Leopard print mini dress - mini dress discontinued by Leg Avenue - review by Ms. N

As I have mentioned before, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who like animal prints, and those who don't. Falling firmly into the group that does indeed like animal prints, when I saw Leg Avenue's Leopard Print Mini Dress, I had to have it. This makes about seven animal print items in my collection, actually, which is either way too many, or not nearly enough. Where this piece fits in to that equation remains to be seen...

The Basics

The Leopard Print Mini Dress is really much too short to be called a dress. I would suggest that this piece is much better suited for the bedroom than it is to be worn in public. It features a leopard print - naturally - along with a ribbon-laced front and a net-skirted bottom. The leopard print means this piece has a brown, orange, black, and tan color pallet. Four, black, non-adjustable spaghetti straps hold the dress up.

This piece, minus the decorative elements, is made of polyester (95%) and spandex (5%). The polyester makes it comfortable, while the spandex makes it very stretchy. The lace-up front features nine sets of eyes through which a high quality black ribbon is threaded. A delicate line of black lace trims the area on either side of the eye holes. Two rows of chiffon netting circle the bottom of the skirt, adding another decorative element to the all-over look. The dress hangs straight from top to bottom, without any support for the breasts, and hugs the body tightly without feeling tight.



Sizing and Measurements

The Leopard Print Mini Dress is available here at Eden in two sizes: SM and ML. These are the sizing details from the Leg Avenue size chart:

Sm/Med
Dress size 5 - 8
Cup A - B
Bust (in) 32 - 36
Waist (in) 23 - 27
Hips (in) 34 - 38

Med/Lg
Dress size 10 - 14
Cup B - C
Bust (in) 34 - 38
Waist (in) 25 - 29
Hips (in) 36 - 40

Personally, I am a size 12/14, with measurements of 42-34-40, and a D cup. Comparing my measurements with those of the size chart, for the ML, I should be okay for the hips, but four to five inches too big in the bust and waist. This is why spandex is such a wonderful invention. The material will stretch to accommodate variances from the size chart.

As for measurements, this piece is 24" long from the top of the bodice to the bottom of the skirt, not 31" as it states on the product page. TECHNICALLY, it is 31", but only when you add in 4" for the shoulder straps (from bodice to shoulder) and 3" for the netting. To me, those don't really count. The shoulder straps' full lengths measure 16" for the inner straps and 14" for the outer straps. The lace-up area measures 11" long, with 1 1/2" of that being an open space around or near the navel (depending on the length of your torso). The dress measures 15 1/2" across the widest part of the bust, 13" along the narrowest part of the waist, and 19" across the bottom of the skirt.

Packaging, Care Instructions and Storage

This piece arrived in a thick, clear plastic pouch with a tag featuring the picture of the product. The care tag instructs the user to hand wash the item in warm water, drip dry, and use a cool iron. These instructions seem prudent, given the fragile nature of the netting. As for storage, this dress can easily be placed on a hanger and stored in the closet.

As is, this piece receives a three star rating from me. Here's why...the very first time I put this on, I heard the sound of stitching tearing. Upon inspection, I realized that the netting is so delicate that the method Leg Avenue used to secure it to the skirt was not enough. In all other areas, the seams look great, but where the netting is...not so much.



The netting is the only part of the dress that does not allow for stretching. It just pulls loose. As cute as I think the netting is, I believe I will be removing it from the skirt completely. The only problem with that is that the edge of the skirt is not finished - there is no bottom hem. I am no seamstress, so it will just have to stay that way.

The only other issue I have with this piece is that the material does not breathe well, so it becomes a little warm if you wear it for an extended period of time. Otherwise, I love how it fits. I believe it is stretchy enough to accommodate at least a size 16 comfortably. As for how the dress looks in use, here are a few pictures...

I have taken the netting off of the skirt, as it continued to try to come off anyway. It doesn't detract terribly from its initial cuteness factor. Yes, the bottom of the skirt is unfinished, but the bodice still draws the eye upwards...to the boobs. It's still cute.