Meet Denise and Barb

Playing Dress Up With Denise and Barb!

Today we played dress up with longtime friends, Denise and Barb. While they look like they could be twins , their body shapes are just a little different. Denise is five foot five inches tall . She is short-waisted and wears a bra size of 34DD. Her bust waist and hip measurements are 38 inches, 31 inches and 38 inches respectively. Barb is 5 foot 5 1/2 inches tall, long waisted and wears a bra size of 36C. Her bust waist and hip measurements are 38 1/2 inches, 35 inches and 39 1/2 inches respectively.

 You can find all the pieces these lovely ladies tried on at this link!

Tops By Length

Boxy Top 

Barb: 

The first Boxy Top that Barb tried on was crepe silk (opaque fabric), and it felt a little short. She is longer-waisted, so she felt that while it was a beautiful piece, it was too short. We thought the Boxy Top style had potential, so we tried a different pattern and silk. Although not pictured, Barb tried on a sheer Boxy, which had a slightly longer cut, and she loved the print! Coincidently it was the same pattern that she pulled for her waterfall top! You will soon notice these lovely ladies have an eye for their chosen patterns! The final one Barb tried on was a boxy top with a sequinned black border. This Boxy Top was shorter than the last, and the black border made the top appear shorter when layered over Barb's black underpinnings. The sheer fabric works best on Barb, as it has a nicer drape!

Denise:

Denise had brought in a cardigan that she wanted to find a Boxy Top to match, and she found one that worked perfectly! Having the matching Duster for a Boxy/Duster set was an added bonus. Denise loves Boxy Tops! They are short; however, she wears them with longer underpinnings. She said that without the long underpinnings, she wouldn't wear the style. Oops, inside-out seam! When trying on her pieces, we realized Denise was wearing one of them inside out, but it was hard to tell because of our artists' excellent work in India! The French seam gets us all, our team and Denise!

Kimono Sleeve Top 

Barb: 

Barb tried on a crepe silk Kimono Sleeved Top, not pictured, that was a little stiff, so she tried on a different one. The one above looked much better, and Barb liked it much more! The second Kimono-Sleeved Top had a lovely drape and looked phenomenal on!

Denise: 

 The Kimono-Sleeved Top is definitely Denise's style! She first tried on the Kimono-Sleeved Top pictured on the left. The warm-toned piece Denise tried on was a faux silk piece made of malai silk, a cellulose-based material, which means it is not 100% silk. Because it is not 100% silk, it is a part of our Wabi Sabi Collection. Denise thought this top was very cute and liked that this one wasn't sheer as she only has sheer ones at home. She likes that the style is less boxy looking than she thought and that they are a great light piece for warmth on a cool night. Denise tried on many Kimono-Sleeved Tops throughout the night, and each one looked terrific!

Hi Lo Top 

Barb: 

Barb loved the Hi-Lo Top style! She loved the details of the Hi-Lo, like the borders and the beautiful cut. The purple one she tried on first was one of her favourites. Barb loved having the look of the boxy top but with a more flattering length. Barb then tried on the orange leaf Hi-Lo Top that is part of our Wabi Sabi Collection, as it's also made of Malai silk. Although these pieces aren't 100% silk, they are buttery soft, which Barb really liked! The last Hi-Lo she tried was the turquoise one made from the same fabric as the short kaftan she chose. The blue one looked fabulous on her as well. She definitely found her style!

Denise: 

Denise tried on a beautiful earth-toned Hi-Lo that had some beautiful greens! She loved the piece and the panelling on the pattern. The Hi-Lo Denise chose had a gorgeous gold and green threaded border that really elevated the piece!

Front Tie Top 

Barb: 

Barb tried on a beautiful Front Tie, pictured on the right, but we could not place the actual colour of the pink shade! The piece was a beautiful crepe silk and looked amazing when paired with our Casbah linen pants. Barb also tried on a lovely floral digital print Front Tie. This piece had a gorgeous green embroidered shoulder that looked so good on her. She likes to style the Front Tie Top by tying it in the front and tucking in the ribbon. It's the perfect blouse!

