Friday, February 7, 2014

Made in Preston Dress Roundup!

This post was written by Laura, a contributing blogger for Thin and Curvy. If you missed her intro post, look no further!

----

During the pre-holidays shopping frenzy, Made in Preston had a promotion that allowed first-time shoppers a 50% discount on everything. I couldn't pass that up, right? So, I purchased a dress and planned to review it. And planned. And planned. The lovely ladies and gents at MIP then offered me two dresses to review as a preview of the upcoming Spring/Summer 2014 line, and I couldn't pass it up!

So, this first dress was purchased by me and all opinions are my own. The following two dresses were given to me free of cost to review, and all opinions are still my own.

----

The dress I bought during the promotion is the Gold Panelled Party Dress, which immediately drew my attention.

I mean, how could it not, right?
 I knew this dress was one-of-a-kind and I couldn't pass it up. Especially not for 50% off! It's a minidress, so tall ladies may want to watch the length. Or not. It's up to you! I felt most comfortable wearing tights with this dress, mainly due to my bodacious bottom.

The back ran a little big on me, so broader-backed and/or taller women are in luck! 
 The sizing at Made in Preston is a bit different than your normal shop. The numbers are in UK sizing, and 16 is as high as they go (equivalent to a U.S. size 12). To determine your size, you input your "high street" size and then your bra size. They calculate your suggested size for you, so it takes all the work out of it! There are three categories of size beyond number: Fit, Foxy, and Fab. Fit is on the less busty side, Fab is for the bustiest customers, and Foxy is right in the middle. Because I wear a 34HH, I said I wore a 34J (since 34HH is not an option in their drop-down menu). 16 Foxy was my result, and it definitely was the right size in all 3 dresses.

You can totally disco in this dress. For reals.
The zipper is really easy to do up yourself, which I love in a dress. Then again, that goes back to the fact the dress is a little big on me in the back. Doesn't make it unwearable, but it's definitely something to note for the more petite crowd.

A better shot of just how gorgeous the details on this dress are!
This dress is fabulous. Yes, it is a tight dress. Yes, I have a tummy. Yes, I'm still going to wear it out. For those more self-conscious about tummies, you can easily get away with standard shapewear under this dress; however, a corset may show due to how close this dress hugs the body. For those of you readers with body shapes more similar to Brittany, it won't be an issue at all.

Outfit Summary:
Dress: Made in Preston Gold Panelled Party Dress, size 16 Foxy
Bra: Ewa Michalak PL Charlie, 34HH (I think! Will update this when I have a chance to look.)
Tights: Spanx
Boots: Steve Madden

----

The first of the two dresses MIP gifted me completely blew me away with its super-cool print.

CARS. CITY. SO COOL.
This dress is called the City Print Bodycon Dress, and you can find it HERE. It is slinky, stretchy, comfortable, and dare I say, traffic-stopping? (ba-dum-pssshhh)

This dress loves all of your curves. All of them.
I had a little trouble with getting the lighting right in these photos, but this was supposed to demonstrate that on me, this dress hits me a little below the knee. For taller readers, this should probably hit you right at the knee.

Weird stomach lump, brought to you by my tights slipping down. Too many costume changes!
This dress doesn't really need tights, because it goes past the knees. If you do decide to wear tights, go with something solid; I tried wearing this dress tonight out for my mother's birthday dinner, and the fishnets I was wearing caused the dress to static cling uncomfortably to my legs. Lesson learned!

This print is bananas. B-a-n-a-n-a-s.
For those of you readers who have body shapes more like me, shapewear may make you more comfortable in this dress. I mean, it is a bodycon dress, and they're supposed to be super clingy. It's certainly not a bad thing -- I actually like how the length of the dress balances out how tight it is. However, I know a lot of people want to hide "problem areas", and it's pretty impossible to do that in this dress without the assistance of shapewear. Made in Preston really is a company that designs for women with figures like Brittany, but it makes me happy to note that I feel comfortable pulling off these clothes, too!

I recommend being very careful when handling this dress -- don't, say, lay it on top of a sequined dress, because it may snag a little. Whoops. 

Outfit Summary:
Dress: City Print Bodycon Dress, size 16 Foxy.
The rest: see above.

----

I saved the best for last. This dress is my absolute favorite, and since receiving my dresses on Tuesday, I've worn it out twice. Once to the theatre to see Book of Mormon (GO SEE IT RIGHT NOW), and for my mother's birthday dinner tonight because the City Print dress was too static-y for my tights.

