Monday, February 2, 2009

Something Special

I don't usually do this, but I came across something this weekend that was too good to turn away from. Wandering through the Neiman Marcus outlet this weekend (research!) I stumbled across this:



You can't tell how fabulous it is from the photo, but here's what it is: a perfect, perfect sleeveless black velvet Alexander McQueen sheath dress. It has a slight drape at the neck, and a back that's cut up high enough that a strapless bra is not at all a problem. The skirt is straight but not tapered. The velvet is baby's-butt soft and drapes like falling tears. I have this dress, and here it is on me:





Believe me, it's perfect. I plan on having this dress for at least 20 years; it will never, ever go out of style. So why did I buy the second one? For one of you. Because the dress originally retailed for about $1200 and it was so crazy on sale that I seriously couldn't pass it up, I had to offer it to someone I know. For $150, you can have an Alexander McQueen dress that will make you the most-perfectly dressed woman in any room you ever enter for the rest of your life. It's the LBD to end all LBDs, beyond reproach and absolutely gorgeous.

The velvet is rayon, the lining is silk. There's a zip up the back. The dress is very hourglass-shaped -- McQueen cuts for women with some backside, god bless him. But the genius of this thing is how alterable it is. There are four vertical darts across the front and two on the back, all of which would be easy to adjust, and the zip is in the center so the side seams can be taken in. There's no slit or kick pleat at the bottom of the dress, so it could be hemmed as much or as little as required with no trouble. It's very, very customize-able -- decent tailor will be able to make this thing look like it was made for you.

The one up for grabs is a size 46. Mine is a 42, and based on how the 46 fits me, I'd say it translates to about a size 10. Using my personal measurements and a tape measure on the dress, I think there's room in the skirt for up to 41 - 42" hips and a 30 - 31" waist, and up top I think it would definitely fit someone up to a 34C, possibly a 36C. Like I said, it's hourglass-y: 32A me has a big ol' padded strapless bra on to fill it out, but the cowl at the neck makes the fit of the bust a little more forgiving. The center back seam from the top of the zip measures 38", and there's a good extra inch on the hem to be let down if necessary.

So. There you have it. If you're interested in the dress, send me an e-mail & we'll chat about it. The $150 includes postage. If you think it would work but are unsure about the fit, we can discuss the possibility of returns, but there's a time limit, so act fast!


Photos: Style Spy



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7 comments:

Claudia said...

This is gorgeous! WHY did I lose that weight? WHY???????????!!!!!! How quickly do you think I could put it back on?

Anonymous said...

Well, I sent you an email--I'm interested (and, unfortuately large enough to wear it, I think) hahaha.

Let me know
Melissa

StyleSpy said...

C-- pretty darned fast, if you're anthing like me. But don't -- there will be other dresses.

Anon -- Size 10 is hardly chubby, dear. Don't be so hard on yourself.

materfamilias said...

so neat that you would do this for your readers!

Belle de Ville said...

That is soooo my kind of dress. Classic, always in style, flattering, well priced and perfect for estate jewelry like a
good vintage 1950's diamond brooch in platinum!

Red said...

Oh, love it love it! Sadly it would too big overall. At barely 5'1 and really short waisted, I love McQueen and how he cuts for hourglass figures, but the darts always hit me in the wrong spot. He needs to do petites!

Mindy said...

I'm absolutely devastated that I didn't find your blog until recently and I missed out on this dress. I'm sobbing at my keyboard.