Denise:

Denise is familiar with the Front Tie Top and shared a style hack she uses when wearing hers at home. She takes the ribbon and ties the knot behind her back so it is hidden; it looks cute in the front, and there's coverage in the back! Denise also tried on a similar Front Tie Top and Kimono-Sleeved Jacket set, pictured under the Kimono-Sleeved Jacket style. She was surprised as it wasn't a pattern she would have picked for herself, but she loved it nonetheless! Denise likes to pair the Front Tie with pants or a skirt when styling the piece.

Waterfall Top 

Barb: 

Barb first tried on the animal print Waterfall Top, which looked amazing! She loved the pattern so much that she had pulled multiple pieces in it without realizing it! Barb liked the Waterfall style more than the Tapered Tunic as she loved the shape and how it was a more narrow style. This is definitely her cut! She looked so good we pulled a few more pieces in this style for her to try on. She looked great in the pink Waterfall with the flowers but wasn't a fan of the yellow and the look with a sheer fabric. Barb tried on a third Waterfall that was not pictured that she liked better; she found she was more of a fan of abstract patterns. While having fun styling the Waterfall on Barb, we played around with the piece's versatility, like tucking the front of the piece to create a similar look to our Hi-Lo top!

Denise:

Denise loved the Waterfall Top style; she always wears hers and pairs it with the matching cardigan! The first Waterfall she tried on was the two-toned pink one pictured above; however, she wasn't a fan of the pattern. Denise did not like the look of the circles on their shoulder. She found that she prefers more integrated patterns rather than two contrasting patterns. She tried on a beautiful periwinkle Waterfall Top afterwards, unfortunately not pictured, that she really liked as the tones and patterns suited her much better than the pink.

Side Tie Top 

Barb: 

Barb tried on a few Side-Tie Tops to find the best fit for her! She first tried the pink Side Tie pictured above but did not like the pattern as she thought it did not do much for her. Barb said that she looks best and gravitates towards dynamic patterns, so we pulled a sheer magenta side tie for her to try on. She looked great and loved the design. A very cute and effortless style, Barb likes to leave it untied to create a long blouse look!

Denise:

This was the first time Denise tried on the Side Tie style! She liked styling it with the sides tied, pulled long for a more structured blouse. Her final thoughts on the style: she liked it and thought it was excellent!

Short Kaftan 

Barb: 

Barb tried on a black and white Short Kaftan and loved the drape! She thought the fabric was fun, and the glittery stripe on the side made the piece extravagant! This piece was a definitive yes for Barb and was very flattering. Barb loved this piece because it was one of the first crepe silks she tried on during the dress-up. We grabbed a sheer Short Kaftan to see the difference in fabric and drape compared to the crepe. The piece we grabbed was the same fabric as the vest Barb pulled for herself! She looked amazing in the sheer piece as well. She shared that she likes to create an asymmetrical look when wearing it by tying the bottom corner.

Denise: 

The Short Kaftan was another style that Denise had not tried before, and she liked it! She loved the styling possibilities with this piece: tucking in the front, tucking in the whole piece like a blouse, or even belting it! No matter how she styled it, Denise looked great in the short kaftan!

Tapered Tunic 

Barb: 

Barb tried on the Tapered Tunic and loved the piece's look and drape! This piece looked beautiful on Barb and is a style that suits so many of our customers. This is why we can't get rid of the Tapered Tunic, cause it just looks so great on!

Layering Pieces  

Shrug 

Barb: 

Barb loved the Shrug and the gorgeous shape it created. She liked the pattern of the one she tried on and loved it even more when she flipped the Shrug, so most of the cream colour was on the sleeve. Such an elegant look! Barb showed how the Shrug is such a simple yet beautiful staple to add a pop of colour to your outfit.

Denise: 

Denise looked spectacular in the Shrug, further proving this style suits everyone! Denise tried on a neutral-toned Shrug first and thought it looked great! She then tried on a beautiful blue Shrug, and we found the matching Maxi Dress in the store! She loved the matching set, and we thought she looked marvellous!

Capelet Poncho  

Denise: 

Denise tried on a beautifully patterned Poncho, and she looked gorgeous in it! She liked styling it to look similar to the Kimono-Sleeved Top but loved the diagonal look better! Denise has a natural eye for styling pieces as she quickly pulled on the Elk Casbah linen pants to pair with the Poncho. We couldn't get over how perfect the Elk pants were for the look! Denise shared that she recently bought a pair in Elk for herself and found that it matches almost everything in her closet!

