Lycra and lace dress - mini dress discontinued by Coquette - review by Silverdrop

I love love love this dress from the lace waistline up. The lace is soft and not at all itchy - always important! The peekaboo effect is sexy, the red ribbon adds a touch of flair and draws the eye, and the shape of the bustline is very flattering. I'm a B cup, and it could definitely stretch larger, but I don't believe it would be a good idea to try larger than a D cup. This dress does not provide its own bust support, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find a bra that would work with it, if you got a plunge bra with thin black straps or clear straps to avoid them showing through the lace. The back of the dress is high enough to cover the back of a bra.

The skirt, however, does not provide the little flippy look on me that the model displays. I am a classic pear shape, with a big belly and hips, and from the bottom of the lace panel to the hemline, the dress might as well be painted on. It displays my bulges in all their glory.

I'm a plus size girl, so I checked the Coquette size chart before ordering this dress. My bust is L/XL, while my belly and hips are closer to XL/1XL. If this dress was available in 1XL, I think with the help of some control top pantyhose, I could have pulled it off. As it is, I will either have to lose some weight (ha!) or use it as a top. I would advise buyers to look at where Coquette would place you based on your waist and hip measurements and go up a size.

The care tag says the dress is 80% nylon 20% spandex, hand wash only. I would agree with this, because of the lace and the ribbon at the waist. I believe they could be damaged in a machine, even in a lingerie bag on the delicate cycle. The little bow is removable, with a brooch pin, which is a nice touch to avoid it getting damaged in the wash. I tried moving it around to different places on the dress, but it really looks best right where it is.

I still love this dress, but I haven't decided what to do yet about the belly issue. I'm considering either cutting it off short into a tank top, slitting open the side seams to make it more like a tunic, or putting it in the 'hope my diet works' section of the wardrobe.

I've included some (poor) photography below, but it should be enough to show how the dress fits on a plus size gal.

Woo! Look at that belly!

I haven't worn it since the review, because of it being too tight across my belly. It really is pretty, and I probably will trim it down and make a top of it rather than a dress, but I'd have rather had the dress. Whenever I see it in my closet, I can't help but wish the skirt flared out more so that it would fit. Disappointing.