The One With the Tartan Skater Dress

If you're a plus size blogger, or a regular reader of plus size blogs, you'll be well aware of the hype surrounding the tartan skater dress from new plus size retailer 'Pink Clove'. Ladies have been raving about it left, right, and centre, and if they've not been featuring it in outfit posts, most have voiced their love for it in wish list posts. I know I certainly have on more than one occasion.

I set to work selling a few unwanted things on eBay to get the money together to fulfil my desire to own the tartan dress. I knew I had to have it by any means. It originally landed online for £30, but Pink Clove soon reduced the price to just £22. It seemed like an unbelievable bargain, so I knew it had to be mine. I swooped, and it arrived just a couple of days later, wrapped caringly in good quality tissue paper... but did it live up to my expectations?

Truthfully? No, it did not. When I first tried it on, I didn't feel that rush of excitement that comes from putting on a brand new dress that fits in all that right places and makes you feel a million dollars. It wasn't how I'd anticipated it to be. The colours looked duller than in the stock photos...The fabric, although of fantastic quality and very thick, was much thicker and heavier than I'd expected. The fabric was very stretchy, but I found myself constantly tugging at it, the way I do when I feel uncomfortable in something... I just didn't feel fantastic in it. I didn't understand why the bloggers who had bought one before me were so in love with it and still singing it's praises... So I took it off, popped it back in the delivery bag and... put it aside for a few days. I didn't want to believe my feelings towards it were right...

A few days passed by, and I reluctantly tried it on again. That time, I didn't feel so uncomfortable in it. I wasn't pulling at the fabric like before. I decided to keep it and hung it up in the wardrobe. I guess before I'd been too fast to judge. Maybe I'd tried it on on a bad, bloated day of the month, when, let's face it, everything sucks and I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!. 

Yesterday, I tried it on over tights and with a decent bra, and you know what? I actually felt quite good in it!

The dress is made from viscose and elastane, but to me it feels like a very thick cotton. The fabric is so thick and the quality is fantastic, and to get a dress of this quality for just £22 is amazing. Pink Clove's price points are fantastic- so inexpensive, which makes a refreshing change in the plus size fashion world. It's the perfect thickness to wear during Autumn and Winter, alone or layered up with a jacket and / or knitwear. The sleeves make it ideal for this time of year, although the length personally makes me feel quite broad-shouldered and I quickly over heated in it indoors yesterday.

It sits about an inch or so above the knee on me, which is great, if, like me, you don't like to flash a lot of thigh. I'm about 5'6'', just to give you an idea of length.

The dress comes with a patent navy belt, which fit me just fine, but I chose to brighten my look up yesterday with a pop of cobalt instead. I kept the accessories simple, to let the tartan do the talking, wearing a few black beaded bracelets on each wrist, and a pair of studded slippers over black tights. I know there's that fashion 'rule' that says black and blue should never be worn together, but I personally love how black and navy look paired together.

I bought the dress because the tartan pattern screamed to me, and I really do love the red and navy pattern. Tartan is everywhere at the moment, and I'm finding myself going crazy for it... at least (mostly) from afar. At first I thought the colours were quite dark and dull, but I've realised in natural daylight that isn't so. The colours are quite bold.

The navy studded slippers came from New Look last year. Due to issues with my toes over the last year, I think this was the first time I wore them. I still need to break them in, but my toes are almost healed enough for shoes now... almost. I only managed a few minutes in them in the garden.

I was also wearing a nail polish I first discovered about a year ago; this gorgeous purple Max Effects one from Maxfactor. It's easily one of my favourites now.

And, here are the bracelets I was wearing... You've seen them countless times before in my outfit posts, but that's because I enjoy wearing them time and time again.

Outfit Details

Dress-Pink Clove // Tights-Evans // Shoes-New Look // Black Beaded Bracelets-Dorothy Perkins //
Black and Silver Beaded Bracelets-Gifts from the Bestie // Belt-Dorothy Perkins // Nail Polish-Maxfactor

So, I throw my hands up and admit this dress proved my doubts wrong in the end. It's a real beauty, and a great way to dip your toes in to the tartan trend on a budget. Will you be treating yourself to one of these beauties?