Apologies for three-week absence, friends! I’ve been super busy at work, was visiting friends in Seattle one week, and last week was NY Comic Con. But finally, finally, I get to share with you two fabulous items DD Atelier sent me for review.
DD has so many great items for this fall, including a number of gorgeous and practical coats and jackets. It was really hard to pick just one or two for review! But ultimately I went with a long-sleeved jersey dress and the absolutely stunning wool military coat.
Disclosure: These items were received as review samples. All opinions are my own and based entirely on my experience.
First up, the dress: These days I only wear pants perhaps once a week or even less. I find dresses just so much more comfortable and fun (plus it’s easier to use the restroom in them!). But most of my dresses have short sleeves or straps, and I could use a few more with long sleeves for the fall and winter months. DD’s “Stretch Jersey A-Line Dress” is the perfect solution. It’s easy to wear, brightly colored (an absolute must for me!), and ultra-flattering.
The bust features a crossover neckline with a scoop-shaped underbust panel and two wide straps for wrapping around your waist and tying in back. To be honest, I do think the scoop comes up a little too high on my bust, but this is probably the fault of my extra long torso, and it might not come up so high on a more average figure.
I like that the cups are gathered, so it’s not clinging too tightly to each breast or showing cleavage. And the straps do a fabulous job cinching in your waist and giving a bit of a cummerbund look. I also adore the gathering at the waist in front. It does a really good job camouflaging my belly without looking like maternity-wear. The back has no gathering, for a more streamlined appearance.
The fabric is a medium-weight 92% viscose, 8% lycra. It’s stretchy but substantial, and not overly clingy. It’s way nicer than the crap jersey dresses I used to buy at H&M and Forever 21. Though as is the case with most unlined jersey dresses, you can see bra indentations prominently in back.
The sleeves are also comfortable, but I certainly wouldn’t mind if they were just a wee bit looser.
At 37”-29”-41”, my measurements fall into DD’s size 80D. But I’ve tried several items from them over the years, and I always find the 80 waist to be too loose, even in non-stretch garments, so I went with 75 D/F on this one.
Lastly, when the dress arrived, I had no idea how I was supposed to use the waist straps. A quick look at the DD website reminded me, but here is my own guide:
This dress is also available in navy blue and beige, and is currently on sale for 30% off with all sizes still in stock. Buy it quick before the sale ends!
Next up is the amaaaazing military-style coat in burgundy. This coat looked so cool on the DD website, I was thrilled to be able to try it myself. The price is a little on the higher side, but the quality is truly outstanding and it’s a totally classic look, so I really think it’s worth the cost. This coat will last you for years and years to come.
The fabric is 70% wool and 30% polyester, so it’s super warm and wind-proof without being itchy. (Of course you can trust a Russian company to do winter coats right!) There are five buttons up the front, allowing you to close it all the way up to the top of your neck. So many coats of this style from American companies only allow you to button it partway up and then leave the chest wide open, requiring a giant scarf to keep the chill out. Sure it looks cute—but it’s so impractical! With this design, you can leave it open if you prefer, but you still have the option of buttoning it all the way.
You can also fold the collar up like a turtleneck, and it’s stiff enough to stay up. This coat is gonna be sooooo warm during this winter’s snowstorms! It’s really going to save me during my early-morning dog walks, waits at the bus stop, and 9-block walk from the subway to the office (and back again).
The coat also features a range of really nice details: There are small buttons on the interior to keep everything smooth and keep the draft out; two deep pockets on the sides to store things or to keep your hands warm; a box pleat in back for ease of movement, a buttoned band in back for a cinched look; and buttoned bands at the wrists. It also includes spare buttons in all three sizes (wrists/back, front, and interior).
My favorite detail, however, is the shiny, luxurious lining. Most knit winter coats I’ve owned have featured cheap, thin, 100% polyester or acetate lining, which makes me sweat and tends to rip or run at the seams over time. But this lining is heavier than usual, and is made of 60% polyester and 40% viscose, so it feels much nicer and I expect it’ll last better.
As for fit, this time DD’s very sweet owner Olga told me some customers were saying the coat ran small, so she recommended I take 80F instead of the 75F I originally requested. And I’m so glad I followed her advice! I think it fits just perfectly. It loosely follows the curvature of my body while still leaving enough room to stuff a thick sweater underneath it. I also have easy movement in the upper body, without the whole coat lifting up when I raise my arms.
This coat also comes in navy blue. I suspect it’ll start selling out as we get closer to winter, so get yours now!
