It's all about the neckline in this cozy sweater dress with its oversized, asymmetrical ribbed shawl collar.
dress boutique - reviews
Refined, yet relaxed-- a winning combination
I bought this dress because I was looking for something cute, comfy and warm to wear to the office-- I got just what I was looking for. The shawl collar gives this dress a more sophisticated look, but the pocket and detailing keep it from being too formal. The result? The perfect dress it up, dress it down, wear it around town dress. I'm 5'2, 130 pounds, and a bit on the busty side and I thought that the style of this dress worked to accentuate my curves without calling too much attention to what I affectionately refer to as "me wobbly bits." I was a little nervous about the gem blue color (it was the only option left in my size), but it's a great color
An almost perfect dress
When I first tried this dress on in the S.F. store on Fillmore, I wasn't sure about it, also thought it too expensive. Then a few weeks later, I saw one of the reporters on the Today show wearing it, and it looked so cute on her that I thought I should reconsider. It was also hugely discounted, as I would not have paid full price for this dress. This dress is very soft and cozy, no itchiness at all (I am very picky about that). Also, the length is just right. Several other Athleta ... listed as 38 in length were too short on me, even though I am only 5'7" but this one skimmed the knee, just perfect. I am in my early 40s and although I am fit and slim, I don't want to wear ... several inches above my knee anymore. I washed on delicate, fluffed in the dryer for a couple minutes to remove wrinkles, lined dry the rest of the way, and it turned out beautifully. I LOVE that this is washable, my dry cleaning bill is high enough. Two criticisms: the first is that this dress (like several other Athleta ... clings to leggings and tights. If the designers could figure out a way to line the inside of the dress with a cling free material, this dress would be even better. Second, can someone explain why Athleta almost never offers discounts or promotions? Gap, BR, and ON offer discounts almost every day, so I don't understand why Athleta is so stingy about this. It is almost March and many sweater ... still full price! Overall, I am happy with this purchase, but again, would not have paid full price. Please bring back the teal color, it was gone so fast!!
Almost Perfect
This dress caught me eye in the catalog because of the unusual neckline. I ordered an XS in the port wine color (which is a gorgeous burgundy color, btw). I am 5'5" and 110 lbs and wear a 0 in pants these days. The XS fit well. The sleeves are a tad bit long, which just lends the dress a cozy feel in my opinion. They won't look too long to anyone else. The dress hits me a few inches above the knee. I wish it were longer, as my knees don't look model cute, but I plan to wear this dress with tights or leggings all the time so I think I'll get by. The issue I had with the first dress I received was that the neck just wouldn't hang right. It was as if there was just too much material there. I fussed and fussed and even washed the dress to see if it would hang better, but ended up exchanging it. The second dress has a more cooperative neckline, but the seam underneath the zipper pocket doesn't hang quite as nice as dress #1 did. I may exchange one more time -- for this kind of money I think it should be pretty much perfect. I do like the fabric, though it was a bit thinner than I expected. Because of the generous neck, the dress feels warm and cozy even though in reality the fabric is kind of thin.
Disappointed
I was so looking forward to getting this dress for the fall/winter. I live in the Chicago area where the temps are so unpredicable. I was very disappointed when I tried the dress on. I knew it was made of cotton but a flimsy cotton. II'm 5'7" and 122 lbs and the dress showed the bulges on my behind/lower leg area. I'm pretty thin for a 50 year old but it wasn't a flattering dress (from behind)for me at all. The front looked real cute but the cotton material seemed like it would stretch out of shape around the sleeves. It wasn't worth the high price that I paid. I returned it. I would prefer this dress made of a wool blend - a warmer dress for our cold climate.
