Comments on A Dress A Day: Dress-Buying Behavior of Consumers

I am primarily moved to utter a caution about the ...

2006-09-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

I am primarily moved to utter a caution about the Anthropologie dress. If you look at the dots just below the waistline, you will see that they curve downward, forming an arch. Unless the wearer is blessed with the very flattest of bellies, this dress is guaranteed to hang on the wearer in such a fashion as to: a) make the arch seem even more pronounced, which will b) make the wearer's belly seem much more protruberant than Nature herself intended.

This is one reason why I approch geometric prints with such caution: there is a strong tendency amongst geometric prints, which include polka dots (and I love polka dots), to highlight any asymmetry of shape in the wearer. It's why a quarter-inch gingham is so often recommended as suitable for fitting a basic shell: asymmetry is neatly highlighed, and measured off in handy quarter-inches. However, many, if not most, other geometric patterns will do the same thing: stripes will wobble where the wearer wobbles, squares will highlight that high hip, etc.

And by a stroke of evil genius, patterns one might not think of as geometric can be made geometric by layout and design: there's really not much difference between neat rows of flowerheads and neat rows of polka dots. It's something to keep in mind if you have parts you'd prefer not to have highlighted - especially if they form an abdominal (abominable!) arch like the pattern in the Anthropologie dress.

Being someone with a body that just doesn't fit in...

2006-07-31T15:45:00.000-05:00

Being someone with a body that just doesn't fit into most dresses on the market (and not because I'm too fat), I really like the Anthropologie dress. I don't think the smocking at the waist is a sign of poor quality at all; it enables the dress to fit well even if your waist is smaller or larger than standard. *And* this one comes in petite sizes, which gets more points from this pint-size blogger. The only thing I don't like is that the top appears to be cut for a very small bust (B-cup would be too big), which I don't have. ; ;

I choose the Anthro dress, for exactly what Kit sa...

2006-07-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

I choose the Anthro dress, for exactly what Kit said about the Tiki's neckline. Why oh why does the v-neck continue into the pink waist band? It looks like a mistake, like I should see it at Gabriel Brothers and marked "irregular".

I actually touched the Tiki Boutique dress yesterd...

2006-07-25T15:47:00.000-05:00

I actually touched the Tiki Boutique dress yesterday and it is very low quality. So, although Anthro clothes are highly overpriced, they are well made out of good quality fabrics. I would have to put a dent in my wallet and go Anthro if forced to choose.

I like the anthro dress's pattern better, but has ...

2006-07-23T23:43:00.000-05:00

I like the anthro dress's pattern better, but has anyone mentioned the unforgiving length? Or lack thereof? I'm afraid that on a taller gal like me this would look like those little sundresses the little girls these days wear with pants. You know, the smocked ones we wore as kids? Yup. No one wants to see that much of my upper thigh. Oh, and the Tiki dress would look & fit better without the pneumatc boobs.

The print of the Anthro dress wins, hands-down, an...

2006-07-22T07:27:00.000-05:00

The print of the Anthro dress wins, hands-down, and I also like the slight overlap of the bodice - the neckline of the Tiki dress is a bit daring even for me and my B cups. (I agree with Kit about the midriff notch. Weird!)

However, I'd have to try them both on before deciding. Smocking is hit-or-miss with me; I generally like clothes that have a certain amount of shaping built-in because asking me to provide it all can often lead to disaster.

(This is all assuming that money is no object, by the way. $118 dollars for a dress? I would have to have some kind of super-special event to wear that to...international polka dot festival? Clown wedding? Bubble-blowing contest?)

Hmmm -- I think I'd just buy some similar fabric a...

2006-07-21T14:37:00.000-05:00

Hmmm -- I think I'd just buy some similar fabric and make my own (cause I'd need a little more coverage).

By the way, I have worn t-shirts under sleeveless ...

2006-07-21T12:06:00.000-05:00

By the way, I have worn t-shirts under sleeveless dresses before (both so I could wear a bra and for modesty), but I don't think either of these dresses would work very well with a shirt under it. (I think wearing a shirt works better if the dress is cut more like a jumper.)

I'd tell my dear aunt about both of them, see whic...

2006-07-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

I'd tell my dear aunt about both of them, see which one she bought, & then buy the other one. We'd go out on Sunday and see who got the most compliments. The loser gets to deconstruct her dress.

i think this dress is adorable! It's sexy but has ...

2006-07-21T04:59:00.000-05:00

i think this dress is adorable! It's sexy but has little quirkiness to it. Or maybe I'm just into polka dot these days...i don't know...Anyway, this dress feels like a "going-for-ice-cream-on-Sunday-afternoons" kinda dress, doesn't it?

I like Anonymous's disco dot blue fabric. I'd love...

