Review: Banana Republic Non-Iron Dress Shirt in 00P

Those who have been reading my blog for a while may know that I detest button-up shirts. It is almost impossible to find one that fits perfectly (for many women, not even just petites), plus I'm not a big fan of the look. I'd much rather wear a pretty silk blouse, than some bunchy, wrinkle-prone button up shirt.

Please forgive this winter-y ensemble..I grabbed the first pencil skirt I could find, and ran outside for pics!

Shirt: Banana Republic Fitted Non-Iron Button Up Shirt in Indigo Sateen, sz 00P

Skirt: Theory Joanie sz 00

Wedges: Tory Burch Sophie sz 5.5

 Continue reading for my review...



Fit: The 00P is very narrow and fits me well in the aspects of shoulder width, bust, waist, and sleeve width. Those with chests larger than 32B might bust out of this size. As you can see, the chest area of my shirt is almost stretched taught. The sleeves are also an inch or two too long for me. This is not surprising, because a petites line must accommodate women up to 5'4" and I am just 5.'

Sidenote: To combat the bust button-gap issue, readers have suggested using a pin, fashion tape, as well as wearing a similar-colored cami underneath. Any other suggestions for preventing an inadvertent peek show?

Material: Too early for me to tell, but there's no way this will remain completely wrinkle-free. In the last photo, the parts where the sleeves were folded up are already very creasy. I much preferred the sateen material over the regular one as it was smoother and cooler to the touch. I would say overall quality is a few notches above H&M.

Price: Affordable. BR frequently has 40% off coupons which would make this shirt about $36. All of these are on sale right now from $29-$44.

Accessibility: Very good. 00P can be found in-store (petite sections) and seems to be well-stocked online, currently available in every color but one.

Yeech...not liking the side view of those wedges. Makes my feet look huge! Must stick with pumps...

Back view: tucked vs. untucked, typical frump-a-licious fit of a button-up shirt.

Sleeves too long. I don't want to pay $20+ for alterations, so will just wear these cuffed.

Verdict: Overall, a good shirt for tiny petites. I don't own any button-up dress shirts, so I'm leaning towards keeping it. Also, I only paid...

While I was in BR, I also stopped to try on their new Logan pants. I saw their horrid fit on AlterationsNeeded, but I am bigger than her so I thought they may fit me. In sz 00P:

Erm...nope. The waist was 4+ inches too bit, and was super bunchy throughout. Worst 00P fit ever.

Also tried on the shoes that I was eying from their Fall collection (a sz 6 surprisingly fit)...

Union Flannel Pump

Heel and platform are way too chunky for my tiny calves/legs. Looked a bit dis-proportionate.

Maritza High Heel Pump

Normal pump, but in my opinion the shape is not as flattering as Ann Taylor's perfect pumps.

Sigh...BR just didn't do it for me this time! What do you guys think of their offerings as of late? And do any of you own this non-iron button up shirt?