Review : Prabal Gurung for J. Crew Exploding Bow Dress & J. Crew Frances dress in Raindrop Lace

My shopping success rate is typically about thirty-three percent. For every item that I excitedly blog about there are two others that end up in the return pile.

This post is about two dresses that I didn’t end up keeping.

Prabal Gurung for J. Crew Exploding Bow Dress– 00

I’ve had a hankering for this dress since, well, forever. Prabal Gurung, one of CFDA’s award recipients last year, collaborated with J. Crew on a capsule collection which featured giant bows and daring cuts. I was an instant fan. What I wasn’t a fan of was its price point. The collection sold out fairly quickly but popped back occasionally, even when it went on sale, but never in my size.

Imagine my glee when I woke up one morning and found that this kelly green dress became available in 00 again. I quickly checked out and then counted down to the day when the dress would come in the mail.

The dress is lovely in concept but just isn’t flattering on me. The bow came out of the box looking flat and lifeless and the 00 was much too big in the chest area (for me).

Frances dress in raindrop lace – 00

The lace is gorgeous but I just don’t love the cut of the dress enough to buy it at full price. There are two other items that also use this lace – Tiered Shift Dress in Raindrop Lace and Raindrop Lace Tee – and I’ll probably pick up one of those items when they go on sale. 

The 00 fits me, though the bagginess in the front sometimes creates an illusion of bulges where there are none. The pleats in the skirt are only noticeable up close but are very lovely regardless. The dress falls at mid-calf on the statuesque model but on someone petite it is a full length dress.

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