Recent SS14 Clothing Puchases From ASOS Curve, Alice & You, Dorothy Perkins, and F&F at Tesco Reviewed

Hey guys,

Over the last month or so, I've placed a few online clothing orders on dresses and jumpsuits that I thought looked perfect through my computer screen. It wasn't the case in most instances, and several pieces were returned. 

I know it can be difficult to order online without knowing exactly what the item of clothing is like in reality; the sizing, the fit, the fabric, the quality... there are so many factors to consider when buying clothes that are not always clear on screen. So, today I'm here to share my honest reviews of each item I ordered from ASOS, Dorothy Perkins and F&F at Tesco, which I hope you'll find helpful if you're considering buying any of them.

The Daisy Print Skater Dress by Alice & You

I was so excited when I could finally afford to order this daisy print skater dress from Alice & You (sizes 18-28 UK, via ASOS), because I loved the print and was convinced it would be as amazing as my favourite heart print skater dress of theirs. I was wrong.

This dress is far from the high-quality and perfect fitting dress I bought earlier in the year. The fabric is noticeably cheap, thin, and horrible; it's slippery polyester and just hung horribly on me. It looked awful. It's such a shame because the print was cute, but I sent it back. It wasn't worth its £28 price tag, and there are so many better dresses you could spend your money on.

The Swan Print Swing Dress by ASOS Curve

I purchased the swan print swing dress (sizes 18-28 UK) by ASOS Curve along with the daisy dress, as it had been on my wish list for months. It was reduced to £10 down from £25, and I had a discount code which reduced the price further, so it was the perfect time to buy it. 

The print was lovely, the fabric was of a decent quality and thickness, but sadly this dress wasn't to be. The arms seem to be made for a six year old, (I'm not even exaggerating) and it was equally tiny from the chest up and across the shoulders. It's like they measured the arms and shoulders on a child, and the rest on a plus size body and stitched them together. Needles to say, it had to be sent back. Has anybody else ordered this dress and found the same problem?

The Aztec Print Skater Dress by F&F at Tesco

I recently won a voucher to spend at F&F at Tesco, and the aztec print skater dress (sizes 6-22 UK) was one of the dresses I bought with it. I shared it in an outfit post a few days ago, which you can see and read about here.

It's a gorgeous knee length fit and flare dress, with short sleeves, and an elasticated waist. The fabric is a soft, medium-weight viscose and so comfortable to wear, but the main reason I chose it was for the bold print. It has a fabulous Aztec print in horizontal and vertical stripes, and the use of colour is fantastic. I love all the bold cyan blue! I love this dress. Period. It's a beautiful dress, and I still cannot believe this little beauty was only £14; a bargain price for such a fantastic dress! It's generously cut, so there's no need to size up like I did, but I urge you all to snap one up!

The Lip Print Skater Dress by F&F at Tesco

The lip print skater dress  (sizes 6-22 UK) was the second dress I spent my Tesco voucher on because I was drawn to the funky print and thought it would be a cute casual dress to add to the wardrobe.

I was actually surprised by this one. From the stock photos, I'd expected the fabric to be thin and poor quality, so I was pleasantly surprised to open the packaging to be met with thick, soft cotton. It's brilliant quality for a £16 dress. The print is much nicer in real life, too; bold red lips on a black background- another quirky print to add to the collection! I'd assumed the waist was fitted, so I sized up for comfort, only to discover this wasn't the case and the fabric had a lot of stretch. The size up swamped me, so I had to return and reorder which was a much better fit, but still loose and relaxed. It will be a great little dress for wearing over leggings with studded slippers / ankle boots for a dressed down look.

The Sunflower Print Jumpsuit by Dorothy Perkins

Ah, the Dorothy Perkins sunflower print jumpsuit! (Sizes 6-22 UK). I literally squealed when I first laid eyes on it online. Sunflowers are one of my favourite flowers and the print on the jumpsuit couldn't have been more perfect. Could it be more nineties? I think not. 

It retailed for £35, but with a promotion and a discount code or two, I managed to reduce it down to about £26, and purchased my usual size and the size up to get the right fit.

It's a stunning jumpsuit in the flesh, and the print is just beautiful. The fabric is a high-quality, decent-weight viscose and it feels lovely on. It has deep pockets, an elasticated waist, and adjustable spaghetti straps. It was even the perfect length in the legs and torso, which is a rarity for me with jumpsuits!

I found my usual size was a pretty decent fit in the body, waist, and legs, but it was so loose on top that I had to fully tighten the adjustable straps in order for it to cover my boobs and stay on the shoulders. (I'm a c-cup, and it's definitely been cut with larger boobs in mind). This wouldn't be too much of a concern, except for the fact that in doing so, it didn't leave me with the room to stretch or sit down. 

The size up was rather baggy, and although I had more room to stretch when I tightened the straps, it was quite over-sized on me and didn't look as good as the smaller size. I did decide to keep it, though, but when I went to dress in it a few days later, one of the straps snapped. I had to send it back. I was gutted, but neither size fit me perfectly, so perhaps it was for the best. 

Don't let this put you off, though; this jumpsuit is a beauty!

The Jade Floral Print Sundress by Dorothy Perkins

The jade floral cotton sundress (sizes 6-22 UK) from Dorothy Perkins made its way on to the same order as the jumpsuit. I thought it was pretty and would be perfect for hot summer days. And discounted to about £14 (usually £18), I was willing to find out.

The dress is a bold jade green, which isn't a colour I have much of in my wardrobe, but it's so bright and cheerful, and oh so summer-y. It covered in a grey floral print, which goes beautifully with the green and makes an unusual combination. The fabric is cotton, but it almost has a scuba feel to it, and something about it makes it look a bit like a swim dress. It's quite a light fabric, which will be great during hot days, but it seems thin over the stomach, and although I've been told otherwise, I'm convinced it shows VBL at times. (Which I'm personally not comfortable showing). It does fit my shape well, though; flattering my shape in all the right places.and flaring out from the waist. It sits about knee length on me. 

My only issue with the dress is that the lovely wide straps constantly fall off my shoulders, which is a pain in the arse. It fits me perfectly on top, but for some reason they keep slipping. I decided to keep the dress, though, because I do love it. I think this will be one for wearing around the house on scorching hot days when light sun dresses are needed; annoying straps an' all. I'll let you see it for yourselves in an OOTD soon.

Well, I think this shows that appearances can be misleading, and sometimes we really have no idea what the item is going to be like until we see it in the flesh. I guess that's all part of the fun of shopping- unless we're shopping for an upcoming event and desperately counting on the piece to be perfect; then it's no fun at all!

I hope you've found this post helpful. Would you like to see more posts like this in the future?

Have you ever ordered something online that has been completely different to what you expected in real life?