Forgive me if I am less prosaic than usual for this review. I only have about 1100 words with which to describe the Remember the Trojans costume by DreamGirl, and I am going to need every single one of them.

The Basics

Sometimes, you have to pick an assignment just for giggles. That is what I did when I asked to be assigned this costume. It is definitely reminiscent of what we have come to think of as an ancient Greek soldier's costume...only flashier.

This set comes with a headpiece that is mostly made up of gold, satin ribbon. It has a "C" shaped metal centerpiece with two plastic "jewels" at each end. There is a piece of elastic on the back to make the headpiece adjustable.

There are two golden wrist gauntlets - satin pieces with brown ribbon trim. These fasten using a thick piece of Velcro.

The bodice (and skirt) of this piece is brown and 100% polyester. Despite what the product page says, the cups do feature underwire. They are also thickly padded. There is a gold, elastic trim around the top of the bodice. It has adjustable shoulder straps (each with three decorative flaps of gold satin, featuring a multi-faceted "jewel" at the tip of each flap) and closes with a back zipper and one hook and eye closure. Underneath each breast, there is a latticework of shimmery gold ribbon running from the bottom of the cups to the "belt" at the waistline. Each bit of latticework is outlined by a trim of brown velvet on either side.

The "belt" is a fanciful collection of beads, jewels, metal, and sparkly thread. At the center, there is a circular metal piece that echos the headband in that it contains three "C" shaped pieces, each with "jewels" at each end. Around the metal circle, you will find a collection of bronze beads and eight bronze "jewels." The rest of the "belt" is made up of golden thread and more bronze beads.



Here's where it gets interesting...the skirt. This piece is very versatile in that it has two skirts...one short, and one long...attached to the bodice. How is this possible? Through the clever placement of a horizontal zipper that holds the longer skirt in place! The zipper is hidden from view by 12 decorative flaps that hang down to conceal it. The flaps are a gold satin with brown trim, each with one of the same multi-faceted "jewels" that are featured on the shoulder flaps. When the long skirt is attached, you can see that it is brown with gold trim up the skirt's split sides and along the bottom. When the long skirt is removed, you will not be able to see the brown miniskirt because of the decorative flaps. The long skirt, when removed, can be used as a cape.

The set also comes with a short, plastic sword. Someone who collects swords could probably tell you what type of weapon it is supposed to represent. All I can say is that if it were real, you would have to be pretty close to someone for this to be an effective weapon.



Sizing

As of this writing, this set is not yet available for purchase. I expect, with the Halloween season approaching, that it will be soon. The possible sizes listed on the product page are small, medium, large, and extra large. For DreamGirl products, I tend to fit an XL best. Though DreamGirl's size chart doesn't include measurements for XL, I have found them elsewhere. They are listed below, along with my measurements in parentheses.

XL Sizing
Dress - 14/16 (Me - 14)
Cup - D/E (Me - D)
Bust - 38-40" (Me - 42")
Waist - 31-33" (Me - 34")
Hips - 40-42" (Me - 40")

Measurements

The measurements for the gauntlets, when fastened, are 8 1/2" at the wrist, and 9 1/2" around the top. They are 5 3/4" long. If you have wrists that are thinner than 8 1/2", as I do, these will fit loosely, and will not give the same appearance as they do in the product photos.

The headband stretches from 21" to 24". The elastic band allows it to fit snugly and comfortably against the forehead.

Each of the highly padded cups measure 7" across and 6" from top to bottom. The "belt" above the waistline is 11" across and 4 1/2" high in the middle. The length of the piece from the top of the bodice to the bottom of the miniskirt is 26" (11" from the waist to the bottom). With the long skirt attached, the length is 48" from the top of the bodice to the bottom (35" from the waist to the bottom). As I am only about 5' tall, the long skirt almost reaches the ground on me. If you are a proper Amazon warrior princess, this skirt will probably work better for you. Otherwise, you might prefer to use the long skirt as a cape instead. When removed, it is two almost square panels, each measuring 22 1/2" across and 23 1/2" from top to bottom.

Packaging, Care, and Storage

The Remember the Trojans set came in a thick, plastic pouch with an attached hanger. It contained an insert with pictures of the product and the product itself. The care instructions given say that this piece is "Dry Clean Only." This is probably because of all the beading and other decorative details. The piece could be placed on a hanger, using the shoulder straps, or it could be folded and placed in a drawer or back into the plastic pouch in which it was delivered.

Experience

With the little room I have left for experience, let me say that the padding is unnecessary for those with D cups, so they didn't fit as they should. I could not place the underwire against my rib cage, or else the top would come down too low. Other than that, this is a comfortable, cute, and fun piece.

While this is still a cute piece, it is not one that really has much chance of getting a lot of use from me. Perhaps if you are into cosplay and want to dress like an Amazon warrior, it might get repeated use. To me, since it isn't really bedroom sexy, I don't see it happening.