Pleated A-Line Dress

It's Rayon. Wish It Were Cotton. I fell in love with the style of this dress but I just couldn't keep it. $100 for rayon just seems ridiculous. I make every effort to wear only truly natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk). Sure they say rayon is made with natural pulp but I don't consider it a natural fiber nor do I consider it high quality. It's a shame as the style of the dress was everything I am looking for. I'd pay $40 for it.

I got this dress to wear for band concerts. The first thing I noticed was that the material is nice and substantial. It’s NOT garbage fast fashion that will disintegrate in the washing machine. And even though it’s synthetic material, it feels soft and not scratchy. It has a fitted waist with a roomy, flowy skirt. The skirt is slimming when standing due to the soft material and pleats but also offers plenty of volume and thus comfort when seated. The length goes to about mid calf on me. When I sit down, the dress extends to the bottom of my knees. This is exactly what I wanted. I can be seated on stage for a concert without people seeing up my dress. I specifically got this style dress because I have quite wide shoulders for a woman, and anything with fitted sleeves just becomes too restrictive in the upper back area, especially to play an instrument. The upper body design of this dress gives me a lot of freedom of movement. I personally wear a black knitted blazer over it. The arm holes aren’t big, but you still might see some of your bra if moving your arms around A LOT. I have another black dress when I want a more form fitting look. This dress, however, is really great for comfort and function.

I loved this silhouette so much, I bought the dress in 2 colors- plenty of room in the bust, shaping seams that nip in at the waist, pockets, caps sleeves for those self conscious about arms. So flattering, maybe runs slightly large, but my normal size fit comfortably. The fabrics does wrinkle and is a courser heavier canvas like feel, both of which make the dress feel more casual. But steaming or tossing the dress in the drier and pulling out immediately help.

I love this dress, especially for the price. The material is nice The pockets are usable, well constructed, and lay nicely. The darts and pleats are well proportioned. The colors are accurately pictured. I’m normally an XS or S but the XS is way too large for me. That’s the reason for the 4 stars instead of the 5. At 5’ 3” the dress is at my ankles and is far too full for me. If you are a little taller, this dress will look wonderful on you. I wish they had 5is in petite sizes.