Kimono Sleeved Jacket 

Barb: 

When Barb was styling the Kimono Sleeved Jacket, she didn't tie the belt around her waist. Instead, she found it was more flattering and felt more comfortable feeding the belt through the arms of the Jacket. Styling the Jacket this way creates a beautiful shape without being restrictive and leaves a beautiful drape on the back of the piece. We also played around with style and did the Cardigan Style Hack with the Kimono Jacket; however, we used a magnetic button to create a more cape-like jacket style. Fabulous!

Denise:

Denise really enjoyed styling the Kimono-Sleeved Jacket! She paired the Jacket with a Front Tie Top with the same pattern but a different colour palette. By playing on the similarities of the pieces, the resulting look was very cool! Denise also tried the backwards style hack with the Kimono-Sleeved Jacket and created a collared blouse Jacket!

Cardigan

Barb: 

Barb had first pulled the gorgeous green Boxy Top to try on, and we knew she had to pair it with the matching Cardigan! The matching set looked amazing on her, so we wanted to see it with the Cardigan Style Hack: put on the Cardigan backwards, ruche up the front of the Cardigan and put it over your head, then straighten out the fabric to create a longer jacket style with lapels. We thought she looked amazing, and the set was so sweet!

Denise: 

Denise was quite familiar with our Cardigan style and pulled a piece that she had recently added to her wish list. As pictured above, the Cardigan was gorgeous; however, she thought it was more vibrant online. The colour she thought was royal blue was more of a denim in person, which she thought was lovely! She was attracted to the piece because of the pattern, as she liked the contrast of the delicate flowers with the striking stripes along the bottom.

Versatile Vest 

Barb: 

When trying on the Vest, we noticed Barb had pulled the same pattern in the Short Kaftan, so it was no surprise when she said that this piece was a yes! Barb likes the Vest for its versatility and loved the look when styled as the asymmetrical top, as pictured above. We could tell that Barb watched the videos as she showed us how easy it was to turn the Vest into a scarf in the blink of an eye!

Denise:

Denise looked amazing in the versatile Vest style! She found another piece on her wish list for a while, a beautiful dark green Wabi-Sabi Vest (not pictured). She finally got to try it on in person, and it looked so elegant! The beautiful piece was very rich, with such a gorgeous gold border.

Kimono Sleeved Duster

Denise: 

Denise initially pulled the Boxy top, and we found the matching georgette silk Kimono Sleeve Duster! Denise came in wearing a Duster of her own styled in the coolest way, so we had to ask her to show us how! Denise styled the Duster by tying the bottom of the front with a large knot and tying a knot in the sleeves. Then she added a chunky belt she found in her closet to add some weight to the flowy look! It looks amazing!

Dresses 

Midi Length Kaftan 

Barb: 

Barb really liked the Midi Length Kaftan, which looked beautiful on her! She loved the small details of the piece, like the cool gold triangle pattern only on the shoulders. The Midi Length Kaftan is a yes!

Denise:

Denise tried on a few Midi Length Kaftans but felt the piece didn't fit in with her personal tastes. She tried on a gorgeous blue Kaftan, pictured above, and she loved the fabric but felt it was too much material. Denise tried tying the bottom corner of the Kaftan to create an asymmetrical look which she did like a bit better. Denise had also pulled a gorgeous sheer piece because she loved the fabric, which looked like a stained glass window. She styled this Kaftan differently by belting it with a chunky belt and pairing it with a heavy cardigan. Denise liked this more because it was more fitted and found she wasn't swimming in fabric. Denise decided the Midi Length Kaftan was not the style for her; however, her creative styling prompted one of our viewers to ask Denise what she thought the best underpinning to pair with the silks would be. Denise shared that leggings are one of the best underpinnings to pair with the silks, like our terra leggings, and a comfortable tank top like our blue sky or orange village tanks. Denise definitely has some excellent styling wisdom!

One Shoulder Dress

Barb: 

Barb first tried on the One-Shoulder Dress on the right with the multicoloured flowers. Although she loved the style, she thought the colours were too muted for her, and the pattern needed to pop more. She then tried on the jewel-toned One-Shoulder and loved it! It was the perfect colouring for her and was very flattering. The One-Shoulder dress is such a stunning piece!

