Maria's Reviews
All reviews by Maria
TOP CONTRIBUTORTOP CONTRIBUTOR
23 reviews
Easy Way to Elevate Jeans
Wore this to my husband's birthday party. Received several compliments. Fabric has good weight that drapes nicely. Puff sleeves elevate the look, making it more elegant than average deep V neck top. Used a safety pin to make sure the neck stayed closed; Looked fine without pin when standing up straight, but flopped open if I bent over or slouched. Currently 5'5", about 150 lbs, 28-29 in. waist, 36A bra. Both sizes 6 & 8 fit waist & shoulders but 6 was better for my smaller chest.
Tori Blouse
SACHIN BABI
Size Worn: 6
Usual Size: 8
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Wish this was mine to keep!
I've worried in the past that tiered dresses would accentuate problem spots. The tiers here, though, are angled so rather than stick out from your hips they fall in a flattering way. The style is artsy and feminine, and it has a silhouette you don't often see. Got lots of compliments from fellow wedding guests. My fiancé even encouraged me to wear it the following day for our date night. I dressed it down with Chucks and a denim jacket, and even so got complimented by a random lady while walking down the street. The neck tie was a little scratchy but I may have been especially conscious of it as I tend to avoid turtlenecks and chokers. In terms of size, I think it runs a smidge small around waist and hips. The size 8 zipped up, but ultimately the 10 was more comfortable for walking and dancing.
Multi Floral Gown
ML Monique Lhuillier
Size Worn: 10R
Usual Size: 8
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 147lbs
Bust: 34A
SO MUCH FUN
I wore this skirt for my birthday party, and got compliments all night! I can understand some of the concerns about the area around the waist band "puffing out," but it wasn't an issue for me as I paired the skirt with a slouchy sweater that covered the waist.
Member Fit Notes
Sequin Midi Skirt
J.O.A.
Size Worn: M
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Wish it had worked...
I rented a small, medium and then large. I'm a size 8/10, and though I thought medium would work, I also rented a small because other reviewers said the dress ran small. When neither worked I requested a large. Couldn't zip up the small, zipped medium but it squished my love handles out. The large fit fine around my waist but I did not have the bust for it and / or the torso was too long. Might have made it work with some creative safety pinning around the straps in front or the waist in back, but who needs the hassle? To summarize: Small around the waist, big elsewhere. I wouldn't recommend for ladies who have a straight / boyish body and/or have a short torso, but if you have an hourglass shape with a larger bust-to-waist ratio, this may work for you.
Blue Tara Dress
Karen Zambos
Size Worn: L
Usual Size: 8
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 150lbs
Bust: 34A
Beautiful colors
Sadly, the size 8 left me feeling a little too self-conscious about my derriere and RTR wasn't able to ship the size 10 I had requested (they did send me a second dress, so it all worked out!). This is a very beautifully crafted dress that just feels expensive when you put it on. I'll try getting this again in a larger size!
Member Fit Notes
Black and Blue Floral Lace Dress
Shoshanna
Size Worn: 8
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Beautiful dress
The blue colored flowers really pop! Received at least a couple of compliments wearing this dress. I liked that it was ladylike and modest but still "fun." That said, I tend to like things with textural embellishments such as these flowers. Someone else might find them a bit much...
Member Fit Notes
Floral Embroidered Dress
Marchesa Notte
Size Worn: 10
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Good little blue dress..
The style was not remarkable, but this dress can be a workhorse that you dress up or down. I would size up if you are a bit modest. I ended up not wearing this dress, but if I had I'd have worn the 10 instead of the 8 as it didn't highlight my derriere as much!
Member Fit Notes
Asymmetric Bri Dress
Slate & Willow
Size Worn: 10R
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
A Solid Choice
This was my second choice dress for a black tie wedding I was attending. The style is pretty and can be accessorized hundreds of ways. This is the kind of dress you want in your own closet in case of any last minutes invitations or events. Currently I weigh around 145 lbs. The size 8 zipped up, but showed more lumps and bumps than I wanted (despite the thickness of the fabric, and the ruffle that sorta distracts the eye from the tummy area). Maybe with shapewear this would have worked, but I prob would have gone with the size 10, which fit more confortably. Ultimately I opted to go with my first choice that seemed more "fun," but I was glad to have a dependable back up.
