Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Full disclosure: I HATE this dress... The moment I put it on I discovered it will never be something I'm comfortable in and elected to return it immediately. However, I imagine that there is a group of women out there who would adore it... Accordingly, I'm going to do my best to be objective in its review in order to provide an honest evaluation. PATTERN/COLOR | I bought the Floral-01 in size Small. As suggested by the product image, there's nothing floral about it. It's actually a solid blue with small white polka dots. The color and pattern were accurately portrayed in the photo. TOP | The dress extends up incredibly high... It reaches above my clavicles (collar bones). SKIRT | The dress would pass the "Hem to the Fingertip" test. I'm 5'7 and the skirt reaches to my knees, not completely covering them, but about half-way down. The skirt is incredibly full. You can actually twirl it by spinning around in circles. It provides zero visualization of your thighs and rear. Seriously... I could probably attach a watermelon to my backside and it wouldn't be noticeable while standing in this dress. I'm kinda "busty" so the small size was snug but not overly tight in the top. I suspect there's some flexibility in this area to accommodate various chest spans. FABRIC | The material is rather decent quality, especially for the price. It has a heavy, thick weight to it that reminds me of curtains. Unlike many garments currently out there, it's NOT transparent. You won't need to worry about wearing it with a slip...Nor be concerned about pairing it with a skin-toned bra in order to prevent it from being seen. Texture wise, it's fairly soft. I have sensitive skin and didn't find it to be itchy. CLEANING/UPKEEP | The care instructions state "Dry Clean Only." This concept of dry cleaning a $20 dress seems rather ridiculous to me. My local cleaners charge $8 to treat a dress so I can't imagine spending approximately 40% of the garment's original cost on cleaning it. However, if you end loving it and wish to maximize its lifespan, this is definitely a wise plan of care. Personally, I would throw it in the wash using a delicate cycle, and tumble dry low just long enough to get the wrinkles out, but I'm not afraid of taking risks. However, I imagine that most of you who would love a dress like this are more on the conservative side so plan on calculating cleaning into the true costs of owning this garment. WRINKLES | The dress arrived folded up and packaged in a plastic bag. Surprisingly, it wasn't too wrinkled when I tried it on. I imagine that it won't require an excessive amount of ironing. A quick smoothing with low heat iron would make it pristine. CONDITION UPON ARRIVAL | I didn't feel that it would be necessary to wash the dress before wearing. There wasn't any strange chemical odor to it. As previously mentioned, the wrinkles were minimal and the fabric wasn't stiff. In care you're wondering: "Why does she not like this dress?" Here's the reasons: It's far too modest for my taste. I deviated from my comfort zone in order to purchase it with the intention of wearing it to a Kentucky Derby Party. Once in my physical possession I realized that there's absolutely NO WAY I would wear this. I like to keep my style classy but I'm also confident about my body image. Subsequently, I felt that this dress is too over-the-top in its modest cut. The image I had in mind was "vintage/inspired." I found this look to be straight up 1950's vintage... Like something that was literally pulled out of a 65 year-old time capsule. I don't feel the need to cover my chest all the up to my trachea. To me, this feels suffocating, both literally and symbolically. With that said, this dress is an awesome value for those seeking something different. Because of this, I felt compelled to share my observations in hope that it will find those who will benefit from owning it. I recommend this dress for: Meeting your boyfriend's overly strict and judgmental parents for the 1st time. Tea with grandma. Church. Kindergarten teachers. Halloween, dressed as Dorothy from Wizard of the Oz. Covering up your teenage daughter. Apple-shaped body types... AKA, those who are looking to draw attention away from their thighs and backside.... As the dress is only fitted directly under the bust, it draws focus to the upper rib cage area, which is usually the slimmest part on a woman. This creates a flattering look on women who carry their weight in their lower body.