Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Trashy Diva review- beautiful dresses for big breasted and hourglass figure women.


So, I want to talk about one of my favorite clothing companies, Trashy Diva. Yeah, I know the name's a bit weird, but they have great vintage-inspired dresses. And, although they don't advertise this, they are cut for hourglass figures!

They don't advertise as being good for large chested women. The only reason I found them was I happened to stumble upon somebody else's mention of them in a thread about Bravissimo. I looked them up and though I wasn't impressed with their website all that much, I sure was with their size charts! Not only did it look like the dresses would fit me, there are size charts for each item and they let you know when an item is made from stretchier fabric, or runs big or small.

They were a bit pricey, however, and I was hesitant to believe that they would actually fit me. So I didn't actually try them until I happened to wander into a local shop I'd never been in before. It so happened that they carry Trashy Diva dresses! So of course, then I had no excuse but to try one on... and once I saw how fabulous they looked on me... I had to buy one. I wanted to buy them all! Trying on that Trashy Diva dress was when I first truly realised why people actually want an hourglass figure.

Lots of women who aren't quite as curvy as I am wear the clothing, too, because the dresses are beautiful and well made. I think that the styles and cuts are such that they can work on a variety of chest sizes, although they do work best on those with at least moderate curves. Here is an example of what I mean:



I didn't buy that dress, since it's on the expensive side and I couldn't afford it right now. But you can see how it looks good on the less curvy model, as well as on me. This also means that while you can't select a curviness size like Bravissimo, the dresses will probably work on a variety of curviness levels. I estimate that they would work well on D-J cup women.

The dresses are great because they are in lovely vintage styles that are designed to enhance an hourglass figures. I was amazed how tiny I look in clothing that actually fits my waist... as were the girls who worked in the shop, as I walked in wearing a rather shapeless t-shirt which made me look a good bit heavier than I am. ;-)

I settled on this dress as my first one:



Trashy Diva recently posted several dresses on ebay that were new but with small defects. I had seen this dress on sale on the website and I loved the looks of it, but it was over $200 on sale since it is made of heavyweight silk. On eBay it was only about $55. The zipper pull was missing, but that was no biggy to fix. So I thought it was a very good deal!




The sleeves did look a bit different in the photo than in person and I'm not so sure they are as flattering as on some of the other dresses. They have sort of a weird drape and the dress is a little bit lower cut than I am really comfortable with. They give the dress a sort of Grecian feel, though, which I do like.

If you aren't a fan of showing much cleavage, many of their dresses are quite modest. Although this one has a higher neckline, the tailoring keeps it flattering. When I tried it on, I thought it could be quite appropriate for a job interview or more conservative event.



Here are some of my other favorites... (Click pictures to be linked to the page for each dress)



(This one's just like the Audrey mini above, but with a V neckline!)


This one's on sale now in size 4- click the picture to be linked to it!

I must admit, I'm a bit addicted. They are worth every penny- they are just perfect.

22 comments:

  1. Yay! I've been waiting for this review. The first picture you posted actually looks better on you than on the model.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, you have almost the exact same story as me!

    I came across a mention of Trashy Diva about 18 months ago on a LiveJournal community called 'Thirty-Two D: Tiny Girls, Big Boobs' where girls with small frames & big boobs discuss clothing and bra sizing issues.

    At first I didn't even bother clicking the link because the name sounded so awful (like a store for skanky stripper clothes), but curiosity got the better of me after awhile and I immediately fell in love with their designs.

    I used to wear only Bravissimo clothes but I don't think the quality, designs or fabrics are nearly as good as Trashy Diva's - and as I have a small waist too, Trashy Diva's clothes are exceptionally flattering. So in the past year and a half I've scoured eBay and sales and have amassed a pretty good collection of their clothes. To say I'm obsessed is an understatement!

    By the way I also have the Obi Dress in Crazy Circles that you're wearing above, and I found the fit awkward too. I had to have it modified to take the keyholes out of the shoulders so I could wear a bra and some of the fabric from the bodice removed. I wouldn't get the Obi style again, but some of the other styles such as the Ashley and Day Dress work really well on me.

