Blogger Lust Fail

So my hopes of turning into the beautiful Carin by trying on her dress has a disappointing result.
Here's how the Forever 21 Gingham Off-the-Shoulder Dress in size S fits on me:

1. Top portion is loose for my skinny upper body. See the fabric gap from the side view. 

2. Hip portion a bit snug for my liking. 

3. Somehow the dress highlights my lower belly, so depressing (I admit eating a lot of processed foods and working in a high stress desk job will never rid of belly bump). 

4. I had a hard time zipping up in the back. If the dress was tighter to fit my upper body it would be an acrobatic feat to zip up on my own. The fabric has no stretch. 

5. This is the kind of dress I'll probably wear once. Not worth spending extra money to alter at the tailor shop. 

Conclusion: NO for me. But YES for Carin!

Some good points: the fabric is surprisingly a thick 100% cotton with almost a linen-like texture. Love the tulip/wrap hem detail. If you have the body to wear this, go for it!

Size S measures: 15.5" across chest width, 12.5" across waist, 15.5" across hips, and skirt length from waist seam to hem is 16.5"

Gingham Check Off Shoulder Dress

I am completely smitten by Carin Olsson from Paris in Four Months. She has one of the best snap stories with her travels. A real life girl living the dream from fashion magazine pages full of pretty things, luxury hotels, flowers, and sweet treats. I also dig her wardrobe style! On her current excursion to Lisbon, Portugal, I was enticed by her little gingham dress. At first, I was so happy to find that it is from Zara for sale price $29.99, but of course the dress was already sold out in all sizes by the time she posted the information. As luck would have it, I found an identical dress (probably from the same maker) at Forever 21 for only $24.90, even better! 

 

Zara vs. Forever 21

Identical huh?

Stay tune for review on dress once I get it in the mail ;)  

Love Inspired Things

After seeing the new Beauty and Beast movie, I am falling in love with the music score again! Especially this medley:

Other things that is tugging my heart...

On Holiday

 

Inspired by Roman Holiday

boater hats

 ballerinas and old romance

olive and neutral

gold and buffalo plaid 

Bonnard checkered pattern

I fall in love with this checkered pattern every time I see it in old paintings...a classic indeed! Some more paintings from Pierre Bonnard featuring checkered fashion in 1894-95:

  

Other checkered ideas: here and here.