So remember Igigi had that big sale and it was the Sale of the Century? Well, I caved.
If you remember, I have not had good luck with Igigi. It pains me because I really like the idea of well-made boutique clothes in the plus sizes, I LOVE that they’re made in America and plus, well, they’re an advertiser and I’m not sure if you’re aware, but there’s a recession on and mama still needs her miu mius.
Anyhoodle.
I didn’t like their trench dress they sent me for review –though to give credit where it’s due, it was well-constructed out of a nice heavy knit jersey– and then when I bought this dress, they not only sent me the wrong color, they wanted me to pay to ship the wrong color back and then pay again to have the right color shipped. Uh. No. And also their excuse for shipping me the wrong color to begin with? They had a lot of orders that week. Yeah.
I ended up keeping the dress, but I gave it to Goodwill without wearing it. I don’t know how they had it pinned on the model, but that was not how it hung on me and the jersey was a little closer to swimsuit material than I typically prefer.
Then there was this trench dress I was sent to review, as modeled here on Nikki Blonsky:
You can read the full review here, but basically it was mumsy mumsy mumsy. Because I’m tall and have a lot of “presence” I can carry off looks a lot of other big girls can’t, and even I couldn’t make this one work to the level I require if I’m wearing something in public. This was A Lot of Look (La Blonsky is wearing it without the sash) in a way that managed to be both too much AND incredibly boring at the same time. It was very well made though, so I’ll give them that.
So I picked up two dresses at the Sale of the Century. Both of them were gambles and I knew that going in, but I wanted to give Igigi another try and I’m not above stepping out of my comfort zone.
When I saw this I thought “Hmm, it could go either way, but I bet I could make it work.” I mean it’s tacky, but it’s sort of GOOD tacky, like Dynasty. I knew the jersey would be good quality so the whole thing depended on the quality of the lace. I didn’t expect much, but I’d been pleasantly surprised at the quality of Kiyonna’s lace, so maybe I’d be surprised by Igigi’s as well.
Oh, sadly not.
The thing about lace is that cheap lace looks like cheap lace, and sometimes even not-inexpensive lace looks like, well, cheap lace. This? Looked like cheap lace.And there’s just no recovering from cheap lace. Do what you want, accessorize it beautifully and pair it with thousand-dollar shoes, you’ll still be the girl in the cheap lace dress and no one, NO ONE wants to be that girl.
So that left me with this dress:
Okay, I bought this dress for one reason and one reason only: it’s the same color as my favorite pen. It’s not the most extravagant thing I ever purchased simply because it was veridian green (that honor goes to my 1972 Cadillac convertible) but I cannot resist that shade of green.
The good:
The color is great. They actually sent me the right color and it’s nicely lined.
The bad:
It’s swimsuit material. Not KINDA swimsuit material like the dress I gave away last year. It’s straight out shiny stretchy swimsuit material. I love spandex as much as the next girl, and it’s good to know that when I finally DO get in a fight in a lily pond I’ll have something to wear that won’t see permanent damage, but unless I’m wearing a Herve Leger bandage dress (which I will never, ever do) there really is no place for THAT much shiny spandex in a formal setting. Actually, there’s no place for that much shiny spandex outside of Miss Olivia Newton-John’s “Let’s Get Physical” video.
Also, I feel I should note this is a long dress. I mean loooong. As in I am 5’10” and this pooled on the floor. In 4″ heels it was still floor-length. The measurements are listed as 60″ long, but my own measuring put it at 62.25″ I don’t know if I got a freak sample or what. I don’t know if I’ll return it, I might actually have it converted into a bathing suit plus sarong because I’m tranny like that (do you even need to ASK if there will be a coordinating turban?) but this marks my last adventure with Igigi.
Frankly, I’m relieved to hear your reviews, as my experience with Igigi has been similarly challenging. While I echo your comments that the clothes are well-made, the sizing on the website leaves something to be desired (the dresses I ordered were all much snugger than they should have been by measurement). And they were woefully slow in refunding my money after I returned the clothes. We’re talking 40 days after I got the email confirming that they had received them. FORTY DAYS. That’s just unacceptable for an online retailer. And then it took another three months for them to unsubscribe me from their mailing list. I won’t be buying from them again.
