It’ll probably strike you as little surprise that after carefully mulling over my Sezane summer collection favourites, I decided to place an order. Cute summer tops are something I always struggle to find, so I’ll usually take my chances when I come across one that I like. Even if it is out of season. As usual, I came away with more misses than hits; something that I find goes hand in hand with the online shopping process, but even more so when shopping from Sezane. So I thought, why not share another Sezane review, this time focused on the items I bought from their summer 2021 collection.
Along with each item, I’ll talk fit/sizing, fabric, how it stacked up against my expectations, and share whether it was something I decided to keep or return. Let’s get started…
Sezane Alban Blouse
Wearing size FR36/US4 | RETURNED
This sweet sleeveless blouse has been on my wishlist for a while, so naturally, the first piece I wanted to talk about in this Sezane review. Initially, in its blue and white polka dot iteration. I was immediately drawn to the print, but realistic about the fact that blue isn’t a colour which really fits in with my wardrobe’s palette. When it was released in this beautiful semi-sheer white floral jacquard, my sartorial heart skipped a beat. White is a summer classic; the ruffles felt feminine but not in a frou-frou way, and I adored the sweet pearlescent buttons down the centre.
I ordered the size FR36/US4, and found that this fit true to size for a relaxed fit. It’s not the type of top which is designed to cling to the body. The ruffles on the shoulder feel fun, and the buttons at the centre are a subtle touch. I tried it on with a skin-toned bra, and didn’t feel like you could see it through the fabric.
In person, this is every bit as beautiful, but I found the fabric let it down for me. It’s a cotton/polyamide mix, and has the stiffness of a heavyweight organza. I envisioned this mostly being worn tucked into jeans (for spring), or a mix of denim and tailored shorts once the weather well and truly heated up. But I’m big on how items fall when they’re tucked, and this was one piece where I wanted a nice natural drape void of stiffness. Despite being incredibly tempted to hang on to this one, I find myself fussing over little details these days. And ultimately, it was how structured the fabric it when tucked that resulted it in being a “no” from me. If this was reimagined in a gauzey cotton, I’ll be among the first to add it to my virtual cart.
Sezane Faustine Top
Wearing size XS | RETURNED
My best purchase from Sezane by far has been their Ronnie jumper. I love the softness of the viscose “fancy” knit, and the fit is just spot on. When I spotted the Faustine knit, which felt like a cute summer rendition of the Ronnie, I immediately took note. As mentioned earlier, nice summer tops can be hard to find. I assumed that the fit would be on par with the Ronnie, so went down to an XS, which on reflection was definitely the right choice.
Sadly, this was a big ol’ no. Not visible on the website? The fact that the top has an a-line fit to it. Tight at the bust, with a loose fit that flares out to the hem. Not at all what I was expecting, and was just another one of those “Sezane” surprises I’ve uncovered when unboxing my order. I even double checked the website to make sure my eyes hadn’t deceived me; but nope, it looks pretty fitted on the model.
As you might be able to see, even tucked in, it’s not tight at all anywhere but the bust. Disappointing for me as otherwise, it ticked every single box. Love the fancy yarn. The ruffles on the shoulder. The cross back detailing. Nice enough, but not what I was after.
Sezane Jessica Top
Wearing size XS | KEPT
Similar to the Faustine Top is the Jessica Top. It was the crossover detail at the back, and the rich cocoa hue for me. I was similarly surprised by the fit of this top, but for a different reason. Overall, it was more relaxed than I’d anticipated after reviewing the model images. I went with the XS, so safe to say this style runs large. The colour also looks slightly different in person than on the site. It pulls more burgundy than mahogany; thankfully, a colour I found works well with my complexion.
The bra situation is going to be a little tricky with this. Skin-toned bras do peep through the knit, and black ones are too high contrast.
Otherwise, it’s a beautiful piece, and I love the feel of the fabric. It’s primarily organic cotton with some polyamide woven in which I’m assuming is to retain structure when laundering.
Sezane Julia Skirt
Wearing size FR36/US4 | RETURNED
You know that saying… “I never met a stripe I didn’t like”? Well, I’ve often said the same thing about spots. While my style seems to be slowly shifting away from polka dotted prints, I still have a soft spot for them. Especially when it’s a black and white print.
