There was some buzz in the blogosphere when J.Crew debuted the Ruched V-Neck Dress. Touted to flatter everyone yet be extremely comfortable, this dress has some serious potential. I wanted to buy one in every color!

But I ended up only buying Abyss Blue and Navy. I figured I’ll buy the other 2 if I end up loving these as much as I thought I would. Well, what can I say about this dress? Contrary to the description on the J.Crew site, it does not “hug you” in “all the right places.” In fact, I would say it hugs everything from the bust up, then from the bust down it drapes straight down like a big tube. Since my bust/ribcage is almost the same width as my hips, it really just looks like a straight up-and-down tube from the bust down; my waist is in there but you’d never know it.

I’m wearing: Nine West Getby Sandals

I was not too happy with this. Can we say completely and utterly unflattering? Damn. Not sure what I expected since I knew it was empire waist, but I was disappointed nonetheless. Let’s address some concerns I’ve heard from the other ladies. First, I don’t think it’s too low cut, at least enough to be inappropriate for the office. The v-neck actually does not dip as low as the band under the bust, plus the small ruffling there definitely makes it feel very “held-in” and not noticeably low-cut. I was planning on wearing a cami under this, but now I don’t think it’s actually necessary. This dress is also – unlike some of the crazy short skirts from J.Crew recently – a great, flattering length, hitting me right above my knee. The fabric is also super slinky and soft, making it a pretty substantial weight. Here’s a picture of the Navy color. Kind of cute when paired with gold. Cuter than the Abyss Blue I think.

Now I do think this dress can work with a bit more work. I figure if you throw on a cardigan of some sort, it’ll hide the tube-ness of the dress and the unflattering shape from the bust down.

I’m wearing: J.Crew Featherweight Cotton Tipped Pocket Cardigan, J.Crew Patent Oval Buckle Belt, Nine West Getby Sandals

…And I think it works! Maybe it’s just because of how much I absolutely adore this cardigan (I’ll post a separate post on it later), but it really covers the flaws of the dress while preserving what I like about it – flattering bust, comfort, and perfect length. All in all, I would recommend this dress but maybe just one. Get it from J.Crew here for $59.50. Pretty cheap price for J.Crew dresses!

The Whisper Chambray Tiered Skirt is on sale right now at J.Crew, with an extra 20% off, dropping the price from $138 to $72. I’ve always eyed this skirt but couldn’t pull the trigger due to the price. Unfortunately, I purchased it right before the extra 20% off.

Well, when I first pulled it on tonight, I regretted purchasing it at all. The exact thought going through my head was, “What the…how can J.Crew put out a monstrosity like this??” I threw it off and immediately packed it back into the box, almost not being able to bear the disappointment. Then hours later, it hit me I should at least take a picture for the blog since I haven’t seen any pictures of this skirt in real life anywhere. I pulled it out and threw it on and it was seriously a “hallelujah” moment. The skirt looked ADORABLE. I don’t know what happened. Maybe the ruffles fluffed out a bit.

I’m wearing: J.Crew Slub Cotton Tee, J.Crew Equestrian Belt, Christian Louboutin Very Prives

But now I’m second guessing myself. The horrendous memory of my first impression of this skirt is perhaps forever carved into my brain. Monstrosity, monstrosity, monstrosity. Is it indeed actually cute? Or am I inhaling the crewlade a bit too much and seeing what I want to see? I don’t know. It also doesn’t help that I sized up a size for some length but the skirt runs small and can only sit at my waist (which is probably where it’s meant to be), making this skirt ultra short. I would not ever bend over when wearing this. The ruffles also add a lot of volume to the hips, so it may not be a good choice for those with wider hips. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, I have very small waist-to-hip ratio so the voluminous hips actually helps me a bit. I think. What do you think?

Get the Whisper Chambray Tiered Skirt from J.Crew here for $89.99 (extra 20% off through April 30th).

Ugh, I need a new camera. Apologies on the blurriness and graininess of these pictures. Anyway – I don’t know why I never paid much attention to the Forever cardigan from J.Crew. I realize my cardigan collection consists of either short and fitted cardigans or long, oversized ones. No fitted long cardigans. Shame really because I think they look super cute when worn over shorter skirts or belted. The burgundy color I purchased is no longer available but there are a bunch of other great colors available online right now that I’m seriously considering. This sweater is merino wool so it’s super light, comfortable, and drapes beautifully. Get it from J.Crew here for $89.50.

I’m wearing: J.Crew Favorite Tank, J.Crew Poplin Wednesday Skirt, Banana Republic Dahlia Wedges, Banana Republic Belt