Comment by Miss Julie — May 13, 2009 @ 2:45 pm
You are totally bumming me out because I also ordered the green gown and I was so looking forward to wearing it. I don’t think we can return them because it said that the sale was final and we can only exchange for store credit. :-(
Comment by Bronxgirl — May 13, 2009 @ 3:20 pm
I bought a couple of shirts from Igigi before they hit big. Even though they were bathing suit material, I lovingly called them my hoochie-mama shirts. And then their prices went through the roof. Unfortunately, they are one of the few that have sizes to a 32 (I wear a 34-36 on bottom, but can get away with a 32 on top). I love Kiyonna and Zaftique, but need three jobs to pay for them. So, I’m stuck with Woman Within and Roaman’s for affordable clothes.
Comment by Krystal — May 13, 2009 @ 4:27 pm
Aw, that’s too bad. For the record, I got my Favoritest Dress Ever from Igigi, and a pretty excellent skirt as well. I’m waiting on the jacket I ordered from the sale of the century (after lots and lots of ordering shenanigans, but apparently that was PayPal’s fault. Everything looks fine now.).
Comment by harveypenguin — May 13, 2009 @ 5:17 pm
Well, phooey. I got all revved up seeing The Trench Dress, but there’s no mention of it on their website. It is very close to being what I want for a RAINCOAT. Or even a rainy-day dress.
Comment by La BellaDonna — May 13, 2009 @ 6:07 pm
I bought that cobalt blue dress with the rhinestone thingy’s and it fit exactly like it looks on the model. I don’t know, I think maybe you got yourself the wrong size.
Comment by Mimi Stratton — May 13, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
Thank you so much for the review! I have often been tempted but never actually bought their clothing. Now as I browse, I will have been warned!
Comment by Moviegirl20 — May 13, 2009 @ 8:19 pm
I’ve browsed their site, but their prices are out of my range. I’d have to save up a few paychecks to even considering purchasing something.
Comment by Bree — May 13, 2009 @ 8:25 pm
What’s up with manufacturers fancying up the fabric names? I bought a “stretch satin” dress from Zaftique that turned out to be made of super heavy Spandex. It looks okay because it has a mesh overlay, but it’s really warm to wear.
Comment by Margo — May 13, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
I bought the green origami dress after seeing it here awhile ago.
Plus side: looked like the picture, good quality fabric; made in the USA
Minus side: It was HEAVY good quality fabric. I live in Florida, home of 85% humidity. With all the pleating of the fabric in the front, it was just too much, then the back just kinda hung there, no seaming at all. Also, everything seems to be dry-clean only, which makes ’em even more expensive.
Comment by klee — May 13, 2009 @ 9:51 pm
Oh, the entertainment was very entertaining. I’d not heard that song in ages, and the video is a classic of the time.
Comment by Rebecca H. — May 13, 2009 @ 10:11 pm
The post was good, but that video is fahhhbulous!
Comment by Sunflowery — May 13, 2009 @ 10:38 pm
That’s too bad that you had such a disappointing experience. I keep considering ordering from Igigi, but so far nothing has really grabbed me enough to take the same kind of risk…
Comment by Princess of the Universe — May 13, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
OH My- The Videa was hilarious– It also reminded me of the time I sang this song at the top of my lungs in my grandmothers gazebo- we used it as stage when we were kids- while her Ladies CHurch Group met in their sun room. I know fully appreciate why they were looking at my Mom with such disaproving glances- the song takes on whole other meaning 20 plus years later….
Did I mention my dad was a minister??
LMAO
Comment by Kimks — May 13, 2009 @ 11:17 pm
What a bummer! I’ve had some good luck with Igigi, and own the trench dress. Normally I would never wear something double-breasted and so long, but somehow it works on me and I love it. I wear it as a dress and as a light coat. They do take their sweet time, though, crediting anything you’ve sent back; forty days is about right, and that’s ridiculous. I seem to do better there than at Kiyonna for some reason. I would still order from them, but given your experiences, I think they may have lost you, no?
Comment by Mrs. Hendricks — May 14, 2009 @ 9:36 am
All I know is, if you don’t text me the moment it looks like the lily pond fight is going to break out so that I can come watch, I’m going to be pretty cheesed.
Sorry the green dress isn’t better, because that color has got to be fantastic on you.
