Black off shoulder dress - mini dress discontinued by Espiral - review by ~LaUr3n~

I have quite a few of Espiral's dresses and have loved almost all of them. When I saw this one I thought it had the right amount of tightness and looseness to be really sexy, but not trashy. I've also lost almost 20 pounds and have firmed up a lot. I was thinking I'd love to show that off in a more subtle way. This dress sort of does the trick for that, the top can be a bit sloppy, but it's sexy either way! As with the other Espiral dresses, this one does run small too.

*Contents/overview: One piece dress

The Black Off Shoulder dress by Espiral is a ruched mini-dress made for wearing out. It has no built in bra or support. The wide neck line can be a boat neck line or off the shoulder, one one shoulder most likely. It comes in black and white and is available in sizes S, M, L, and XL. It runs a little small. Order up a size from what you normally wear, but it seems to run consistent with other Espiral dresses.

*Material: Stretchy and thin



This dress is made of 94% rayon and 6% elastan (spandex). Most of the dresses I have from this company are made of a material that is silky and a little thicker. This on is more thin cotton like and isn't silky at all. It's not scratchy or uncomfortable at all, however. On the body it isn't see through unless you are wearing a white or hot colored undergarment. However, a flash from a camera up close can sometimes reveal the space between the thighs, etc. Depending on the venue you are at when you wear this, it might not be an issue.

*Design/craftsmanship: A little odd on top

All the measurements are for the size L.

This is a mini-dress so that means it is going to fall above your knee and high on your thigh for most people. There is no distinct front or back to this dress. It doesn't have extra space for a booty or large breasts in a distinct area. The bottom is just a bunched skirt and the top is very roomy.

The dress is 31" from top to bottom, but the skirt portion is rouched so it stretches down a longer length if you'd like, or a shorter one too. The skirt portion is about 16 1/2" long and 11" wide. Clearly, this stretches a lot! The top is 22" from arm pit to arm pit so there is a lot of room for large chests if needed. The neck line is a wide boat neck and is 14 1/2" across. The sleeves have an opening that is 4 1/2" wide. This isn't very large some, but because the sleeve drops down so far on the arm, you don't have to worry about the size of your upper arm since that area is much roomier.

There really isn't much to this dress...

*Cleaning/care/storage: Hand wash

The dress does not come in a bag like the others I have gotten. It only comes with a tag attached to side. The tag says to hand wash. It can be hung up to dry and store. There are hanger ribbon on the inside of the dress.

Made in Columbia.

*Sizing/fit: Espiral clothes run small in general

The other dresses I have from Espiral are larges. When I had those originally I was probably about 8-10 pounds more than I am now, but I still really like how those fit, so I decided to get a large in this too. I could have gotten a medium. The top is too big on me. I know it's supposed to be big, but I can't wear it off the shoulder without it looking weird. I highly doubt the bottom would look any different in a medium. It's going to look tight no matter what.

The large says is should fit 38" bust, 29" waist, and 38" hip. I weigh ~138 pounds (size ~6/8); curvy but fit, with size 34 DD breasts. My waist is about 29" and hips 37.5". It fits my hips and waist wonderfully. The top is just a bit too big. I prefer to wear it square on my shoulders. If I drop it off of my shoulder the fabric bunches looking unflattering, sloppy, in my opinion. I can pull the dress away from me at the waist and hips are have quite a few inches of room. This is clearly a form fitted dress on the bottom, but it will stretch.

My Re-done chart: For the large
Dress: 8-12
Cup: C-DDD
Bust: 38-44" (around the fullest part of your breasts)
Band: 36-38" (underneath your breasts)
Waist: 28-32"
Hips: 38-43"









Conclusion: ****

I'm docking this dress a star for three reasons. The fabric doesn't feel high quality and is thin, the top is a bit odd, and this dress will not likely flatter many body types. However, I really like this dress and can't wait to wear it out! It doesn't show off my weight loss how I'd hoped, though.

I still really like this dress, but I have not been able to wear it out yet, unfortunately. It's not the kind of dress you can wear when it is even the slightest bit cold. If leggings are your thing, that might work, though.