It all started when I was reading an article about “Halloween costumes you can find in your closet”. I had just received this dress in the mail (more on that in a minute), and I experienced a moment of inspiration — pun intended. I was going to be … a Work Of Art. Well, perhaps something more like “Aunt Jane’s amateur watercolour”, but you get the picture. [Ba-dum-tish! Don’t forget to tip your server.] I already had the frame at home, so all I had to do was spend $7 at Michaels to complete my costume. And it was office-appropriate to boot!
Speaking of which, I totally cardigan-ed it up, like so:
So, back to the dress. I’ve been stalking it on eBay for over a year, patiently waiting for it to pop up in my size and within my budget. The brand is Odille, and this is old skool Anthropologie stuff; it’s a bit of a rare sight on eBay, and typically priced rather high. I finally got lucky, and nabbed a BIN for US$30 with low shipping costs. I have a feeling the seller was a thrifter reselling his or her finds, and if that is the case then I appreciate their reasonable pricing approach. The dress came fast and I was a happy camper, and not just because I got an awesome Halloween costume out of it. I can’t wait to remix it, and get a little more creative with it!
Just a quick note: if you’re interested in hunting down the dress, note that it runs a bit small, especially in the hips and bust (although it’s oddly a bit loose in the waist).
I love the image of you riding in to work on a train, Mulberry bag and huge picture frame in hand 😉
I, too, stalk eBay for Anthro favorites. This dress is beautiful! I’m glad your patience paid off. I’ve waited over a year before, but it’s proven well worth it.
Oh, it was a sight, alright! LOL! However, people seemed to take it in stride (Halloween and all), and luckily the train wasn’t too packed.
I’ve gotten better at playing the eBay waiting game. I almost pulled the trigger on this dress a few times before, convinced I would never find it for a lower price, so I’m glad I waited. Plus, it’s a way of weeding out impulse buys 😉
I just wanted to tell you how inspiring I find your blog, fashion wise. I’m in my thirties and I just started a new career in HR after 15 years of working in child care, where it didn’t matter what I wore because it was either a uniform or couldn’t be too precious to get dirty. I stumbled across your blog and I find your professional outfits a fantastic starting point for my own wardrobe. Thank you!
Changing office dress codes is hard! It’s not just the practical adjustment, but figuring out what (business casual) pieces and silhouettes you like. Sometimes, experimenting can be fun — sometimes, not. Good luck with your new career!
That is a brilliant Halloween costume. Very clever. And its a beautiful dress for days that are not Halloween.
I’m glad you’re back. I only found your blog a couple of months ago, but I really enjoy it.
I am terrible at Halloween, so I was happy to come up with something that counted as a costume, but didn’t require much work on my part. I did not win the office costume contest, but I did get a honourable mention, haha!
Very cute costume! I loved this dress when it was at anthro years ago because it looked like one of those van gogh cypress landscapes he did in different times of the day to study how the light changed (or something like that). At the time, they only had a size12 which felt really loosely, so I exercised restraint and didn’t buy it. Now, years later, I’ve gained weight and would fit a 12 perfectly, so it’s like the one that got away for me. Will start stalking it on ebay!
Also, there was a second funny pun in your joke– when you said to “tip our server” our computer server which helps us access the internet and your blog site would get tipped, ha ha.
Haha! Good catch — I didn’t even think of that. Look at that: I’m funnier than I think. My husband will never believe it 😉
I love the uniqueness of the dress, and I love that eBay enables me to partake of all the vintage-y Anthro stuff I missed the first time around. I hope you find it!
I’m glad you finally found the dress too, just so we could see it on you! It is a beauty!
And your approach to a Hallowe’en costume was brilliant!
Brilliant or lazy? Hahaha 😉
Thank you, though — I do love this dress and can’t wait to wear it in a non-costumey way.
Can you share the actual “Name” of the dress please? Thank you!
Lovely as always 🙂
I believe it was called the Artist’s Rendering dress.