I first spotted this lovely little ditty - did I just say "ditty"? - in a magazine back before the Calypso St. Barth line was ever released at Target. There was a lot of online hype about the line's debut as well. (This is NOT a maternity dress; just clarifying since all my clothes posts lately have involved actual maternity garb.) I don't know what it was about it, but I couldn't forget it. Once I could view it on Target's web site, I kept going back and back to look at it.
The thing that probably held me back was the $49.99 price tag. I loved the look of it but wasn’t sure I would love it as much in person, enough to spend that much. Well, I ended up finding it on ebay for $29.99, new with tags! That did it, and I bought it.
Since the online reviews all said to order a size down, I got it in small, and I think I might have been able to get away with XS, even being pregnant...the sizes on this definitely do run large, so do order a size down from your norm. I don't wear an XS in anything. I don't wear that much stuff in small, in fact, only occasionally, depending on what it is. It's made to be a floaty, flowy gown, not form-fitting, but you'll still have plenty of free-flow if you size down. For reference, I'm 5'4", and with even semi-heeled shoes, the dress isn't scraping the ground.
This is going to be one of those pieces of clothing that I can wear both while I'm pregnant and long after I've had my little one. The rope belt is easy to situate above my belly for now but will sit at just the right place later too. So don't hesitate to buy it just because I'm showcasing it with a bump!!
It's like a cross between a kimono, a nightgown, and a beach dress. It's extremely comfortable but not dowdy, and I like that you can easily dress it up or down. With the rope belt that comes with it and some cute flip-flops, you're ready for the beach (or just pretend). Swap out the belt for something a little more glamorous and don some tall sandals and bangle bracelets, and you're ready for a night out. It would also work for a swimsuit cover-up. Now knowing how versatile it is, I might be inclined to say your $49.99 would be worth it. :)
The photographed color, to me, looks more like a red even though the color description is pink. In person, it's actually more the color of a bright watermelon lip gloss! Sort of a bright pinky-corally-red, very pretty. It makes you want to sit poolside sipping a tropical drink. (Make mine a virgin!)
The dress is made of 100% washable silk, so you don't have to panic if you spill something on it. And it's not that heavy kinda silk that makes you sweat more. (That just me?) It's nice and cool and breathable, which is good, because the day Kam took these pics of me, it was hot as sin outside, and my makeup was melting away. They didn't have the dress in any of my local Target stores for me to try on, but I did see a similar shirt from the same collection, so I was able to see and feel what the material and doily-type trim were like before buying. Both are nice, not cheap-looking. It is a tad bit sheer when light is able to pass through, so if you're wearing it as a dress, you may want a full-length slip underneath, though I got away without one for the photos just fine.
All in all, if you really love this as much as I do and have been sitting on the fence, I say go for it.
Dress: Target
Earrings: Forever 21 from last year, sorry!
Shoes: Elliana wedges, Target (Dammit, why do wedges have to be so painful for me??? They're so cute.)
Sunglasses: Wal-Mart a few years ago
Lipstick: Cosmopop by Lime Crime with a little gloss on top
~ Jenarcissist
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| Interesting...I'm usually paranoid about having all my pics angled from my "good side," but most of these aren't! Maybe I'm letting go...or maybe the heat got to me. ;) |
~ Jenarcissist