2006-07-21T01:49:00.000-05:00

I like Anonymous's disco dot blue fabric. I'd love to see a picture of the halter dress she made of it. Maybe I'd choose that over both the Anthropologie and the Tiki Boutique dresses. (I never was very good at answering the question that was asked.)

I went back and looked, and I'm really kind of fon...

2006-07-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

I went back and looked, and I'm really kind of fond of the Tiki Boutique one. But on sale I might get the Anthropologie one, since it'll be lined and hold up better in the end.

Reperusing the astonishing Tiki Boutique site I found that they have one section of "dresses" and a different section for "sexy dresses"!

Well, in the context of dress buying behaviour I w...

2006-07-20T17:29:00.000-05:00

Well, in the context of dress buying behaviour I would say that I'd get this one because I've got a fair bit of brand loyalty to anthro, having bought one of my favourite dresses there. I like the faux-smocking (or whatever it is) because my waist really needs dresses to be closely fitted or I look lumpy.
But I only really like it conceptually. I can't really imagine an occasion for which it would be suitable aside from a trip to clown school, or maybe a small child's birthday party.

Really it all boils down to the horrendous little ...

2006-07-20T16:53:00.000-05:00

Really it all boils down to the horrendous little notch in the midriff band of the Tiki Boutique one. Why bother? If you want the neckline lower, end the midriff band lower. It looks like something has been nibbling at the dress and its all i can see when i look at it.

I prefer this one. The other one seems unforgiving...

2006-07-20T16:51:00.000-05:00

I prefer this one. The other one seems unforgiving to a large bust, but that may be cuz her's were huge. This one is just so pretty!

I love dots! But it's in my contract, since my nic...

2006-07-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

I love dots! But it's in my contract, since my nickname is Dottie.

BTW, speaking of pretty dresses, check out www.manifestoclothing.com.

Such pretty pretty dresses! Sorta like the secret gem of good dresses.

Ahh - the Goodwill game! That's a whole 'nother s...

2006-07-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

Ahh - the Goodwill game! That's a whole 'nother story!

Well then I'd get them both. I'd wear the Tiki one at home ONLY (late on summer nights), and probably donate it back fairly quickly, unless I made the skirt into curtains or something.

As for the Anthro one, I'd cut it apart just below the fake smocking. The bottom becomes a *very* cool skirt, the top is made into a matching reversable-to-a-solid bag. The smocking might be a headband, *if* it's well-behaved.

My daughter likes the anthro one, because it's "more playful" (color-wise), as compared to the tiki one, which is "darker".

This one a) is way cuter, b) isn't nasty-skank lik...

2006-07-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

This one a) is way cuter, b) isn't nasty-skank like the herearemyboobstikidress, and c) appears to be a little more wrinkle resistant.

This one, not even close. It is so cute! And it ...

2006-07-20T14:59:00.000-05:00

This one, not even close. It is so cute! And it is lined and does have a zipper, so that sort of justifies the $118. I really like the way the skirt lays. I couldn't even consider buying it though, because I'd need a new pair of shoes for each dot color. It looks very sweet on their model, if you follow the link.

To BBRUG: Here's a tip on pressing pleats and othe...

2006-07-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

To BBRUG: Here's a tip on pressing pleats and other ironing tips as well. http://www.readersdigest.ca/feature.html?fn=0410078&fi=993

That just seems like a better dress--for one thing...

2006-07-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

That just seems like a better dress--for one thing, it's for the modestly-busted among us (*ahem*). I don't think I could ever buy anything from Tiki simply because I'd be willing to bet it wouldn't fit my pear shaped self properly. I also prefer the vibrancy of that dress' colors to the Tiki dress, which I thought was a little funky anyway. It's an adorable dress that would fit my personality/body type well, I'd bet. I'd certainly buy it if I saw it in the store, tried it in, and decided that it was begging to come home with me.

Like "A Woman of Letters " wrote, if both dresses ...

2006-07-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

Like "A Woman of Letters " wrote, if both dresses were available at my local Salvation Army thrift store, I might spring for the Anthropologie one. I prefer the smaller polka dots. And then I'd probably give it to a friend with more vivid coloring than mine. Those bright dancing mulit-colors would make me look (even more) washed-out (than usual!)

I love your site!!!!

2006-07-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

I love your site!!!!

Polka dots gone horribly wrong:http://movies.msn.c...

2006-07-20T13:16:00.000-05:00

Polka dots gone horribly wrong:

http://movies.msn.com/movies/undressed?GT1=7701&photoidx=5

>But the one thing I like about the Anthropoligie ...

2006-07-20T12:31:00.000-05:00

>But the one thing I like about the Anthropoligie dress is that the dots are closer together and reads as a whole. The other one makes me want to look at each dot and it's distracting.

Yes, this. But the tiki dress has pockets, so I think it might be Erin's fave!