I Went to the Tibi Store and Didn’t Lose My Mind
Exploring Tibi's Latest Collection
I was in New York recently for work, and no New York visit is complete without a stop at the Tibi flagship store. I knew I was going during full-price season, which is a perilously dangerous time, and it does not help that many pieces now cost 600 or 700 USD instead of the usual 400. Still, since I usually shop without any opportunity to try things on, it is an amazing chance for me to explore the clothes without the risk of getting the size wrong (for reference, I am 10 in Tibi pants, 12 in skirts, and M/L in other pieces).
The store itself is such a delight. I was smiling from ear to ear as I looked at the different clothes and their clever design ideas and solutions. In the end, I am quite happy with my restraint. Here is what I tried and bought!
What I Tried
Chartreuse Crinkle and Plisse Dresses
Left: The Crinkle Slip Midi Bias Dress, Right: Viscose Plisse Sleeveless Bias Dress
I love chartreuse, and Tibi has no shortage of yellow-green hues this season. I tried a couple of dresses, and they felt a bit similar, even though the crinkle one was much thinner than the other. The fabrics did not fall very nicely on me, as I usually need a bit more structure in my clothes, so these were an easy skip.
Chartreuse Set of Top and Pant
Viscose Plisse Hinged Long Sleeve Top, Viscose Plisse Corbit Pant
I also tried this chartreuse set and quite liked it. It felt like a good alternative to an all-beige old-money outfit. Still, it felt a bit too unstructured for my body type, so I passed.
Washable Cashmere Oversized Easy Polo
Washable Cashmere Oversized Easy Polo
I loved the color in the pictures, but it is a bit more subdued in real life. It is very oversized, so I tried the S. I loved the sleeve length, but overall it did not fall very well on me, so this was another skip.
Nylon Asymmetrical Balloon Skirt and Cardigan Stitch V-Neck With Removable Dickie
Nylon Asymmetrical Balloon Skirt and Cardigan Stitch V-Neck With Removable Dickie
I already own this skirt in a white colorway, and I wore it very intensively for a while until I got a bit bored of it. Still, this pink colorway is pretty beautiful. This is a size 8, whereas I usually need a size 12. The cardigan was quite interesting and offers many styling options with the dickie, but it did not capture my heart in this shopping trip.
Chassis Hoop Pencil Skirt
Of course I had to try the hoop skirt and the viral peplum belt. The hoop skirt is actually very wearable. I felt like royalty in it. There were no issues sitting down (you can see a video on my Instagram highlights), and overall it was a great skirt. It did not make it onto my wishlist because it requires a tucked-in top, which I do not really like. I bloat often, and it becomes very inconvenient. But if you love slim tops, I think it is a really amazing piece.
PVC Peplum Belt
When I was planning my visit, I thought the peplum belt would be something I would take home with me. However, when I tried it on, I found it less versatile for me than I expected. I tried it with a big silk dress, and it looked stunning. Putting it over more regular clothes was a bit messier. Unfortunately, they did not have it in black in my size. I thought perhaps black would hide the messiness of the tucked T-shirts and such.
After Tibi, I stopped by Rachel Comey, and they had a skirt belt too, but with a slightly different vibe. They only had S and M sizes, and the M was too small for me and sat far too high, so I did not even consider it. Still, it was an interesting option but also a completely different vibe.
Gerard Sandal and Karel Sandal
Left: Gerard Sandal, Right: Karel Sandal
The Gerard sandal was not my vibe, but the Karel looked very cool. It is quite stiff, though, and needs a bit of breaking in. I loved the design and may consider it for next summer.
What I Almost Bought
When choosing pieces at Tibi, I decided that fit on my body was non-negotiable, and that helped narrow things down quite a bit. I feel like my body type is not typical for a Tibi customer, as I have a larger bust, and my impression is that Tibi caters more to a pear-shaped customer, especially with so many bra-unfriendly looks that would be difficult for me to wear. But maybe that is just a bit of glass-half-empty take? Every body has its own constraints.
That said, I love pieces that are beautiful, modern, and fit my body well. From that perspective, I really loved these:
Tech Gingham Skirt and Jacket Set
Tech Gingham Slip Skirt and Tech Gingham Track Jacket
It is a modern, slightly sporty set in a “tech” gingham fabric, which sounded like a nylon blend, but it did not feel like bad, unbreathable nylon. Maybe because it is a skirt and a jacket, but I did not really notice the nylon at all. Anyway, it was very nice set, but other priorities won.
