crafterhours

sleeping babes. crafting moms.

Shabby Apple Review & Giveaway! (and a coupon code for everyone!)

By 98 Comments

Ok, true confession time: last summer (as in summer 2011), Shabby Apple sent me this dress to review.  I had picked out the dress in early spring and had them send it straight to America for me so I could model it and do the review while I was home and had Susan as my photographer.  But, by the time I was finally in the same place as the dress, I had a little person taking up residence in my baby apartment and couldn’t model the dress without advertising that fact.

So, here we go, one year later, with the baby weight just down enough to finally feel comfortable modeling this dress.  I’m definitely not one of those women who lose that baby weight fast.  It all comes off, it just takes closer to 12 months for me.  (sidenote: I recently saw a fb thread where a first-time mom asked how long she should expect it to take for the weight to come off, and the majority of the people responded with: About a month.  A MONTH!!!  Let’s not set other women up for disappointment, hey?)
So, back to the fun stuff!  I’ve spent many an hour perusing the lovely clothes over at Shabby Apple.  I just love how ladylike and flattering all of their dresses are.  But they also have tops, skirts, bathing suits, accessories, girls’ dresses, and now even fitness wear too.
So when it came time for me to chose, I picked one that I’ve had my eye on for a long time, the San Gabriel.  I’ve always really liked the look of the San Gabriel because it’s just not something you’d find in a store.  And you could pretty much kill me with a well-placed ruffle sleeve.  I like the option to wear the sash tied in front or back, depending on what look you’re going for.  I was going for the draw-as-little-attention-to-my-belly-area-as-possible look.

Who hates being photographed? (hint: it’s me!)







One of the best things about this dress is it does a great job of fitting many body shapes.  It would accentuate those who have it and create curves for those who want it.  I’d post the pic of the size 000 model wearing it here for a side-by-side comparison, but it’s actually written into my Craferhours contract that I’ll never have to pose next to a paid model for comparison’s sake.  Oh well.


Oh, and speaking of post-partum bodies, you could totally breastfeed in this dress! (provided you are good at undoing buttons with one hand).  In fact, Shabby Apple even has it listed under their recommended “new mama” clothes.  



It’s also a great dress for spanning all of the social obligations: baby showers, GNOs, church, the chocolate buffet at the Mandarin Oriental (um yeah, I do that.  Did I mention it takes 12 months for me to lose baby weight?)  You can’t say that about just any dress.  I’m wearing my favorite shoes for this photo shoot, but I think this dress would also match up well with a platform strappy sandal, or for cooler weather, opaque tights and a suede bootie.  And if I were the type to accessorize, I’d probably throw on a thick hammered gold cuff bracelet too.  It’s very versatile (especially when you’re just using accessories from your imagination, not your real closet)!

Oh, and just in case you were wondering if the dress could do this:

it totally can.

So, are you ready to win your very own Shabby Apple shopping spree?  For the chance to win a $100 gift card for Shabby Apple, just head over to their site, have a look around, then come back and leave a comment telling us what you would do with your winnings!  Comments will be closed on Midnight EST, this Wednesday July 18.  We’ll announce a winner on Thursday.  So hop to it!

One comment per person please, US shipping addresses only.

For the rest of us, Shabby Apple is providing a 10% discount for the next month!  Just enter crafter10off at check out.

Thanks for the dress and all your lovely options, Shabby Apple!  Good luck everyone!

Comments

  6. Melissa says

    I think I would have to go with the Mauna Kea dress – they got me combining Hawaii and the horse in the photos – two of my favorite things. Oh yeah, and the dress is lovely too. mellysews(a)gmail.com

    Reply

  16. katie says

    i’ve always wanted a shabby apple dress! i would get the mamma mia for now (i’m expecting #2) and then the ballerina for ‘new mamas’ afterward.

