Oriental Magic - A Scarlett And Jo Review

*Both The Dress And Shoes Are Gifted Items

The amazing thing about the summer is that everyone and everything has a real zest for living. People are optimistic about the season and the rest of the year, the weather is amazing and we have unlimited options for bright and fun clothes. I'm loving all the amazing prints and colours available from all the summer collections I have seen this year and of course pastels and aqua tones are very much in at the moment. 

Usually I'm not one for surprises but I was pleasantly surprised when Gifi Fields, Founder of Coppernob Fashion and the man behind Scarlett & Jo called me last week. He had been working on a dress that he really thought I would like. Knowing my love of beautiful floral prints and vintage styles he told me about this amazing print from the 1930s that he had featured on a new style of dress that was coming to Evans. Of course I loved the sound of it and wanted to see what he had come up with!

I have to say once again I am in love with a dress from Scarlett & Jo! The shape of this dress alone ticks all of the boxes for me. I love to wear bodycon style dresses and I enjoy my curves and the shape of my silhouette when I do. For many years I was of the impression that as a bigger woman my body was undesirable, unflattering and un-sexy. Literally 2-3 years ago my perceptions changed. I realised I have never had a problem attracting male attention and everything I was thinking was all in my own head! After getting my first Powerfit dress I was reminded a fuller figured shape is a different kind of beautiful and should be celebrated as such. For this reason I love bodycon style dresses and urge more women to head out and get one! Another style of dress I really enjoy wearing is the wrap dress. I find that wrap dresses suit women of every shape, all bust sizes and all heights. They add a smartness to them which makes them wearable all times of the day with just enough sass. This dress combines the 2 styles perfectly and the length is really comfortable.

The fact that the fishtail hem of the dress falls just below the knees means that this is one you can comfortably wear a slip, shorts or shapewear should you want the extra coverage. Often when we girls wear shapewear we are concious of it showing by the hem of a dress and this length allows you to be carefree even on a somewhat breezy day. I'm wearing this one in size 24 and I have shapewear underneath. I should note that when I was taking these pictures it was a little breezy on a typical summer evening. As you can see the structure of the dress is maintained by the weight of the fabric so you can go on as normal without having to adjust your dress constantly. Often with wrap style dresses there can be a slight problem in the bust area. Often for women with larger busts we can run the risk of having our bra slip or even having a breast slightly exposed while the other remains in tact. I find myself often adjusting my wrap dresses because of this or evening having to pin them. Women with a smaller bust often have to worry about the fabric flopping and the neckline of the dress losing it's structure. I will say with this dress I was really impressed. The underline panel in the wrap detail cuts right across the inside of the dress and as the fabric has quite a lot of stretch it clings to your bra without crushing your breasts into a strange shape. The good news, the flap stays firmly in place! 

I really love the 3 quarter lengths sleeves on this one. The fabric is soft and rich so I doubt you would need a jacket or shawl when wearing this one on a warm day. I have to say I love the aqua base colour of the dress. Deep pastel tones like this really sit in nice for the season and this kind of dress would be lovely to take on an exotic holiday somewhere. As much as I love aqua tones sometimes I find they can clash a little with my skin tone. I really like how this colour compliments my complexion and because of this I kept my styling very minimal.

When I first tried this dress at the S&J offices it really gave me a feeling of wanting to dance. I joked about this with Gifi and asked him if he was thinking of ballroom dresses when working on this collection because the Red Lace Fishtail Dress had the same effect on me lol. I decided to pair this with a pair of black heels. I was recently gifted the most gorgeous pair of Michelle shoes from Hotter. I have a thing for t-bar style shoes and these are so comfortable and work with pretty much every dress I have so they were a must! 

You know what I always say, wear the clothes you feel amazing in! Every woman deserves the opportunity to feel and look sexy in something she feels comfortable in. I once again have to thank Scarlett & Jo for making this a possibility for me, a woman who once didn't think that would ever be a possibility. 

For more on Scarlett & Jo  and to see what else is available in the collection check out their Tumblr and Evans pages.

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!