    Can I also just say that you look AMAZING in the Joan studded dress above - wow. I'll have to think about adding this to my wishlist now!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, another thing to mention - if you're a size XS, the silk fan back skirts in the current sale are an absolute steal at $25 - they are SO amazing on a tiny waisted figure if you have something smooth like a leotard or cami to go underneath. I have the Dragons & Navy Floral fan backs (in a Small though) and I absolutely love them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You look absolutely beautiful in these dresses. (And I agree, the Joan studs dress in particular looks great on you!)

    I've worked at Trashy Diva for awhile now, so I have experience with a lot of our dress styles - I agree, the Obi can be awkward fitting at top on a lot of people, but it's easy to alter the keyhole loop at top to make the fit better. It's one of my personal favorite dress styles, I have a couple in this style and I'm a little sad that I've put on a couple of pounds in the last year or two since I got the Obi dresses I have and I can't QUITE fit into mine lately. (That should be part of my goal for 2011 - fit into my Obis again!)

    I just recently got the Audrey Mini in black, and I love that dress! The skirt on it and the Ballerina are actually a little different though - the Audrey mini has box pleats and the Ballerina with the v-neck is a gathered skirt with pockets! I sort of wish they did have the same skirt because I love the pockets, but the v-neck of the Ballerina didn't look quite right on me when I compared them.

    Oh! And we are currently having the website redone, so it should be MUCH nicer and easier to navigate in the next few months once it's completed. Our current website is the same platform we've been using for YEARS, and I agree, it's not ideal. I've seen the drafts for the new design, and I think it's going to be a big step up.

    Thanks so much for this awesome review - I'm so glad you like our dresses so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My bra size is 32DDD, and my waist size is 25, and I have a terrible time finding any shirts or dresses that fit me. Any suggestions? Thanks! (Oh, I am 5'3).

      Delete
  5. I've just been having a good gripe (http://dbusted.com/summer-shouldnt-suck/) over the lack of pretty summer dresses and hey presto! These dresses look stunning! And to my absolute shock, they're even available in Australia, whoo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Phillipa, I'm in Melbourne too - the exchange rate makes the prices at Trashy Diva very reasonable at the moment! If you're going to order from them, bear in mind that they are fairly slow to ship being a small company (US shipping is not the fastest either), so items usually take around 3 weeks to arrive.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, thank you all for taking time to comment!

    Darlene- aww, thanks!

    Lucindajane- I'm so glad you found the wonderfulness that is Trashy Diva! I agree about the name, it weirded me out at first, too. And the website, as well. That's part of why I was hesitant to give them a try. Plus, the 15% restocking fee if I wanted to return... but now I know they're totally worth it. And eBay and the sales are good ways of acquiring the clothes without spending quite so much.

    I am an XS, and I actually should have 2 shirts on the way from the sale. I first was going to get the black Carrie dress, but then I got an email that it was sold out, (sad!) so I asked for the Carrie shirt instead. I'm excited because shirts are a little more versatile in terms of outfits!

    Mallory- Thank you, I'm honored you took the time to comment. Maybe I can get the obi dress altered a little bit- I really love everything else about it. In the picture, it looked like it had more kimono-style sleeves, to me, and I had liked the sort of Japanese feel to it. Thanks for pointing out the difference between the Audrey and the Ballerina dress- hmm, I wonder which one I would prefer?

    Phillipa- That's awesome! I'm so glad to have helped you! I totally agree about most sundresses. I think that Trashy Diva dresses would be a great solution to your troubles! Let me know if you try them and what you think!

    Wow, everybody really liked the studs dress on me! I will definitely have to consider it when I have the money.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You should look great in the Carrie blouse! I have the plain black Carrie silk dress which was my first TD purchase. The bodice is the same as in the 40's dress you're wearing above so it should suit you well, and the sleeves are wonderful - very cute and fluttery.

    ReplyDelete
  9. So, I just sent you an email asking what you thought about TD sizing and it wasn't until a few minutes later that I saw this post and saw that you had actually already written down some thoughts on sizing....so you can ignore that part of my email ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Brittany,
    Have you tried PinUpGirlClothing? I am about 4 times your size but as the FB group shows, small frames with big boobs do quite well there.
    This was my experience:
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=521618742482&set=o.31700314768
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Brittany, thought I would drop you a line to let you know that Minx Boutique in Asheville listed the studded dress you are wearing above in both a size 2 and 4 on eBay for $170, which is more than $100 off the full price.

