Review: Eliza Parker Portofino By Night Dress

Alternatively Titled, "Kelsey vs. The Cleavage-Baring Dress"

Dress: c/o Eliza Parker/ Portofino By Night Dress in Black (here)

Earrings: Forever 21

Bangle: Forever 21

Belt: Target

When Eliza Parker recently offered to send me an item of my choosing from their online store, I squealed with delight. Lilli and Rebecca had both managed to convince me that Eliza Parker makes some of the comfiest -- and most beautiful! -- clothes out there, so I had been dying to feature the brand on Charming Pumpkin. I waffled back and forth a bit about what I wanted, but ultimately settled on the Portofino By Night Dress in Black. My reasons were two-fold: first, I own exactly zero -- count 'em, ZERO -- long dresses. Second, low cut dresses and I have had an interesting? hate hate? relationship in the past. In the interest of trying something new, though, I figured this would be a wonderful opportunity to give a long, low cut dress a whirl, and boy am I glad that I did!

Made of a soft, weighty, wrinkle-free and luxurious jersey knit fabric, the Portofino by Night Dress is fully lined, and has thick straps for those of us with, ahem, heftier maidens in the chestal area. No spaghetti straps here, ladies. Hallelujah! I sit right around 5 feet 6 inches tall, and the dress proved to be the perfect length with flats; it doesn't drag on the ground at all.

I initially had no idea what kind of a bra to wear under this dress, low cut as it is. Enter the amazing and oh-so-helpful Jessica. I sent her an email enquiring what the models on the website wore under this dress, all the while crossing my fingers that they hadn't rigged something up that involved copious amount of duct tape, and no small amount of luck. Thankfully, she responded promptly and informed me that the models had worn one of Lane Bryant's plunge bras. How's that for customer service?

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this dress. As I'm sure you've noticed, I don't typically wear low-cut dresses. I apparently have the sensibilities of a Victorian maiden that way. I felt surprisingly comfortable and at ease in this dress, though. I felt sophisticated. While it certainly falls ever-so-slightly on the dressier end of the spectrum, the Portofino By Night can be dressed up or down depending upon the occasion, which makes it a versatile addition to anyone's closet.

Eliza Parker carries dresses from sizes 10/12 to 26/28, and every single item on the site is impeccably tailored, beautifully colored, and utterly flattering for curvier figures. I have my eye on the Monaco Dress in Burgundy and the Nantucket Dress in Navy. If you haven't checked out Eliza Parker's site, you should head over there right now! I would be shocked -- shocked! -- if something doesn't catch your eye.

Eliza Parker's founder, Jessica, was kind enough to answer some questions for all of you about her clothing collection! Enjoy reading her answers; I know I did! =)

CP: When did you first know that you wanted to break into the fashion industry? 

I have been plus size my entire life, and I have always been passionate about fashion. Throughout my life, I have struggled to find stylish clothing that fit my body. I did a bit of research and found that I was not alone. 43% of women in the US are size 14+ and many of them are unsatisfied with current apparel offerings. If you walk into a shopping mall, there may be six stores where a plus size woman can shop, but 40 stores for a "straight-size" woman. The opportunity was apparent, and I knew that with the right team, we could offer curvy women stylish clothing that fits.

CP: What's your design and/or fashion philosophy?  

Fit is critical and I love silhouettes that show off a woman's curves.  I also spend a lot of time thinking about fabrics, colors, prints, and special details and trims.  My goal is to excite our customers.  I want women to wear our clothing and love it.  I develop silhouettes that flatter the curves, pick fabrics that are luxuriously comfortable, and add details, like pockets, that make me smile. 

CP: What is your design process?

We sketch out different ideas, develop patterns and samples, and have fittings with our fit model to perfect the fit and details.  We will never produce anything unless everyone on the team loves it.  I even wear all of the samples out on a couple of occasions to make sure that I'm happy with the fit and that the style can be worn multiple ways.  The fit, style, and fabric all have to work together perfectly before we'll put it into production.

CP: What's your favorite thing about what you do?  

I love interacting with our customers.  I try to personally answer as many emails from customers as possible.  I want to hear feedback (good and bad!) about our clothes and service. 

CP: How would you describe the quintessential Eliza Parker woman?

I am designing for a woman who is always on the go. Our customer needs great separates for work and party dresses to wear to weddings, cocktail events, and other occasions. She is stylish and loves clothing that fits her curves. 

CP: How would you describe your collection's aesthetic?

Our aesthetic is classic with a twist. Many of our looks can be worn season after season and are easy to

transition from work to play. At the same time, we add great details and trims that keep our styles youthful, special and on trend.

