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So, back in the days when I read fashion magazines -- which I really don't recommend to anyone looking to maintain a positive body image -- I was always fascinated by the "Splurge vs. Steal" spreads, where they'd put a ludicrously expensive item next to a somewhat similar, only moderately expensive item and act like the latter was actually within reach for most of their readers. Oh, terrific! There's a $175 pair of shoes that looks sorta kinda like a $500 pair! Maybe when I win the lottery, I can get the "cheap" ones!
Not to mention, as often as not, the "cheap" item looked A) cheap, and B) nothing like the splurgey one, to my untrained eye. I guess it takes more fashion experience than I have to be able to spot the similarity between a minimally adorned $2500 handbag in some luscious, unusual shade of green and a fringed and bedazzled $65 PVC job in a shade of purple most often seen as the background color in fifth-graders' drawings of unicorns.
But as I was doing my holiday online window shopping ("Windows shopping?" HA!), I ran across two dresses that immediately made me think, "Splurge vs. Steal!" Even though, um, the cheaper one is not very cheap, and they don't necessary look that much alike. So maybe I have what it takes to be a fashion editor after all!
The first dress, which goes for $175, I've been lusting after since it first appeared on the Igigi website a few weeks ago: it's the lace short dress in red.
The second, costing a mere $98, is this one from Robbie Bee, available at Nordstrom .
And when I say I immediately thought, "Splurge vs. Steal!" what I actually mean is, I thought, "Well, the Robbie Bee one is close enough, and a lot closer to my actual holiday party dress budget." That's the problem with the "Splurge vs. Steal" conceit: you only really want the freakin' splurge.
But let's look at this logically. Without having either dress on hand to compare details, what would I be getting for the money in each case?
Fabric
Robbie Bee: Polyester.
Igigi: Website doesn't say, but it looks like a stretchy, somewhat shiny jersey under mesh lace, so... polyester.
Winner: tie
Fit
Both models are actually plus-sized (if only just) and look terrific, so that's a nice start. And both would flatter an hourglass/figure 8 shape, so I'm good to go with either one there.
The Igigi dress looks like it might have the same awesome elastic stay-put action in the bustline as the wrap dress I recently reviewed -- whereas the Robbie Bee dress, while it at least looks cut for a bigger than usual bust, would probably be insanely cleavagey on me. The underlayer looks to be a non-stretch fabric, which means that neckline is just going to perch on my boobs a good four inches out from my actual chest -- which might not be a bad thing, but might also put my bra on display. Tough to tell from this picture. So, boobwise, I prefer the Igigi one.
However, as a shorty, I definitely appreciate the just-below-the-knee length of the Robbie Bee dress -- which would probably be tea-length on me. The Igigi dress, which hits a longer-legged model a couple inches lower, would most likely hit my legs in the no-man's land between tea-length and ankle-length, and having it shortened would mean losing the cute lace trim on the hem (or paying a bundle). So from that perspective, I gotta go Robbie Bee.
Winner: if you're booby and long-legged, Igigi. If you're short and slightly less booby, Robbie Bee. If you're me, it's a draw.
Pattern
I adore polka dots, but I have to admit they're kinda played out after last spring and summer. So the subtle floral pattern on the Igigi dress is fresher, in addition to falling more on the "pretty" side of the ledger than the "cute" side.
Winner: Igigi
Will it look as good in action as it does on the model?
I think both are likely to be flattering when I'm standing up, but the Robbie Bee dress has a wider, structured band at the waist and pleating on the mesh layer where it flares into the skirt. Which means it's not going to cling to my gut when I sit down. Much as I love my gut, I don't love cling.
Winner: Robbie Bee
Customer Service
Nordstrom's is legendary, and I could return the dress to a store if it didn''t work out. Igigi's is fine, in my limited experience, but Plumcake's recently had some issues with it, and it's all done by mail.
Winner: Robbie Bee
Extras
The Igigi dress comes with a pretty lace shrug, which definitely adds value -- I just don't know that it adds 77 dollars' worth of value. And I already have a black velvet bolero I'd probably wear with either dress, so 77 extra bucks for something I might not even wear isn't really enticing.
Winner: Robbie Bee
Readers have left 3 comments. No.1 I think your instincts are correct
I've tried on the Robbie Bee in a different color -- in fact, I bought it, and then sold it to another fatshionista -- and I think it would be way better on you shapewise. It's definitely non-stretch, but the wide waistband is great for hourglass figures. Or for making hourglass figures out of eggplant figures -- I'd probably buy it myself if my holidays were going to consist of holiday parties instead of holiday cookie-eating. No.2 Untitled
I love the idea of the splurge vs. steal, and you've done it so much more thoroughly than most of the magazine spreads I've seen.
So often, I find that you do get what you pay for, especially when it comes to shoes. Which is why I liked The Manolo's famous response to the inquiry, "Do you have any advice on where I can find the cheaper version of these shoes?"
http://shoeblogs.com/2007/07/13/beautiful-but-expensive/ No.3 Untitled
Hee! I meant to only save this as a draft, not publish it. I thought I wasn't done yet. Looking it over now, I guess I was. (Thank you for saving me from my own logorrhea, Lesley.) Although I was going to wrap up by saying:
A) Logically, the Robbie Bee is the smarter buy by several different measures, but sadly, that doesn't take away the Igigi lust;
B) The Igigi one's sold out in my size now anyway, so this exercise was entirely academic;
C) I decided to go in an entirely different direction and ordered a Kate by Kathryn Conover black velvet, short-sleeved wrap with silver polka dots, which I'd also been lusting after for a while. $148. Nordstrom was sold out of every size but mine, and I apparently got the last one, 'cause it's not even on the site today.
I'm pretty sure that means the universe wanted me to have it. |
