Ruffle Dilemma

This is not the best dress, but it will do.

the j.crew ruffleneck mini dress

This dress is only okay. I bought it with a store credit that I just wanted to use before I forgot that I had it. I should have been more patient and used it on swim or the Baird McNutt linen shirt dress.

My critiques are that it is the type of dress that seems like it should have pockets; however there are no pockets and the ruffle has a little bit too much pizazz to it. The ruffle comes off a bit juvenile. I feel like the hemline hits at not such a flattering point.

On the other hand, I like the ruffle at the collar. I also like that the dress comes with a detachable slip that you know I will be swapping in under other dresses and caftan. The dress shell has bra stays that secure both the detachable slip and undergarments. The stays are necessary because the slip was falling down throughout the morning until I got into a bathroom and could snap everything in place. In addition to white, the dress is available in black and a vivid pink.

I am wearing this dress in a twelve tall. It felt a little large but also the style just felt off for me.

the loeffler randall starla sandal

Like many contemporary brands that I have fallen in love with, I was introduced to Loeffler Randall circa summer 2008 when I started working at Cusp (RIP) in Georgetown. Neiman Marcus’s boutique offshoot concept was akin to Barney’s Co-op, but you know, better. Whereas Barney’s Co-op felt more up to the minute for both women and men, Cusp carried exclusively women’s apparel and the best labels for those with distinctly feminine style: Alice & Olivia, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Milly, See by Chloe, Smythe, Tibi, Tory Burch, Tucker, Vince, Vera Wang Lavender Label, and every premium denim brand of the time. (Does anyone else remember William Rast denim?) Where Barney’s Co-op was New York-based, there was no doubt that Cusp via Neiman’s was rooted in the south, Dallas to be exact.

Cusp was where I became acquainted with Loeffler Randall footwear. That exact summer I became enamored with a pair of metallic yellow (not gold) snakeskin embossed sandals and a pair of metallic rose gold sandals. At the time, they felt so expensive, though I am sure from today’s perspective, I would just…buy them.

Cut to present day. I needed a pair of dressier sandals for the summer. My Havaiana flip flops have been doing their job, but a pair of rubber flip flops can only go so far. I needed an elevated sandal, not unlike my Sarah Flint Grears, to take me into the summer until the Grears arrive and who knows when that could be? On the other hand, I knew they needed to be different enough from my go-to sandal to necessitate a big ticket price.

Enter the Starla. The Loeffler Randall Starla sandal has been on my radar for awhile but with a pair of metallic gladiator sandals that have been so dependable, I did not have a need to buy. They differ in more ways that I initially thought: the strap only crosses the foot rather than between the toes, the laces are leather rather than woven fabric, and they are adorned with leather stars. Granted that I have lost at least one of the stars already but I have made peace with that.