Behold:
I am so excited about this dress.
This is the Springtime Floral Skater Dress, available NOW.

I don't even know what to do with my hands, I love this dress so much.
The waistline of this dress was in the most absolute perfect place for me -- at my natural waist! Taller readers with similar proportions to me may find that this fits more like an empire-waist dress, but I had no such problems. This dress also hits me about mid-thigh, another thing for taller readers to keep in mind.

I don't know what I'm being sassy about, but deal with it.
I find the a-line cut of this skater dress, like so many skater dresses, to be ridiculously flattering. This skater dress is really cut extremely well for busty women. Now, as much as I adore this dress, it was missing something: a belt. Personally, I think this dress begs for a waist belt. So, y'know. I obliged.

Pleeease forgive my bedhead. Please?
Much better! Right? I just think a wide black belt makes this dress 100x better. 

Apparently, my back was itchy while the camera was going off. Welp.
I can't believe I haven't talked about how much I love this print yet. I love this print. I would love it in the form of a blouse, a skirt, pants... I'd wear it all day, every day. Where the City Print dress was a more delicate fabric, this dress is made of much stronger, yet still soft, stuff. 

I feel pretty, oh so pretty!
My only complaint with this dress is that it comes up very high in the back, so far up that the back of the neckline is on my neck. As a result, it kinda feels like my neck is being pushed down a little bit, like how a halterneck feels. It's certainly not enough to deter me from wearing this dress (seeing as I've worn it twice in the week I got it), but for those who are sensitive to halternecks, it's something to keep in mind. I'm probably going to have it altered somehow so it'll be perfect.

Outfit Summary:
Dress: Springtime Floral Skater Dress, Size 16 Foxy.
The rest: see above.

If anyone has any questions about sizing or styles, please feel free to ask in the comments!



20 comments:

  1. Looking foxy! I think Made in Preston is growing on me. There were only a few items I liked in the first collection, but I love that city print and I'm a sucker for skater dresses. I actually like the skater dress better without the belt, because I love seeing that V neck going all the way down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Their collection is definitely growing on me, too -- I really like the direction they're heading in! What's great about the skater dress is that it is cut so well for curves that the belt really isn't necessary; I'm just a fan of the way belts break up prints. I do love it (and plan to wear it) both ways, though!

      Delete
  2. That skater dress is absolutely gorgeous. Just wondering how tall you are? I've got my heart set on buying the skater dress but not sure how short it's going to be on me! Thanks :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm 5'3"! I think it looks fantastic with leggings/tights, if you're worried about it coming up too short. :) I hope you love it as much as I do!

      Delete
  3. I sized the dress according to the sizing chart and it fits! I will get it tailored slightly now that it has arrived, thought the company was very willing to work with my measurements to get me my perfect fit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That third dress is AMAZING on you. It is incredibly flattering and beautiful. I couldn't see anything about the back being too high on your neck, so at least it doesn't look off in that area. I think that dress is even more gorgeous WITHOUT the belt. The genius cut of the bodice makes your ribcage very visible and tapered looking. That vertical, tapering distance between underbust and nipped-in waist is key to the hourglassy look. I agree A-line skirts and dresses are wonderful for balancing a full bust. Thanks for the reviews!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! The more I look at these pictures, the more I agree -- I actually really love it sans belt! MiP did an amazing job with the cut of the dress, so it really doesn't need a belt. Now I know how I'm styling it next time I wear it!

      Delete
  5. That floral dress fits you so well! I think it looks fantastic both with and without the belt :) I am so glad that you have come to write to us also :) It is releasing to see someone who is short(ish) and so full of energy when all modeling world seems like dead zombies. I am 5'2'', but I have never found a fitting dress - either it is too long from the torso or the vest area is too tight or in wrong place (aka only covers under a half of my boobies) :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I try to make the review pictures fun. :) I think the Floral Skater Dress is FABULOUS for us short ladies -- you should give it a try!

      Delete
    2. You turned my head :) 6fab ordered, I hope it looks as good on me that it looks on you.

      Delete
  6. In regards to the first dress...it's not that the dress is too broad. It's too short. This would fit someone with a short (or perhaps average length) torso a lot better. A size down would create more problems and not solve the bubbling of fabric you're getting at the small of your back. That bubble, in a person with a short or average length torso, would be placed over their butt. On you it's very clearly above that point.

