I’ve had a soft spot for Laundry by Shelli Segal ever since I stumbled across this matte jersey shirt dress a few years ago. So when I stumbled across the brand again while shopping with Giselle, I had high hopes for another addition to my closet. It was not to be. I show a couple of “almost’s” below, and a couple of definite “no’s” after the jump.The print in the dress below is very flattering.  That’s one thing I’m interested in exploring after my image consulting class–curvy prints can complement our curves.  Not only that, but the dark top minimizes the chest while the heavily patterned bottom creates balance.  And the neckline would be perfect if only it ended six inches earlier.  Major pet peeve of mine:  What are these designers thinking when they create necklines that will be distorted by the line of a camisole?

I love Giselle’s sandals.  They  went with everything she tried on that day.

 
Too bad my Prima Donna Madison couldn’t
double as a camisole under this dress.

I’m usually only drawn to Laundry’s matte jersey prints, but this cotton lace eyelet in turquoise was too adorable to leave on the rack.  I was also drawn to what seems like a panel insert in the neckline.  Contrary to my rant above, here it looked like the designer was actually making a concession to the existence of women’s breasts.  Unfortunately, it still fell too low on Giselle (below) and me, and I wasn’t in love with the empire waist.  Sometimes it seems like puffed sleeves can emphasize the breast, but I don’t mind them here. What do you think?

After the jump, see two more interesting necklines as well as proof that not all curvy prints are kind to us.

Ultimately, I think the print is just too big.  Given the choice between a giant print that makes all of me look giant and a small print or solid that only makes my breasts look giant, I’ll go with the giant breasts.  Look for these dresses on Overstock.com or some other discounter soon.  They don’t even look that good on size 0 models!  Proof here and here.