Pages

Search This Blog

Tropical Punch: Voodoo Vixen Tropical Print Dress from Simply Be

From the minute I first saw this Voodoo Vixen Tropical Print dress I was in love. Reviewed by the gorgeous Miss Lixxie Lou, the colours and print were right up my alley. So when Simply Be offered me the chance to review a few pieces this was the first thing I picked. Most of the vintage style dresses I have gotten lately have been more formal, so I was really pleased to add this summery day time number to my collection.



Black cropped crochet cardigan - Primark (last season)
Wide black belt with gold clasp - Primark
Black cutout pleather pumps - Primark

I was so pleased when Simply Be added Voodoo Vixen to the stable of brands they already stock. The brands give plus size women a wide variety of options to express their individual style, and the addition of a vintage brand means good news for me and anyone else who likes their look a little bit pin up. The Tropical Print dress is now only available on Simply Be's website, so pop over there sharpish before they are all gone. 




I am a big Voodoo Vixen fan. Unlike some vintage reproduction brands who sometimes just make the same styles over and over with little to now originality beyond print, their styles always feel quite bespoke and special. They add little details which make me think their designers really take time over their creations. 
Actually they have just been nominated for best designer at the British Plus Size Awards. [As have I , for Best New Blogger. Eeeek! More on that later this week, but if you'd like to vote for me please pop over to the British Plus Size Awards website]

The little details on the bodice of this dress demonstrate that bespoke quality. I absolutely adore the little wooden rings in the straps, and the sweet collar along the neckline with the piping just gives this dress a little something extra. The other thing that drew me to this dress was the print, and the colours. The big hibiscus and little frangipani interspersed amongst all the lush green foliage make me feel like some sort of (very pale) Hawaiian princess. I love the hula girl with her lei and her little guitar. The whole effect is summery and bright - when I wore this dress this weekend my friend actually told me I looked like a bunch of flowers (how nice!). 





Based on the fit of my Connie dress from Voodoo Vixen I decided to also order this in the 2XL. It's a good fit, helped by the fact that the back of the bodice is elasticated and gathered giving it a nice bit of stretch. It;s a heavy cotton which holds nicely, doesn't crease and is very forgiving of and lumps and bumps (no clinging). The neckline is higher than on my usual fifties swing dresses, which makes a nice change as it is flattering and yet quite demure. 

The skirt flares out from the hip and is really full, and also has pockets (yay!). To give the dress a bit more structure I am wearing it with a belt under the bust - it just gives me that more hour glass shape that I like by cinching me at my smallest point. 


The more eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that I have images here from two different occasions. I actually took some pictures initially without the little knitted bolero on. The pictures came out and I was really unhappy as the angles seemed to accentuate my arms in all the worst ways and make me feel quite uncomfortable (the only one I don't mind is below). I popped the little cardigan on for the second set of photos as this is more than likely how I will wear the dress anyway, as even in the height of summer the cardi is so light that it won't make me any hotter and will mean I feel a little more comfortable.  


Here I am wearing the dress without my bolero, but with these Sole Diva Black sandals from Simply Be

Why did I tell you about this little crisis of confidence? Well because, although I have come pretty far on my body positive journey, I still have times when I don't feel 100%. A photo taken from a bad angle can still undermine me and make me feel less attractive. However the power it has over me is lessening - these sorts of things used to put me in a funk for days and now I am better at shrugging it off. I am very aware that photographs also only capture a moment. Human beings are very rarely still, and it is their animation and tone which makes people so very compelling. So a snapshot is not who you are or the sum of your parts, and that is really important to remember. It is also important to remember that you should do what makes you feel comfortable. I am more comfortable in my bolero, so that is what I am wearing in most of the pictures. This really just serves as a reminder that some of you, dear readers, may be in the early parts of your journey towards accepting and loving your body, and that setbacks are normal. It is a process and much of it is about being kind to yourself and going at your own pace.  



So, as you can tell, this dress is a real winner for me. I think it is going to get a lot of wear over the summer. It is brilliant for a BBQ (a braai as us South Africans call them), a day at the seaside or just for pootling about at a market or festival. 

Are you a fan of the brands that Simply Be offers? What are some of your favourites, and is there anything you would like to see them do more of? 

8 comments

  1. ahh ths dress looks soo good on you and compliments your hair colour so well. Look amazing xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you my lovely :) I have seen it on blondes and brunettes as well and it looks gorgeous on them too.

      Delete
  2. love this dress on you, can't wait to wear mine now.x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh! Can't wait to see you in it pretty lady :)

      Delete
  3. This dress is absolutely stunning on you, I love it! Such a great review as well, with lots of useful details, and the variety of angles that you've taken the photos from is appreciated as it gives me a very clear idea of what the dress looks like when worn. I'm tempted to snap one of these frocks up myself! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, that means a lot coming from the queen of technical reviews Miss CurvyWordy! It is a great dress :) Yay for Voodoo Vixen and Simply Be!

      Delete
  4. This dress is a stunner and so are you! You look amazing. xx

    ReplyDelete

Copyright @ Curves & Curls. Blog Design by KotrynaBassDesign