Every time I see a new dress from Retrospec'd, my heart squeezes a little at the amazing painterly prints and gorgeously executed vintage styles. After seeing how lovely and well-made my first Retrospec'd dress was, it wasn't hard to convince myself to splurge on another. And when I saw the Elizabeth dress in Flamenco on the lovely Bristol, as well as all over my Insta feed, I absolutely fell in love with the print. Once I realized this dress was available from a US stockist, it was only a matter of time before it appeared in my closet.
There's a lot to say about this dress, but I think the most important thing about it is visible from the pictures alone: that glorious print! Prints like this are why the word 'painterly' exists. The level of detail reminds me of my Carnival Annette from Trashy Diva, and I absolutely love the combination of deep magenta, lime green, and hints of blue. Since the dress itself is such a standout piece, I opted to keep the accessories extra minimal: a mauve hair flower from Daisy Jean, my super-comfy white Steve Madden sandals, and my everyday silver jewelry were all I put on.
While I don't usually wear such low-cut dresses, I figured having one in my closet wouldn't hurt, for those nights where I want to have a side of extra with my extra. And even though this is a pretty daring V-neck, I'm still able to wear it with a normal bra, which makes it approximately 95% more likely that I'll actually reach for it!
I ordered this dress during the Memorial Day sale, because I'm allergic to paying full price for most things. At that point I was already four and a half months pregnant and growing fast. Since this style doesn't have stretchy back panels, I opted to size up to the AU14/US10, so I could wear it this summer. It's a comfortable fit on my 41" bust and rapidly disappearing 33" waist, and measures 16.5" at the waist seam and 19" armpit to armpit across the back, plus plenty of room from the gathering at the bust.
This dress is still available in limited sizes from A Classic Paradise, and the print is available in two different styles of dress and a skirt directly from Retrospec'd. If you're in the market for a truly standout date-night dress, you'd best grab one while the grabbing is good!
There's a lot to say about this dress, but I think the most important thing about it is visible from the pictures alone: that glorious print! Prints like this are why the word 'painterly' exists. The level of detail reminds me of my Carnival Annette from Trashy Diva, and I absolutely love the combination of deep magenta, lime green, and hints of blue. Since the dress itself is such a standout piece, I opted to keep the accessories extra minimal: a mauve hair flower from Daisy Jean, my super-comfy white Steve Madden sandals, and my everyday silver jewelry were all I put on.
While I don't usually wear such low-cut dresses, I figured having one in my closet wouldn't hurt, for those nights where I want to have a side of extra with my extra. And even though this is a pretty daring V-neck, I'm still able to wear it with a normal bra, which makes it approximately 95% more likely that I'll actually reach for it!
I couldn't bear to crop out that lone tiger lily.
I ordered this dress during the Memorial Day sale, because I'm allergic to paying full price for most things. At that point I was already four and a half months pregnant and growing fast. Since this style doesn't have stretchy back panels, I opted to size up to the AU14/US10, so I could wear it this summer. It's a comfortable fit on my 41" bust and rapidly disappearing 33" waist, and measures 16.5" at the waist seam and 19" armpit to armpit across the back, plus plenty of room from the gathering at the bust.
This dress is still available in limited sizes from A Classic Paradise, and the print is available in two different styles of dress and a skirt directly from Retrospec'd. If you're in the market for a truly standout date-night dress, you'd best grab one while the grabbing is good!
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I love the dress! It's such a gorgeous colour and I love the details on it, I love the white shoes that you've worn with it too! X
ReplyDeleteKayleigh Zara 🌿www.kayleighzaraa.com
Thank you so much! I just love a bright novelty print :).
DeleteI love that "I'm allergic to paying full price" 😂 Love this dress on you as always and agree with Kayleigh, loving those shoes too!
ReplyDeleteJessica & James | www.foodandbaker.co.uk / www.foodandbakertravels.co.uk
<3 Thank you! These shoes are so much more comfortable than I ever thought heels could be!
DeleteThis dress is gorgeous on you! I love the pattern and mauvey colour!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm allergic to paying full price for things too hehe
PaleGirlRambling xo
Thank you so much, Rachael! I don't have much in this color but I absolutely love it! And who needs to pay full price, anyway?
DeleteThe pattern on this is so pretty! I get you about being allergic to paying full price tbh.
ReplyDeleteCarla x
Thank you so much! And I do love a good sale!
DeleteWell, gosh darn, this dress is just amazing on you. Did you know you look THIS good in magenta?? Because you do!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sara! I have almost nothing in magenta but I'm really loving how it pairs with the green in the print, so it's looking like I'll need to add more to my wardrobe!
DeleteHi, I love the colour and detailed design of this free. Perfect for the warmer months. Im allergic to paying full price as well, Chloe.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Chloe! And if it's not on sale, I'm not interested ;).
DeleteYour outfit posts are always my favourites, you pull of such daring and bold prints so well! Serious wardrobe envy haha, looking gorgeous and I love how much personality and detail you inject in to your writing! You're one of my favourite bloggers to read x x
ReplyDeleteRumaanah // https://ruminvte.wordpress.com/
Oh my goodness, you are just too kind and I'm totally blushing here! Thank you <3! And I think anyone can wear bright wild prints!
Deletewhat a gorgeous dress. I love the print and the flowers in your hair! it looks so nice on you
ReplyDeleteThank you, my dear! I couldn't resist adding a flower, even though I kept the rest of the accessories minimal.
DeleteYay, so glad you ended up getting this dress! It looks amazing on you! :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE mine so much, and have already gotten tons of wear out of it. You're right; the color combination here is just stunning!
Thanks for inspiring me, Bristol! It's such an amazing print and it's just a little bit dressier than most of my other things, which makes it quite a useful addition to my wardrobe!
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