I've previously written about the Dolores Doll in Navy Polka; today I will show you the dress in Red Polka.
Image courtesy of Collectif
I admit that when I visited Collectif for the very first time just over six months ago and tried on the Dolores Doll in Navy Polka I saw the Red Polka on the rail and thought it was too loud. However, since then I have grown to like the red background and white spots so when Collectif were having their sale a few months ago I took the opportunity to grab one for myself.
I went for the size 12 as it offers me a better fit on the bust than a size 10, although I do find it rather roomy in the waist.
The stretchy 98% cotton 2% elastane fabric is great to wear - so light and comfortable! It does crease a little when wearing but not so much that the appearance of the dress is spoilt.
The elasticated puff sleeves are great and tend to stay in place without slipping down. On some of my Dolores Doll dresses these sleeves are tighter than others but none have been so tight that they were unwearable.
I love the flared circle skirt - it feels so swirly, girly and feminine! The dress hugs me in all the right places on the top half and then flares out from the waist to give a sexy silhouette. This can be further enhanced by wearing a petticoat, which I am not in these photos.
Whilst I was quite happy with the dress on its own I couldn't help but feel a few accessories would make it work better.
Bring on the belt!
Apologies for one of these pics being blurred - I didn't realise this had happened at the time and as the photos were taken at someone else's house I didn't have the opportunity to get them retaken.
I appreciate that belts are not everyone's cup of tea and I certainly don't wear one every day but for me they are an invaluable addition to outfits where I feel the waist of the garment needs cinching. Regular readers will know my life-long struggle to find clothes that fit me equally well on the bust, waist and hips - which is something of a holy grail with my 46-30-47 measurements - so a belt can often save the day if the fit of something is slightly off.
As you can see, I added a black patent belt and changed my shoes from nude to black to match. I think they contrast wonderfully against the bright red polka dot dress and clearly highlight my waist and feet.
I wanted to find a cardigan of some sort that would work with this dress in case I wore it on cooler days. I tried my red bolero but it was the wrong shade of red so I went with black instead:
The black shrug is quite a contrast against the red polka dress but I think it works well as it ties in with the belt and shoes. I think I could wear a number of colours with this dress, as long as I could match all the accessories together. You can get shrugs like mine very cheaply from Excite Clothing.
So, the Dolores Doll Red Polka is another favourite in my wardrobe! Do you own any swing dresses?
By the way, until 31st July 2013 Collectif are having a HUGE sale! Use code HOT50 to get 50% off all full priced items (this includes gift vouchers so you can buy them now at a discount in order to buy more goodies later!). Leave a comment below to let me know if you've bought anything...