    Same goes for the second dress. In both the mini and car-print dress, the fabric is pulled and sitting flat against just under your lower abdominal area. Again, someone with a short torso would have this sitting properly on the top of the thigh. It's an easy fix if there is enough fabric to drop the waist and get dresses to fit perfect (or as close to as possible). It's not at all a size issue, it's just that these dresses would be better for those who are petite (refers to height only, not size) in the upper half of their body. But that's the case with almost all dresses, even in pattern. Something else to be aware of is that since the dress is sitting up too high, your butt is taking up the room of the area that should be just past your hips - this causes the fabric to ride up in back, your hemline is then uneven. It's the same thing that happens in a shirt with not enough ease in the bust or one with a bust cut too high for your shape if you happen to have a lower bust, it rides up in front.

    The third dress is more forgiving since the skirt is cut circle and there is a horizontal hip seam, it hides the bubbling. As you mentioned these fit like empire-waist dresses. On someone with a short torso this would sit properly on their hips. I get the same problems and I'm only 5'4", so it's important when addressing the fit in clothes like this that you give the right information. Height does not necessarily play a factor in dresses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As someone who is 5'3", I fall into the petite height category, and have always considered my torso to be fairly short compared to my legs. I do believe MiP dresses are ideally cut for ladies who are bigger on top and smaller on bottom, which could contribute to some of the sizing problems I was having. I still think taller customers, perhaps only ones with smaller butts, would do better with some of these dresses than I did. :)

      Delete
  7. My comment disappeared? May I ask why it was removed? It had to do with fits of dresses and what type of figures they work with.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It wasn't removed, and I apologize for the delay. All of our comments have to be approved before they are posted, and I've been so busy with my job (working ~70 hours/week) that I hadn't sat down to go through the moderation queue.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My mistake, sorry, and totally understand! =) Usually I see it still "in waiting". That part had disappeared.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's alright! I'm always a bit paranoid when my comments don't show up. :)

      Delete
  10. Warning to anyone ordering from MIP: The sizes and cuts are definitely designed for women who are smaller on bottom and bigger on top. I was so excited to order the gingham bikini in a 30H, but the bottoms were just obscene on me. They fit me in the hips, but the cut was designed so that a lot of booty would hang out--not only the sides but the bottom of the suit. This probably works on women whose butts are on the smaller size, but for me, it looked like I was wearing a thong with some extra material on top!

    What's frustrating is that the website called these bottoms "boy shorts" and advertised them as being for people looking for "a little more coverage." The only extra coverage to be found is on the side of the thigh, and for those of us looking for coverage, that's not usually our are of concern! The butt of this suit is pretty much missing, and the picture on the website only shows the front, so there's no way of knowing that when you order.

    I contacted costumer service, asking about returns. I haven't removed the return tag, and I only tried the suit on with my underwear on underneath. I also asked if I could have possibly received the wrong product. I've gotten no response, and it's now been 9 days. I also tried a follow-up email, both from my account and through the website, and got nothing. At this point, I don't even know if it would be worth it to pay the postage to send these bottoms back to England when they might not even refund me the cost.

    And mind you, my butt isn't all that big. I ended up buying some medium bikini bottoms from American Apparel to go with the top (which fits well, by the way). MIP was founded by a glamor model, so I'm thinking that it wasn't created with clients like myself in mind--that is, people with curvy hips/people who might not want to let it all hang out! More power to glamor model-type women who rock tiny bikini bottoms, but that's not me! I'm an hourglass. I thought that this would be less of an issue ordering a two-piece suit, since they are sized separately, but I had not considered the cut issue. I'm sure it's a problem with lingerie too.

    Hourglass friends, beware, especially if you're ordering oversees. Costumer Support apparently finds it acceptable to ignore questions about returns. Frankly, I can't afford to take another risk with them. It's a shame too because some of their stuff is pretty cute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I definitely agree that their products are designed for a more full-on-top figure! I haven't tried any of their bottoms for that reason, and it sounds like they wouldn't work for ladies with hips and butts. However, I still have to stand by their dresses (particularly the skater dress). Thank you for letting us know about your experience! Hopefully this will guide some of our readers in deciding whether to order from MiP, and if they do, what they should buy.

      Delete

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!