dress obsessed.

warning: this post contains lots of dresses from jcrew and anthropologie

if you think my posts about clothes are boring or silly, do NOT proceed.

or, do so at your own caution. and don't say i didn't warn you. ;)

okay. so i'm still dress shopping. here are a bunch i've found and i want your opinion.

for the record, i'm tallish (5'9" and about 6 feet in heels), and i'm sort of elongated. ha! i'm super light-skinned and my hair is dark. just in case you can't tell from photos. and i know you can't. i heard at CHA about a zillion times, that i didn't look like people expected, whatever that means. =)

whatever i buy may or may not be used in DC. these are for wedding festivities, mainly.

 

metallic linen- j crew

anthropologie

anthropologie

jcrew- conservative, but i love

jcrew- how gorgeous is the detail work?

anthropologie- yes, i know i've shared this before. funny story, both j. and i picked this as our favorite item in the new anthro catalog. yes, i make him do stuff like that with me. =)

anthro- also a metallic sort of fabric, the back is super hot.

anthro- non-form fitting is always good.;)

all jcrew.

Yes, I know this is like the most boring post EVER, 

but i need your help.

So, what do you think?

I will buy one for sure, maybe two...

so let me know.

And for those of you that have stuck with me this long, i'll throw in another studio calico april sneak peek!!!

xoxo

s

Comments

[gretchen]

i bet you would look smokin' hot in that green strapless one (but i have been on a green kick lately) and that "conservative" pinkish one (looks very "Audrey" to me).
ok those are my 2 choices.
:)

[Jen]

As someone how likes fashion and works in that capacity I say #4, #5, and #6.
Your scrap pages are beautiful BTW.

[Chris Dodaj]

Gorgeous pics Steph!
In my opinion- I would definately go for the solid color dresses. Love 4, 7 8, 9 and 11. I bet your skin tone would look gorgeous against those!
Have fun shopping, you'll have to show us what shoes your thinking of matching these up too.
Have a great night!!
xo
Chris

[Traci]

I LOVE the fourth pic down...the conservative J Crew one. Gorgeous!

[Cathy]

OK...here ar my thoughts...For the wedding-because they seem to go with what you bought for Harper-I would choose the #4 pinkish jcrew dress and the white jcrew with the beautiful detail.

For DC I would choose #1 or the ADORABLE stripie Anthropologie dress. Scott agrees with the anthropologie dress but not #1 :)

Now you have another male opinion.

[kirsty]

Deffo go with the green - Green clothes and dark hair and light skin is so jacki-o, darling. Listen to your fashion guru, Steph or I'll send the boys round.

[Jeannie]

The metallic one with the hot looking back!! Since you can get away with wearing that, go for it!!

[Samantha]

These are my picks. #3, OMG it is sooooooo flippin' pretty I can't even stand it!!! #4 is really classic and beautiful for a wedding. Love the color. Then there is #6, That one is really pretty, I thought that the first time I saw it. I love the cut of the neck. I'm personally not into the metallic ones, but my bet is that any of the dresses will look fab on you! :) Love the sneak peak!

[Cathy]

Kelsey votes for the second Anthropologie dress-the floral one-just a note...she doesn't like the ruffle. The pink jcrew, the Tan with sparkles at the top anthropologie and finally the blue one with the halterish top.

is that stamping I spotted on that layout?

[Harley]

Ok, my loves are: the JCrew pink (conservative one), the JCrew silver? one with the detail at the neck, the stripey one definitely, and the last metallic Anthro :)

[Laura]

LOVE
love
love
the conservative JCrew one.

This makes me want my figure back. :)

[kellie L]

The last 3 definately. modern and flattering styles. Nice colours too.

[Amy]

i am another one for the "conservative" dress. that is beautiful! also, i love the one that you both "favorited." Have fun deciding!

[Brenda]

I think the coral J. Crew one is the bomb!! and you would love FANTABULOUS in it. My second choice is the strapless blue dress. I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading your blog. I feel like I know you so well... Your blog is my absolute favorite one out there.

