Are you looking for a dress that will hug your curves and make you feel fabulous? Then look no further than Stop Staring! This brand was founded in 1997 by Alicia Estrada, who is also the head designer. She and her team are committed to “creating original vintage inspired dresses and RTW, that empower women by embracing and celebrating their female form” – that’s a powerful aspiration which has become a reality via their truly amazing clothing like the Summertime Swing dress that I’m wearing in this post. Read on to find out more!

Before ordering I checked the size guide to make sure I would get the best size for me. For reference my measurements are 32″-24″, and so matched exactly with the size XS measurements on the website. It seems that not all Stop Staring styles are available in a size XS, and so as there were so many amazing designs to choose from this made it easier to narrow down my choice. I chose this Summertime Swing dress in red not just because it’s the height of summer here in New Zealand. While I love a bold print I also enjoy dresses in solid colours as I find this gives me also endless accessory choices; and as I am a firm believer that redheads can definitely still pull off red then this was the dress for me.

I almost didn’t believe that this dress could look so good on my body. The fabric is Stop Staring’s signature millenium stretch fabric, which is made up of 72% rayon, 22% nylon, and 4% spandex. This means that it has the twin benefits of basically moulding to your shape and not creasing easily – so good! The fit is reasonably snug, but I believe that’s the way it was intended in order to hug those curves, and this in no way renders it uncomfortable as the fabric has plenty of stretch.

The Summertime Swing dress features a gorgeous sweetheart neckline which is super flattering, with an inbuilt padded bust (so bra is optional) that even gave ol’ flat-chested me a hint of cleavage. The shoestring straps are just the right length, with no instances of them falling off my shoulders which often happens with similar styles as I am quite short in the torso. The fitted bodice flows into a very gathered full skirt, which really emphasises your waist and creates a striking silhouette. Because the fabric is reasonably thick then you don’t necessarily need a petticoat, but I chose to pair a matching red one with the dress to really highlight my waist. The skirt falls to just below my knees and so it comfortably fits a 22″ petticoat underneath.

You can purchase from Stop Staring via their online store; they will ship all over the world and there is free shipping within the US. I was really impressed and felt very special when my Stop Staring parcel arrived in a large box complete with coat hangers and cover bags, much like a ball dress would! Stop Staring clothing is also featured in numerous boutiques if you would like to shop in person.

Full outfit details:

Summertime Swing dress – c/o Stop Staring!

Necklace – thrifted

Petticoat – Banned Apparel

Heels – Chelsea Crew via Royal Vintage Shoes

A thank you so much to the team at Stop Staring for this collaboration! You can follow them on Instagram to see their upcoming styles.  And thank you to @cmjsnz for these snaps taken on O’Connell Street just before we lost the light.

Miss Hero Holliday

xo