it’s kind of hot as hell. If you like a warmer dress and have a little less belly going on, you just might love this one. I thought that the dotted pattern was super flattering and the stretchy fabric is incredibly comfortable too. Unfortunately it doesn’t work for my body shape, so it’s going into the NOPE pile.
Item #2: Curve & Flare Dress (find it here)
Current price: $74 – $103 (depending on color/size)
Wearing: Size 10 (I’m typically a size 12 elsewhere, but a 10 in Boden)
Here is the dress on the website model:
Here is the dress on me:
First off, the model is a big liar because this dress has no pockets. Second, I’m wearing spanx under this because when I put it on you can totally see my belly button like some kind of donut has snuck up under the front of my dress and smushed into place. Which I’m sure has nothing to do with the amount of donuts I ate last month. Nothing at all. With that being said, I actually do like this dress but feel like it’s a bit too va-va-voom on my chest.
I tried it styled two more ways, just to make sure:
I really love this dress paired with the blazer and it would be a great winter outfit for a typical workday. I tried it with an animal-print belt and boots too, but totally wasn’t feeling the look. I really like the fabric of the dress, as it is a bit stretchy with a super subtle texture to it. If you are a little less ‘blessed in the chest’ this one really does make a professional looking work outfit. However, as much as I like the dress with the blazer, I really prefer something more versatile for my closet. It hurts a little bit, but I think that this one is going to go back too. My closet simply doesn’t have room for something I don’t 100% love.
Final Thoughts
As much as I love Boden, neither of these dresses turned out to be winners for me. No biggie though, I can just pop them back in the mail to take advantage of their free return policy. Since I know that their jersey dresses usually work well for me, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for when they start offering new prints for spring!
Do you like seeing comparison pictures of the clothes on the website model vs the clothes on me? Do you think I made the right choice in sending them both back?
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Your donut comment killed me. I get it though. So disappointing but I think you made the right decision. If the red/maroon didn’t have that weird seam across the boobs, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but I feel like it just doesn’t look right.
I totally agree. And I think the boob seam would be super flattering on someone who needed a little help in that department! =)
Love this post. Very helpful. I have the same problem With this type of dress – always the stomach area. The burgundy dress is cute on you though.
Thanks Amy! I’m so glad you liked the post. I do love the burgundy dress with the blazer!
These comparison posts are the best. I love your analysis because I think it’s teaching me to make some smarter/harder decisions on saying no to stuff that’s not perfect. We have similar body types, so the boob comments are spot on. Thanks for the advice.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy them.
I’ve seen and liked your pictures SO many times on IG under the Bodenbyme hashtag but didn’t realise you had a blog! Just spotted your comment on Adina’s and came straight over. I love these reviews posts and your sense of humour plus like me, you obviously buy a fair bit of Boden 😉
Just read your post about not trying to grow your blog anymore and man, all those groups, FB pages etc and comment circles just sound exhausting! Definitely not for me, I just don’t have time with everything else in life and it sounds like you’ve realised the same x
That’s so funny, I recently found your blog too after following your IG for some time! Glad you enjoyed the posts!