Love to you and your chickies.

Brenda

[Julie Jacobs]

Hi Steph, Ok, My favorites are the conservative one from J Crew. I think it will look gorgeous with your dark hair. Also, I love the one from Anthropology that you and J picked together as your favorite. How exciting!!

[Sue]

I like the pink J Crew and striped Anthropologie ones the best. The green strapless is a close third though. You're lucky...my husband would NEVER look through a catalog with me and tell me which dresses he liked. :)

[Liz Miller]

Hi Stephanie,
I was in Anthro 2day & tried on 2 adorable dresses...thank goodness they didn't fit..My bank account would have exploded.

i need a tip. i also wanted to post them on my blog tonite but when i try to save the image i can only save it really small. how did you get the dresses to be a good size on your blog???

[Liz Miller]

PS
i love the green (bottom pic)jcrew, the conservative pink jcrew, and the sexy backd anthro!!!!!!

[Kami]

I love all of the JCrew dresses and I think with your light skin and dark hair, those bright colored dresses will look beautiful on you!! Just my opinion. ;) hehehe

[ropergirl3@gmail.com]

totally go for the first red one, I can so see you in that!!! You will rawk whatever you choose I am sure!

[Amber Zimmerman]

I think the anthro metallic with the super hot back. . .that one! It's beautiful! My number two choice would be the dress with the navy sash with the flower print. Then you have a dressy and fun and flirty one. Have fun! =)

[Steph H]

Um, the J crew conservative one is SO Audrey and I think you'd look incredible!!!

[Christina Ankeney]

Alright, here are my top four...and I am the same height and know about the elongated thing you're talking about :-) 1) J. Crew, Audrey Hepburn-ish, salmony dress 2) Blue Dress that is second from the top, with the halter top 3) Salmon Anthro dress with scoop neck 4) White with embroidered flowers

Have fun!!!

[MandyK]

I think you would look beautiful in any one of these but my favs are the pink JCrew and the detailed JCrew, The green and of course the striped red from Anthro seriously you have to at least go try it on whirl around and take a few pics. Have fun deciding which you are going with. I so love your style if I were a skinny mini I would buy one of these but I'm not so I'll get excited when I see pics of you in one.
Love the layout can't wait to view the whole thing. I love that stamped clock is it part of the kit you can tell me I won't tell anyone promise :)

[Denise W.]

Without a doubt, I'd go for the JCrew drape neck salmony colored one. You called it conservative. I really like it.

[Angela W]

You have many great choices! I like 4, 5, and 6! Good luck choosing and thanks for another fabo layout!

[Christine Campbell]

Tallish?? LOL, compared to me ya, you're tallish. :) I don't know why people said that but I thought you looked exactly like I pictured - just really tall. You look really young for your age, maybe that's what they meant. Not a bad thing of course.
As for the dresses, they are all stunning but I LOVE the conservative pink J crew - that one would be awesome for the award ceremony. and I love the cream anthro with the embellied scoop neck line and the blue halter - you definitely have the shoulders for that one - it would look stunning especially with like a pair of silver or orange pumps. You'll have to model the ones you buy so we can see it.
How is the flood in your house doing??

[Carolyn B]

My fave is the "conservative" JCrew. It's oh-so-flattering and all-around fabulous!