Comment by Style Spy — May 15, 2009 @ 9:54 am
I bought something from the SALE OF THE CENTURY and was pretty unimpressed. I normally wear a 16/18, but I’d heard Igigi’s stuff runs big, so I took a chance with a 14. It was just a teeny bit too big. The neckline was so wide and so low that it threatened to reveal my bra if I moved even a twitch. It was also made for a much taller woman– the “elbow-length” sleeves came almost to my wrists, and it’d have to be about 6 inches shorter for its “above-the-knee” skirt come come anywhere near my knee. I’m 5’2″, so I’m used to this, but it’s still irritating. Plus size clothing designers have got to understand that not everyone who wears a double-digit size is 6 feet tall!
Between the sale code and the $25 customer appreciation gift certificate, it only cost me $32, so I’m only mildly annoyed, but if I’d paid the full original price of $150+? I’d be super pissed.
Comment by Sharn — May 15, 2009 @ 11:50 am
I bought something from the SALE OF THE CENTURY and was pretty unimpressed. I normally wear a 16/18, but I’d heard Igigi’s stuff runs big, so I took a chance with a 14. It was just a teeny bit too big. The neckline was so wide and so low that it threatened to reveal my bra if I moved even a twitch. Definitely not superfantastic. It was also made for a much taller woman– the “elbow-length” sleeves came almost to my wrists, and it’d have to be about 6 inches shorter for its “above-the-knee” skirt come come anywhere near my knee. I’m 5’2″, so I’m used to this, but it’s still irritating. Plus size clothing designers have got to understand that not everyone who wears a double-digit size is 6 feet tall!
Between the sale code and the $25 customer appreciation gift certificate, it only cost me $32, so I’m only mildly annoyed, but if I’d paid the full original price of $150+? I’d be super pissed.
Comment by Sharn — May 15, 2009 @ 11:52 am
I do wish that iGigi would step away from the jersey and other knits a bit more often.
I frequently love their styles, and think the construction is pretty good (not excellent, but good). But…
Too.
Much.
Knit.
I don’t WANT clingy fabric. Really, I don’t. I don’t want to show all my lumpy-squishies.
I’m happy with the two things I’ve bought from them, but don’t plan on buying much else if they don’t branch into other fabrics more often and where appropriate.
Comment by CanadianChick — May 15, 2009 @ 2:50 pm
I definitely agree with the above comment re: knit. I have a lot of tummy and back fat, and get really self-conscious about rolls. but even thinner people get them, and i’m working on being more accepting of my body. so i’m keeping the stuff I ordered. it’s nice. and i’ll wear a cami under the too-low dresses.
i got 5 items from the sale of the century for under 80$ inc shipping–a faux-wrap dress with knotted belt, a ‘scarf’ shirt with two scarves, a velvet wrap dress, a skirt with pleather trim, and a good-quality jacket. even though i run anywhere from a 14 to an 18+ in other lines, i took a gamble and ordered everything in a 12. had never ordered from igigi because of the price, but at 75% off sale price plus a 25$ coupon, it was a good value.
jacket: http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/649
velvet dress:
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/565
skirt and shirt (same pic)
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/665
bicolor dress with belt:
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/698
shirt:
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/712
so, they’re all pretty good quality and do fit me, although the shirt’s a bit clingy, and the bicolor dress is thinnish and shows my love handles. i’m 5’3 and can see that they’re all obviously cut for taller people, but weirdly still okay on me. i prefer longer sleeves/hemlines anyways, and the waists are about right (bit of extra material in the shoulders, but that always seems to happen, and the stiffer jacket shows it more but because of the wide dramatic collar it’s ok)
I was expecting the dresses to be too cleavage-y, and they are, but I’ve got lavering tanks for exactly that purpose.
overall, pretty satisfied. wish the skirt that matched the jacket was still availible. unless there’s another sale, and maybe even then, i won’t order again, because of the clinginess, low necklines, and how there are no petite sizes so it’s all a gamble. But if those things improved and prices leveled off, maybe…. even though i know i couldn’t wear most of the clothes, i do like the sassy, sexy tone of the site.
Comment by Mim — May 18, 2009 @ 1:44 am
I wanted to like Igigi, but I have found their sizing to be be way off, at least for me. The stuff tends to run big and long, which is not as much of a problem as the overall aesthetic. The clothes are too overdone, which is a bummer considering how few designers there are who are focused on modern, sophisticated clothing for plus-sized women. I like clothes that are simple and clean-lined without being frumpy, and Igigi’s outfits often have too much going on: Lace! Rhinestones! Sashes!
Comment by Erika — June 15, 2009 @ 12:46 pm