Dressquest

Usually, my clothes shopping frustration is related to not being able to find pants that fit. I seem to be OK with pants for the moment, although I do resent having to hem anything I buy. Regular length are too long, but the petite (or short) length is always too short.

On my agenda lately: Dress shopping. I have very specific requirements: No matte jersey or other clingy fabric. Knee length. Not form-fitting or sheath-style. Must be machine washable. No cross-over style at the top because then I have to wear a camisole and I don't want another layer. No buttons all the way down the front. Preferably an empire waist. No cleavage showing. Most important of all, though...The dress must have sleeves. Real sleeves. They can be short sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, or long sleeves. No cap sleeves, no fluttery sleeves, no see-through or split sleeves.

I hate my upper arms. Even at my absolute fittest when I worked out every day and did weight training, my upper arms looked big and soft, belying the muscle tone in the biceps and triceps.Not only that, but I get cold easily. As difficult as it is to find a modest but cute dress--not too dressy, not too casual--finding an evening or cocktail dress with sleeves is nearly impossible--even in the dead of winter. Have sleeves suddenly become too expensive to produce?

My wedding dress had sleeves. Short sleeves. It was a long search. Long sleeves would have been OK, too, but I could only find dresses with illusion fabric for sleeves, which was as effective as no sleeves at all. It wasn't at all dowdy, but it had sleeves. I loved my dress.

What is it with fashion designers that has caused this wholesale rejection of sleeves? In a nation where more people are overweight than ever, I would expect that many women feel as I do.

I've noticed that the mini-sweater and the shrug are gaining popularity. You wear it over your sleeveless dress to make up for the fact that the dress doesn't cover your arms. I don't want a shrug. I don't want another layer. I want sleeves.

I want dresses I can dress up or dress down. Criteria: Fashionable, cute, modest neckline, easy to move in, easy to wash, not maxi, not spaghetti strapped, not dressy, not ready for the beach, comfortable, and with sleeves. Here are some dresses that work or almost work. These are from Mikarose, Jen Clothing, and Land's End. I bought the last two from Land's End. They were overpriced for the less-than-impressive quality and the fuchsia one makes me look like I have a bun in the oven, but they're the closest I could get to what I wanted. And no matte jersey in sight!