Every time I attend a blogging conference (read: fashion show/a blogger’s one chance to get all fancified), I compliment someone on their gorgeous dress and hear them say, “Oh! Yes! I got this dress from Shabby Apple!” I’ve admired their dresses on their website and have considered ordering one for myself, but unexpected expenses keep getting in the way of a new dress.
Apparently the stars aligned for me because out of the blue I received an email from Shabby Apple themselves offering me a dress for review. I was given the choice between two styles, the Duck Beach and the 90 WPM. Their dresses are categorized according to body shape, which is AWESOME to have a designer realize that not every dress looks right on every body. The 90 WPM dress was designed for women who are “pencil shaped,” and I am NOT pencil shaped, more like “broken, stubby Kindergarten crayon shaped,” but definitely not PENCIL so I knew better than to choose that style. Unfortunately, neither dress offered fell into the “pear shaped” category, but the Duck Beach dress I chose was in the “apple shaped” category. Apple, pear, they’re both fruit! Perfect!
I really want to say how great the dress looked on me and how fabulous it made me feel. It didn’t, though. The dress is incredibly well constructed and fits (even over my ample bum and beefy upper arms), but it just doesn’t work well with my body shape. I felt like the there was just too much going on with the wide collar around my face and because of the large bow, it didn’t truly accentuate my waist, the only part of my body (besides my ankles) that I feel are worthy of being shown off.
Also, I requested a green dress, but received a red dress. It’s not that I had my heart set on green, even though I have a lot of green pieces in my wardrobe. I just didn’t think that red would look great on me and that I’d have fewer places where I’d feel comfortable wearing it.
I still feel like there’s a Shabby Apple dress in my future. Since I’m more of a black dress kind of gal, I’m considering ordering the Tuxedo IV. It’s specifically designed for pear shaped women and doesn’t have a wide collar. I think it would be a perfect dress for some upcoming holiday parties or even for one of those crazy things called a date alone with my husband to a restaurant that doesn’t have high chairs and children’s menus.
Disclosure: Shabby Apple provided the dress for me to review and keep. I received no additional compensation. The views expressed in this review were no way influenced, nor was a favorable review requested by Shabby Apple or promised in any of our exchanges.