Madewell Reviews: Outbound Jacket, Mercado Shiftdress, Casita Shiftdress, Seaside Sweater, Structured Sweater and Silk Pleated Maxidress

Thank you so much to all the lovely people out there who read my blog and have posted congratulatory comments on my blog. I really appreciate it! This 1st trimester has been sort of a slog so I'm hoping that my 2nd will be an improvement...
I thought some of Madewell's new summer dresses looked promising for both pregnant and non-pregnant me and wanted to stop in to try a few. I found some very cute things!

All-Weather Outbound Jacket (XS)

 Ok, so this is not a summer dress but it was on sale but by the time they took 30% off and 15% off for teacher discount it was $40. And it's weatherproof. I had actually bought this jacket before and returned it. The XS just felt slightly snug and was squishing even my pre-pregnancy breasts. The material is quite stiff because of the weatherproofing - great for the jacket holding its shape but not good if it is slightly snug.

All-Weather Outbound Jacket (S)

 I was afraid the small might look too big but actually I don't see much difference at all. But it sure felt different! I could button it up without feeling constricted (plus there are some inner ties to bring the waist in) and the shoulders still lined up exactly. Even if I was preggers, I probably would have decided to size up in this jacket. It is currently sold out online but my store had a few still lingering in the sale section.

 Seaside Side-Zip Sweater (XS)

 Stripes! I just can't quit you! This sweater is PERFECT. It's a nice dense, thick knit that holds its shape beautifully. The little zippers on the zide are super cute and the boatneck is executed perfectly. My usually XS looks a little snug here but that's just because of my body changes. TTS. Absolutely a perfect sweater that I will purchase when it hits sale. Also comes in a lovely black stripe.

 Structured Sweater (XS)

 I love the slouchy sweater looks but because this has some stiffness to it, it just sort of sticks out funny. It's certainly cozy and soft but I can't imagine doing my body many favors. I would definitely wear super skinny pants with it but even so. I feel a bit too "sponge bob" in shape with it on.

 Casita Shiftdress (S)

 This is something that I'm hoping might work this summer for me, even with a big ol' belly. They didn't have a size XS so I tried on the S and it was basically fine.  The top part with the embroidery is stiff and very heavy. I sort of had trouble getting over my head for a minute. I like the front view but am not sure about the side view. I do love a nice easy cool dress for summer but the heaviness up top concerns me.

 Mercado Shiftdress in Pure White (XS)

 This was an adorable surprise. I thought it would look shapeless and dumpy on but I think it looks pretty cute! The material is very lightweight (but not see through since it is lined) and the embroidery is lovely. The neckhole is pretty small so I did have to tug it a bit over my fairly ginormous noggin. TTS.

 Silk Pleated Maxidress (size 2)

 I had to really lighten my pictures up so you could see the details of the dress. The last shot is me taking a "how would this look if I pulled the waist over my belly" picture. First of all, I would say this runs pretty big since I'm wearing my normal size 2 and I feel like I'm drowning in it. Second of all, the static that was generated by this dress was insane so I couldn't really get it to flow properly. The good news (for me) is that there is plenty of room to accomodate the ever-expanding chest but the bad news is that it looks sort of shapeless. I think it needs a belt to give it some definition.

Overall, I liked some of what I saw. Do you have any Spring favorites from Madewell?