Shirr & Pleat Skirt

A while back, I did a Polyvore called Ladylike Vintage where I featured this Eva Franco skirt:

Shirr and Pleat Skirt - image from Anthropologie.com

I scooped it up when it went on sale.  Unfortunately, it did not work for me.  Despite an overall good review rating and the lovely fit on the mannequin, this was all wrong on me like no skirt ever before it.  I cannot even describe the odd pleating.  It created a terrible poof that gave me saddlebags and paunch.  I’m 5’7″ and size 4.  I am not teeny, but this thing worked hard to make me look half pumpkin. It’s such a shame because it is a beautiful material. The colors, the fabric, the feel: magnifique. But. Wow. Odd. Fit.

Another casualty of online shopping: a favorite pastime of mine with some issues and risks.  Namely, you don’t know what people look like who own the product, how long they’ve had it, or you may think someone giving rave reviews has terrible taste if you ever actually met them.  More and more people submit photos and measurements which is so helpful. In my opinion, Modcloth is the best provider of easy ways to input your measurements and pictures into reviews. Still, so few items work for me even after I’ve done extensive research.

Then there is the issue of why people review something. I tend to think that people review things, particularly beauty products, when they really like them.  Maybe people who are into cosmetics are just more positive people, I’m not sure. I wouldn’t be among those. But do we get diversity of opinion? And as far as clothing, models and mannequins are quite thin, and I’m sure they place larger sizes on them and pin the material back.  Now that I think of it, maybe I should just do that.  I could just back out of every room.

On the other hand, the pluses of online shopping are:

• I can wear soft pants.
• My dog can surf with me.
• I can view several options at once.
• I often shop by elimination, so I can place things in my cart, get totals, and eliminate as needed.
• If the site has a wish list, I can easily keep up with the things I love to see if they go on sale.

But at the end of the day, I actually keep very little.