And I have to say, the Julia skirt is pretty darn sweet. It’s a shorter length with ruching across the waist, and a flounced ruffle on the right hand side. Which, wasn’t quite as dramatic in person as I thought; a good thing if you appreciate subtlety.
The fabric is a linen/cotton mix, and feels really lovely. Plus I loved the asymmetry of the embroidered spots; it gave them a scattered speckle feel. It will pick up a bit of fluff – something to keep in mind if you have pets with white fur (like I do). The fit seemed pretty good for me, though I couldn’t tell if this style was supposed to sit high on the waist, or was a mid-rise. I have a pretty long torso as is, and found that the Julia skirt came up just below my belly button. Dropped hemlines don’t really tend to work for me when combined with a mid-rise. It makes balancing out my proportions feel like a challenge, and I try to avoid adding items to my closet which are limiting in that way. As much as I loved this in theory, I think this is better for someone with a short or regular length torso.
Sezane Tammie Skirt
Wearing size FR34/US2 | KEPT
Clearly I was having a moment with red. The “coral flowers” print on the Tammie skirt really excited me, and felt quite wearable given that the skirt has a creamy white base. And this one was an absolute keeper. The red carnation print is just as dreamy in person, and I really like the cut. It’s a tiered midi skirt, with a small slit on the left leg. The skirt has an elasticated panel at the back, and a zip up closure.
I have a narrow waist and can sometimes be in-between sizes, so based on the website recommendation, I went with the size FR34. Which I have to admit, feels like there’s still a little wiggle room in it for me. If you’re a typical US2/AU6, you may find this runs a bit large.
The fabric composition is 100% viscose, which I’d typically avoid due to past bad experiences with other brands. But I’ve heard Sezane’s viscose pieces washed well, so that gave me some confidence when deciding to take the plunge. The fabric is quite lightweight so not one I’d recommend wearing with black knickers; skin-toned or white are best.
Sezane Alexandra Dress
Wearing size FR36/US4 | RETURNED
This was a bit of a wild card purchase for me, but after a couple months of admiring this dress in print format, I figured a block colour – albeit in red – *might* work out. Despite my love of neutrals, I have a soft spot for anything red… as you’ll soon see. Wishful thinking on my part, as while I adore the Alexandra dress in person, it took me a split second to accept that I was unlikely to get much wear out of it given the intensely bold hue. In another life where I was going out heaps, perhaps. But as a working stay-at-home mum, those opportunities are quite limited. This was another return, but one I’ll be keeping an eye on to see if it pops up in black.
Sizing wise, I liked how the FR36 fit me, though I do feel like it’s cut slightly on the more generous side. It’s smocked in the back meaning you have a bit of stretch (great if you are busty), and it didn’t cling at all. If you like how it fits on me, stick with your usual size, otherwise you could size down one for more of a body con look. Basically what I’m saying is, my usual size fit the way I expected based on the model images.
The fabric is gorgeous. A beautiful linen which doesn’t crease too badly considering. Feels weighty and thick, but not like you’d melt in this dress if you threw it on for a summer garden party. The square cut neckline is both on trend and flattering, and the puffed sleeves feel balanced against the slim silhouette through the body. There’s also poppers on the shoulder to attach the dress to your bra so they don’t slip down. An absolute winner if you love bold hues or vibrant florals.
Sezane Ella Low Sandals
Wearing size US8 | RETURNED
Final piece I wanted to share in this Sezane review was a pair of shoes. After such a positive experience with the Rosa sandals, I decided to try and fill a gap in my wardrobe: the tan sandal. My beloved Jane Debster just recently bit the dust, and while the Ella low sandals are quite different in style, I figured they’d function similarly. Plus I liked that there were no straps across the front of the foot. Flattering.
I am usually a size US9 in Sezane shoes but went with the US8 as this style comes up large. And they fit me perfectly. The leather is quite a lot stiffer than on my Rosa Sandals, and I could tell immediately that they might take some breaking in. The straps didn’t feel like they would be too restrictive across my (rather) wide feet, and the soles as you may be able to see, are quite flat and offer no support.
I toyed with keeping these as ultimately I do really like them, but in the ended decided to return them in favour of adding either a third pair of YSL tribute slides to my closet, or a pair of Hermes oran slides.
