Essex - gartered mini dress discontinued by DreamGirl - review by Breas

The Essex outfit by DreamGirl is available in one-size-fits-most only. I usually wear a size XL but the outfits like this one usually have enough stretch for me to fit into them.



The outfit arrived in a cardboard packaging surrounded by plastic. The front of the package states the company name, size of outfit, colour, and has a photo of a model wearing the piece. The back states the same information as well as a brief description of the product, the material composition, suggested weight bracket, care instructions, company website, and has a back view of the model wearing the outfit. The packaging is not ideal for storing the dress when it’s not being worn. It can be stored on a hanger in the closet or inside of a drawer.

The dress is 90% nylon and 10% spandex. The outfit is ridiculously stretchy in both width and length. The netted area obviously exposes skin but the solid black area of the outfit (the skirt part) is opaque. It doesn’t become sheer the more it is stretched. The photo below was taken when the outfit had not been stretched yet. It looks really tiny when you first take out of the packaging but like I mentioned, it’s amazingly stretchy.



I’ve taken a few measurements of the outfit laying flat. If you need any additional measurements, please send me a message and I’d be happy to get them for you.

Garter strap length, not stretched: 3 ¾ inches
Garter strap length, stretched as much as I could: 8 ½ inches
Length of solid black “skirt” area of the dress: 9 ½ inches
Length of stockings, not stretched: 20 ½ inches
Length of stockings, stretched as much as I could: well over 60 inches
Length of dress (armpit to bottom of dress), not stretched: 17 ¼ inches
Length of dress (armpit to bottom of dress), stretched as much as I could: 42 ½ inches

The entire outfit is just one piece. The only closure to the dress is a single column of 2 snap closures at the centre back of the collar. The snaps secure really well. You shouldn’t have any issues with the closures coming undone while you’re wearing it, even with a bit of tugging at the area. Not stretched, the collar measures 12 ½ inches and stretched as much as I could, the collar measured 36 inches. The length of the collar is just under an inch.



With the garter straps being attached to both dress and stockings, they are not adjustable in length other than by stretching them. The band at the top of each stocking has a length of 1 ¾ inches, not stretched. The width of the band, not stretched, is approximately 4 ½ inches. Stretched as much as I could, the width of the band was 15 ¼ inches. The toe area is reinforced in each stocking so your toes don’t stick through the netting. Below is a photo of the netting on my leg.



The packaging states that the OSFM would be best suited for those between the weight brackets of 90-160lbs. The size chart states that the OSFM is best suited for those with a cup size of B/C, and hip measurement of 34-40 inches. I weigh in the high 160’s so I’m well over the suggested weight bracket. I wear a C38 bra, my hip measurement is 41 ½ inches (meaning I’m over that suggested measurement as well), and my height is 5’6”.

I’m pleased to say that this outfit fits me nicely! Not only does it fit nicely, but also I find it very flattering on my body. With the outfit being so stretchy, I was able to get into the outfit easily and there wasn’t any part of the outfit that felt too tight or uncomfortable.



When I put the outfit on, I stepped into the dress, put the stockings on, and then pulled the dress up my body. This is the easiest way to get into the outfit since it’s one piece. I typically don’t wear underwear with these types of outfits because you’d have to take the entire outfit off to get your underwear off. I’d recommend just going commando or wearing a pair of crotchless underwear with the outfit in the bedroom.

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My C cups fit fine in the outfit. There was still quite a bit of stretch to the chest area of the outfit while I was wearing it. A cup size larger than my own would have no issue with this dress. Though it’s important to note that there is no chest support in this outfit. Also, a person who has a hip measurement that is a few inches more than my own would fit without any problems. I can’t stress enough how stretchy the outfit is. As for the length of the outfit, it fit me well. The bottom of the dress fell past the bottom of my bum. The length should work well for those who are a bit taller than me because the length can be stretched.

My favourite part about this outfit is the opaque skirt area. I’ve got a chubby belly and thick thighs. This outfit covers the bottom of my belly and my upper thighs nicely. The outfit would like nice on anyone but I’d definitely recommend this outfit to those of you who consider those two areas to be problematic like I do. Speaking of thick thighs, the band to the stockings was not too tight on me but I noticed that once I pulled the stockings up to a certain length, my thighs had muffin top. The circumference of my thighs where muffin top started forming was around 22 ½ inches. The muffin top wasn’t drastic because there is no thick elastic to these bands but it was still there. If your thigh area is less than 22 ½ inches, you shouldn’t have any problems.

The quality of the Essex dress is good. There were a few loose strands of thread but I was able to cut them off with scissors. The outfit is extremely comfortable. I didn’t experience any skin irritation while wearing the outfit. I consider it to be comfortable enough to wear all day without any issues. The outfit doesn’t actually have a care tag but the care instructions are stated on the packaging. The packaging states that the outfit should be hand washed in cold water and line dried. The outfit should not be bleached.

Overall, I’m very happy with the Essex outfit. The quality is good, the OSFM stretches enough to fit me, it hides my chunky areas, it’s comfortable, and it’s an excellent price. I’d highly recommend this outfit to others. Even if you’re a bit above the suggested measurements, it’ll still fit you.