I’ve developed a bit of a thing lately for Chi Chi Clothing. After getting the Rosa dress, I’ve fallen for their more vintage inspired pieces, all of which tend to be tea length and sport stiffer fabrics and expert pleating that create a full vintage skirt look without the need for a petticoat. It means they’re great pieces for summer when a petticoat can be unwanted extra warmth, and they’re also beautiful evening wear pieces that look classic and stylish year round. I’ve begun stalking their New In section recently to make sure I don’t miss out on anything good, which is when I came across this gorgeous Deanna dress.

A grey-black dress with red, white, pale gold and olive green floral embroidery, this dress immediately makes me thing of Christmas and winter and glamorous dark evenings. The embroidery was designed with Spanish inspirations in mind, and I can see that too, but it’s the winter Christmas feels I most love. I was a bit uncertain when I first tried it on whether I should keep it, as I was splashing out on another one of their dresses for sure and my American trip (and it’s expenses) is right around the corner. But I asked my Instagram followers whether I should get this dress too and their Insta-shouted at me that OMG OF COURSE YOU KEEP IT IT IS GORGEOUS WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT WHY WOULD YOU SEND IT BACK HOW DARE YOU SHUT UP AND BUY IT. And they were totally right. I had a mild lapse in closet-judgement due to focusing on finances. It was silly of me. It won’t happen again. Because lookit!

This dress is v-neck, has a slightly padded bust, closes with a back zipper, has two large pleats in the front and has a netted underskirt included. The fabric has a subtle sheen to it, though the glaring sunlight in these pictures makes it look lighter and shinier than it is, and so doesn’t do it full justice. The sheen isn’t as obvious as taffeta or satin, so if you don’t like those fabrics then know that this isn’t as shiny as those. It’s a great dress for evening or big events, such as weddings or special occasions. If you know me then you’ll know that won’t stop me wearing this to the supermarket if I want to, but it does definitely have more of a formal feel to it so I will probably keep it as one of my evening pieces as it feels just a bit special anyway.

I have two other Chi Chi dresses which are true to size and have no give, so I followed the size chart and ordered this in a size 16, which was definitely the right choice. It sizes true and while there’s no boning in the bodice there is also no real stretch, so you should follow the size chart for an accurate fit to avoid disappointment. Chi Chi Clothing has a Curves range, which is the plus size version of their standard range, and I’m pleased to say Deanna is included in that range, available in UK sizes 18-24, so anyone UK size 6-24 can get this dress, which costs £64.99.

Chi Chi clothing recently began to offer free international delivery, and they offer a 10% off discount with code WELCOME10. It’s a good idea to sign up to their newsletter or to follow them on their social media as they regularly off 15-20% off discounts for payday weekends, national holidays or other flash sales.