OOTD: Full Circle

Full Circle is not a brand I have often purchased, but when I spotted this 50's inspired dress on Secretsales I was drawn to it straight away. You all know that I love a bit of 'Stepford Wives' chic, so I was excited to see a modern take on a classic shape.

As much as I love the fabric, the cinched waist and the detailing I have to admit that this dress can be a little unflattering. Firstly, even though the top is in the style of a shirt the draped sleeves do nothing to create structure and definitely broaden the chest. While the belted waist does add some shape, and the fabric has a lovely flow, the cotton skirt underneath is a little too thick and the large amount of fabric creates a fair amount of weight on the hips. I think it would work really well on an athletic figure, or someone with narrow hips, but if you already have an abundance of curves it gives you a lot of volume in areas that don't necessarily need enhancing.

That's the tricky bit with shopping on line though isn't it? Oh well, I'm determined to make it work next time, even if it does mean a little session with scissors (goodbye puffy underskirt) and a few stitches (hello narrow sleeves).

For those of you who do like the shape, the dress is unfortunately no longer available on the SS website, but I have found it on sale for £55 (down from £110) here. I would recommend going down a size though (mine is a 10, but perhaps would look a little less 'voluminous' in a smaller size).

I hope that you are all enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend! Have you made any unfortunate purchases recently? Any tips on how to make clothes work better for your shape? xxx