Banana Republic: Issa Collection

I’ve been hit or miss with Banana Republic over the years, but they are still one of the retailers I check regularly because when I do have a hit with them, it’s usually a good one. For suit pants, they are my go-to over J.Crew, and this year I found myself loving their Sloan ankle pants. I’ve been underwhelmed by their last few designer collaborations and I their latest mailer for their collaboration with Issa London was nothing I swooned over. However, checking out the website with the new arrivals, I decided to give one of the dresses a shot, hoping that the design would work with my figure. Yes, we all know how lovely Kate Middleton looked in her royal blue Issa dress…but alas, I am no Kate.

The Issa Collection Short-Sleeve Pleated Dress caught my eye and it also came in tall sizes so I decided to give it a try in the “bright green” colorway. It also comes in black and “tulum turqouise” and the tall sizes appear to already be sold out online. The dress retails for $138 but they were running a 30% off the Issa collection last week. I decided to try two sizes in this dress: 10 & 12 Tall.

The dress is 100% rayon (meh) and has a full polyester lining. I also wouldn’t categorize this dress as “bright” green, it’s definitely more of a jade and I daresay close to this season’s hammock green from J.Crew. The website lists the regular dress as 36″ long and I can’t find the tall online anymore but I’d guess it’s 37″ or maybe 38″. The dress zips up the back.

As you can see, I’m not sure I’d classify this “bright” green. I ultimately opted for the size 10 in this dress but above is a pic of the 12 and there is wayyy too much fabric going on in the skirt.

Here’s the size 10 tall. This dress likes my shape. I’m glad I opted for the Tall size as it just hits at my knee and I wouldn’t want it any shorter. There is no hem to speak of to let out. It’s a heavier weight and the lining is cut in the same shape as the dress. I only say this because I find the linings in a lot of dresses to be cut too straight which doesn’t agree with my hips. This lining fell nicely. I couldn’t get a good picture of the back of this dress but it’s stitched in a flattering pattern that helps create more of the hourglass look that the pleats in the front create. I think the photo makes this look a little bulkier in front than it really is. The green is a pretty shade and I can see it working through the fall and for holiday parties as well with the right shoes and accessories. I could definitely wear it to work but I’m not sure how smart it would look with a blazer. It needed a fair amount of ironing out of the package, and while a steamer would probably be ideal for this dress, I did the best I could with an iron. The tag says it’s dry clean only.

Here’s a close up of the pleating/chest area. My only complaint is that there’s this weird seam underneath the fabric on the chest sort of off to the edge of my chest. You can see it in the picture. It’s not a wrinkle. But overall, I’m happy with this dress. It’s a keeper. It fits my D chest without obscene cleavage and my hips have room to breathe. All pluses in my book. As I looked today, many of the items from the collection are already picked over. I wasn’t a fan of most of the prints but I tend to be pretty picky when it comes to prints. I don’t have any dresses in this color so it will be a good addition to my wardrobe. So, what do you think? Did you try anything from the BR Issa Collaboration? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!