CP: What are your current favorite pieces?

It's so hard to pick a favorite (it's like picking a favorite child!).  I will say that I wear the Sofia dress every week and I wear the Million Ways Cardigan almost every other day.  Both are just so easy, comfortably and chic.  My favorite party dresses right now are the Monaco and Portofino.  

CP: Where do you find your inspiration?

I love to draw inspiration from 1950s and 60s silhouettes -- a time when women's curves were really celebrated.  Our Monaco dress was inspired by a dress that Grace Kelly wore in Rear Window.  It's timeless and dramatic, yet wonderfully charming. 

*Eliza Parker was kind enough to send me this item free of charge. This in no way affected my opinion of the item or the company. I'm an opinionated beast of a woman, so you can be sure that if I hadn't liked the item and/or company I would have said so. For serious.

I Love Millie!

Dress: Emily Hallman/Millie Dress (here)

Sweater: August Silk/Nordstrom Rack

Tights: Hue/Macy's

Shoes: Naya/Nordstrom Rack (here)

Head band: Nordstrom

Bracelet: Gifted

Sweater clip: DIY

I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all cardigans are super duper awesome, that they are the perfect compliment to my favorite garment ever -- the dress -- and that the combination of the two is endowed with inalienable awesomeness. That to create the perfect outfit, beautiful dresses are created by exceptional designers... Okay, okay. I'm done. I could continue to take artistic license with the Declaration of Independence, but I think I've made the Founders roll over in their graves quite enough for one day.

I'm a little bit obsessed with this dress. I have been since I first saw it on the Emily Hallman website. This dress just happened to be the first thing that caught my eye, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that I could quite happily own every single item from the label.

The brains and beauty behind the label, Emily, is absolutely lovely. Because my measuring skills are roughly akin to those of a dimwitted monkey zygote, when the dress first arrived it was waaaay to big. Emily very sweetly offered to alter it for me, though, so I popped it back in the mail, and waited on baited breath for the day when I could clasp the dress in my eager little paws again. It arrived a little over a week after I sent it off, far quicker than I expected, and it fit like a dream. I may or may not have worn the dress around with my slippers that night. Maybe. Possibly.

This dress, friends, is my new favorite item of clothing. It fits like a glove, it spins (oh boy, does it spin!), and it's really, really comfortable. I wore it our for my breakfast brunch, and was shocked when the valet guy randomly complimented my dress. I feel compelled to offer up a warning regarding this dress, though: it will make you want to spin to the point of dizziness. It may also inspire you to sway from side to side when no one's watching just so you can watch the fabric swishing to and fro. In my case, people were definitely watching, and they definitely thought I was certifiably insane. They pulled their children away from me suspiciously. Meh. What are you gonna do?

At any rate, today is my birthday and I'm off to celebrate with a low-key movie marathon and exorbitant amounts of food. Emily was kind enough to answer some questions for all of us, so I'll leave you with her answers, and a cheeky wink: ;)

CP: When did you first know that you wanted to be a clothing designer?
I've known for most of my life that I have certain creative talents. It took a few years, however, to hone in on exactly what those talents were and how to best execute them. My love for clothing truly began when I was about 8 and I made a suit for my younger brother using only copy paper and staples. When I discovered that I could actually study fashion and build a career around it, I jumped at the opportunity. Since I graduated from college, not a day has gone by that I haven't sketched, researched, created patterns, or sewn something. 

CP: What's your design and/or fashion philosophy?

I simply love creating beautiful clothing, and I sincerely hope to encourage women to disregard our society's current obsession with thinness and unrealistic celebrity beauty and embrace a healthy body. I don't care what "size" a person is, it's irrelevant to me. We all need great clothes, and my goal is to provide clothing that anyone can wear. The fact is, I adore pretty clothes and I like to feel pretty in my own everyday life. I want all woman to feel that way when they gets dressed, and I am thrilled to be able to contribute to that.

CP: What is your design process?

The design process is considerably longer than you might imagine--for me, it's about 5 months.  I approach each collection with ideas already in mind about specific looks I want to incorporate. I do an insane amount of research and source my fabrics, sketch, re-sketch, edit, draft new ideas, and tweak the overall collection prior to drafting the patterns or sewing the samples. I then spend weeks drafting every single pattern and test the design, fit and comfort before final design approval. Once the fabrics arrive, I sew my samples (yes, each and every sample is cut out and sewn by me). It's a long, long process and that doesn't include photography or website updates and edits. Oh, and I always have to think ahead to the next collection--there is never any break. It's a constant mental marathon! 

CP: What's your favorite thing about what you do?

