One of my favourite top designs from the 50s is the crossed front strap top. There are lots of brands that have their own version of this top, featuring different fabrics and priced across various budgets. I own two tops featuring this crossed strap neckline and both fall on the more expensive side of the budget spectrum for this kind of piece. I’ve been curious for a while about the Vixen Vondetta tops I’ve seen offered by Doll Me Up Darling, so I recently bought a couple so I could do a review for you ladies.

At last count this top comes in 14 colourways, which is the first thing I really liked about it. The second is that each top only costs $19.99 (around £13ish), which is about $30 cheaper than the next step up I could find in price range for this kind of crossed strap style. For ladies on a budget this means you’ve got an excellent option, in a lot of colours for many a potential outfit, for finding this kind of style.

Each top has a lot of stretch in it due to the fabric it’s made of, so despite Doll Me Up’s owner, Krista, insisting I would fit a M, I decided to buy both a Medium and a Lovely to see if there was a big difference in fit. I ordered the Navy in an Medium and the Burgundy in the Lovely. The only free day I had to get pictures for this post saw me photographer-free and trapped indoors as it rained, so it’s in-studio for basic pics this time!

The fabric is is lightweight and unlined, meaning it’s great in summer and for layering. In fact, the fabric is very reminiscent of a swimsuit, though only lined on the bust, where there’s also lightly padded cups. They’re made in the USA and sizing runs from XS to 4X waist, encompassing 24inches to 44inches, a great range.

When it comes to fit I knew both tops would fit me because my 32-33 waist easily falls within the waist measurements on both. The Medium measurements are listed as Bust: 32-38 Waist: 26-36 Length: 25-28, with the Lovely as Bust: 34-40 Waist: 28-38 Length: 26-30. Both tops did fit, thanks to the stretch factor, and yet there was a slight noticeable difference in the way I felt they laid on me. In a way I couldn’t figure out which fit was the best one, because nothing pinched or bagged or rode up. With the larger size there was more ruching gathered across my stomach, which I liked, yet I think I preferred the fit of the medium. Sometimes I found the bust ruching had a tendency to move, as sometimes the large gather that crosses over from one breast to the other on the top slid down further on my bust, making the top look a bit lopsided, but I don’t know if this was just me because I’ve only seen pictures of other women sporting a perfectly symmetrical sweetheart cupline. If I manually arranged the gathers so that this didn’t happen it was fine, but I will probably tack that problematic gather into place with a tiny stitch so that it doesn’t bother me again in future, an easy thing to do and no great sacrifice for a top that costs $19.99.

This top is a really comfortable, affordable option that comes on loads of colours, which are three pluses that could work for a lot of you. For ladies who like a more structured top this probably isn’t something  for you, as it’s pure stretch, but that aside I don’t really see any downsides to this number. A perfect piece for those ladies who have to keep an eye on their pennies or have a specific colour in mind that’s hard to find–it’s probably offered by DMU!

Doll Me Up Darling ship internationally and offer really affordable shipping price options, which is great as often ordering from America to the UK (and other countries, I know) can be very pricey. I ordered a dress alongside these two tops and altogether international shipping from the USA to the UK was only $8.99 for the economy option. Faster delivery options are available if you want your items quickly and can pay more, but mine only took a couple weeks to reach me, which is pretty good for an economy mail service. If you want any help on sizing you can contact Krista, Doll Me Up’s owner, who’s only too happy to help. She was wonderful about assisting me in placing my order as I had a knack for picking items that were waiting for new stock to arrive. She was even kind enough to send me a LA Splash Lip Couture as a gift too, which I am in love with and will be reviewing soon, alongside the new LA Splash Smitten LipTint Mousses I’ve since ordered 2 of after being so thrilled with the Lip Coutures.