I sometimes get an idea (or five) in my head and my shopping agenda for the next little while would revolve around that idea. Earlier this year, struck by how much I coveted the Diane von Furstenberg Zarita dress (see it on lovely Kat of Feather Factor), I set out to find a less expensive alternative that would satiate my craving for “nude” lace.
 |
| J. Crew dress, Ann Taylor necklace, Forever 21 bracelets, Prada bag, and unbranded shoes |
My search saw its first ray of hope a few months ago – when friend Jade notified me of the Joie Rori Lace Dress (also available here and here) popping back on Nordstrom’s in my size. I was ecstatic about the discovery but the dress in XS turned out to be too loose for me, with the last nail in the coffin being the revealing side view. I was not busty enough to fill the dress so it found a new home in my mom’s closet.
Unfazed, I pressed on. This time I ventured into Forever 21 in search of my unicorn in nude lace. The Blushing Mesh and Lace dress was perfectly beautiful and delicate but I thought the quality left a lot to be desired. In addition, it was a little more black lace than nude lace.
Another option from Forever 21 that I tried was the Lace Overlay Dress (I’ll post pictures in a later post). However, the lace was not my cup of tea (I prefer more delicate patterns to curtain lace) – it’s too bad because the dress looked wonderful on the model.
My search reached its de facto ending recently – with my friend Cat’s help, I was able to acquire the J. Crew Tiered Shift Dress in Raindrop Lace (it is also available as a top in the same pattern) for a steal. The dress in size 00 (this particular style was not available in petite) fits well and runs true to size (but I would urge ladies with bigger busts to size up). The color “apricot mist” is a little peachier than what I had in mind but it was so beautiful that I was willing to overlook this slight deviation from my original plan. This dress is the shorter (and scalloped!) version of the Frances Dress in Raindrop Lace that I tried on a few months ago. I think if the Zarita dress in nude ever gets discounted, I would still buy it but for the moment, I feel content.
Do you often shop with an item in mind? Or do you like to go into a store with an open mind and let the trip surprise you?