Being creative! I also adore meeting the beautiful, wonderful women who have discovered the Emily Hallman brand and responded so positively to the aesthetic--not much is more motivating than that! 

CP: Where do you find your inspiration?

I am inspired by lots of things--fabrics, historical costume and vintage fashion, art, architecture, interior design . . . the list goes on! 

CP: How would you describe the quintessential "Hallman Woman?"

First and foremost, the Hallman woman is  . . . a woman. I design grown-up clothing for confident, chic women who enjoy ladylike clothes made with the finest materials. Here is what we love about the Hallman woman: her clothing is an accessory to her personality, not the definition of it. She dresses to feel good, and isn't impressed with passing fads or amateur design. She loves special details, exquisite tailoring and proper fit.  The Hallman woman is smart, charming, funny, and incredibly stylish. 

CP: How would you describe your collection's aesthetic?

Classic and supremely feminine. I incorporate silhouettes from the 1940s and 1950s, but update the look with modern fabric and modern design sensibilities. I love incorporating special details like trims, contrast stitching, fun linings, and hidden pockets. 

CP: What are some of your current favorite pieces?

The Mille dress is probably my favorite piece from the fall collection--I love the print, the silhouette, and the special topstitching at the neckline. It's so feminine and flattering, which I love. I also have a soft spot for the Georgia pencil skirt and Tillie trouser from the holiday collection. As much as I love dresses, I love the versatility of separates just as much (okay, maybe a tad more). ;) You can't go wrong with a bright red pant during the holidays, and a sequin pencil skirt is always a show-stopper.

"Kelsey and Her New P&E Skirt Sittin' in a Tree..."

Sweater: LOFT

Skirt: Pearl and Elspeth

Belt: Target

Tights: Hue (Macy's)

Boots: Fitzwell (6pm.com)

Necklace: Marc Jacobs (gift from Mama CP!)

Head Band: Target

I ordered this Pearl & Elspeth skirt after seeing this one on Lilli over at Frocks and Frou Frou. The moment I received my skirt in the mail, I swooned. If woman and skirt could wed, I would be Mrs. Australian Bird Skirt.  My experience corresponding with Annie was so wonderful that I decided I wanted to do a post on her and P&E. 

Each of Annie's items is one-of-a-kind and tailored to you and your tastes. She asked me to describe for her some of my likes and dislikes, and what sorts of details I tend to favor on items of clothing. I'm fairly certain that I provided her with a series of unhelpful, and thoroughly vague answers that essentially amounted to, "I like everything, everywhere, for all of history." Believe me when I say that Annie really does have an uncanny knack for picking out fabrics that are ideally suited to her customers. I don't recall ever telling her about my long-standing love of polka dots, so I was delighted -- and shocked! -- when I received the skirt and saw that she had sewn a piece of polka-dot fabric around the top of the skirt that ties into an adorable little bow in the back. I think she must have magical powers... 

At any rate, I've been trying really hard to buy more handmade items, and I would encourage all of you to do the same. Sure, sometimes handmade items are more expensive. However, I would rather have one beautiful skirt tailor-made to my exact measurements, specifications, and tastes than 10 so-so pieces of clothing. I think it's important to reward creativity, and to support people like Annie who create unique and beautiful pieces that simply can't be purchased in a chain store. Annie is the first person I have purchased a handmade item of clothing from, and I will most certainly be a return customer! If you have a minute, head over to Pearl and Elspeth and show her some love. I've attached a few photos of my favorite P&E creations at the end of this post for your viewing pleasure! 

In addition to being a wonderful seamstress with a terrific eye for detail, Annie also happens to be a wonderfully friendly person. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for all of us over here at CP!

Tell us a bit about you and/or P&E's philosophy.

I believe in using every resource as many times as possible, so all of Pearl & Elspeth's clothes are made from reclaimed and/or recycled materials. Also, vintage is beautiful and unique. I am also passionate about making individual clothes for individual tastes and needs, and I especially love catering for women who find it difficult to get unique, beautiful clothes that fit them well.

How did you first get into sewing?

I have been sewing forever! My mum taught me to sew when I was very young, and I have always loved it because I'm forever coveting clothes that are 'a bit out of the ordinary' -- i.e. impossible to find in shops. The only option, I find, is to make them yourself. Or, if you can't sew, get P&E to make them for you.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I seem to have a very uncanny knack for picking out fabrics that are perfectly suited to the lady I'm sewing for. Because each piece I sew is one-of-a-kind, it means I can really just sew according to what the fabric suggests -- the size, the colours, and even the style.

What is your favorite thing about what you do?

Meeting people and sewing clothes that they love to wear!