Guess what I got in the mail, my friends! Did you happen to guess that Wool& sent me a lovely new dress to review? Because if you did, you win the guessing prize.
On a scorching day last week I was slogging home through the heat and humidity (RealFeel of 104, bleh), thinking happily about the long-sleeved wool dress soon to be landing in my mailbox. It was not the sort of day on which Past Jamie would have expected to wear wool, but Past Jamie had some things to learn about staying cool in the summer.
You might remember that I have posted enthusiastically about my Wool& clothes. But unless you are a Wool& fangirl yourself, you probably don't remember that I completed my first-ever challenge in a dress called the Willow. I put it on when it came in the mail in November 2022 and thought, "I am going to wear this dress forever." Perfect color, perfect length, perfect neckline, perfect sleeves, perfect swing. And pockets too! I wore that dress for 30 days in a row and used the reward money to buy another Wool& swing dress. (I wore that one to work today, actually.)
Earlier this year Wool& announced that they were updating the Willow, and at first my heart sank a little. It's hard to improve on perfect, and I thought about buying another of the original Willows before they went away. But their designers usually do a terrific job, and the new version was coming out in a fabulous orange-y pink-y color called Guava that I couldn't wait to see in person. I was delighted to receive a free dress in exchange for a review.
On the sweatiest day of the year so far I opened up my package. "Oh MY," I said when I saw the color, which is a luscious shade, just like a slice of ripe papaya. "I am going to have to sit down and pet this fabric for a minute so I can admire this gorgeous color properly," I said to Pete. "I knew you were going to say that," he said, because he is accustomed to my fondness for distinctive saturated colors.
As soon I was done petting my new dress (...this is where the Wool& publicity person reading this post thinks to herself, "Maybe next time we find ourselves a less quirky reviewer..."), I tried it on. The redesign seems to have a straighter bodice than the original. The shoulder seams are just a smidge wider, and the bust is just a smidge snugger. The size guide is accurate; I definitely would not size down in this one, as some people do in the Wool& swing dresses. The dress as a whole is a little narrower, but it is still pleasingly flowy. The new hemline is curved, which I like, and the new pockets are sewn in place, so it's a little easier for them to accommodate something substantial like a phone. You may notice that the newer one is a bit longer; the dress comes in two lengths and I requested the longer one this time around.
The biggest difference between the two versions of the dress is the elimination of the back pleat. I wondered whether the new Willow might be more clingy and less swingy, but they were able to retain the satisfying drape of the original.
The new Willow is made from their 180gsm mechanical stretch jersey fabric, which is comfortable all year round. My one minor quibble is that the fabric is slightly sheer in this new shade, so I will need to pay attention to the underthings I wear with it.
Despite the temperatures, I pushed up the sleeves and wore it to work. Since I commute on foot, I logged 8000 steps in unpleasantly humid weather, feeling comfortable and colorful. In sum: wool is still magic, and the redesigned Willow is easy to wear and flattering too. Thanks to Wool& for this opportunity to review the new guava Willow!
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