The Recessionista Reviews Giambattista Valli for Macy’s Impulse

With much of the Karl Lagerfeld collection still languishing on the Macy’s racks on clearance, the new Giambattista Valli holiday collection is in stores and online.  This is really a beautiful collection of party dresses, chic little handbags and blouses.  There is even a leopard coat that looks like it walked right out of a vintage Bullock’s Wilshire advertisement. The 32 piece collection (I originally reported that is was 17 pieces, but it is a larger collection)  has a luxury feel and a deep richness to it.  I like this collection, although the 1920s drop waists and slim flapper style dresses won’t suit every figure.   Many of the women I meet at Macy’s today noted they couldn’t wear some of the styles, including the leopard chiffon dress with the red waistband and the fuchsia strapless dress. Sizing for the collection goes only up to size 12, and I would say it is more junior sized that traditional woman’s sizing.

Pictured: Many different looks from the Giambattista Valli Impulse line.

However, unlike most of the Lagerfeld Impulse collection, this collection has some pieces that everyone will be able to enjoy. While it’s true many of the cocktail dresses have a slim cut, there are some beautiful blouses and dresses with fuller skirts that those of us who are curvy will be able to enjoy. I actually bought a smaller size than I normally wear in the cap sleeve, ruched pink chiffon blouse. There are two stunning rich red blouses and several lush red print dresses in the collection that will be perfect for the Christmas holiday and New Year’s Party season.  Sizing varies quite a bit in this collection, so do try on several sizes before you make your final buying decisions. There really is no uniform sizing here, each garment has a different cut. For example, the red satin blouse is a blousy oversized cut, whereas the matching red petal mini skirt is a very slim cut.  I didn’t see the red strapless maxi dress I was lusting for on the racks, but it is available via  Macys.com for ordering.

Pictured: The Red Rose print on the blouses and dresses is lush (photo: M. Hall)

 If you see this collection at your local Macy’s store, do give it a look.  I like the fabrics and the flirty playfulness of the pieces.  The red rose print on the dresses and one of the blouses is amazing in person.  It looks much more expensive than the Macy’s prices.  I also like the short jacket with the faux fur collar, although for $139.00, I would probably wait for it to go on sale. If you want to save now when you shop, check out the Macy’s Coupons at ShopatHome.