Denise: 

Throughout the live, we had been discussing one of the sari fabrics at the store called Peggy Bacon. Finally, although unfortunately not pictured, Denise tried on the fabric in the One-Shoulder Dress! Each sari we use can make around three pieces for our store, a vest in this fabric sold during the live, so the remaining pieces, this One-Shoulder and the Front Tie Top are the last of the pattern. Denise is more narrow in the shoulders, so when wearing the One Shoulder Dress, we pinned the neckline with one of our magnetic buttons so it sat more comfortably! Denise looked absolutely gorgeous in this piece and paired it with her cropped leggings. Once again, Denise's great eye caught that the Peggy Bacon fabric has the same shade of millpond blue in our Casbah linen pants! A perfect pair!

Boxy Babydoll Dress

Barb: 

The first Boxy Babydoll Dress that Barb tried on, not pictures, was a blue crepe silk; however, we felt that it was not doing anything for her. The fabric was a little stiffer, which affected the silk drape, and the vertical line pattern on the dress was too busy. We went to grab a dress in a different fabric, one that was sheer, to see whether the drape of the piece would be different. Coincidentally we grabbed the same fabric as a Kimono Sleeved Jacket she tried on earlier, pictured above! The sheer Boxy Babydoll Dress looked completely different on her, and she loved it! She looked amazing in the sheer fabric compared to the opaque one. The final Boxy Babydoll was a yes! Try pairing it with the Mina bamboo slip dress if you want to wear a sheer Babydoll without heavy underpinnings underneath.

Denise:

Denise was hesitant about trying the Boxy Babydoll dress as it is another piece with a more "boho" flowy look that she doesn't often gravitate to. She loved the fabric but found it too much for her. Denise styled the Babydoll dress with her belt to look more like a skirted tunic, and she liked the look a lot better because there was less fabric. Ultimately she thought that the Boxy Babydoll was a cute style, just not something she would wear herself.

Sculptural Tunic Dress

Barb: 

Our Sculptural Tunic dresses have been going like crazy, so there was only one left in the whole store! Barb did not love the style for herself, though, as she found it sat weird on the bust and wasn't a fan of the shape it created.

Self-Pocket Dress

Barb: 

Compared to the Sculptural Tunic dress, Barb liked this style much better, and we thought it looked adorable on her! The Self-Pocket is a very flattering style, especially in sheer! The dress that Barb tried on was part of our Wabi Sabi Collection.

Denise:

Denise was worried that the crepe silks in this style would sit awkwardly, but she was very pleased with how it felt and looked! This dress, in particular, was a more busy pattern than Denise usually wears, but she absolutely loved the style. She likes to style the dress with leggings paired underneath to add a bit more weight to the outfit and add some balance.

Jumpsuit 

Barb: 

Barb was not a fan of the Jumpsuit style on herself as she found it landed in a weird spot. With this particular style, we found that the underpinnings were weighing down the look, so Barb pulled up her leggings to see how they would look with a lighter feel. It looked so good on her, and she did like the style more without the underpinnings underneath but was still not a fan. While she felt the Jumpsuit was fun and comfortable, it was not a style for her.

Denise: 

Denise looked terrific in the Jumpsuit! She liked the split pattern on the legs of the jumpsuit and prefers to style the Jumpsuit with the belt to create a more structured shape!

Maxi Dress

Barb: 

Barb tied the dress with the deeper V to the front when putting on the Maxi Dress style. With the Maxi Dress, there are two necklines you can create, the first being the original rounded V neckline and the second being the side that is usually the armpit. When the straps are tied with the armpit side to the front, it creates a deeper V that is perfect for a different look and more comfortable for those with larger busts. Barb didn't like belting the dress, preferring a more slip-styled dress. However, she didn't let the belt go to waste, using it as an accessory like a scarf. She looked stunning in the dress and very sweet with the layers underneath, making it great for all seasons!

Denise:

Denise is quite familiar with our Maxi Dress style. She was one of our incredible models for our breakfast television segment and showed off the beautiful style! We found a matching Shrug, and Maxi Dress set that Denise loved! She likes to belt the Maxi Dress to create more of a definitive waist and looks great in it! Denise shared that she isn't usually a dress person, but she thinks the Maxi Dresses are magnificent!