[lisa truesdell]

i saw the blue at anthro this weekend and it is beautiful. love the anthro beige and cream one, too. pretty pretty.

holy moly, steph used another stamp!! ;)

[Shaun Paddock]

They are all so very beautiful and from what I have seen, you could wear anyone of them and look amazing. My suggestions: I would definitely wear the conservative pink dress for DC. For the wedding, I like the metallic dress with the amazing back. I also like the white dress with the amazing detail for the wedding. I would suggest conservative for DC. Oh, I so hope you get to go.
Love and God bless,
Shaun

[Olivia]

Love, love, love the strapless turquoise, but what is the possibility of having to pick up or hold a small child?? That might nix the strapless. I wouldn't want to spend the whole night worrying that I might the top might come down. The metallic/creams might wash you out if you are as pale as you say you are. I would probably go with the conservative pink, it's really pretty. Also regardless of height, go with heels they are just so classy. :) Of course this is all just my opinion! LOL

[Kimber-Leigh]

i love either #1 and #4...and i think either of those could work for both events.

and if you pick a second dress...i'd go for something a little more fun: either #3 (navy sash), #6 (striped anthro), or #10 (turquoise halter)

and i love looking at dresses so don't apologize!

[Wendi]

My vote is for the conservative JCrew coral dress. I think you should stay away from the metallic and the short styles may be fine for the wedding but I am thinking the coral once would be perfect for DC. My second fav is the striped A dress that you and J liked. I think that one would be perfect for the wedding! Not that I am a fashion expert but that is my two cents : )

[sharon]

The last four would look so fab with your hair and coloring and slenderness for the wedding gala and the conservative J crew for D.C.
:))

[Denise Morgan]

My first choice is the coral one 4th dress down from the top. But I also love the 7th dress down from the top even more. I think though since you said you're skin is very fair, neutrals and whites will not be as flattering as a color would be. So maybe if dress number 7 comes in another color that's my first pick. But that coral dress is totally classy!!! Oh and actually that one would be super for washington too :)
And oh how I love that cute clock stamp for SC's april kit.
How's the leaky roof doing?
denise

[erin]

i love the metallic sort of one, or the flower one with the bold sash.
have fun!

[Anne Washington]

JCrew conservative is a must and I would also pick the 2nd dress from the last... aqua with that stunning neck line. I love the embrodiery one as well... but it doesn't have the punch of the others.

[Dana]

I like the flowered and the striped ones the best!

[Mindy]

Definitely the coral JCrew and maybe the floral Anthro sundress for fun!

[Justlulu]

The Anthro one with the hot back, and the green dress are just gorgeous!! I love your clothing posts.. I can't remember that last time I boguht a dress, so I live vicariously through you :)

[Shannon in WA]

I really love the striped dress from Anthropologie AND the the one from JCrew that you described as conservative. Both are beautiful and perfect for both occasions.

I think you should also get the strapless turquoise dress Just because. You deserve it.

[Adrienne]

Oh, totally go for the jcrew- conservative pink one, you'll knock 'em out! Second would be the red stripes with the black belt. Can't wait to see pictures of you and the girls all dolled up.

[Nancy Nally]

I had to laugh because the first comment I saw was Gretchen's and it said the exact same thing I clicked over to the site from my Google Reader to say...

With your build and hairstyle, that pink J.Crew dress would be totally Audrey Hepburn elegant on you!

[Jennifer.T]

Definitely love the metallic one with the "hot" back. I can see you in all of them but that colour and style would be great on you.

[elise]

My favorites:
- the pinkish "conservative" jcrew
- the floral with the navy sash from anthropologie
- the blue halter from jcrew

[Jessica Nole]

the pink j crew is my favorite. but i also love the floral anthro dress with the blue sash (for a more casual wedding, maybe outdoors).

[bluemoon]

You would look great no matter what you wore, even a potato sack! I would definitely go for classic elegance that you will wear again and can dress up or down and be comfy in. I vote for, #1 the pretty strapless blue dress. Also love the green dress at the bottom, and the conservative one is showing red on my screen (not pink or salmon?)... You can jazz up any of these, add fancy or warmer shawls, jackets, patterns or belts!

[Jung A]

i really like the metallic tan dress with the detailed scoop neckline. i also like the striped red and white one.

[angie/craftscrapr]

well, i love the 1st, 3rd, 4th and that blue that is next to last...so how many do you get to order?...they are all great dresses to have hanging in your closet!!!...can't wait to see what you decide on!...

