Erika's Reviews
All reviews by Erika
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19 reviews
Wardrobe malfunctions a-plenty!
I have coveted this dress since it went live on RTR...and now that I have it I can't wear it! The dress is too low cut to be work appropriate (my workplace, anyway) - it was fine when I stood still but the moment I moved an entire bra cup was on display. Also problematic: for some reason Equipment chose not to go with a full side-zip for the closure; they instead went with a partial zipper and snaps. 1. I had to have my husband do the snaps for me because I couldn't properly fasten them myself while wearing the dress (he even messed it up on the first go-round); and 2. they weren't secure so any fast movement caused them to pop open. I also had some static cling issues with the fabric and the sleeves were a little long. I ordered a size 12 (I am 5'6", 160, 36D); true to size. Sadly returning. :-(
Member Fit Notes
Short Vivienne Dress
Equipment
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Lovely but heavy
Rented this as part of my 'Update' subscription. The necklace is lovely and well made, but it is heavy.
Member Fit Notes
Keepsake Stone Necklace
Lele Sadoughi
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Chic but requires too much attention
This dress is definitely not 'me' so I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived and I put it on. I loved it! It fit well, it was comfortable, the fabric didn't wrinkle too badly throughout the day, and I really liked the blush-pink color. It is chic, elegant and ladylike. The only reason this dress receives four stars instead of five is due to the little ties around the waist. Getting them tied in a way that didn't look goofy (i.e. sticking out at an odd angle) was my first challenge; the second challenge was keeping them tied. I lost track of how many times during the day I had to redo a knot.
Member Fit Notes
Blush Grommet Sheath
Badgley Mischka
Size Worn: 14
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
With this bag, I have become my mother
Full disclosure: I'm a small handbag kind of gal. My go-to for eons has been my trusty Tignanello hobo. My mom, by contrast, is the lady who carries the well-stocked Samsonite-sized bag, 'cause you just never know what you'll need! I decided to reserve one spot each month in my RTR Update for a new bag, to try something new. I *completely* misjudged the dimensions of this bag and I had to laugh out loud when I got it. It stands about a foot tall, and once I filled it with my stuff there were still 11 inches to spare! My husband thinks this is a great bag. "Look at all this space", he says. "Now there's plenty of room for me to smuggle snacks into the movie theater!" #pettycriminals. My thoughts: the color is beautiful, a light lilac. The straps aren't really comfortable when slung over your shoulder but are okay to carry. There's only one interior pocket and it's weirdly wedged under the top zipper closure. The bag is roomy and the zipper opens and closes easily. I won't keep it beyond my month because it's way too big for my purposes, but it's a nice bag.
Member Fit Notes
Lilac Pocket Tote
Tome x TDE
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Bright and sunny...and way too big!
This is a ray of sunshine! Bright, sunny, radiant. And I couldn't wear it. I took the advice of previous reviewers and sized down to a 12 (I usually order a 14). Surprisingly the 12 was too large, but I think the 10 would've been a bit too snug. I was unable to use the skirt's attached belt to tighten the waistband so it'd stay up. The skirt is also a bit longer than shown on the model; it was midi length on me. Fabric also wrinkles easily.
Member Fit Notes
Sunshine Wrap Skirt
Badgley Mischka
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Frumpy :-(
The color of this dress is superb and I love the light, flowy, swishy material. That's about it. I'm not sure exactly whom this dress flatters, but it isn't me! The top was huge (may I add this is *never* a problem with my 36D self) but sizing down would not have resolved the issue because the shoulders fit properly. All this extra billowy fabric hung oddly around my middle and over the waistband of the dress. The self-tie belt (helpfully attached to the back of the dress) did very little to provide definition and hung rather oddly no matter how or where I tied it.
Member Fit Notes
Rose Illusion Dress
Slate & Willow
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Lovely. Well made. Too dressy for work, IMO.
It's not often I can say an RTR piece feels tailor-made to me. This dress did. It fit perfectly, everywhere. I use RTR to supplement my work wardrobe and found this piece to be too dressy/formal to wear to the office. Even 'dressing it down' with laid-back accessories and shoes as other ladies have suggested couldn't help me shake the feeling I was dressed for a wake or a funeral rather than a workday. I can't fault the dress, though: it is well made, comfortable, lightweight, ladylike, and very pretty. Just not what I was looking for.
