After starting a love affair with Espiral's line of mini-dresses, I've started a small collection of them. This is the fourth one I have gotten. It's different than the others because it runs smaller and is made of a less lovely material. Still sexy as hell, this deserves a good review, but I am dissapointed since the first two I tried are 5 stars all around. This one runs so small compared to the others that I think I will be swapping it in for a larger size.

*Contents/overview:One piece Mini-dress

The One Shoulder Silhouette dress by Espiral is a ruched mini-dress made for wearing out, but it is much too thin for that, in my opinion. It has no built in bra or support. It's one sleeved and has cut out of the shoulder it does cover. That shoulder has a grommet like detailing. It only comes in black and is available in sizes S, M, L, and XL. It runs small. Order up a size from what you normally wear.

*Material: Cheap and thin



This mini-dress is made of 65% polyester and 35% rayon (viscose), exclusive of trim. The trim is the plastic rhinestones on the shoulder and the spandex bands sewn into the sides. Compared to the other dresses I've reviewed from this company, this material is a lot lower quality. It is thin, thinner than a T-shirt and very see through. It has very little stretch and feels starchy. If you buy the right size, the material is fairly comfortable.

*Design/craftsmanship: Good

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. This means that you can wear it either way depending on which arm you want to be covered. I tried it on both ways and it doesn't really matter to me. I feels a little more natural having my right arm exposed.

The body of the dress is sort of like a tube because it doesn't have distinct parts. It also has a tunic like look because of all the ruching and one shouldered look. There is a piece of fabric that is shaped like an oval between the front and back parts that connect over the shoulder. It's 4" long and 2 1/5" wide. It's my feeling that this piece is actually sewn on incorrectly. One side, the outer side, is flat. It would make more sense to have the curved side silhouette the end of the shoulder. Someone was paying attention, I think... The material over the shoulder has two firmer piece of fabric affixed to it. These have three rows of plastic silver rhinestones on it.



From the hem line down, the sleeve is about 24 1 /2" long. It is a good length for me. What isn't so great is the upper part of the sleeve. A baseball/softball player since I was old enough to throw a ball, I have larger upper arm muscles but it is rare that I have an issue with sleeves being too tight. These are a tad tight and need adjustment sometimes. Laid flat the top of the sleeve is 7" wide. The very top is not the tightest part on me. It's further down that poses a problem.

On the inside of the dress, there is a thin spandex strip sewn into the sides where the ruching connects. Before even putting it on I noticed that parts of it were broken already. This isn't made using the highest quality materials. Be careful with it and don't pull on it a lot. It looks like there is only one string of elastic through there, thinner than a small hair tie.

*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. I can't tell yet if it will work fine in a washer because I plan to exchange this for a larger size.

Made in Columbia.

*Sizing/fit:Runs small, order up

The first and second dresses I got from Espiral are larges, so I decided to get that size for this as well. Unfortunatly, the different nature of the material makes this not work for me as well in a large. The others look tight, but don't feel that way. This one FEELS tight. I have a hard time pulling it over my bust. Other than what I mentioned about the upper arm and the bust, the rest is fine, however. This material is far less forgiving and very see through!


Uh...yea, that's my bra! Even with a black one, it can be seen. You'll need to go without, find a slip, or get perfectly nude undies.

The large says is should fit 38" bust, 29" waist, and 38" hip. I weigh ~142 pounds (size ~8); curvy but fit, with size 34/36 D breasts. My waist is about 30" and hips 38.5". The large fits my hips and waist okay, but does feel tighter than the stretchier material of the other dresses that I was used to. There isn't as much ruching which also indicates that even though this "fits" my body, it doesn't fit and look exactly as it is supposed to. It is especially tight in the bust. I have a somewhat difficult time pulling it over my bust. It does get looser once in place, though. It will not fit DD or larger breasts. It also won't fit Ds that have a larger band than I do. I only have a little restriction of movement in my arm due to the upper part being snug.

My Re-done chart: For the largeRuns small - order a size up from other Espiral pieces which run true to size
Dress: 6-8
Cup: B-C (possibly D if band is small enough)
Bust: 34-38 (around the fullest part of your breasts)
Band: 32-36" (underneath your breasts)
Waist: 27-30"
Hips: 35-39"



*Possible accessories:

With mini-dress, you want to play up the shortness of the dress and the amount of leg it shows by wearing a shoe that will create the illusion of a longer leg. I am wearing Pleaser's Indulge 542, shown below.
, but a strappy mini boot might look good too. For jewelry, I'd go with a large bangle bracelet like the one pictured below.


*Conclusion: 3 stars ★★★

Because of the cheap, thin material, it being see-through, and the fact that it runs small I have to give this one 3 stars. It's on a totally different level than the other Espiral dresses I own. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could, though.

I missed the opportunity to exchange this or return it so I am still looking for a slip of some kind to fit underneath. If someone has a good recommendation, let me know! I'd love to be able to wear this!