[Cass]

My fave is the purple floral with the navy sash from anthropologie.

[Rachel]

I think the "conservative" pink one would be great for a wedding. I don't think it is tooo conservative just very "hey, I have class AND style!" Then, if you do get to see j in DC you gotta have the one that you both picked out of Anthro. just GOT TO! It is too cute!

[Jenny K. from Puyallup]

Without question, the pink J. Crew dress is what I would pick for you. Don't get anything that will wash you out if you have very fair skin. And, since you have a tall, thin figure, get something that accentuates your beautiful shape, something that brightens you but is also classic. The "conservative" one is a winner in my book!! Second runner up is the strapless blue J. Crew.

[Amy]

I vote for the pink jcrew conservative! I'm also pale and brunette and I love that color. My runner up is the green dress. I find that the bolder colors don't wash me out as much. happy shopping.

[ellen]

i don't think the pink one from JCrew is conservative at all. but my fave is the purple floral with the navy sash from anthropologie.

[Jenni]

Oh, you have FAB style girl!!! I love the Antro dress that's a metallic sheen--the one you said has a HOT back...and then the pink/salmon colored dress right below it---I think it would look great with your hair color! Also love that first aqua-colored dress below the pink/salmon colored one...the strapless. Super cute stuff!!!

[Jenni]

woops---meant to say the "Anthro" dress...not "Antro"! =) You know what I mean!

[Cassi]

hey steph, great taste. here are my picks
#1 -- but i don't see a lot of use outside of the wedding
#3 super cute, on trend, lots of use post wedding
#4 -- personal favorite-- timeless classic-- color and cut just stunning
#6 -- is great, but it seems rather nautical, poloish i suppose the accessories would make all the difference here
#7 -- i like this one a lot, but invoke the same reasoning behind #1-- metallic kind of limits reuse

overall first place #4
second place#3
what's your mom's vote?

[kelly]

ok my fellow fashionista... i say no to all the anthro ones. i'm sorry.
i tried on almost all of them and NONE of them fit me right. i think especially because you are so slim and these would just hang off your body and be so unflattering. (i've got a pic of me in the red non-form fitting one i should send you, i look preggo, so funny)

my pick would be the jcrew salmon :)

[michele]

personally, i'd say the coral pink jcrew for dc. it's classic, yet feminine, conservative, yet young. plus, spring in dc in a coral pink dress? perfect.

[kristen]

the smokin hot one from anthro is too die for. i wonder how short it is on? i know how it is to be tall and put a short dress on. the green dress from jcrew is so pretty. i was looking at that one too recently. all the colors that it comes in are gorgeous too. i also kind of like the quirky floral print from anthro. it's cute and fun! the sash is pretty.

[C. Rayevich]

I love stripes so I agree with you and J on that stripped one. Very cute! my other fav is the one right under that one.

[steff]

I vote for: "jcrew- conservative, but i love"

[Abby V]

For the wedding, I would go with the metallic one from anthro, or the jcrew with the detail work; for the DC thing, the coral conservative dress (very Jackie O/Audrey, and I see you pulling it off. And just to make you smile, I would add the striped anthro one--you know you can always use a "spare" dress for something! Good luck! I would love to be "tallish"--you gals can get away with almost everything that is "in"--but I am doomed to be on the short side. SIGH

[Katherine]

Ooh dress shopping my favourite subject!!!
I am also tall, gangly and brunette so here are my thoughts.

Metallic - looks badly fitted on the model so not convinced about how it would look on real people

Navy Blue - ok a little dull. I personally wouldn't choose a dress in this colour

Flowery - bit wishy washy, not sure this would look great on pale skin

Pink - great colour, but like you say conservative/boring!!

White - no looks like a sack

Stripey - cute, I like others better

Other metallic - nice, I don't know about you but I couldn't pull off this colour

Other pink - ok but again a little shapeless

Strapless blue - lovely, quite plain so would need dressing up. Would be cute with a little yellow cardi, or all black acessories

Halter neck blue - Absolute winner in my eyes its stunning

Green - fantastic colour, love the hem detail!!

