Queer Eye Season 5: Episode 9 - Paging Dr. Yi. What was that DRESS?

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Queer Eye is one of my favorite shows to binge. When Tan France took Dr. Lilly Yi (their hero) shopping at Boyds Philadelphia, he styled her in this stunning black dress with wide shoulder pads and gold buttons. So many are wondering - what was the "boss b!tch" dress!?

For those familiar with fashion - the brand was clear... gold metal buttons.. shoulder pads. It's obviously Balmain. Known for their bold looks and styles that scream "I own this."

Picture on right is reversed because this scene was in front of a mirror.

The dress seen above from Queer Eye's "Paging Dr. Yi" episode is the Velvet Fitted Mini dress from Balmain with a sheer mesh mock neck top worn underneath.

INFO SHEET

Brand: Balmain
Product: Velvet Fitted Mini Dress
Materials: Outer - 100% Cotton; Lining - 52% Viscose, 48% Cotton
Hardware: Gold Metal Buttons
Care: Dry Clean Only
Price: $2,695.00
Availability: Limited Availability

As of today (6/30/2020) this dress is currently on sale at Neiman Marcus for $942.90 (65% Off). It can also be found on Farfetch, or if you're lucky you an also catch it preloved on Poshmark. Please be wary of going the preloved or ebay route though as these markets may also be plagued by fakes. Unfortunately Balmain is just one of those brands where many counterfeits exist.

"No... not that dress.. the OTHER ONE!

The pink and green one when she was making pizza towards the end!"

Are you referring to this one?

It was SO hard to get a decent shot of this dress.

Well the other dress Dr. Lilly Yi is wearing is the Floral-Intarsia Silk-Blend dress by Alexander McQueen.

INFO SHEET

Brand: Alexander McQueen
Product: Floral-Intarsia Silk-Blend Dress
Materials: 57% Silk, 32% Viscose, 6% Polyester, 4% Polyamide, 1% Elastane
Hardware: Center back button closure
Care: Dry Clean Only
Price: $3,570.00
Availability: Sold Out :(

This dress was sold on Matches Fashion but appears to be sold out. Alexander McQueen does make similar silhouettes such as the Black Floral-Intarsia Silk-blend Mini dress and the Cross-Stitch Intarsia A-line Silk-blend dress. Just google "Alexander McQueen Intarsia Dress" and you should be able to find something similar.

Here are similar styles I found at The Real Real for a fraction of the price.

I wouldn't say styling Queer Eye heroes in luxury ready to wear is common. Though many times there is no mention of the name of the shops they visit; I have noticed stores like H&M, Old Navy, or just small local boutiques. I always just assumed that Tan would style guests in pieces that were somewhat obtainable (but still very special) compared to what they were normally accustomed to.

For example, Bobby Camp (the religious father of six from Season 1, Episode 5 "Camp Rules") was taken to Target so that he would be able to dress his family and buy groceries all in one outing. Target is affordable to some, but for struggling families clothing from Target may still be out of reach; hence my theory of "somewhat obtainable but special nonetheless." With that in mind, let's look at Lilly Yi being taken shopping at Boyds Philadelphia. Dr. Yi is well... a doctor.. who lives in a big, beautiful loft. So perhaps styling her in Balmain and McQueen isn't so much of a stretch after all... somewhat. :)

Even if I was broke I would still want to be dressed in Balmain lol, but I can see why Tan plans things the way he does. He just truly wants to push his heroes a out of their comfort zones, but not so much that he ends up scaring them away.

About the Author

Misakino

This blog was started to help other fellow NC37s on their quest to finding the perfect BB cushion. Being a big fan of K-Beauty, it is very difficult to find cushions darker than shade 23. It can be quite the gamble ordering makeup from overseas without an inkling of what that may look like, or even if it is beneficial for certain skin types. I am willing to buy these products, swatch, and test them in order to help others make an informed decision.