Black dress - mini dress discontinued by Espiral - review by Ms. N

As I mentioned in an earlier review, I am on the hunt for the perfect dress to wear for my upcoming reunion. For this month's assignment, I chose to check out Espiral's Black Dress. I will go ahead and say right now...this isn't the one.

The Basics

Espiral's Black Dress is another example of the classic Little Black Dress™ that should be a staple of every woman's wardrobe. This particular dress features adjustable sleeves - a tie allows you to fix the width of the sleeves to suit your personal preference. The neckline dips to a very low "V" in both the front and the back. A wide panel of gathered, metallic silver material gives the appearance of a "belt" underneath the bust. A straight, black mini skirt with small side slits finishes the piece.

The fabric making up the dress is polyester (93%) and spandex (7%). The material is nicely stretchy, including the "belt." Some reviewers have mentioned issues with the belt area being too tight and unaccommodating. While I did find the band to be a bit snug, it was not so much so as to hinder putting the dress on or taking it off. The dress is one, thin layer, and will stretch to be fairly sheer. For this reason, you may wish to wear a slip underneath the dress...if you can find one that is short enough. Also, because of the sheerness of the fabric and lack of any type of lining, you will likely wish to use pasties, preferably black underneath the dress. Otherwise, pray the night is not a cold one.

Sizing and Measurements

Eden offers the Black Dress in sizes Small, Medium, Large, and XL. According to the size chart, the XL should fit a bust size of 40", a waist size of 31", and a hip size of 40" (hourglass figures). I went with this size, even though my measurements are a bit off (42-34-40). The material is so stretchy that being outside of the given range is not that big of an issue.

The length of the dress from shoulder to bottom hem is 29". It really is a mini dress. The dip of the V-neckline extends a daring 11", leaving the length of the dress from under the bust to them hem at 18". If you are long-bodied, this means that the skirt may be uncomfortably short for you. The silver panel is about 4" from top to bottom, and is 13" across the front of the band (or 26" around). It will stretch to 16" (32" around). The sleeves can be adjusted to range from 3 1/2" to 7" across. There is a 1 1/2" slit on each side of the skirt.



Packaging, Care Instructions, and Storage

Espiral's Black Dress came to me in a plastic box featuring a picture of the product on the front. Oddly, it appears to be the mirror image of the picture on EF's product page. The back of the package mentions that the dress is made in Colombia, and says that the dress should be washed separately and drip dried. It also warns against bleaching the dress, as if anyone would want to do that. The dress is easily stored by hanging in the closet.

If you look at the pictures, you can see how sheer this is...as in, the care tag will have to go. That is not the main problem I have with this dress though. It is comfortable and cute, but I think perhaps it exposes a bit too much for me to wear it to my reunion. The mini skirt is way too mini for me (a good nine or ten inches above the knee), and the low cut neckline is way too low. In my pictures, you can see that I am wearing shape wear underneath, and it is highly visible both at the neckline and below the hem. It isn't the fault of the dress though, and I am sure some people will have the proper functions for which this dress would be appropriate. For me though, this just isn't "the one." My search continues...but I will still give the dress itself four stars for quality, looks, and comfort.

While this is a nice dress and very pretty, it just doesn't work for me. It is too low-cut and too short for me to wear anywhere, personally. I'm sure it will work for some people, but it just isn't going to see much use here.