Member Fit Notes
Cormac Lace Dress
Nanette Lepore
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
No event
This is on me. I *know* DvF doesn't fit me properly, yet I rented this dress anyway because it's so pretty and I wanted so badly for it to fit. Holy moly. The dress I received left little to the imagination. The wrap is low-cut and the front slit is one stiff breeze away from an epic wardrobe malfunction. There is absolutely no way I could've finagled this to make it appropriate - not only for work but for life in general! I found it to run very small. I also didn't love the skinny ribbons serving as wrap ties. This dress needs something a little more substantial.
Member Fit Notes
Casimir Dot Wrap Dress
Diane von Furstenberg
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
No event.
Beautiful color. Lovely fabric (albeit prone to wrinkles). Lightweight. The only reason I didn't wear this is because the keyhole opening in front is quite plunging. There are two hook-and-eye closures in the keyhole - one at the top and one about 2/3 of the way down - but they didn't close the opening enough to make the dress work-appropriate. I tried a cami underneath (fail); a scarf (nope); a cardi (didn't look right); and a blazer (too hot right now). If I owned the dress and could sew the bottom inch or so of the keyhole shut, we'd have a winner!
Member Fit Notes
Green Draped Shift
Theory
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Pretty dress, but a challenge to keep neat.
This is a pretty, comfortable dress. I ordered a large so it wouldn't be clingy. The material is similar to that used in bathing suits, so it has a good amount of stretch. My only complaint about this dress is the stubborn wrinkles in the fabric. It arrived wrinkled, and I spent half an hour with the iron on various heat settings, with & without steam, trying to remove the wrinkles from the skirt portion. I didn't succeed! On me the dress hit mid-calf (as opposed to knee-length on the model).
Member Fit Notes
Dark Green Monola Dress
Theory
Size Worn: L
Usual Size: 14
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Lovely, but not right for me
Received this item in my Unlimited order & was happily surprised to find a dark purple dress in the bag vs. the bright purple one shown on the monitor. I love dark purple! Sheaths and me are usually an unflattering combination b/c of my body shape, but the fun of Unlimited is trying different things so I ordered my usual 12 and hoped for the best. The dress is beautiful and well constructed, but the fit just wasn't there for me: it was a little too roomy at the hips, a little too snug at the bust, and the armholes put a lot of bra on display. The zipper is also a bear. The lace gets in the way of an easy closure.
Member Fit Notes
Jonah Sheath
Shoshanna
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Well, it looks pretty.
The good news is that the dress is awfully cute and well-made. The bad news is that it's ridiculously small. I couldn't even get it over my head - always a boost to the self-esteem! If you wear a larger size (as I do), you'll probably want to take a pass on this.
Member Fit Notes
Esquire Dress
STYLESTALKER
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Not quite as expected
I was so looking forward to receiving this dress after reading the rave reviews. This was part of my recent Unlimited order, and I was disappointed that 1. it's an almost black-navy vs. the lighter navy/blue shown on the monitor; 2. because the fabric is so dark it's difficult to see the pretty pattern; and 3. I could NOT get the back zipper to lay flat. Grrr! The dress was comfy with lots of stretch, but the design just didn't flatter me. The neckline lay in an odd way and the full-ish skirt didn't work on my figure.
Member Fit Notes
Meena Dress
Parker
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Lovely "dress"; too short to be work appropriate
I received this item as part of my Unlimited order. It's not something I would normally wear (me and loud prints generally don't mix), but part of the fun of Unlimited is the opportunity to try something new. I reviewed the brand's size chart and went with the Large so as not to have the garment too fitted or clingy. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this dress right out of the box, and how much I liked the end result of my styling. It's comfortable, lightweight, flattering...but also quite short. The front hem (this dress has a shirttail hem that's longer in back) came about 4" above my knee, and I didn't feel comfortable leaving the house without something opaque underneath! I ended up pairing this "dress" with a pair of black leggings, a wide black stretch belt, knee high black leather boots and bright silver jewelry. I will definitely queue this again!