Thats me done, dress shopping can be a complete nightmare good luck!!!

[Rhona]

I'm not huge on fashion but if you have fair skin (think Nicole Kidman) I think you'd be better going for something with more colour, the pale dresses could make you look washed out. I like no. 4 and think it would look very elegant but am looking forward to seeing which one/s you choose and expect to see a photo of you modeling it/them ;o)

[Shandell]

Go for the coral / pink one and the blue halter neck one- they are totally gorgeous!!!

[Dorcas]

I think u will look great in the green strapless dress (last pic) or maybe the navy blue dress (second pic)

Just my thought.

and the sneak is sure looking good

[jules p]

my picks...the jcrew with all the detail work on it. or the "conservative"one above it.
The first is so great that not much jewelry is needed.(yikes...did i just say not much jewelry??!?!) ;)

the other one...is a what I call refined elegance. Glamorous. Which I would associate with you.

[tammy kay]

metallic linen- j crew
jcrew- conservative, but i love

these two. hands down.
I think the first will look lovely with your skin tone.
the second in case you need a bit of pop!
xo,
Tammy

[Linda Roberts]

I love, love, love the anthro. metallic sort of fabric with the super hot back, and the jcrew with all the neck interest; being tall and slender I'm sure you would look stunning in any of those beautiful dresses. By the way I also love your LO's, as you always inspire me.

[karen]

Love all of them, esp. both the j.crew and anthro. metallic's.....but my thoughts would be, 'how well will I be able to move after the kids'?!! LOL And will 'goober' marks show too much?!! ((Assuming the girls will be with at the weddings!)) ;)

[Ally]

I didn't think this post was boring. I thought it was fun looking at all the dresses. I will pick two
1.jcrew- conservative
2.anthro

Let us know what you pick.

[Ally]

Number 2 was anthro- also a metallic sort of fabric, the back is super hot.

[Carrie]

Man, those are some tough choices. I say definitely go with one of the brighter dresses to offset your hair & skin tone. My faves are dark blue Anthro, pink jcrew (screams Jackie O.), and the blue jcrew. The striped Anthro is nice too. Thanks for the sneak! The clock stamp is fab!! ;)

[Sarah K]

I'm voting for # 2, the vibrant blue dress from Anthro. I think the color would be beautiful on you. Also the last dress in the post from J Crew. The color is perfect for a spring wedding, and the cut looks like it would be very flattering. Happy shopping.

[stephanie]

j crew conservative one and a close second is the floral one from anthropologie!

[Sara]

Metallic Anthro that is hot in the back. For sure fave. Second is one of the turquiose ones. Good inspirations!

[Joanna]

The only one I really don't like is the dark blue one that looks like it's knit? I love the ones with metallic because I think it lends a bit of elegance.

[Joanna]

PS. If you buy one of those last 3 from jcrew you may very well match the bridesmaids' dresses...though I do love the strapless one.

[Houston]

I am voting for the really pretty neckline one in melon, j crew I think, but their stuff is wider than you appear to be so you make need it altered (they do it for free at the store) I love the little striped dress, very cute, but the one with the amazing neckline and metallic fabric is gorgeous too... it's a toss up between those two, so different but yet both fantastic!

[Janell]

Be sure to check out the dresses at Banana Republic, as well. They have some great ones.

Love them all!!

[liz]

the dark pink, conservative J-crew is the one. it totally screams formal DC summertime affair. and it's perfect for a wedding too!

and what's with the chick in the metallic j-crew one? what happened to models having poise and grace? that broad looks like she has a severe hangover and is about to throw up.

love the sneak girlie!

[Andrea]

Love the Anthropologie dress with the navy sash. I love the surprise of the navy and the girlie touch of the ruffle. It seems to very much suit your personality (as long as you're comfortable with your arms...) What does your mom say? From the looks of the pics you've posted of her house I'd think she'd offer a pretty valid opinion.

