Another dress option (updated with another in comments)

Take 2:

Some of you loved this Equipment dress in my finds. So did my boyfriend. When I saw it was on sale at Bloomingdale's, I realized it might be an option after all.

What do you think?

This is the smallest size, but I'm concerned it might still be too big. It's meant to be oversized, a look that I like, but on my short frame that can be risky.

I like it, and I think it is dressy enough for the wedding. I would dress it up with heels for sure. Probably with the sleeves rolled.

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45 Comments

  • Beth Ann replied 8 years ago

    Love this for a beach wedding!  Definitely!

  • replied 8 years ago

    Great choice!

  • Angie replied 8 years ago

    Killer

    NOW we're talking. 

  • CocoLion replied 8 years ago

    Yes from me, definitely yes.  And it does not look too big, the shoulders fit perfectly.

  • Laura (rhubarbgirl) replied 8 years ago

    I agree, I think it's just the right amount of loose, not excessively oversized.

  • Diana replied 8 years ago

    Love it!

  • Word Lily replied 8 years ago

    It looks great! 

  • replied 8 years ago

    GORGEOUS!! Pefect for a beach wedding, and i would think approproate for lots of other ocassions as well. Those colors are fabulous on you!

  • Janet replied 8 years ago

    I don't think it looks big at all. Perfect! I love it. 

  • MsMaven replied 8 years ago

    Yes, perfect

  • Astrid replied 8 years ago

    Yes, so glad you tried this one! I think it's perfect.

  • replied 8 years ago

    I was reluctant to be all nooooooo so I didn't weigh in on the last choice but I thought it wasn't your most flattering choice and wouldn't photograph well.

    This is prettier, more dressed, provides shoulder protection from the sun, and even has a tropical flowers that look modern and dramatic

    It's perfect, perfect, perfect

  • unfrumped replied 8 years ago

    What a fabulous discovery! Perfectly lovely and appropriate, fun, fits very well. Perfect for the wedding. And yes, the pattern is bold and somewhat memorable, but the dress itself to me seems very versatile, dress up  or down, sandals or heels, showcase color or neutrals, SLEEVES you can push up or wear down, add a jacket, maybe even tights and boots--wow!

  • Liz A. replied 8 years ago

    Sorry to be a nay-sayer, but I'm really confused by all the responses. It's a great looking dress, but NOT for a beach wedding AT ALL. Too dark and too much dress, and a shirt dress says daywear loud and clear.

  • replied 8 years ago

    I like this one the best of the two choices.  

    I did read Liz A's comment.  I personally can't speak to how appropriate it would be for a beach wedding because I have only attended one in my entire life.  So I defer to others on that subject.  I just wanted to say this is a really pretty dress.  

  • Peri replied 8 years ago

    Definitely!! Love this, and love it on you!

  • Aida replied 8 years ago

    Oh what a find! I love the dress on you, but will defer to others about appropriateness for the wedding. Much prefer the sleeves rolled.

    (Also, fab shoes!)

  • Sal replied 8 years ago

    I love the dress on you, the print and length seem perfect.

    I have been to a couple of beach weddings, and a river wedding and I think this would be fine.  Generally the vibe is relaxed and casual, some people even wearing flip flop sandals or bare feet. I think you want to look festive but chilled.

    And this dress looks like your style Greyscale - and I think you could wear again to gallery events, out to dinner, or even dress down with pants and chunky boots....

    You could do something like get a flower in your hair or something like that if you wanted?

  • columbine(erin) replied 8 years ago

    just had to chime in to say I love this dress on you!

  • Suz replied 8 years ago

    Gorgeous!!! Sleeved rolled for sure. 

    It is PERFECT for the event. 

  • unfrumped replied 8 years ago

    Well, I did not comment on beach wedding footwear, but I don't see heels being for that. And really, what kind of "real" shoes can you wear to a beach wedding if it's ON the beach? So I could see Birks or something with this dress.

    I probably bring my own dress limitations to some of  these posts. Meaning, I might have in my head what would be perfect for my idea of the venue and would still work for me, but will almost never find exactly that. So I tend to think in terms of the spirit of the occasion and what is the best contender, and how to make something more this or that.

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Thanks, everyone! I bought the dress, though I haven't decided if I'm keeping it. The sales guy decided not to put the b-tag on the delicate silk, and says it'll be fine to return it regardless, but I'm a little nervous about that.

    I just returned the pink dress to Crossroads (and immediately spent my store credit on some Marc Jacobs silk pants, which I may regret).

    Liz, the heaviness of the dress for a beach wedding was one of my concerns. But given the setting and my family, I think it'll be unconventional but appreciated. Plus, less sunscreen needed.

    I should admit that there's a dark horse candidate: the dress I've worn to many, many weddings over the past few years. It wins on WOW factor, style, and figure flattery. I chose to search for a new dress because I didn't want quite so much side boob and sex appeal for my brother's wedding, but I'm still considering it. Though, also, it is already in far too many of my facebook photos.

    The side boob isn't clear in these photos, but it has very low sides and hangs in a perfect position very precariously. It's an incredibly well designed dress.

  • replied 8 years ago

    WOW.  I gotta say I adore the last dress.  That would be my dress of choice for pretty much all occasions.  Now, having said that, would I really want side boob at my Brother's wedding.  No.  I would not. EVERYWHERE ELSE though.  

    Weddings are challenging for me.  I never know what to wear.  I always buy a completely new outfit.  I never wear that outfit again.  I dread weddings.  