Member Fit Notes
Floral Mallory Shirt Dress
Parker
Size Worn: L
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Not flattering :-(
A previous reviewer wrote "if you read the claim that this dress is flattering on all body types, let me tell you, that's not true." I could not agree more. I can't remember the last time I put on something so unflattering. I received this dress as part of my Unlimited order, and I'll admit to squealing with delight when I saw the tags still attached! The dress is well made and the fabric is silky and comfortable, but the fit was all wrong. After studying the DvF size chart I ordered a size 12, feeling confident that this size would be one I could wear to work without it being too tight or too revealing. The V-neck was so low that I'd need a cami to make it work appropriate (and no amount of adjusting, pulling, rewrapping or what-have-you could remedy that), and the waist had this unsightly bunching at the side seams when I tied the wraps in place. I'm not the curviest gal in the world, but this dress managed to de-emphasize what curves I *do* have. How is that even possible?? LOL. I also didn't care for the collar, and the length hit at an unappealing spot (just below the kneecap). Sigh. Onto the next pretty dress...!
Member Fit Notes
Jeanne Two Dress
Diane von Furstenberg
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Nice statement piece.
I apologize for the lack of a photo. Try as I might, I could NOT capture the colors (the blue looked black in my pics) and the beauty of this necklace. I ordered this piece as part of my Unlimited subscription and am pleased that the picture & the real thing match! Not too heavy, not too "much"; it added the right amount of sparkle and shine to a solid cashmere crewneck. The expander chain at the clasp gives you quite a bit of room to tinker with the length. Lovely necklace, would rent again.
Member Fit Notes
Blue Shadow Necklace
Oscar de la Renta
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Ladylike & elegant. Would rent again.
I had originally ordered the ML "Like Candy" dress for a family wedding in September but misjudged the sizing and ended up with a dress that was a smidge too small. I called RTR in a panic and spoke to JisMary (I hope I spelled that correctly!), an outstanding stylist who helped me find a Plan B on the day before the event. The "Like Candy" dress wasn't available in a larger size for my Saturday wedding (I called on Friday), so to help secure a proper backup she asked a series of questions about my personal style, color preferences, type of event, and what type of dress I'd feel most comfortable wearing. Lo and behold, she stumbled on the blue version of my beloved purple-dress-that-doesn't-fit. Do I want it? Heck yes! This dress is just lovely. In person it's more of a cobalt blue, not the deep periwinkle shade that displays online (or at least on my monitor). It's very heavy/thick - not so great inside a stuffy, ventilation-less church but excellent for the cool September evening outdoor reception. I had a bit of a problem with the lining peeking out from the sleeves, but I think I'm the only one who noticed. As previous reviewers have mentioned, the sleeves & shoulder area of the dress are a little snug and arm movement is somewhat restricted - not a huge deal for me, but may be an issue for others? I felt ladylike and polished in this dress and would love to wear it (or its pretty purple counterpart) again. I paired it with a cobalt blue statement necklace and a pair of silvery-white snakeskin pumps for the church, later changing into ruby red flats for the reception.
Member Fit Notes
Alice Dress
ML Monique Lhuillier
Size Worn: 14
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Pretty, pretty, pretty! Disappointed neither selected size worked.
I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it and knew it'd be perfect for my cousin's wedding. I scrutinized the reviews and ordered what I thought were my proper size + backup (10 & 12). The 10, forget it. The 12...well, I got it zipped & if I just didn't breathe through the ceremony and reception I'd be all set!! This dress is so beautiful in person and I'm still bummed my frantic phone call to RTR didn't yield a 14 for the wedding. I ended up with "Alice", the cobalt blue version of this dress. If you are the slightest bit in doubt about size and have your heart set on this dress, please order a size up!! I completely agree with previous reviewers who report this dress running small.
Member Fit Notes
Like Candy Dress
ML Monique Lhuillier
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D
Disco ball dress for Saturday Night!
I celebrated my birthday with a trip to the Ogunquit Playhouse for a performance of Saturday Night Fever and thought it would be fun to have a sassy dress that matched the occasion. This fit the bill perfectly. I rented both the 10 and the 12, not knowing how Shoshanna fit. The 12 was a more comfortable fit in the bust (36D) but was baggy everywhere else. The 10 was a little tighter around the bust but fit perfectly in waist & hip. I was wearing a jacket anyway because it was freezing, so it wasn't especially noticeable. The dress was lightweight, comfortable, FUN! and I felt good wearing it. I paired it with a black Ann Taylor velvet blazer from forever ago, black leather knee-high boots and silver jewelry.
Member Fit Notes
Fade to Black Shift
Shoshanna
Size Worn: 10
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 36D