Bonded Viscose Zip Front Short Sleeve Slim Tunic
Bonded Viscose Zip Front Short Sleeve Slim Tunic
This tunic was really something when I tried it on. It felt so fresh and clean and looked amazing on me. The fabric feels almost like a sweatshirt, but it holds its shape really well. The reason it did not win, though, is that it has different proportions than usual. I would not wear it as a mini dress because it is quite short, and that leaves wearing it over pants or skirts, which would require a lot of figuring out. It also did not really pass the WFH test. I felt like the color would get dirty quickly, and I avoid anything fussy. Still, I am keeping an eye on it for the sale period.
Feather Weight Pleated Pull On Skirt
Feather Weight Pleated Pull On Skirt
This is a fan-favorite skirt, but I tried it for the first time and was pretty amazed. Despite being pleated, it reads as the least conservative version possible and has this elongating, sporty feel. The subtle sheen is also amazing, and I loved it with the white tunic. The reasons it did not win were primarily lifestyle-related: I could not really see myself wearing it for WFH, and I already have a number of business-dress options for the times I go to meetings, so it would become this elusive theater-or-lunch outfit. I also do not like wide waistbands on my body, although this one was as good as it gets. I fully understand the hype around this skirt, though.
Crispy Nylon Liam Blazer
When heading to the store, I thought maybe I would finally pull the trigger on the navy Crispy Nylon blazer. They only had an L, which is one size bigger than my usual size. Still, it looked really good and made a lot of dresses look better. I dream of them making it in colors other than navy, but even the navy is really very good and continues to be on my wishlist.
What I Bought
So what did I buy in the end? I was very restrained, since full price is not something I usually pay for Tibi. Still, I started my try on with the Luxe Twill Skirt and it stole my heart - I could not stop thinking about it throughout the whole try-on.
Luxe Spring Twill Tucked Pleat Skirt
Luxe Spring Twill Tucked Pleat Skirt
I noticed this skirt in Style Class, in Vienna Tibi styling, and even on the runway. I loved its proportions. It is modern and “big,” but without the usual elaborate pleats and volume around the waist, which Tibi loves and of which I already have enough “natural pleats” there myself. It had the perfect waist, and then the pleats started much lower, bringing an extremely modern hourglass proportion to the whole look. I think it is just great. Aside from being very flattering, it feels very directional, but you can still wear it with anything. I can see myself wearing it with a simple T-shirt during the summer or with a blouse that can be partially tucked in. The fabric is 100% cotton, which I love, and the color is extremely versatile, although the brown version is just as versatile too.
My skirt was even appreciated by my husband. He said I looked like a ballistic missile, which sounds like an unfortunate sign of the times, and that it would be very convenient for jugglers to place their juggling pins there. Pushed design inspires everyone, I guess :)
Luxe Twill Shirt, Bomber and Short
Left: Luxe Spring Twill Hinged Shirt, Luxe Spring Twill Tucked Pleated Wide Leg Short, Right: Luxe Spring Twill Bomber, Luxe Spring Twill Tucked Pleat Skirt.
Inspired by the success of this skirt, I tried the other Luxe Twill pieces, but once again it was obvious that proportions are key. The shorts did not look nearly as good, and the shirt was kind of OK but not nearly as interesting as the skirt. So I did not push it, as the skirt alone was more than enough.
The Crinkle Slip Skirt
I bought this skirt not for myself, but for Ewelina from On Shopping My Closet. As a fellow European Tibi fan, shopping from abroad is a major hassle. To be honest, before this try-on I was thinking Tibi slip skirts are not for me, as they felt too lightweight and too transparent. But when I tried this one for Ewelina, it was actually quite nice: extremely lightweight, with just the right amount of transparency. I believe Ewelina will comment herself on how she finds the skirt, but after trying it on, it appeared on my radar too.
So this was my try-on at the flagship. As usual, there were so many beautiful and interesting pieces in the store. Even if some were not for me, they were still pleasing to the eye and, as always, interesting.
I saved many of the try-on videos to Instagram, so if you want to see more, head to the Highlights section on my profile.
I will be waiting for sale season to explore some of these pieces, but in general I am good for now. And I am very thankful to Emmanuelle from Tibi for bearing with me while I tried on so many pieces - and to the Tibi team for the pushed, modern pieces as usual!
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The pleated skirt and cashmere is so cute on you. Thanks for all of the good intel.
Thanks for all of this great info! I love hearing all of your insights about the pieces. I'm curious about what else you might have tried on at Rachel Comey?