  • unfrumped replied 8 years ago

    I agree, the above dress is really fun but is more exposed than what I think of for a family wedding, maybe even most weddings.

  • replied 8 years ago

    The motion limitation of avoiding excess side boob at the wedding of a family member where I will surely be asked to do something would shut the last one down for me.

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Exactly! I wear that dress to weddings where I'm just a guest. But for my other brother's wedding and the weddings where I was an informal bridesmaid (two best friends), I wore this classy Eileen Fisher linen dress instead. No need to draw any attention away from the bride. Unfortunately this dress isn't wearable any more (held together with tape, and the fraying is visible now).

    (It's on sale! I wonder if I should duplicate it.)

  • Suz replied 8 years ago

    If you love the EF, duplicate. But I want you to keep that other dress, too. It's just fantastic on you. If not for this wedding, than for some other purpose.  :)

  • Janet replied 8 years ago

    I agree with Suz. I understand the reservations some have for the flowered one for a beach wedding, but I feel like the short length and the tropical print make it work, as long as you can tolerate sleeves on the beach. :-)

  • Echo replied 8 years ago

    I LOVE the dress you bought. It is perfect. And I think it is far more flattering to you than the other dress you picture here, simply because of the colour. It really brings out your smile and colouring with some colour in your outfit.

  • Rambling Ann replied 8 years ago

    Please keep the black floral. It's something you could wear to a lot of business social events that come up without warning as your career advances. And you look beautiful in it. 

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Ann, that's just what I was just thinking. The dress would be perfect to wear to fancy work dinner events, and those definitely come up in my career. And I hope there will be more of them in the future! Thanks.

  • Ankita replied 8 years ago

    Can we just take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous this dress is! WOWSIE!
    I'm voting in favor of this one...it fits you beautifully at the shoulder and it's a gorgeous gorgeous oversized shirt dress, perfect for not just a beach wedding, but perhaps for a million other events you're going to attend in the future, thanks to the versatility factor :)
    I think beachy accessories will tie the look together and you'll look stunning at the wedding!

  • lyn67 replied 8 years ago

    Great to see you Greyscale! Love the black floral, it's a print I would buy for myself, too. Side boobs,  FB multi-starring and all- the black horse is a great contender, -YLF in both!:-))

  • replied 8 years ago

    I think I'd like it better if it were toned down a bit.  It seems a little loud and busy, and I think the colors of the flowers looks harsh against the black.  But it fits you great and seems to fit the occasion.  And the BF likes it, too!  I guess you could say I'm on the fence with this one.  I like the print on the second dress much better, but yes, it would probably be considered a little risque for a wedding.

  • viva replied 8 years ago

    Just want to add that I adore the black floral on you. It is a lot of dress for the beach but the tropical print and your family's tolerance for unconventional choices makes it a win for me. Love the idea of a flower in your hair too.

    This dress feels very versatile to me, too.

    Ps love the side boob dress!

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 8 years ago

    Love! Another fan of the black floral silk dress here. It is fabulous on you. I don't know what I'd wear to a beach wedding, but it seems fine to me, if it's not too-too hot. I can see you getting a lot of mileage out of this dress for other occasions. It looks great with the d'Orsay flats, for just about any daytime purpose I can think of.
    So I'm voting keep. But I also think it's worth duplicating the EF dress if you've found it on sale. Sounds like it was a workhorse for you.

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 8 years ago

    Oh, and you look amazing in the more bare dress. A very classy, sexy look.

  • Deborah replied 8 years ago

    Perfect!

  • Elizabeth P replied 8 years ago

    You HAVE to keep that black floral dress.  Whether or not you wear it to the wedding.  I do think it could work, but I'm not convinced it's a "perfect" wedding dress.   I also vote duplicate the linen EF dress, if you've actually worn it out in the past... and if you still feel it's "you".  I think this would be awesome for a beach wedding.  Also loving the side boob dress but agree it's probably not the best for a family wedding.  There, does that help  :)

  • marianna replied 8 years ago

    I really like the floral, and with the sleeves rolled and some heels, I think it would be appropriate for the event. Maybe a pair of light colored/metallic heels? That might "lighten" the look a bit for a beach wedding.

  • Joy replied 8 years ago

    My favorite is the Equipment dress. Please keep it even if you don't use it for this wedding.

  • Karie replied 8 years ago

    A gorgeous dress, I hope you keep it!

  • replied 8 years ago

    I like the backless dress very much but not for the wedding. My very first thought when I saw it as a pretty relaxed mother of the bride circa a few years ago was that it was a little bit of a show stopper for an event that already has a designated leading lady. Especially at a smaller wedding.

    Not that anyone would ever dare to say that out loud.

    With your red hair and fresh complexion the Eileen Fisher is probably very pretty on you for day or casual but so far the clear winner for a wedding in Hawaii (are those hibiscus on the dress?) is the Equipment dress. I'm thinking the wedding is probably not at high noon so I don't see why silk sleeves are a problem, even on the beach?

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Decided - the silk Equipment dress is the winner!

    Thank you all so much for your input. When I have to step outside my all-black box, my style intuition doesn't serve me as well. Not enough practice. I really appreciate the feedback.

    (And I'm glad I was right in thinking the sideboob dress was not really appropriate for this one.)

  • replied 8 years ago

    I will miss discussing the "sideboob dress."  That just has a nice ring to it!  Have fun at the wedding in your beautiful dress!  And don't forget to wear a flower in your hair.

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