I am in a pickle!
I fell in love with a dress upon first sight… There was just one problem: I didn’t really like the dress.
Let me explain.
Dorothy Perkins Faux Leather Aztec Print Dress, $69
I love this dress, but I don’t really love this dress. It’s got some aspects that I am completely head over heels for and some that I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing on my physical body, celestial body, or anything in between. So, I have to break it down into Pros & Cons. Once I’ve got my favorite parts figured out, it’ll make it 500 times easier to search for something similar.
Pros:
- The pink, faux leather top is my favorite, favorite, favorite thing I’ve seen this week, hands down. Maybe this month. I love it.
- The empire waist is really flattering on me, despite everyone’s desire to make “empire waist” and “babydoll” synonymous. I’m high-waisted and this sh*t looks good on me.
- Cap sleeves. My mom has told me since my youth that they are extremely flattering and she’s right!
- The hemline is perfectly modest in contrast with the “Hi, I’m [faux] Leather” audacity of the top.
Cons:
- Not okay with the print at all. I’m not into people making a print and slapping some ancient culture’s name on it and then mass marketing it. Sorry, doesn’t do it for me at all. This, alone, would prevent me from buying this dress even if I loved everything else!
- The pleats look a little… cheap. Don’t get me wrong, I love cheap-inexpensive, but I don’t love cheap-low-quality or cheap-looks-cheap.
So there we have it. I’m looking for something with an empire waist that includes a faux leather top and midi-length skirt, cap sleeves preferable but not a dealbreaker. A profuse lack of cultural appropriation would be A-OK, as well.
What do you think of this dress?
View Comments (5)
I'm with you. Love everything except that terrible print on bottom. I would love to know if you find something similar, but without the print.
Have you ever ordered anything from Dorothy Perkins online? They are having a sale now so I want to place an order but I have heard so many negative things about this company online. Supposedly you could get charged crazy customs/carrier fees after the order is placed and if the items don't fit you have to pay return shipping which probably would be expensive considering its overseas. All of this has me on the fence as the whether or not to order anything from there. I was wondering if you have ever ordered from this company and your experience.
As for this dress I love love love the top part. I think the bottom would be perfect if it was some sort of black silk chiffon type material with a subtle pattern so there would be a flow to it and then it could be a very dressy dress depending on how you accessorize. If money is no object you could buy that dress then scrap that "aztec" fabric and replace it with whatever you like.
I asked around on Twitter and the worst I heard was that it takes a while to ship... Maybe try something small and non-committal if you're nervous? Let me know how it goes if you order!
If anything you could just buy the dress, rip off the print, find a better fabric that you prefer and sew it on. Especially if you like the top's color and cut.
That print makes me think of Walmart trying to keep up with the trends.
Eeeeew what a horrible image that conjures up. D:
I am not that confident in my sewing skills, but it seems like it would be simple enough! Just use the bottom to trace the shape onto some new fabric, right?