Tie-front dress in mini-houndstooth

I am a J.Crew devotee. All of my work dresses are J.Crew. I saw this dress, and frankly, I gravitate more toward the style Resume dresses, with the classic lines and forgiving fabric. The good reviews made me want to try this dress, and I'm sorry I did. I don't know if it's the houndstooth pattern or the weird ruching in the middle, but this thing made me look pear-shaped, and I'm a true J.Crew size 4. The cut of the dress, along with the ruching draws the eye to the middle of the dress, and the belt ties just below the ruching to make it appear as if the tie is making the ruche, a la a burlap potato sack tied off with twine. This dress made me look 20 lbs heavier, and my top half two cups larger (which isn't necessarily a good thing because I'm a D cup). I think it would work if you're a size 0 or 2. Otherwise, it's an odd mess.

If you have a small waist compared to your hips, this dress is absolutely your best friend. I'm a bit of a pear, and it makes me an hourglass. Both sexy and professional. The neck is great, too--you work-appropriate (not low), but it's not an unflattering crew-neck. Oh, and the tie comes off. I snipped the threads at the sides, and the tie stays up just fine without it. But I have the option of wearing it with another belt, or beltless. A warning that if you are an apple or ruler shape, this dress may not work for you. On me (35 27 37.5) it is divine. If this came in more colors, I'd buy them.

The dress is a wonderful, light material that is great for spring. The cut is flattering, especially with the waist detail. Somewhat unfortunately, you need to be able to tie the bow yourself. Only problem is that it seems shorter than advertised. Typically 39" hits me right above the knee, but this dress hit me several inches above and was just too short for me to wear to work, even if I let the hem down. Very disappointing, so I had to return it. If you're on the shorter side, this dress would be great!

This dress is a perfect don’t-have-to-think-about-it dress for the work week. It’s fit is very flattering, while being comfortable at the same time. The sash allows you to adjust the fit to your waist, which makes the fit look more custom.

The style of the dress is spot on. Looks like a million box and very professional. The only issue I had is in term of sizing: the dress in regular size is not 39" but rather is 37.5" so I had to exchange for a Tall. The tall (am 5"7) falls to knee. The fabric is beautiful and professional but a little itchy: Jcrew :Please make more of these in different fabrics and patterns or colors.

I did love this dress when I tried it on, except for it being too short. However, I had it altered at the tailor and the length is now better, but still on the short side. I am disappointed in how sloppy it wears. I wore it once back in December and the whole front of the dress was wrinkled before I got into work. I have avoided wearing it since then due to this issue, but today I gave it another shot and regretted it as soon as I got to work and looked in a mirror. The dress looks terribly sloppy. Unfortunately, I can't return it as I purchased it too long ago and have worn it twice.