Black Paxon Gown
Parker
Size Worn: NONE
Usual Size: 8
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 135lbs
Bust: 34A
Floral Fun
This dress managed to be both opulent and fun. The fabric is beautiful and falls with a nice weight around you. The racerback and low cut front keep things fun. Got tons of compliments! My current weight is @ 145 lbs. Size 8 was great, bt if you have a wider chest it may be a bit tight around the rib cage.
Floral Jacquard Gown
Badgley Mischka
Size Worn: 8R
Usual Size: 8
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 135lbs
Bust: 34A
Festive!
A very helpful associate at the RTR store pulled this for me after none of the dresses I had rented for NYE fit me well. Overall, the dress was comfy. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the bust was too big for my A-Cup chest. I've had this experience before with other Shoshanna items, so I think it's a brand thing... BTW, I wore the size 8 at a weight of 148 lbs and a waist size of around 29 inches.
Member Fit Notes
Bayard Dress
Shoshanna
Size Worn: 8
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Pretty, can be dressed up
This dress was very pretty, but the fit was not quite right on me. I've never thought that I had a long torso, but the waist on this dress was an inch or two above my natural waist. This caused some rolling / bunching around my natural waist.
Member Fit Notes
Back Down Dress
ML Monique Lhuillier
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Beautiful fabric, but unflattering fit.
I really wanted to love this dress because the fabric is beautiful. Heavy, thick, and sparkly... Would have been great for a NYC New Year's Eve party, but the skirt was very unflattering! I guess the heavy fabric I loved worked against me, because the pleating caused the skirt to puff out around my hips and butt, making them look bigger than they are.
Member Fit Notes
Metallic Mum Dress
Laundry by Shelli Segal
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Maybe next time...
As other reviewers have commented, the dress did not go over my thighs. The next size up wasn't available as a back up after I had placed the order, but based on the size I tried on I would recommend going up two sizes (RTR was great, though, about providing an alternate dress in two sizes).
Member Fit Notes
Shimmering Tulip Dress
Cynthia Rowley
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Perfect for a work holiday party!
I wore this to a holiday party at my home of my company president. The dress cut is obviously on the more conservative side, but I nonetheless felt festive due to the gleaming copper color and interestingly textured fabric. The dress was not boring, and not risqué. It was just right. As for the size: My current weight is actually 145 lbs, not 135. The size 6 cut into my waist and the skirt bunched up around my hips. The size 8 was comfortable around the waist and the skirt nicely skimmed my hips. In terms of length, it ended up reaching below my calves (so about 3-4 inches from my ankles, as opposed to 3-4 inches below my knees).
Member Fit Notes
Diana Dress
Hunter Bell
Size Worn: 8R
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Simple, yet beautiful and sexy
I loved the fit of this dress, and thought the fabric had a nice, elegant weight to it. I ultimately decided to not wear this dress because I thought it was a little too sexy (in a classy, not trashy, way) for an 11 AM wedding, but I will most definitely keep it in mind for my next evening event.
Member Fit Notes
Teal Odessa Crossover Gown
Badgley Mischka
Size Worn: 4R
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Didn't end up wearing, but...
This dress was my 2nd choice for New Year's Eve. I had assumed the cut was more A-line than fitted, so I had assumed size 4 would work, but I found it was a bit too tight around my hips. A size 6 probably would have been ok, though. The dress itself is very cute. I might rent a larger size for another event.
