Of Necklines and Prints
Hello everyone!
TGIF! I finally found time to snap pictures of my latest dress acquisitions last night, hurhur.
Dressabelle Polkadot Wrap Sleeve Dress (Navy, M)
This one sold out like total hotcakes at the launch, I think within 5 minutes?! Luckily there was one last piece left at concept store, which I grabbed. I've always heard about Diane von Furstenberg's iconic wrap dress being super flattering, but (a) thought that the wrap dress style would make me look old and (b) it's quite hard to find such a style in blogshops, I feel! But this dress just exuded such retro chic that I had to get it.
The wrap dress silhouette is indeed very flattering, creating the illusion of a smaller waist and more svelte figure. The material feels like a thick jersey (stated as 'spandex' online), fully lined, but not too hot in our weather, I think, although probably best if you're not going to be under the sun the whole day. Size M fits me to a tee with perhaps an inch of allowance on all sides.
Only thing is that (a) the V neckline is not secured with any button so it may gape with wide movements- I secured mine with a safety pin; and (b) the drape from the waist creates a second asymmetrical layer as seen in my photo, which is not sewn, so it may flap open when you sit or make large strides, although no skin is exposed, so I'm fine with that.
Still available via BO here!
Dressabelle Boat Neck Bundled Florals Dress (Mint, S)
What a long name, haha! I was drawn to this because of the pastel colour (probably true to my close-up below) and the boatneck neckline, which is another unusual neckline I love- highlights the collarbones! It's not very obvious in my picture above, but in real life the neckline dips just below the collarbones, which is lovely if that's a portion you'd like to highlight. (A normal bra is okay if you push the straps to the edges, or you can opt for a strapless to be safe.)
OK, the strange thing is, looking at the measurements, I'm not even supposed to be able to fit into size S, but I do. I'm a 16.5" ptp and 13-13.5" waist, and this dress fits me snugly. The material feels like a stretchy cotton denim (stated as 'polyester cotton' online but feels thicker than that), the kind that will stretch but cling, if you get what I mean! Hence I wouldn't advise going for buffets in this. I wouldn't advise vigorous movements either, as the boatneck neckline verges on off-shoulder and restricts excessive arm movements.
Other than that the dress remains pretty flattering- I find it very princessy, in a good way! Good for semi-formal dinners out when you want to impress, I guess ;) Still available here!
Megagamie Rose Casablanca Dress (Wine Red, M)
I was totally sold on this from Mega's instagram. She and her sisters have such hourglass silhouettes!! I thought this dress looked very "The Other Boleyn Girl", if you know what I mean- the neckline has this very renaissance feel, plus the material looked super luxe from their pictures.
Material wise, it's not the Thai silk I expected it to be- it is actually much thinner and lighter, stated as 'silk polyester blend' on the website. The sheen is also not as obvious in real life as it is on their Instagram and website pictures, although it does still shimmer under various lights. The cut fits me perfectly with maybe half an inch allowance max? It doesn't look as 'hourglass' on me as it does on them though!
My only problem with this is that the straps are a tad loose for me due to my sloping shoulders and tend to either 'pop' out or slip off, so a strapless bra would probably be best. Oh and also, the length is quite short, I feel! Personal preference here, but although the 32.5" length hits about a palm's width above my knee, the poofiness of the skirt makes it kinda 'float' above its length, so I'm saving this for absolutely formal occasions, when I won't be walking around too much (risking exposure).
Still available here!
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend ahead ladies!
Grace
1.58m, large UK8
Instagram: @anawolowl