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Wednesday’s TPS Report: Watercolor wrap dress

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Banana Republic Watercolor wrap dressWe're loving this gray silk blend dress from Banana Republic. The watercolor print is interesting without being distracting (and: bonus points for being vaguely vertical, which is always flattering), and we love the high neckline. We'd wear it with a fairly structured neutral blazer for work and skin-toned shoes. It's $120 at Banana Republic. Banana Republic Watercolor wrap dress If you've recently seen a great work piece you'd like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. Unless you ask otherwise, we'll refer to you by your first initial.  

Sales of note for 12.5

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35 Comments

  1. I like this, but as many people have previously mentioned, it would be nice if there were more work-appropriate dresses with sleeves so you don’t always have to wear them with a jacket or cardigan. The other thing is I would wear black shoes with this, but C suggested skin-toned. What do others think?

    1. I think black shoes could be fine as long as they weren’t that severe- I wouldn’t wear boot-style black shoes like the ones they have pictured here, but a simple black pump would be fine, especially if you’re wearing a black blazer. Nude with a beige blazer would be better for spring/summer, though.

      I adore this dress.

    2. Sorry but the nude ones make me think of orthopedic footwear for my grandparents… And the bootie style is incongruous with the sleeveless style of the dress. I agree with K as well that it would be better ifthere were short sleeves so the dress didn’t require a cardigan or blazer.

  2. I like it, and I would wear skin-tone, grey or possibly a neutral metallic (pewter, dull copper) with it. I would want to pull out the warm tones in the pattern. Also, take a note from Rachel McAdams’ styling at the Oscars – this dress seems reminiscent of hers. I would only wear black with it if I topped it with a black jacket or cardigan (which could be done) or black belt instead of the fabric one.

    1. Also, the RueLaLa final sale has at least a few long-sleeved dresses (Badgley Mischka for $89!!) that seem work appropriate!

  5. Hijack: can anyone recommend a nicer black cardigan? I’ve been looking for a fancier or structured black cardigan to toss over something like this, without much luck. Adore one co-worker’s black cardigan with sparkly buttons, but she got it some time back. And I’m short so the boyfriend cardigans look awful on me (more like a sweater coat). Any advice??

    1. I bought a few Lord and Taylor cashmere cardigans back in December that are very nice. I’m not sure that they have them in stock and cashmere may be warmer than what you’re looking for, but you may want to check it out.

      1. I wholeheartedly support the L&T cashmere cardigan movement. They are not that expensive, good quality, and come in a zillion colors. I would order a size down because they run kind of big. L&T also makes great work-tanktops (to wear under cardigans or suit jackets). I haven’t tried their cashmere sweaters but I’m sure they’re great as well.

        L&T is the best-kept secret in NYC. No one shops there, so the store is always calm and quiet. They have great percent-off sales. They don’t carry the three brands I LOVE (theory, vince, dvf) but they do have great stuff.

        1. Shh! I thought I was the only one who knew about the NYC L&T store ;)
          It really can be amazing & the utter emptiness is heaven.
          Plus, they have an entire floor of petites (granted some dowdy, but a WHOLE floor, nonetheless… and half of it filled with suits.)
          Just be sure to go to the website & print a discount coupon before you go (though even if you don’t, most salespeople will swipe a store version for you anyway).

    2. You might look at Karen Millen (a Karen Millen dress was posted awhile ago). The sweaters are beautifully made and always have a slight twist that makes them different without being too trendy or too young. I think they are expensive, but I still buy one now and then because I always get compliments and they last forever.

    4. Have you looked at the range of colors in cardis from Boden? Just started with a few of their dresses and I’m hooked. However, they seem to run small to me and have too much stock in empire waists in all their clothes for my figure. I have seen all the bright colored cardis from Talbots, but in the past I have found their cotton ones to not last at all. Finally, you might look for some place that carries PURE sweaters, lots of individually knitted ones, lovely tones in brights and pastels, and a “difference” from the plain jane cardigans. Sadly, all I’ve seen have either drape fronts or short sleeves, but spring/summer have to be arriving soon…not that it ever gets that warm in my office!

      Good luck; the boyfriend look won’t last forever.

