Two dress reviews: Anthro's Great Escape + Loft flower eyelet

Whew.  Between St. Patty's Day and my birthday festivities this girl is worn out. When am I going to remember I am not 21 anymore and therefore should refrain from partying like it's 1999?  I need a week to recover, or at least a good night's sleep.  But I did manage to muster up the energy to bring you two dress reviews, one from Anthropologie and one from Loft.  Please excuse my tired, makeup free face. Here we go!

Great Escape Dress by Tabitha
Anthropologie
$89.95 here

Anthro gets me every time with the dresses that look like a skirt/top combo.  The pretty spring colors of Tabitha's latest version really drew me to it.  I'm wearing a size 6 here, my normal Anthro dress size.  It fits me fine, but if you carry more weight in your hips you will likely want to size up as there is no give in this frock. 

This dress is a good example of  what irks me about Anthro lately:  The top of this dress is...gasp...polyester rather than the silk that these type of dresses have always been crafted in, in seasons past.  Plus, who remembers that up until about a year ago, when Anthro items got marked on sale, they would be at least 50% off, if not 60% off?  So this dress, at full price of $168, would have been marked to probably $79.99.  Those days are over apparently.  So higher prices + cheaper fabrics?  Not cool Anthro, not cool.   Anyway, the design of the dress, along with the colors, make it a keeper for me.  Despite the poly top, it seems like a well constructed dress and it's quite flattering.  It does have a decorative zipper on the bodice that may bother some of you...for some reason I am fine with it.

Flower eyelet cotton dress
Loft
$98 here

For some reason I keep finding little goodies in Loft lately, after having not shopped there for years.  I still don't like all the synthetic fabrics Loft uses, but this dress is a nice sturdy cotton eyelet.  I'm wearing the 6 here and it fits great, with some wiggle room.  If you are small chested you may even want to size down.  This dress has been featured in a lot of Loft's spring editorial spreads, and I can see why.  It's modern yet vintage-insired at the same time, and it remind me of something Jackie Kennedy would have worn.  The fitted bodice, wide cumberbund waist and flaired skirt will flatter many different figures.  And even though I'm not usually drawn to black, I think this will be a great neutral spring and summer dress.  I like the zipper with the ribbon in the back too:

Of course, I would have loved for both of these dresses to have been made 2 inches longer.  Such is life for a tall girl.

What do you think of the dresses? 

And now for fun, here's a picture of me and my dreamy Irish husband on St. Patty's Day:



On me: Green tippi sweater + bubble necklace:  J.Crew

Thanks for stopping by!