    Reply

  17. SMGajus says

    I have wrestled with the decision of trying to pick my favorite, and I just don’t think there is one – there are so many! I’d probably get a few to congratulate myself for getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. My top picks are the Desert Modern, Roma, Trade Winds and With Honors – and the Glowing shoes!

    shelleygajus (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply

  18. Kelli @ WhimsiKel says

    I love the Bon Voyage Remake, and I can’t figure out when I started liking pleats! Thanks for hosting the giveaway! (And AMEN about giving people realistic expectations about losing baby weight! I was so impatient, but both times a year would have been a MUCH more realistic goal.)

    Reply

  19. Senna says

    How to choose just one! I’m in love with the tropical sunshine. Such a bright fun color and flattering fit. But the sierra is beautiful too.

    Reply

  21. Kim says

    A month?! Those people are out of their minds! I think most women still look sort-of pregnant a month after giving birth! I’m 7 months out and just starting to feel good in my own skin again. I average about a year and a half until all the baby weight is finally off. You look fantastic!!!!

    Anyway, I Love love love the Bon Voyage Remake. So feminine! Fingers crossed! I have wanted a Shabby Apple for soooo long!!

    Reply

  23. Carie says

    Mulholland Dress! I’ve wanted that dress for a year now! I still have some weight to lose before I’d wear it comfortably, but it’ll be my goal dress!

    I had my baby 9 months ago and I’m still working on my baby pooch! Change takes time! It’s a process!

    Thanks for the AMAZING giveaway!

    carieaustin(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply

  40. Jani Jo says

    I have drooled over the ‘Alice’ dress for awhile now; but my post-baby body is taking more like 18 months! I have 4 Shabby Apple dresses that I just LOVE. Great quality & awesome fit. BTW, the San Gabriel looks awesome on you!!!

    Reply

  45. colleenp says

    I love love the bistro blouse, Can be worn casuaul with jeans or dressy with nice slim slacks!! Love their clothes and would love to order alot of the styles they offer!!

    Reply

  50. Jessie says

    Oh … my … goodness! What a fabulous giveaway!

    I absolutely love the joy rider dress *le sigh*

    p.s. you could put yourself beside a “model” but you could also just call yourself a model and it would all be good – you look great in that dress!!!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    jess.alora[@]gmail[.]com

    Reply

  62. Naomi K says

    I would get a super cute, interview appropriate dress for the interviews I hope to be going on soon!

    Reply

  67. April G says

    Ok, this is one of the best dress reviews I’ve ever seen, haha! I love it!

    Ahem, anyway, I would LOVE to buy the Alice dress! I never thought I could wear it, but recently I’ve seen some photos of other non-model women wearing lacey dresses, and I swear they look better than the Shabby Apple models. :) So now I want that dress.

    aprilgilbertson(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  70. Leigh Anne says

    Thanks for the funny & honest review! So true about the baby weight…..1 month??? What the??? I’m with you on the 12 month track. You look fab, BTW!

    I had a hard time choosing, but love the Pina Colada dress. Also love Pina coladas too….maybe that’s why I love the dress so much…haha!

    leighannerushing(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  80. Lindsay {Shrimp} says

    I love the Elizabeth Islands dress! The wrap aspect makes it perfect for work, but the fabric and color give it tons of versatility!

    Thanks, Adrianna and Susan!

    shrimpsaladcircus [!at] gmail dot com

    Reply

  91. cloudbruja06 says

    I would probably get the G Cooper. It’s a lovely simple grey pinstripe with a nice skirt. A lot of the other dresses seem to have more of a pencil skirt but I like my dresses to swish around my knees. But Bon Voyage has some very nice pleats…

    aehall14@amherst.edu

    Reply

  96. Tara G says

    I LOVE the Bon Voyage dress! There are so many cute dresses it would be hard to get just one ;)
    wakechick25@yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  97. Laura says

    I have always loooved Shabby Apple clothing while looking at it from a distance online. I have yet to order anything but after this review I will have to. Picking just one perfect summer dress is almost impossible from this site, so if I did win the extra bucks I would have to buy TWO amazing summer dress that flatter my curves and busty chest. I might even get some accessories to match.

    thanks for the review A, dress looks great!

    Reply

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