The first time I saw Casablanca was during a summer of total-immersion German at Middlebury College, which my film-buff partner finds both funny and somehow unjust. I've seen it in English several times since then, and it's everything it's cracked up to be.
Wow. If you were wondering whether it was possible for me to go on a tangent BEFORE the post even began, now you know that you'd shouldn't underestimate me ;). I was racking my brain for the perfect Paris-related title for this post, and seized on the famous line from Casablanca.
The Bernie Dexter Paris dress is a pretty popular cut, and comes in what feels like a zillion amazing prints that I desperately want. It's also a dress with a shelf bust, which made me a little wary about buying one of the aforementioned amazing prints in this cut. However, I saw this one on Miss Amy May, she of the inimitable fabulousness, and could not stop stalking the Bernie Dexter site until I finally caved and bought it.
Yellow dress + skin that hasn't seen sunlight in five months = thank goodness for this cardigan!
Before we go any further: yes, I do know what inimitable means, but to be honest, 90% of what sold me on the dress was seeing how Miss Amy paired it with a cardigan in my forever-favorite shade of green. I felt like this print provided a year-round way to wear red and green at the same time, without looking like I had forgotten which month it was.
Man, this post is Digression City! Anyway. There are so many things that I love about this dress: the print, which is amazingly vibrant, the red serging at the hem, the full skirt, and the length are all totally perfect. I also adore the patent-leather red belt that came with it.
What I'm slightly less than thrilled with is that darn shelf bust. It's a littttttle skimpy for me. I don't think my bust is disproportionate given my other measurements, and while most of my other Bernie dresses fit me really well, I feel like with the Paris dress, the part from the underbust seam to the top of the neckline is just too short for my liking. This is terribad, because there are a few prints I seriously adore that only come in the Paris style.
This is after I tugged it up as much as I could. But the dress is redeemed by how seriously perfect the skirt is.
Given how much I love everything else about this dress, I can live with the shelf bust. It's not a dress I would ever feel comfortable wearing to work, or to see my future in-laws (or even my own family, since they don't really need to see that) unless I get hit with a precision-targeted shrink ray. I'm happy to throw a cardigan over it, though, or wear it around on the weekends and force Jeff to pretend to notice 1) how nice the print is, and 2) that it isn't the same thing I wore the day before. I'm not sure I'll get more Paris dresses, but you'd have to pry this one out of my cold, dead hands. (Great mental image, self!)
I was having a great day and my skirt was perfectly arranged… and then the wind attacked YET AGAIN.
I wear these shoes a lot, because they're comfortable and sparkly. #nobrainer
This, my friends, is my "not to be f&*#%@$ with" face.
Dress: Bernie Dexter Paris, available here
Shoes: Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear
Cardigan: MAK, available here
Brooch: Atomic Lucite
Yes, yes, yes! LOVE this gorgeous dress on you! You could always wear a bandeau under it, if you feel too exposed. I have to wear one almost every day. Yea, the Paris cut definitely does show the most bust of all the Bernies I have. But, you look great! :) The shoes are perfect with the dress.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you so much! I had my eye on it for SO long before I finally went for it, and it definitely kickstarted a huge Bernie habit for me :). Where do you get your bandeaus? I bought a few but they're all too short, which is frustrating. I really love these shoes -- they're the most comfortable heels I've ever worn!
DeleteAgain, love the dress and love this on you!!! I actually don't think you look too skimpy and could easily wear this anywhere...for what it's worth! Obviously personal comfort zones are ideal, but I would never think you were revealing too much if I saw you walking down the street...even in a work place. XOXOXO
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you so much! I always worry about lower-cut dresses, since I'm pretty short and most people are looking at me from higher up, hehe. It's good to hear an impartial perspective on the dress. I hope you find one in your size, because I'm sure it would be utterly fabulous on you <3!
DeleteOooh, this dress is B-E-A-UTIFUL!!I can see why the shelf bust would be an issue....certainty does limit your options on where it is worn.....buuuuut THAT PRINT!!!
ReplyDeleteIsn't this print seriously perfect?? I wish it came with a slightly higher neckline, but what can ya do? I'll just wear it for date nights ;).
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