Use

Are you looking for something that's casual, hip, and can be worn in a few different ways? Maybe you're looking for something that would be good paired with leggings, or your favorite thigh high tights? Well the Belted Beauty Dress by Espiral, might be what you're looking for. This 80's inspired dress is a pretty red color, that can be dressed up or dressed down. This item is a little more on the casual side, so it's perfect for daily wear, whether it's to run errands, date night, or a romantic night in.

Design / Craftsmanship / Material / Size / Fit



There are two labels attached to the top, the first has the size (XL), and the second has "AM:PM", "by Espiral" written on it, with the breakdown of fabrics: 93% polyester, and 7% spandex. The dress is a solid red in color, and has an 80's flare to it.





Starting from the top of the dress, the neck is quite wide in nature. The shape is wide enough for those of you that want to show one shoulder, or both. The fit is stretchy enough to accommodate most shoulder sizes, but don't tug too hard or the hem might tear. There is no difference from the back to the front of this dress, nor is there a tag on the neck to help you figure it out. The neck measures 15" across without it being stretched, so it would measure 30" all the way around.



The measurement from the neck to the end of the top of the arm sleeve is 9" long, and the thickness of the actual sleeve is 9.5". The sleeve is meant to be a wide fit. Directly in the middle of the sleeve, there are small little loops to help aid in hanging up the dress. The loops are red, so they easily match the fabric and are nicely hidden. They are made of a soft satin like ribbon, so it can't be seen or felt through the dress while wearing it. The loop measures 3" long, and is perfectly located halfway down the sleeve, so it doesn't awkwardly stick out the neck while wearing.



Wearing this dress without the belt makes it look like an over-sized nightie. With all the other Espiral clothing that I've reviewed in the past, they always seemed to be a small fit, however, this is not one of them. I assumed when I was ordering that it might be too small, so I got the biggest size. I really should have gotten a large! I normally wear a size 14 or an XL, but this fit HUGE. The dress is meant to be a big fit, and worn with the belt to show off your waist, or just below the bust. When it comes to the measurements for this dress, the bust measures 25" across, which means it's actually 50" around. The waist measures 31" across, which means it's actually 62" around.





When it comes to the bottom of the dress, the sides are longer and flare out. Now depending on how you position the belt, and if you're wearing pants underneath, it may not fall right. It takes some playing around to get it to fall properly, however, that might just be my chunky body fighting against me. With that said, if you have extra pounds in the tummy region, extra rolls, you may want to stay clear of this dress.



The measurement for the bottom of the dress is a little hard to measure, as it goes in a curve. The measurement across is 37", which means at the bottom it's 74" around. The measurement from the top neck all the way down to the bottom of the dress is 29.5" in the middle, and on the sides measure 36" long.



When it comes to the belt, this fit me perfect. The belt measures 30" in length, but can be stretched quite a bit. The thickness of the belt is 3" wide, and has a Velcro closure. The belt is black in color, and has a zigzag embroidering all the way down, with silver accents sewn in. The funkiest part of the belt is the belt buckle, as it has a zipper design that circles around and around, until it meets a little silver button snap in the middle. The snap is what holds the design onto the Velcro portion. The measurement for the buckle is just a little over 3" across, and 3.5" down.

To be honest, I'm not sure if I like this dress on my body shape. It took some playing around to get it to fall right on my body frame. I found it hard to camouflage the hanging skin in the stomach area, as I've lost over 100Lbs. If it was a different fabric and/or color, maybe this wouldn't have been an issue. I feel too self conscious to wear this out in public due to my body issues, although that might just be in my head. The color of the dress is really pretty, and would look awesome on someone with a more lean frame.

The belt is my favorite part of the outfit, and I will be keeping that to wear with other tops that I already own. I'm actually impressed at the quality and craftsmanship of it, as another belt that I received from Espiral fell apart (review).

Overall, I'm still happy with my purchase for the Belted beauty dress, as I will wear the red dress as a comfortable nightie, and the belt will get worn with other clothing. I would have paid at least $20 for a t-shirt nightie somewhere else, and at least $25 for a new belt, so in the long run this was still worth it.











Care and Maintenance

This item you will want to wash by hand in cool water, and use a detergent that is mild. I personally like to use zero for my lingerie. You will also want this item to air dry. With this item being t-shirt material you may feel like you want to toss it in the washer, but I would stay clear as the color may fade. Normally I would recommend not to toss in the dryer, however, this items is a big fit, and I did so to shrink it for a better fit. In the end, it did shrink to a better sizing. Do not wash or dry the belt this way, just clean it with a damp cloth and let air dry.

Packaging

The dress and belt came wrapped in a clear plastic bag type of packaging. It had a clear little hanger, which looked like it's used for the purpose of showcasing the product on a store wall. The bag came sealed, so you could tell that the item was brand new, and the original cardboard tag with a model wearing the dress was attached. The tag also includes the size, model number of the dress, as well as washing instructions.

This dress looks better on the model, as it's not flattering on a plus sized figure. I ended up giving it to a friend, and they like it more. Overall, it's still an excellent quality piece of clothing, just not for someone plus sized.