  6. I repeat my complaint that no dresses these days are long sleeved. Also, as much as I love gray, I’m getting tired of it.

  7. More of a general comment about Banana Republic, but I have recently been finding their clothing increasingly boring and uninspiring. Am I the only one in not feeling much love for BR?

    1. I agree. I ordinarily love their stuff and buy most of my tops from there, but I didn’t see anything enticing when I went to the store last weekend. I thought the colors were really drab too.

      Does anyone have recommendations for long sleeved tops to wear to work? I know it’s spring soon and lots of stuff is short sleeved or sleeveless, but there has to be some long sleeved tops out there (not button down shirts or cardigans).

      Thanks!

      1. Not particularly original, but I tend to go to Anne Taylor for long sleeve shirts. For a less expensive holdover until spring, try New York and Company, but be prepared to sort through A LOT of questionable prints before you find the more streamlined tops… but they are a lot less expensive/disposable for next year.

    2. They have had a few basic dresses and wide belts that have been good for work, but I agree that the collection over the past few months has become increasingly drab. I am seeing that a lot of places, though – drab, washed-out colors for spring. Depressing.

  8. I don’t think it’s just Banana Republic that is boring and uninspiring this spring–I think it’s everyone. apparently popular colors this spring seem to be pale lavender, pale pink, and gray, and it’s getting boring. what happened to the bright colors from last year?

    1. Try Ann Taylor loft. They have some really beautiful cardigans in lime green, bright yellow, bright magenta, etc. Unfortunately, they weren’t a good fit on me, but I loved the colors.

    2. I just went into a Talbots store for the first time, and they had a ton of bright spring colors.

      1. Second the Talbots recommendation. They made a basic trench coat in some amazing colors!

    3. Agree… Of the three, gray is the only one that doesn’t make me look dead (and not in a strangely sexy True Blood vampire way… dead like so pale its amazing I’m not flat on the floor) — I’m looking forward to when the bold colors – teal, deep dark magenta, rust, come back in style… until then its gray and black for me.
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      http://ShaynaLeahK.wordpress.com

  9. I agree. Totally uninspired by BR this season (probably good though so I am not s hopping too much). I am loving Ann Taylor and AT Loft this season (altho quality of AT Loft stinks — clothes only last one season there so I only buy things w hen they are on sale).

  10. this dress is kinda.. blah. I do appreciate the high neckline, as C says, though. I have cute dresses from BR, but the necklines on all of them are inappropriate for work.

    1. After seeing this dress here, I marched right over to BR at lunchtime and found the dress to have a much lower neckline than it appears in that photo. The material also felt a little flimsy to me. (I don’t require every garment to be lined, but I like a little body to the fabric of my work wardrobe.) It’s a shame; I loved it in the picture. Oh well… at least it motivated me to stop in at Ann Taylor for their 25%/40% off sale. Got some mega-comfy lightweight trousers and a heavily marked down tweedy winter jacket I’d admired months ago. Win!

      1. I bought this dress last week after stumbling upon it in the store. I really like it, but would not envision wearing it to work. It is an evening/weekend dress only. The wrap neckline falls much lower on me than on the model (and I don’t do the cami-under-wrap dress look).

        1. After buying this dress last week, I’m sadly contemplating a return. Love the color and cut, but the neckline’s just too low. Pinning didn’t work as well as I’d hoped, and when I tried a neutral cami and a blazer, it just didn’t have the same effect. Alas!

          1. Sad – I like the dress. I have a friend who has her tailor sew on a snap so that her wrap dresses stay wrapped at an acceptable height for work. I haven’t tried it myself but I love the idea. Do you think that might work with this one?

  11. I have a Banana Republic black belted cardigan from last year, three-quarter sleeve, cotton, wrap, very structured. It’s the best. Maybe they have something like that this yeart.

    1. My one-button, pocketed, Banana Republic cardigan I think I found on this site last fall has been my favorite purchase in years. It stays put, hangs just right on all my curves and, at the risk of sounding silly, it feels like a continuous warm hug.

  12. off-topic, but ann taylor is having a sale today – 25% off if you buy 2 full-price items, 40% off if you buy three.

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