Review: Dolly and Dotty Anna dress

I am a huge fan of good quality, affordable and cute retro fashion, so I was curious to see some lovely bloggers reviewing dresses from new Brighton-based brand Dolly and Dotty recently. Soon after I was lucky enough to be contacted myself to choose a dress to review from their large range of styles – whee!

After a tough deliberation, I decided to go with the Anna dress in yellow. You may be aware that yellow is my favourite colour (wearing it on Fridays makes me so happy!) and as it’s summer here in New Zealand I could instantly imagine it popping against a colourful floral backdrop.

I was really impressed by the size range that Dolly and Dotty have on offer; the Anna dress is available in UK8 to UK24, and some other styles go down to a UK6 as well. I am usually a UK6 but as I decided I HAD to have the Anna which didn’t have my size available, this meant I needed to order the next smallest size, being a UK8. Per the size chart the measurements for a UK8 were 31-33″ bust and 25-26″ waist; I am a 31″ bust and 24″ waist, so the dress was a little roomy and I would say that the sizing errs on the larger end of the size chart measurements. However, I much prefer things I buy online to be a bit bigger rather than too small because there’s nothing a belt and/or a teensy bit of tailoring can’t fix!

The colour of the Anna dress is just as I hoped it would be – a bright, sunshine yellow that is very true to the colour on the website. The dress is unlined and made of a 95% mid-weight cotton so it’s perfect for summer! I was really impressed that the skirt is much fuller in person than I thought it would be, as I love rocking a fluffy petticoat and the Anna dress was able to take two! However the pleating and the weight of the fabric means it will still sit nicely without a petticoat. It also features a side zip, which can be tricky when getting dressed after doing your hair and makeup, but the neckline is wide enough that if you’re careful it shouldn’t be a problem. One of the main reasons I chose the Anna dress because it seemed to be one of the longer dresses on the Dolly & Dotty website; I prefer dresses that hit below the knee and I would say that the Anna was a couple of inches below – perfect!

The Anna dress retails for £29.99 and can be purchased online. I thoroughly recommend having a browse through the whole Dolly and Dotty website though (reserve an hour or so because there is so much choice!), as all their dresses are bright and fun and have a really reasonable price point (£17.99 – £39.99) and shipping charge (a flat rate of £14.99 internationally). Many of them, including the Anna, could easily go from a more casual day out to a special event like a summer wedding just by changing up your accessories, which in my opinion is the making of a great dress!