Simply Red

Sometimes I feel that every other dress in my wardrobe is red. For this I blame my boyfriend as it is his favourite colour which indirectly makes me want to wear it a lot, and also the fact that red dresses are just so damn gorgeous! My complexion really suits the colour as well, and so why fix something when it’s not broken, right?
Right!

Recently I was lucky enough to get my grubby mitts in TWO amazing red dresses in the space of as many days, and naturally I compared and contrasted how they looked and felt on me – as did my boyfriend 😉

The first dress I received was from The Big Bra Bar. When Nikki Hesford of BBB kindly asked if I would like to try her brand new dress I was chuffed! Just like Pepperberry and BiuBiu the products she sells are made with extra bust room. However when she mentioned that it would be a size 16 I was a little dubious as I can range from a 14 to a 24 in outfits. I needn’t have worried…
The dress fit me like it was made for me! It had enough fabric to cover my bust, it nipped in at my waist, it flowed over my hips and stopped at that dream spot – just below my knees. The fabric is a stretchy satin and it has a stretchy thin net lining inside to stop it being static and clinging to every dimple. It was a little unforgiving on my stomach sadly, meaning I will keep it for those days when I haven’t just eaten a takeaway! It is easy to zip up on my own and feels very luxurious. As it is not a fitted wiggle to the knee it has no need for a slit and is easy to walk and sit in. Being sleeveless means that I don’t have to worry about my chub chub arms trying to fit into it, but it also means that it will not be worn without a shrug.
True to form I had to try it on with one of my trusty thrifted belts just to see how it looked – and surprisingly it didn’t help nip me in anymore, but it broke the outfit up nicely and meant that my pairing it with red shoes looked a little more matching.

So if you are busty and around Pepperberry’s size range I would definitely recommend this! It’s a little slinkier and sexier than a lot of Pepperberry styles and fits curves extremely well. It is a very decent price for something that looks and feels so lovely. If you have any questions about this or any other Big Bra Bar products then do not hesitate to contact Nikki on her Facebook page.

The next dress I received was this vintage style dress from Dollydagger, the Dita dress.

Dollydagger sell many items, including my personal favourites, 1940’s and 1950’s style dresses.

Again I was somewhat concerned that I would fail to fit into the dress – my bust and hips are almost 50 inches around and the measurements for the size 18 fell a little short of that. However, as it is made with very high quality bengaline I was hopeful that the power of s-t-r-e-t-c-h would allow me to rock this dress…
Phew! I got it on and I felt so glamourous and foxy! Once again the length was perfect and the slit at the back didn’t show off too much above the knee. The fit across my bust and the sleeves were both a little too small, but still manageable. Again it is something that will also require a bolero or shrug to hide my bingo wings, just like most dresses in my wardrobe. I felt a lot more confident about my wobbly stomach as it seemed to pull it in and skim over it in a flattering way.
It is a fairly pricey dress but it’s definitely a worthy top quality investment piece – perfect for that wow factor. Always keep an eye on the Dollydagger Facebook page for discounts and offers that will make shopping a bit more rewarding.

Of course I once again tried adding a belt to see if it changed things…
And once again it really didn’t make much overall difference.

With both of these dresses I was wearing a Freya Deco bra and the shapewear is from Maidenform.

It’s dresses like these that highlight just how far I have come in my quest to get clothes that fit me. I went from baggy, to Pepperberry ‘Designed with Your Boobs In Mind’, to this – a dress so perfect it’s like it was made for me! It can take a bit of searching but there are items out there for those of us who are busty and don’t want to have to stick to one or two stores and their ranges. Personally – and this may come as a shock to you – I ADORE pinup style outfits and I find they are often cut for curves or at least have a decent amount of stretch to fit everything into them. It shouldn’t have to be a struggle to find items that fit well and I myself am finding it easier all the time.

My adoration of the pinup look has given me an amazing opportunity – I have designed a pinup style dress for Simply Be that will be out next Summer. I will keep you informed of how things progress with that!

So tell me – are you also a red dress fan? Which dress in this post was your favourite and why? What is your preferred style or colour of dress?