B & LU Review: The Femme Dress

The Femme Dress at B&Lu is exactly that– something that seems equal parts femme-inine and femme fatale. A playful contrast  in color and style.

The Femme dress had the dreaded & feared empire waist– something my apple belly tries to avoid at all costs! It tends to lead to many “you’re expecting!” or “when are you due?” comments. I was intrigued that this empire waisted dress appears to hit just above the natural waist line, and not on my ribs or across my breasts like so many actually do.  I think its downward slope across the back on to the natural waist line helps.

It was a dress I was attracted to because of its great color, the femme & flirty ruffles, and how it seemed to dress up or down.

♥ Fit & Fabric: As indicated in the dress description, this is definitely one that dresses up more than down. Though it’s a knit, it’s got a bit of iridescence to it, and the fabric is soft & slinky. There were two things that crossed my mind when I took it from the package– “Oooh, I gotta Disco Princess Dress!” and “Oh god, I hope this fabric doesn’t cling to all the wrong spots.”

It didn’t.  For an empire waist dress, I was decidedly pleased with how NOT pregnant I look in it.  I was also pleased by how it didn’t cling to my unfavorite spots.

Like most of their clothes, I find my bust is between their sizes– so I went up a size in this dress, and I find it comfortably loose. I possibly could have gone down a size, but I’m not sure it was necessary.

♥ The Down Side: It makes me look pregnant in pictures. But not in real life (though that could be my attempt to stand up straight in pictures).

The Down Side? The fella thinks it’s a Joan Holloway dress? He really likes how I look in it?  Or maybe some people won’t want to feel like a Disco Princess, but I find it quite appealing.

I think the one thing I could complain about is that I have to adjust it so that my bra doesn’t show. But in fairness, I’m not sure if that is the dress’s fault or the bra’s fault.

♥ Quality: Once again, B&Lu rocks me with another “Made in the U.S.A.” piece.  To be honest, none of the pieces I have so far haven’t been made in the States.  This is good news for plus-sized fashionistas who want to support & shop in the States.  One thing that I find encouraging about the quality is the way the empire waist curves around to find the natural waist line. I really think this helps the plus-sized gal avoid looking like she’s eating for two.

♥ Cost: The Femme Dress is now on SALE–for $38 in both Black and Red (down from $48). That’s a great way to get a Little Black Dress or a vibrant frock for weddings, parties, and other events when you want to shimmer & shine a bit.  The price point is easily something a girl can afford for a last minute purchase to wear at a last minute event, or I imagine I’ll get several years of irregular wear out of it.