Proper Clothing

Alright, well I know fashion is not my area of expertise, but I simply had to share my latest fabulous find. I am so in love with Boston Proper right now. I had been getting the catalogs in the mail for awhile, but the items are pricey, and I’m a little shy of catalog shopping. I was eyeing a few duds when my girlfriend mentioned that she had just ordered from them. WELL, this made all the difference. Whereas I’m totally cheap and never buy anything without the benefit of clearance + coupon + free shipping (gotta love my NY&Co), she’s more concerned with designer quality. If it was good enough for her, it surely must be good enough for me, right? I took the plunge and ordered a few things (still pricey, but at least on clearance mind you). The code on my catalog enabled me to get free shipping on orders over $150, I think it was. That was still pretty steep for me, but at Boston Proper’s prices, it’s not hard to meet that goal. At least I only had to contend with a prepaid return label fee of $6.95 to send back anything that didn’t work. That’s on par with HSN, so I could deal. Well, the two dresses I kept were on clearance, but every bit worth their original prices of $129 and $139. And that’s a fortune for stingy little me. EVERY time I wear these I get loads of compliments. When I initially asked my husband's opinion of one of the dresses pictured in the catalog, he quipped (referencing the model wearing it), “Does she come with it?”  (Idiot.)  Well, once I modeled them, even he dished out the rare (yet coveted) gushy compliment on BOTH frocks. I also kept a swimsuit that garnered a similar response. They have to be winners, right? And so I share …

*Product Review:  Boston Proper Dresses

Alright, so I ordered from BostonProper.com.  The first dress is the Beaded Macrame Maxi (Item #3021EL). Original price was $139, but I got it for $79.99. (That’s still like a million dollars, to me.) I will warn you that this dress is not for the petite princess. I’m 5’4”/124lbs -- shut up, I’ve been hungry -- and I had to order the XXS to get it off the floor. Even so, I have to wear some serious platform heels to keep it just skimming the ground. I had first ordered my normal XS and that was WAAAY to long and big. It's also pretty heavy (in poundage, that is), but hey I can stand to burn a few extra calories, so I'm not complaining.  Well, I get compliments like you wouldn’t be-lieve on this dress. It comes in a nice deep, rich chocolate brown with a beaded v-neck that frames the face beautifully with turquoise tones. It’s sophisticated, yet laid back. The fringe down the center does a great job at concealing my little pooch too. (Shut up, I’ve been hungry!) In fact, I was wearing this dress in a White House/Black Market boutique, when one of the sales associates approached me about filling in for one of their absent models in the runway show they were having later that evening.  I mean, the dress must do freakin' miracles! 

The other dress is the Exotic Animal One-Shoulder Dress (Item #2621EH). The regular price was $129, but I snatched it up for that magical price of $79.99. Worth every penny! I ordered my usual size 2 and it fit to a T! It’s flowy, forgiving, flattering, sexy (but modest), and comfortable as all get-out. You just feel like such a sophisticated lady in it, but not frumpy or too Ann Taylor. Know what I mean? It’s definitely young and on-trend. The length is absolutely perfect: just short enough, but not too. I might go back for the black. (When the price goes down again … fingers crossed.) I’m certainly no expert on these things, but it seems like the quality is really quite good, as well. Now if this company would just lower their freakin’ prices, I’d order 10 more gorgeous gowns. I'd also like to see more formal wear. But, in the end, when you’re looking for a dress to turn heads, Boston Proper is definitely the proper place to go … 4 ½ Stars.