Member Fit Notes
Sienna Sequin Stripe Dress
Milly
Size Worn: 4
Usual Size: 6
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 135lbs
Bust: 34A
New Year's Eve
After spending about 4 weeks around the holidays overeating and not exercising very much, I definitely needed my control top panty hose and shaping slip to ease into this dress! I suspected the dress would be very fitted around my hips and rear, but I didn't expect it to be as fitted around my bust. Zipping it up (and down) involved quite a bit of maneuvering. Also, the heavy weight of the sequins did make the dress hang nicely, but I wondered if their shine highlighted my problem areas... NONETHELESS, despite my anxieties about fit, I received several compliments on the dress. It was perfect for New Year's Even. And I even managed to dance up a storm while wearing it!
Member Fit Notes
Blue Blooms Dress
Badgley Mischka
Size Worn: 6
Usual Size: 6
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 135lbs
Bust: 34A
Perfect for a charity event at a private club in NYC
Loved it! I wore this to a fundraiser and felt very confident wearing it. Some people have commented that the dress is too plain or simple. I felt the mesh details took a classic sheath style from professional to tastefully sexy. If you think a dress is "boring," just remember that the right accessories, make up and / or hair will glam up your look. The sleeves on the size 6 were a bit too long. The fabric does have some give, so the 4 worked perfectly without leaving me feeling like an encased sausage. The dress hit my 5'5" frame slightly below my mid-thigh area, so the length was flattering without being indecent. This is definitely a dress I would rent again.
Member Fit Notes
Diamond Cut Dress
Nanette Lepore
Size Worn: 4
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Charity event at a private club in NYC
I loved the very feminine, ladylike and slightly vintage style. Unfortunately the dress did not quite work with my figure. While the fit around my waist was perfect, both the front AND back of the top drooped unbecomingly. I've never worn Shoshanna dresses before, but when the line first came out I remember hearing the designer was aiming to create dresses that would be flattering on full-chested ladies. The dress would have been flattering had I a larger cup (and please note that my strapless bra was a little padded). Oh well--at least I had a back up dress!
Member Fit Notes
Love Affair Dress
Shoshanna
Size Worn: 6
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Was hoping this would be a great New Year's Eve dress
I really wanted this dress to work for New Year's Eve, but alas the fit was a bit awkward. As noted in the fit section, the waist is tight and doesn't have much give. The size 4 fit my A cup bust well and the poofy skirt worked with my pear shape, but the waist was much too tight. The top of the size 6, on the other hand, drooped on my modest bust (I would have needed to had the taken in to make it work), even though the waist was much more comfortable. As another reviewer noted, this dress requires you to have excellent posture to look good. Any sort of slouching will result in weird sagging around the waist. This, coupled with the fact that the waistline hit me at an awkward spot between my natural waist and hips (I've never been told or thought that I have a particularly short or long torso, so this seemed a bit unusual), resulted in a not very flattering look. I suspect the dress might work on someone blessed with a tighter tummy!
Member Fit Notes
Such a Doll Dress
Milly
Size Worn: None
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
Last minute decision for a party.
Cute dress for a nice dinner and night out on the town. The lace / embroidered design is not too noticeable, but even without any visible adornment the dress cut is cute. I think the boatneck front keeps the dress sweet and balances the sexiness of the short length.
Member Fit Notes
Black Jeanette Dress
Lilly Pulitzer
Size Worn: 4
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
This was my first choice dress, and thankfully it fit!
This dress was was my first choice for a formal affair. I am usually a size 4 or 6 in DvF, so I was concerned that the size 2 would be too small. Thankfully, as other reviewers noted, the dress does run large and thus did fit. The dress is simple but elegant. As my boyfriend noted, it alludes to ancient Roman style. Note that if you are going for a glam look, large statement jewelry in a contrasting color is a MUST--small, delicate pieces will simply not "pop" against the fabric.
Member Fit Notes
Vines of Italy Gown
Diane von Furstenberg
Size Worn: 2R
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A
First time using RTR!
I was hoping the dress would fit given its a-line / flare skirt, but alas, the size 6 was a bit too small for me as the bodice area was far too tight. The dress itself was beautiful, though. Next time I will try a size 8.
Member Fit Notes
Mad For Fuschia Dress
Theia
Size Worn: 6
Usual Size: 12
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 149lbs
Bust: 36A