Debutante A-Line Dress

The dress is so elegant, I loved it! It runs small though so size up. The one star is for Nordstrom’s packaging. This expensive dress arrived all wrinkly, and unwearable. Nordstrom, you know better, this is not how you treat your valued customers. Dress retuned bec of its unwearable condition.

This is such an Audrey dress! Classic. Timeless. Iconic. You know that magic feeling you get when you meet the dress meant for you? That’s how I felt yesterday when I tried this on in-store (pro tip, don’t order this online because their sizing is very very different than US brands!). This dress is a dream. The cut, the fabric the weight of it, the pockets, all of it. The length is great too and I am 5’2”! I had the Nordstrom alterations department come down to the dress department to fit the top of the dress for me as it needed alterations in the shoulders since I had to go up two sizes in this brand from my typical medium (I am a US size 6 or 8, small or medium in most clothing lines and bra size 36DD). Just one small tweak to fit right was all it needs and will be ready for me on Wednesday! Go check it out!!

Trained dressmaker and fashion PhD here. Pro: fabric has a lovely drape and hand. Can't beat it. Cons: I'm usually a 0 in a dress and a 2 when I have to size up. Short waisted, small chest. I read the reviews and sized up to a S. I couldn't even zip it up and the placement of the zipper on the side is so awkward that you have to twist yourself and the zipper/dress around your entire body just to attempt to close it. This is a flaw in the design. The zipper should have been inserted, flat and invisible, in the center back. The bateau neckline is also inelegantly shaped. Overall, there's something wrong when a girl who's a typically a XXS-XS would need a M for this dress to fit -- that's on the company, not me or my body. I would not recommend this dress.

I typically fit well in a lot of house of cb dresses in XS, but this one was not as tight as I was expecting. I would say it fits close to their size chart but still somewhat small. I’m smaller than their lowest values on the XS chart. The dress is still really pretty but the zipper placement is just abhorrent. I don’t understand why it’s on the side. Their zippers already suck, this placement is just not helping. It’s also right next to the pocket where there is more fabric to try and pull into place. I haven’t decided on if I’ll keep it or not. I think it would be more flattering if it fit a bit tighter.