Monday, April 21, 2014

Adrien: Banana Republic Gemma Wrap Dress Review.

I posted a "buy this" post about the Banana Republic Gemma wrap dress recently but wasn't expecting to wear it until fall. However, the weather went wonky the way it does and I wore it on an annoyingly cold day:


You guys? This is a good one. I got black because I wanted a super-basic black dress that could be work-appropriate or dressed up for a date, but it comes in a bunch of cute prints. Upsides: The material is substantial, it's washable and, best of all, doesn't have stupid hip-enhancing pockets that I would have to get removed. 

Downside: it runs big and it bothers me a little bit that the raised trim shows through once you wrap it. (Not a big deal for dark colors, but aggravating in lighter colors.) I ended up getting my normal size in the petite fit because I thought the regular was too long and too big through the upper arm and shoulders. If you're tempted, today would be a good day to buy this dress. BR is currently offering 40% off with code BRFORTY (plus 2% back on eBates.)

I generally find that wrap dresses are flattering (though I don't think any dress is "universally" flattering. This one proves my point.) but I should stress how much a difference a good slip can make. If you're not wearing a slip under a wrap dress, you're doing it wrong. I love love love this one from Gap so much I can't even tell you. it just makes every dress hang a bit better, smooths everything out and prevents the world from seeing your pannies when a strong wind blows. Do it! Make your grandmother proud. 


I added a scarf because I was freezing my ass off. It's from Ann Taylor, land of surprisingly good scarves.


Have I told you lately how much I love my new MBMJ bag? I looooove it. So great. This one is similar but with a smaller price tag.


7 comments:

  1. That is adorable! We have the same body type and I just bought this in a couple of colors at the GAP, you'd probably enjoy it as well: http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?vid=1&pid=941996002 Also, do you guys have that thingy where you get an email when the blog is updated? If so, point a sister to it!

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    1. Oh, sweet, thanks! I will check that out. We don't have a mailing list but we do have a Facebook page and a Twitter page, both of which update when we have a new entry. The links to both are up there to the right. Thanks for reading!

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  2. Long time reader first time commenter, just have to say that you look amazing in that dress Adrien! Sad I missed the 40% off but will keep an eye out for a future promotion...

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  3. I love your Banana Republic Gemma Dress I just ordered myself one today in a print I think I should have go a basic black too, dang it! Can you tell me about the boots you are pairing your outfit will here in above pic?

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    1. Of course! They're Loeffler Randall Matilde boots. I wear them a ton.

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  4. Hello Adrien, I have the BR Gemma wrap dress, and the slit near the waist has me utterly confused. So far, I've been tying a bow over it to cover the slit, but it's not a good solution because 1) throughout the day the bow shifts and exposes the slit, and 2) I'm sure there is a correct way to properly use/cover the slit. How did you tie your dress so the waist slit doesn't show? Thanks!

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    1. Are you threading the belt through the slit first? And then the other side wraps around the back and should cover what's left. I don't have any issues with it, so I wonder if you're tying it differently?

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