Remember the cute Gap pleated striped dress at the bottom of this post? I loved the design but the cut unfortunately made me feel like a linebacker. When I saw Gap bring back pleated stripes in the form of this adorable “rugby” dress, I was eager to see if they made any fit updates…
Style: This dress comes in both a peach pink and black stripe, in a cotton blend (64% cotton, 36% poly) with slight texture that I tried to show in the above photo. There are on-seam pockets on both sides plus a concealed back zipper. The skirt is full but not too full which I loved, and the bottom half is lined.
Fit: Sadly, I thought the torso was still cut pretty wide. I’m also on the shorter side of the petite spectrum at ~5 feet and this dress hit 2-3″ above my knees, so the petite sizing might be too short for those a few inches taller. I didn’t think it was worth it to alter since I prefer my dresses to be a little longer, plus alterations would be complex (pleats would need to be re-aligned somehow after the torso is slimmed, side pockets may need to be re-attached, etc).
Measurements of a 0 petite: 13″ across the waist, 16.75″ across the armpits, 15″ torso length from top of shoulder to waistline (this part was perfect for me), 32″ total length.
Both colors of the rugby stripe material also come in skirt form (which frankly didn’t look too flattering being low-rise, scrunchy, and short) as well as shorts form, which looked pretty cute in-store with a conservative 3″ petite inseam. Please note online reviews indicate that the shorts seem to run big as well.Also in my order were these striped espadrille wedges, which come in a neutral color as well. I’ve been looking for moderately high wedges all summer but just haven’t found any that worked out. These are adorable and comfortable given the height, but I didn’t like how rounded they looked on my feet (personal pet peeve – hard to describe!) thus returned them.
Also I just noticed from this photo that there is dried glue caked on the back heel cup…tsk tsk quality control. Fit wise, these come only in whole sizes and I thought they fit true to size. For those who are interested and wear sz 6+ (5’s are online-only) I saw these marked down to $50 in-store plus extra 50% off!
Thank you for your feedback, Fiona! : )
Glad you like the skirt, Paige! It's one of my go-tos for summer since the waist is so comfy : )
So glad to hear you're enjoying my blog! That dress is darling…it looked solid from afar but the chevron pattern is so cute when I zoomed in. Happy to hear it was a great fit for you : )
Good to know! Old Navy definitely has some gems. I wish they would both offer petite sizing in stores!
It looks amazing on you! So flattering.
I have to say I really like their denim, though! The petite sizing is online only but I've been really happy with both my legging jeans and the real straight cut. Both fit great and even feel like they run on the small side. And thank you for your feedback! I definitely have a few in the works including a video later this week!
Interesting! I'm a fan of Target shoes and must've missed that one. Thanks for sharing : )
Thank you for your recommendation, Hanna! It is a shame but hopefully they will offer extended sizing in the future like they do with their other brand, BR.
Hi there – they are Nana brand from yoox.com but unfortunately a year or two old!
loved that dress from the front. I wonder how it would fit me. thanks for sharing it! the shoes are cute too. xx. gigi. http://www.gigikkitchen.com
I love these espadrilles as well! Such a great dress 🙂
Check out the B.A.D blog: blogaboutdesign.com
What cute outfit!
I love your attention to detail!
For another summer wedge option, I got the Target Merona espadrille wedge for $15 and I've been wearing the off white color with everything from dresses to boyfriend jeans! They're super similar to the J. crew wedges and I've had no problems with them.
Being 5' 0" myself and similar build, I have always struggled with Gap! Gap Petite the UK has only been available since last year, which got me excited but then I realised how wide their size block is! Such a shame as I find cute items in there and I just know I'm going to have to alter them!
For moderately high wedges, try Kurt Geiger (Monty wedges!) – and they ship to US at a really decent price!
where did you get the tall stacked heels in the first picture? those would be perfect for a wedding i'm going to soon.
Dangzors that dress is wide on you! They need to rethink their sizing.
Style by Joules
Yes I have issues with Gap sizing too. They are usually too big but I am not petite so things have been hit or miss for me. Also I think the espadrille wedges are cute!
http://www.misshotcouture.blogspot.com
Seriously, what would us little slim girls do without you? Thanks for the heads up on brands that are heavy with vanity sizing. I cleared Gap off my list a while back, which is pretty disappointing since they have cute items and nice price points. C'est la vie!
Hi Jean! Love your review posts! Keep up the good work! I am about 5'1 and 101lbs and I have never been able to find anything that fits me at Gap. The dress does look very cute on you though. A couple months back you did a post on how to style a sheath dress for work and I thought that was awesome. Will you be doing more work clothes styling guides in the future?
*UPDATE*
Ooooops! Never mind, I just didn't look hard enough! I found your email! Thank yoooouuuu <3
-Nadia S
Ah! Ah! Jean!!! That is me!!!! It is I, Nadia S! But…i do not know your email! And in the link I can only find your social media….! Should I facebook you? I really am beside myself right now….I don't know what to do…..i cannot believe i actually won! OOOH thank you so much!!
-Nadia S
Sorry to hear the peach rugby dress didn't work out for you!
Having purchased it myself with regular sizing, I have to say it did run a bit large but sizing down did make it fit TTS for me (see it here).
Liz @ ShoppingMyCloset.com
NEW! Weekly Style Me Wednesday fashion blog link-up
Informative review of the dress, and those espadrilles does look too round, returning them is a good choice.
xo
http://agoldentulip.blogspot.com/
Great dress <3
xo
http://www.evesbreeze.blogspot.com
Love the flooring!
Fit is very important. Thanks for sharing this. I love your blog:)
http://www.shallwesasa.com
I have been having a lot of trouble with the Gap dresses. Too big in a 0P and way too short on me (5'2" 112 lbs). If I get regular the proportions are still out of whack. I have had great success with the oldnavy ponte dresses this summer in XSP, cute and machine washable. Dirt cheap too, which is good for weekend "mom on the go" attire and can be dressed up for date night. Only annoyance is you need a racerback or strapless bra underneath.
I agree! The espadrilles are so cute! They looked great on you!
I was so happy to find your blog!! I'm also an Asian girl with the exact same measurements, and I've never met another person like me. I've been back-stalking to see your past experiences, as I commonly shop at Banana and Loft, with not much luck other places.
I bought this dress at Loft last weekend: Petite Chevron Jacquard in 00P and it fits surprisingly well (wearing it today). I've had problems in the past with Loft dresses bust darts being too low for my body, but this is in just the right place.
I had the same experience with the dress, which I ordered in black. I was so excited about it based on the picture, but also returned because I felt it did not fit well. 🙁 However, I also just ordered the Modcloth "Stripe it Lucky" skirt you reviewed a while back, and love it!
The dress and shorts are so cute!
http://www.simplyli.com/
The dress and espadrilles are too cute!
Malensu
lennylikestoblog.blogspot.co.uk
Dress on first picture is adorable. Keep up .
http://travelwithstyleanabellem.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing your honest reviews for the dress and shoes!
http://www.petitestyleonline.com
The dresses are both wonderful! Recently I bought a similar dress with black & white stripes at C&A; and surprisingly the fit is perfect 🙂
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
These espadrilles are so so cute!
http://www.eyelikefashion.com
I love that dress <3 Although I do feel your pain in wanting to buy a dress but having it not fit. I've had to let go of a lot of clothes because of it!
Vessi :: arts & petite style blog
Hi Jean! I usually read your blog on my Feedly so venturing to the site was a pleasant surprise–love the new theme/colors. I totally know what you mean by the espadrilles giving you a too-round toe, it's also my pet peeve!