Product Review: Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress

Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress
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Item 37356
Regular: $148.00
Now: $99.99

Since today is Tuesday (the day we JCAs share our reviews,) I thought I would add one of my own...

J.Crew describes this little number as the following:

One of our favorite spring dresses (and it's easy to see why), beautifully rendered in a classic shape and dressed in a gorgeous floral we're so enamored with, you'll spot it all throughout our collection. The motif hails from London's famed Liberty Art Fabric (they're legendary for their distinctive textiles and prints). So chic and easy in crisp cotton poplin—it's the one you'll reach for again and again. Short sleeves. Fitted. Button front. Slight A-line skirt. On-seam pockets. Falls above knee. Import. Machine wash.

I always had my eye on this Spring 2011 piece. You put together my love of shirtdresses with a beautiful Liberty floral print, and well... you get magic, that's what. So of course, I was drawn to this dress but not so much the price tag. When it finally got reduced to $99.99 (which is still pretty darn high), I thought I would take the plunge and order it. Good thing I did, because quantities are running out. But now for my review...

I went with a size 0 on this dress, and it fit perfectly on top. (For reference, I am a 34B and 28" waist). There is plenty of space for my size 6 hips thanks to its generous skirt. So when it comes to sizing, use just your chest measurements.

The dress is not lined and short. Which makes me wonder why J.Crew dares to ask such a high price tag for it. But after trying it on, I get it. It really is a cute dress. But it honestly should be lined. The dress isn't see-through or anything, but it's something that should be there. Also worth mentioning, the dress doesn't button open all the way down, so you have to step in it.

It also honestly needs another 4-5 inches in skirt length. At 5'8", I am not a giant. But I kind of felt like one. In fact, I felt a bit like Alice, as in Wonderland– with the dress' Peter Pan-esque collar, button sleeves, and short skirt– who ate the piece of cake to make her grow while the dress did not.

I ended up experimenting with different skirts underneath the dress. This is a trick I have been doing for some of the short-length Anthropologie dresses I bought this Summer, like the Magellen Dress. Seriously, did all the retailers get the memo to go really short or were they all just trying to save money (refer to "Cost Cutting Tweaks Help Retailers Save $$$")? Back to my point... I ended up finding that the grey version of J.Crew's Cotton Taffeta Belle Skirt (Item 97636; $78.00) looked really nice underneath the dress. The colors worked well together.

So I am on the fence, leaning towards keeping the dress. The sale price is still high for me, especially considering how short it is. But the fit, pattern, and style are all really cute and I can work with it. Would I recommend this dress, I don't know. What do you all think?

For more reviews on this dress, check out the following additional reviews & real life images:

• Tofu Salad (I'm Shoe Shopping): "Jcrew fitting room pictures"
• shopping on the fly: "J Crew Liberty Bouquet shirt-dress"
• my superfluities: "J. Crew Reviews: Floral Edition!"
• my closet travels: "Give me Liberty!!"
  

What are your thoughts on the Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress ? Do you own this dress? Have you tried it on at a store? Do you like this style? If so, please share with us your review. :)