Ted Baker London dresses & skirt - secondhand purchases

I was itching to buy something online recently, so finally took the plunge to get a couple pre-owned Ted Baker London items from sellers on Depop. (Early on in quarantine, I tried to order a dress on Mercari but the seller wasn't able to ship out!) Once I realized that Ted Baker has clothing that fits my body pretty well in a standard size back in December, I really jumped on the bandwagon. Since the retail price is quite high for the clothing, I was determined to see what my secondhand options were!

I tried a slightly different approach to my worn mirror photos for this post. Unfortunately, I don't think they turned out as great as I envisioned in my head, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. Please let me know what you think about it! (More of my thoughts about it at the end of the post.)

Xylee juxtapose rose skater dress

I've been wanting to get my hands on a Ted Baker skater dress since the two dresses I bought from the brand previously were both knee length and fitted. This black rose printed dress probably wouldn't usually be my first choice, but the price couldn't be beat and I wanted to give the cut of dress a try before I invested money into anything more expensive. It's nothing too exciting, but the material has weight to it and feels like nice quality. Overall, no complaints based on the price I paid.

with DreamV cross strap pumps and Liz Lisa bijou necklace -

with Nine West velour sandals -

with Material Girl faux leather jacket, EATME faux leather cross belt and Nine West ankle boots -

My impression of this cap sleeve, floral bodice skater dress design is that it's simple but still cute. Nothing profound, especially if the floral print isn't particularly novel but easy to dress up or dress down. The length is still above the knee for me but modest feeling at the same time because of the solid color of the skirt. I have my eye on a few mint colored skater dresses that I think are a little more interesting that I'm willing to try out now that I know a bit more about how this style fits!

 Freeda twist neck skater dress

The bright green color really caught my eye for this item's listing. Although it doesn't have a print like most of the Ted Baker pieces I really enjoy, I thought it would a fun party dress in a lively color. It has a halter-looking neckline from the front but the straps don't actually join beyond the neck (which is my preference). Since it's secondhand, the dress has a few patches of piling scratches which isn't uncommon for this fabric but I don't think you can see them at all when worn unless you're looking for them specifically.

with Flag J sandals -

with Liz Lisa cardigan and Liz Lisa glitter pumps -

The twist on the chest actually sits with a bit of weight more than I thought it would, but it's not a really big issue based on the short amount of time I've worn the dress so far. The length is quite similar to the cap sleeve skater dress (as expected) but this dress has some cute discreet pockets! It also feels a bit more fun/flirty because my shoulders are more exposed lol.

Blayyke Peaches Ruffle Pencil Skirt

 

This isn't a print that I would typically pick out when buying directly from a retailer, but it seemed really interesting when browsing on Depop. Tbf anything that's in my size immediately gets my attention and this was the first skirt I came across with a reasonable price! I really liked the fitted style with the fun ruffle that I thought would be great for work. My favorite part is that the opposite side of the fabric in the ruffle is the pink version of the peach print with flowers!

with off brand tulle sleeve blouse and Jessica Simpson Dany sandals -

with Delyle Noir flare neckline blouse and Michael Kors Petra pumps -

This skirt might actual be my favorite piece of the bunch! The print is so weird but it's also just really fun and the ruffle just adds to that. The length is really nice for a fitted skirt and will be great for work with a bunch of tops that I already own. My only complaint is that the print doesn't match up nicely at all in the back but that's not a deal breaker to me.

Although Ted Baker gives their items some non-intuitive names, so far I've been having fun trying to track down the actual names and the original stock photos for these secondhand items. It's been surprisingly easy but I guess it's not that unusual for a well known brand.

Despite these being completely frivolous buys, I'm pretty pleased with my purchases. I would love to buy directly from the official Ted Baker web store, but the standard shipping price to Hawaii (no other options) is $40 no matter what you purchase - big or small! I'm glad I have some alternatives because I hate for the shipping to cost like 1/3 of the price of the item.

As for the worn mirror pictures, I don't think I'll be repeating this "outdoor" method very much going forward. It was somehow way hotter outside than inside + mosquitoes (and mosquito bites) + buzzing bees and other insects + pedestrians in the park and along the sidewalk and it's difficult to change outfits outside lol. Plus, I'm not the hugest fan of having a tilted mirror. Although it's very flattering, especially for my legs, I get a little wary about body image since this isn't really realistic for me. I know some influencers who post almost exclusively in a tilted mirror and it's not my cup of tea. (I understand that they may not have much choice based on their room layout, etc like I did here but it's just not something I want to consistently push out into the world as my personal preference.)