Nod to the 90s - Missguided Crushed Velvet Skater Dress

Crushed velvet. Ah sweet fabric of the 90s how I love thee. A baby doll crushed velvet dress, and a pair of boobs to fill it were all 12 year old me really wanted. How wonderful to finally, at 30, fulfill this prepubescent dream! Generally all this harking back to 90s fashion has not sat well with me - there are few trends from then I really want to revisit. But crushed velvet is too good to ignore!

I received my first ever order from Missguided this week. I had never even heard of Missguided (let along that they had a Plus Size section) before I saw a review of a gorgeous skirt (which I also bought and shall review later this month) by them on Toodaloo Katie's blog. I went for a little browse and fell totally in love with this dress.

*Apologies about the glowing photos and my somewhat ethereal look - the light was crazy when we took them.

Plus size Crushed Velvet Skater Dress Burgundy - Missguided - £25
Black lace necklace - White Owl on Etsy
Belt and leggings - old, Primark
Boots - TopShop

I ordered it in a 22 (my usual size). As you can see from the pictures, it is quite a short cut, and is well above the knee on my 5'8" frame. I'm not unhappy with this though. By wearing it with black leggings and black boots, it does rather have the effect of making it look like my legs go on forever. A bonus. However if your legs are not a favourite feature, you might want to wear it more as a tunic perhaps with some skinny jeans or trousers.

I have always been a sucker for the comfort and ease of wearing baby doll dresses, and as it's such a simple style I think velvet really works. It adds a bit of glamour and luxury to quite a common place cut. The rich wine red is perfect with a pale complexion. This is not exactly a dress for blending in. It's quite statement-y and so pairing it with black meant it got to do all the talking.  Adding the belt just gave the dress more definition and structure overall. The only problem was that sometimes it was hard to get the belt to sit in quite the right place. For me, the bodice could be ever so slightly deeper for a better fit, but it's not a deal breaker at all. The sleeves are a perfectly comfortable fit and a good length if, like me, your not a fan of your meaty arms.

I love the scoop neck (another nod to the 90s) which is not too low but deep enough that this dress is perfect when paired with a statement necklace. Here I am wearing one of my faves - a black lace necklace I ordered from White Owl on Etsy a few year ago. It's so gorgeous, and I think I may soon need to order another!

Have you ordered from Missguided? How do you feel about the 90s fashion revival?