Questionable Item of the Week: Colorblocked Mia dress

Let me start out by saying, that in general I love J. Crew and almost everything they produce. Over the past five years alone, I have noticed the retail store take their women's line clothing "up a notch" in terms of style, fabrics, and design. I especially love the attention to detail when it comes to their jackets (like the use of color and the inclusion of ribbon/piping in the inner-lining!)

Once in awhile though, I will run across a product that makes me question how it became a part of J. Crew's overall collection...

So recently I received J. Crew's Dress Book mini-catalog (literally it is smaller in size, with better stock paper, and showcasing a few select items) which featured the Colorblock Mia dress (Item 93612). To steal a quote from the description of the item, "A true shift, created in the spirit of the 1960s with split-neck detailing and a straight silhouette that just skims the body and works well on everyone." Uh... everyone really? Really?

This dress looks awful even on the model who is gorgeous and without an ounce of fat anywhere. (I don't think the model pictured here likes wearing the dress either!) Could you imagine what my pear-shaped body would look like in a shift dress like that? I can tell you: not good. Not good at all. It pains me to say this, but it looks like a glorified potato sack. Really, it kind of does. What is even more outrageous is the price of the dress at $158! For a cotton dress (that doesn't look too complicated), the price should be a lot less (maybe $50, maybe).

What do you think? Do you think I am being overly critical about this dress? Do you own this dress? If you do, please let me know what you think!