[Karen]

i absolutely love the salmon one...esp for double duty. also love the j crew metallic with the neckline detailing and the anthro metallic one. good luck choosing.

hugs

[Ayesha]

uww dresses makes me think of the summer..... and another sneak ooooow im meant to be resisting temptation this month

[amyjk]

ok steph-listen to me about these things because i am a stylist, ok? :) the pale dresses, while beautiful in their own right, will do zero for your skin, you want people to say "you look gorgeous" not "what a pretty dress"- right? my pick for you is the coral dress from j crew. it needs either a long, dramatic necklace OR a belt would look awesome at the waist, then add some smokin' heels. if you have tummy concerns, spanx works wonders, and they are totally comfortable!

[monica gonzalez]

dude, you have tons of responses, but thought i'd throw my thought into the hat too hehehe.

love the navy from anthro, the salmon one form j crew is cute..but i think i prefer the salmon one from anthro--something about that color :)
also, loved that metallic-y one, #8 also from anthro. gosh, they have good stuff..and you cant go wrong!

[Nancy]

My daughter was going to a wedding in December and didn't have time to shop for a dress. While Christmas shopping, I kept my eyes open just in case I saw anything she might like. I ended up finding the best dresses at Ann Taylor. Based on the photos you've shown, it seems to me you would like the Ann Taylor dresses as well.....why don't you check out their website before you make a decision?

[aja]

#6, #7 and #10.
(notice I said "AND".)
heehee...
aja

[Sammie]

I'm no expert, but here's my opinion. My favorite is the pink j crew dress. I think it would look nice with your hair color and skin tone, but I haven't seen you in person, so I could be wrong. I also think the blue (or is it purple?) anthropologie dress would look nice. I don't think the metallic linen dress would work very well if you have light skin. Hope that helps! Good luck!

[waleska]

these are all great! maybe I'm a bit 'old fashioned' hehe but I would not wear white/silver to a wedding... :)

[Bree]

anthro coral colored one with the ruffle neck or the aqua one with the halter strap :-)

not a boring post at all -- we all know you love this stuff and it's part of why we like you :-D

[Katie]

Personally, I love it when you post about clothes...you have a great sense of style!

My faves are #3...that sash is amazing and would look awesome with your coloring/hair.

and #4...simply beautiful!

[Caryl Hope]

Definitely the super hot anthro! :-) Love the detail at the front. :-)

[Katherine]

OK so you asked... The pink conservative jcrew one. I personally think a colour would be nice with your colouring. Katherine x

[Katherine]

OK so you asked... The pink conservative jcrew one. I personally think a bright colour would be nice with your colouring. Katherine x

[Sara Amuso]

Definitely don't go with an un-formfitting, I thought that would be better for me, and its totally NOT! I love the green, light blue strapless, and the white with the embroidery...I even love the anthro metallic (with the super hot back)...

I think just based on your blog, people don't see you as 6' tall in heels, I would have guessed you were more like 5'6"...

[Erin B]

I'm pretty much obsessed with Anthro dresses, so I'm not going to be much help as I love them all! My fave is the red stripe from Anthro. I think you should go with one simple and conservative, maybe the pink one from J. Crew or the green strapless and than go with one that's a little more fun, like the stripes or one with great detailing like the metallic with the lace or the one with the floral detailing. Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll look lovely! Can I tell you I'm a little jealous...I'd love to have a reason to buy a couple new dresses!

[Carol]

A far opinion from France..., I definitely love the j crew light blue (what a nice color)and the embroidered one (grey? will look nice with dark hair)Anyway tell us what you decided
Love your blog and all your Lo
Carol

[Susan Beth]

April kit looks so nice an airy! And I still like the red and white stripe that both you and J liked. I hope it's not one of the ones that was too big (from a previous post). Enjoy your shopping!