Off the Rack ~ ModCloth Hits & Misses

Once again my love-hate relationship with ModCloth is proving to lean more on the side of “love.” Over the course of this year, I’ve tried a number of tees and dresses from them, some of which were winners and some losers.

Let’s start with a sort-of winner, the Folter brand “Go Bananas Dress” (or “Boldest of the Bunch Dress” per ModCloth’s dumb naming) in size Large.

Let me show you a closeup of that print:

Yes, it’s banana print! I saw this dress ages ago and completely fell in love with the ridiculous pattern. But there was no way I was going to pay $90 for a thin cotton dress. Then earlier this year it went on sale and I had a coupon and they were down to one size left, so I finally took the plunge.

It’s totally adorable, but certainly not designed to be boob-friendly. Folter is a pinup-inspired brand, so it does have more boob room than your average off the rack item, but it’s still not much. Honestly, the boob window is probably what makes it flexible more than anything else. As you can see in this next picture, large breasts lift up the waist to almost empire height in the front and cause the gathered skirt to poof out from your tummy a little. Not the most flattering cut, but whatever, it’s so cute I don’t care.

Per the recommendations in the ModCloth reviews, I went up one size to Large. The waist definitely runs small and there is no stretch at all, so this was the right choice. If you have high-set breasts, it does show an awful lot of cleavage. I think it’s a little strange that such a juvenile design would have so much on view, but I guess that’s just Folter’s style. The models on their own site suggest that they’re definitely marketing to adults.

The fabric is a little cheap. It’s not sheer (even a black bra doesn’t show through), but it feels rather thin and more like crafting fabric than clothing.

I don’t know if this is a feature of all of Folter’s clothing, but the wash instructions tag says this garment was made in the USA, so I feel really good about supporting this company.

The Go Bananas Dress is no longer available on ModCloth, but can be purchased on Folter’s site and a Google search yields several other online stores carrying it.

Next up is a dress I did not keep, Hell Bunny’s “Gingham 50s Dress” (or ModCloth’s “Salty and Pepper Dress”—one of their less offensive names) in size Medium.

I already own another Hell Bunny dress (the “Vanda”) that is very similar and fits pretty well, so I thought this one would be a slam dunk. Who could resist those adorable heart-shaped pockets?

Unfortunately, whereas my other HB dress has an elasticized back panel, this one has no stretch. As such, the waist was too big and gave me no definition. I considered taking in the waist on the sides, but when I pulled it tight, there wasn’t enough boob room above the black waist panel so the seam did not rest below my chest and the black panel was pulled up so high that it looked like an empire waist.

The color was also a disappointment. In real life, it seemed muddy and sad. The black is too warm and the cream too dark. I think it would have been cuter in a darker black and bright white.

So as for Hell Bunny, I do not recommend it for busty ladies unless there is an elastic panel or the fabric has stretch. On the plus side, ModCloth has a great return policy and they even take care of the return shipping.

The final dress was an almost total success, save for one minor flaw.

This is the “Flare Dress” from British brand Closet Clothing (or the “Luck be a Lady Dress” on ModCloth) in size UK 12. It’s available in a ton of colors and patterns and for a change ModCloth charges the same amount as the brand’s own site instead of jacking up the price.

This dress doesn’t seem intentionally designed for big boobs, but it’s very forgiving thanks to the pleats at the neckline and somewhat wide armpits. It seems to have a pretty good overall hourglassy shape, and its slightly lower waist means that your boobs will pull the belt up to a more flattering “high-waisted” height instead of empire.

The quality is really top notch. At $75 (or less if there’s a sale), this dress is not what I would call “inexpensive,” but I still think the quality really surpasses that price. The cotton fabric is soft—almost silky—and is heavy and resistant to wrinkles, yet it floats away from your hips thanks to the generous skirt. There is a very long zipper in the back that’s attached beautifully. It’s even long enough that I can step into the dress and easily pull it over my somewhat generous hips (instead of pulling it over my head, which I hate doing with dresses). The inside of the neckline and armholes are all lined with another layer of the same fabric so it stays nice and crisp. Additionally, it has real belt loops made of fabric, not little strings that easily pull off.

Aside from the quality, I think this frock is really cute but not too young. It has a vintage feel to it thanks in large part to the Audrey Hepburn-esque neckline, but the skinny belt (which yes, comes with the dress and is also high quality) and the print make it feel decidedly modern. And can we talk about the pockets??

My only complaint is that the armholes are actually a little too big. In the following photo, you can see my Freya Deco bra sticking out. Given that the Deco is not exactly what I consider “high” under the arms, this tells me that finding a bra that doesn’t peek out will be a difficult task.

I like this dress so much that I want more of them in other colors. I’m dying for the teal one with contrasting coral belt.

If one of the colors you like on ModCloth is sold out or no longer available in your size, I’d suggest looking at the Closet Clothing site, as they have all the same ones as MC plus more. There are also lots of other dress shapes, like these three cuties that I adore (note that they’re all on sale!):

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