One brand that intrigues me is Vetta, which creates capsule collections of items that are meant to be mixed and matched. Many of their garments can be worn several ways — an idea that I love. They also use sustainable fabrics and responsible factories; a family-run factory in New York City makes most of their clothing.

So, when Vetta offered a 20% off coupon to newsletter subscribers on Black Friday, I jumped at the chance to buy something as their pieces rarely go on sale beyond 10% off via their newsletter signup. For those buying an entire capsule, there’s always a discount. (For example the five items in the Everyday Capsule add up to $585, but if you buy them together, the total is $479, a savings of 18%). But I’ve never liked all five pieces in a capsule. So the 20% was a chance to pick and choose what I wanted at a discount.

The items I’d been eyeing (these pants, this top and this similar one) were either sold out in my size or completely sold out, so I made an impulse purchase and bought the Two Piece Midi Dress, which is part of the Refined Capsule. (I’m not proud of making an impulse purchase, BTW. I’m really trying to cut down on this behavior.) (UPDATE: I reviewed another item in the Refined Capsule, the Textured Shell.)

You can wear this dress with the V-neck or the rounded neckline in the front. The skirt also detaches so that you can pair it with something else. I’ve been thinking of adding a midi skirt to my wardrobe, so the fact that this one could do double duty as a dress appealed to me. It comes in three colors: black, gold (as shown in the first photo), and emerald. Usually, I’d go for the black. But I didn’t like how the buttons on the black dress were a contrasting color (brown). The only color with matching buttons was the emerald, so that’s the one I ordered.

The Fabric

When the dress arrived, I discovered that “emerald” was more of a dusty forest green. I know that monitors have different calibrations and it’s hard to know the exact color of an item you’re buying online, but from Vetta’s photos, I was expecting a brighter green and more sheen to the fabric. Had I seen this color in person, I would not have picked it.

The dress is made out of Tencel, which is basically modal or rayon. This type of fabric is made made from dissolving cellulose such as wood pulp with chemicals. The pulp is then extruded and spun to create fibers. Tencel is a name brand that indicates the pulp comes from sustainably sourced trees. This Tencel fabric has a medium weight and draped nicely.

Sizing & Fit

I ordered my usual dress size, a 4. Getting into the dress took me a minute. I’m used to dresses with zippers, but the enclosures on this dress are all buttons. You have to unbutton the top portion and part of the skirt section and step into it. Throwing it over my head was not an option. It was too small in the waist to get over my head and shoulders.

The model above is 5″ 10″ and wearing a 0. Here’s 5′ 4″ me in a size 4. Of course, the length is longer on me.

Of the two ways to wear the dress, I prefer the rounded neckline in the front. However, it’s a bit of a challenge to reach behind and button all the buttons by yourself. It can be done but it’s awkward and requires some dexterity.

The dress fit true to size. The measurements listed for size 4 are: 38″ bust, 27.5″ waist, 17 7/8″ length for the top, and 33.75″ length for the skirt. Measuring these pieces myself, I found the measurements accurate. Despite an ample bust though, the top felt strangely restrictive. I didn’t have full range of motion when it came to my arms, like I couldn’t lift them up all the way.

The Dress as Separates

The top detaches from the skirt via nine buttons.

Because the top is so short length wise, you can’t really wear it on its own with something else. I mean, you could, but most likely the buttons at the bottom would show. Here I am wearing it with high waisted pants.

However, Vetta did design the top to button into another one of their items, the Button Fly Culottes, to create a jumpsuit, which is pretty cool.

The skirt portion was a great piece on its own. You can unbutton the buttons to create a higher slit.

While I liked the idea of the Two Piece Midi Dress, the restrictive fit of the top portion ruled it out as something I should keep. (Plus to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if I’m patient enough to deal with the buttons every time, though one probably gets used to it.)

I sent this dress back. In making a return to Vetta, you have three options:

• Refund to original form of payment and pay a $7.95 flat shipping fee
• Store credit, which includes free return shipping
• Exchange, which includes free return shipping. However, note that if you make an exchange, “New items must be within +/- $10 of the full price of the returned item. No refunds will be processed for difference in price.”

I went with the first option since the other items I’m interested in are sold out and who knows when they’ll be back in stock. (In retrospect, I should have also ordered the Every Day Pants to try, which seems like a practical wardrobe staple. Exchanging the dress for the pants at this juncture doesn’t make sense though, since the dress is pricier.)

Though the Two Piece Midi Dress didn’t work for me, it gave me an idea. I realized that I should just shop for a black midi skirt. I already own several black tops and perhaps one or more of them would match closely enough to create my own “dress” look.

First Image: Vetta’s Instagram