Cute Dress, Question on Sizing

[ladypirate]

So, first off a confession: I am not a shopper. I avoid it at all costs. Sometimes I wished I liked shopping, but I''m the type of person who has panic attacks in large shopping malls, after trying on outfit after outfit that looks HORRIBLE and never fits right. I almost always live in jeans and t-shirts that I can order off the internet because I know they will fit right. OK, confession over. Phew. Please don''t kick me off of the shopping board.

Now, all that being said, I have fallen in lust with this dress:

Isaac Mizrahi for Target Envelope Back Dress

I know it''s not super high end or anything, but I saw a picture of the back of it in a magazine and knew that it had to be mine. The problem lies (as it always does) with the sizing. I am tall and relatively slender, but I have a definite hourglass figure and as such can never figure out which size I''m supposed to get. If I go with what fits me in the waist (27.5-28 inches), I should order a 4-6. If I get what fits in the hips (3, I should order a 6. Fine so far. Unfortunately, my chest measurement is 38, which puts me somewhere between 10 and 12. (Note: I hate dress shopping). So my question is, do I just squeeze the girls into a 6, which would fit everywhere else, or do I go up a size or two and have it be loose in the waist and fit in the chest? The open-backed nature of the dress adds to my conundrum. Plus it''s only available online, so I can''t got try it on (and there''s not a target anywhere nearby anyhow).

This is the problem I always have with dresses.

Any advice from the lovely ladies on the shopping board?

 

[neatfreak]

I always get things tailored to fit since I have similar issues. But often the bust measurements are somewhat off in these dresses IMO. Can you order a few and suck up the return shipping costs for the ones that don''t fit? It won''t be much. That is what I would do...

 

[onvacation]

From what I can see on the webpage, the dress flairs below the waist, so I wouldn''t be worried about waist and hip measurements. But it DOES look tight at the chest, so I''d take it from there. Getting a few different sizes and returning them doesn''t sound like such a bad idea. The problem now is, which sizes do you get? Personally I''d go with 8, 10, and 12. I hate it when I get something and it turns out to be too small. Don''t you?

At least if it''s big and you really like it and can''t bear to part with it, you have the option of taking it in if they''re out of stock on the smaller sizes.

 

[VegasAngel]

I would go up a size & probably add a cute belt.

edited. Oh, I just looked at the back no belt...

 

[Selkie]

LP, I feel ya on the hatred of shopping, esp. for clothes. That said, I love Target for basic clothing (what can I say? I''m cheap and nothing in the cute little boutiques EVER fits me

) My experience with Isaac Mizrahi stuff is that it runs a bit small anyway (especially in the bustage area) so I''d order the size that fits the girls. Cute dress, BTW!

 

[ladypirate]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I think I''m going to order it in a size 8...if I go up any more I think it''ll be really baggy in the waist. And if it doesn''t look great, I can always send it back.

 

[FrekeChild]

It''s an adorable dress! I would keep in mind that getting stuff tailored usually is not expensive at all, and in the end you have a dress that fits perfectly. With a size 4ish everywhere except my chest (32DD) when I was in high school I had to have everything tailored except jeans and t shirts-So I know what you mean. But even with $25 in tailoring-the dress would still cost less than a dress from anywhere else.

So, what shoes would you wear with it?

 

[ladypirate]

OK, so I'm not a HUGE shoe person, but I do have one pair that I ADORE that I will probably be wearing with this dress. I promise I will take pictures and post them in the shoe thread.

 

[FrekeChild]

I''ll hold you to that...

 

[Skippy123]

LP, i love that dress, very Audrey Hepburn and classic! I am curious what the back looks like; I will have to look for it next time I am at Target! Can''t wait to hear what you think!

 

[ladypirate]

Here''s a view of the back--I think it''s so cute! Very Grace Kelly.