    I bought the size 4 so I'm pretty sure the 2 would still be available - they were both listed in the one listing & I had to choose which one I wanted after buying it.

    It looks so great on you in your pic, I hope it looks at least half as good on me when it arrives!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks Lucindajane! It looks like it has been sold, but maybe if they still have the 2 they will re-list it. If so I will definitely consider buying it! Minx is actually where I buy my Trashy Diva so I could even just pick it up. (Now you know where I live, haha... ;-)) I am sure it will look beautiful on you... send me a photo pretty please? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I happened upon Trashy Diva when visiting New Orleans two years ago. I love the retro fifties look that is designed for feminine women with an hourglass shape. I have a size 6 Doris dress which has plenty of room for my 30F bust and skims my waist to a perfection. Wish that international shipping and customs weren't so expensive for me or I would order on-line.
    Cindy from Israel

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice clothes thanks so much for this blog its like a little slice of heavy. And I just wanted to say you are beautiful. Beautiful face,body,mind,and soul :)

    -Cassie

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks so much for this blog- living in the UK postage is a little expensive but I'm going to save up and get a trashy diva off ebay because they look beautiful! I'm not quite as skinny as you but am a size 8 (uk) waist and a G cup which means finding clothes really difficult. I know you had a bad experience with Bravissimo, and its obviously more difficult if you can't try them on, but I have a blouse and a dress from there that I love both of. This is literally the only formal dress I've ever owned that fits properly: http://www.bravissimo.com/pepperberry/products/sale/dresses/evening-dresses/satin-ballerina-dress/colour-block/bl87cb/... they have 8SC left too :P

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, I can't even begin to thank you enough for this blog. I have struggled so much to find ways of looking even half-way decent with my full-busted, tiny-waisted figure. It's nearly impossible with mainstream - and even specialized - stores! I'm so grateful that you've given us girls with a rarer shape a shortcut to looking beautiful and feeling confident. Please don't stop posting! I love your fashion sense and you honestly make me feel proud to have the same figure as you. So happy I found this blog!

    - Aleeza

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you so very much for this fabulous review Brittany! I actually bought a Trashy Diva dress from an online vintage outlet a couple years ago, it was an older version of the Trixie design and was a bit disappointed by the fit. This post inspired me to grab a black velvet mini ballerina dress they listed on ebay with a broken zipper and oh my word it is my dream LBD. The tailoring is spot on and the design is to die for and I never would have tried them again if it wasn't for you. I'm going to review it on my new blog once I get the zipper fixed. Thank you so much for your blog, you are an invaluable resource to us thin curvy ladies :)

    Best,
    Katie

    ReplyDelete
  19. We have almost identical measurements. What size works for you in Trashy Diva??

    ReplyDelete
  20. What is the first dress you're wearing called and what size did you get?

    ReplyDelete
  21. All I can say is that I think Trashy Diva has changed since all these comments were made. I ordered a 3/4 sleeve Jenny dress recently, and it was terrible. Since I live in Australia, it was cheaper to have it modified than send it back. The sleeves were put on incorrectly (the bottom of the sleeve was at the bottom of my bra, unlike any pictures and totally weird looking), the threads holding the torso to the skirt were loose, and there was a hole in the skirt side seam. All I can say is that it was nothing like I expected for the price. However, the final altered version of the dress does look really nice.

    After multiple complaints, Trashy Diva refunded me half the dress price, but it took several sets of email exchanges before they agreed to that. International shipping also took over 3 weeks to arrive and was expensive. I order from the UK all the time at 1/3 the price and it gets delivered in a week (the UK is farther away too).

    ReplyDelete

I always love to hear your thoughts! Please remember to be respectful. I may not publish comments that are rude, hateful, personal attacks, racist, sexist, or otherwise inappropriate. Dissenting opinions are fine, as long as they are respectful. Thanks!