Stalking the Elusive Alice by Temperley Line

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When we found out that the lower-priced Alice by Temperley line had been released, we wanted to be among the first to "squeeze the Charmin" and prod, poke, touch and try on the goods. We knew that distribution would be limited and exclusive (not even Net-a-Porter has all the pieces yet); our first stop was the Neiman Marcus at Topanga Canyon. They didn't carry it, and they aren't sure if they ever will. Surprise, surprise, the Temperley boutique at Melrose Place didn't have it, either (though salesperson told me they'd likely have it by the end of this week). We lucked out and found a small cache of it at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. And we do mean small: just a single sales rack, with a few of the basic items (bandleader jacket, purple tiger-striped dress and skirt, a basic white blouse, and some cropped jeans). Cute, but not "Alice Temperley does it again!" or "That bandleader jacket is a great buy for $400." As we were rounding up our selection, a salesgirl came by and chirped, "Just so you know, those are running two sizes small." GULP. (Not that we're that vain type?but just a little bit.) So we traded our 8s for 12s and headed off to the fitting room. (We will admit, we decided to forgo the pants.) When we got home, we decided to call up the Temperley boutique to get their feedback, and they did indeed confirm that things were running small—yes, it's UK sizing, which means 2, 4, 6, 8, just like American sizes, but smaller. Does that make sense? Eh, size, shmize?we'll give this merchandise more serious consideration once it hits the sales racks, but by that time, we're hoping the bandleader jacket trend will be done.
· Diffusion by Design: Alice by Temperley Launches Today, Now, Go! [Racked National]