Friday 11 January 2013

Pepperberry Has Problems, Part 2


Time for some good old-fashioned hating on the biggest full-bust clothing brand! Now, Pepperberry, you know I love you and what you do, but sometimes you just frustrate me so much…

Why are there no buttons on the bottom part of this cardigan?

Cable Knit Cardigan
Really, for £39 (on sale from £49) I daresay you could at least slap some on there, even if you leave them unbuttoned for the product photo.

Is it just me or does the decoration on this top look like a line of people with very small heads holding hands? I just can’t get over it.

Slub Jersey Tunic 
And Pepperberry, why so much BLING????

Beaded Flapper Dress
Embellished Check Top
Beaded Detail Tunic
Jewel Neck Top
Deco Beaded Silk Dress
Embellished Tie Back Dress
Bling layered on other bling:

Beaded Knit Shrug
Petal Trim Dress
Lurex Swing Dress
The Border Print Cotton Dress, otherwise demure, features sneaky surprise sequins woven into the skirt:

Border Print Cotton Dress
Quoted from reviews of the Stripe Sun Top: "There's too much bling on the front and it's just big and fluffy!" "Also not a huge fan of all the spanglies around the collar, but that's just my personal taste."

Stripe Sun Top
Now, I like a little sparkle as much as the next girl, but the vast proportion of blinged-out Pepperberry clothing continues to alarm me. I’m surprised they haven’t yet started to weave sequins into their collared shirts. But somehow, still no sequined bras from sister company Bravissimo! This is just reversed and wrong and I would like a sequined bra, please. Bras are sequins’ natural home.

Finally, Pepperberry, WHY this print? Why?

Abstract Print Kimono Dress
And make sure to notice that this top features a fake cami to make up for the too-low-cut construction!

14 comments:

  1. I agree with all your observations and have to add a complain of my own.

    Perhaps it is because I am in their larger size range, a 16SC usually, but I find their tops and dresses to be extremely low cut! I mean, I'm not a prude and I don't want to be wrapped up in a turtleneck. I also know showing some skin at the top helps balance the top heavy look, but sometimes I feel like the top 1/3 of my boobs are on full display. Not a good look for work or even just shopping. But like I said, perhaps it's just me as their models seem pretty well covered up.

    I don't know but it is frustrating!

    AquaMarine

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  2. Excellent points. I don't even look at their clothing anymore. I hadn't realized their current selection was so sad. You're so funny, too!

    But a sequined bra? Would this be bedroom only, or is there another application I'm not imaginative enough to see?

    Thanks for another great brand overview!

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  3. Hmmm... I sorta like the green deco beaded dress and the black detail tunic. The rest would be too much for my taste, but those two are something I could see myself wearing.

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  4. Ha! Sequins and other bright embellishments are universal way for designers to divert customers attention from cheap fabrics and problematic cuts.
    Like the print on kimono dress, though.

    PS my personal WHYs are WHY no size 6 and WHY polyester lining with cotton dresses?! It kills the whole idea! And WHY no super duper curvy for classic shirt in sizes 8 and 10?

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  5. I pretty much hate everything featured here, but I'm sure I could find just as much stuff I hate on Biubiu's website... and I can also find stuff I love from both brands. Re the low cut stuff, I tend to agree, but there has been lots of complaint about the neckline being too conservative and thus dowdy in the recent collections. My guess is that it comes from customers in the smaller curvy size range.

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  6. I am not a fan of sneaky sequins either - I often feel like it's a cheap/lazy way to try to 'spice up' a boring piece.
    And any piece where they've put on a fake cami is just really bad. First of all, the models tend to represent some of the middle or smaller end of the curvy-sizes, so if even they have problems covering up, what are the SC and SDC going to do? And I really don't mind cleavage at all, but since they did cami them, clearly the piece wasn't intended to have cleavage. Accidental cleavage is just like when shopping at a regular store.
    And, as you talked about in part 1 I think, all those 'tie in the back' tops also seem really lazy to me. The reason I would want to buy Pepperberry clothes, is so I would have a smooth, fitted figure - not bulked and tightened by belts and ties.

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  7. Geez louise...so it's not your style. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with the brand.

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    Replies
    1. The author was merely expressing her opinion, which is the purpose of a blog. By no means do you have to agree with her, but to suggest that she is not entitled to it is completely contrary to what this community is about.

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  8. Pepperberry's prices are too high for my liking, especially for clothes that are just "meh". Even that first sweater with the missing buttons, on sale would be something like 65 US dollars. Not much of a sale in my book for a boring sweater. I have no clue how their sizing works...is a 12 Super Curvy the same as a US size 12?

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    1. Lorrena, I'll butt in here to say that a 12 Super Curvy would, in general, be a US size 8 with extra room in the bust. You generally go down two sizes from the UK to get your US size (a UK 18 is a US 14, a UK 10 is a US 6), but some people find that Pepperberry runs a little roomy anyway. I'd reach out to their customer service if you want to ask about your specific measurements; they've always been really helpful with size advice.

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  9. I think their clothing is designed to serve a certain purpose - it's not really everyday or casual. I recently bought two dresses from them when I started a new job as a receptionist. I was very happy to find two dresses in heavy-gauge jersey type material, in subtle patterns and colours, that were cut in a way that is very flattering to my curvy figure without showing too much cleavage or straining over my bust. Most notably, smaller, higher armholes, longer seams to the front of the bust, and narrower back panels (not a tie-back in sight!). The sizing is generous, since I usually wear a UK16, and I bought one in a 12RC and one in a 14C/RC. I did think that quite a lot of the styles might suit the generation older than me, but there were quite a few things in the store that I would happily wear. And if there's one thing I can't stand, it's sequin embellishment. To me, one of their main problems is the styling of the photos on their website. It's rather old fashioned and doesn't really reflect the quality of their clothing. I'm not sure if they're trying to sell 20 year-olds clothes to 50 year-olds, or the other way round, but something isn't quite right.

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  10. For me, the worst part about metallic embellishments is that they are inevitably the first part of a garment to start falling off or unraveling; the glitz I didn't want to begin with now makes it impossible to wear the garment without looking sloppy.

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  11. Gosh, I'm only E-F cup and even I find that most of their clothes show too much cleavage! Personally, I don't think I've tried anything from them which would've had too high neckline, on the contrary, it's a struggle to find bras with low enough central gore so that they're not on the show. o.O

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  12. I've actually got the Embellished Check Top which I bought in the sale. Never worn it.
    I think Pepperberry are too expensive for the not-the-best quality (though the sale items are better value) and styled too old. It might look cute on a youngster but some of the styles look like my mum would have worn them, and on me (I'm 56) make me look too old-fashioned and mumsy.
    They are also far too low-necked.Yuck.
    Still always look at the website/catalgue hoping things might change...

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