Hell Bunny’s SS16 line offers the same varied mix of styles as their usual lines–some truly cutesy stuff, a bit of tropical, some kitsch, a range of plain staples, and a touch of nautical. For the first time they’re offering handbags too, but the piece that most stood out to me, lover of nautical themes that I am, was the Marin dress.

Available in red and blue, this dress sports a full circle skirt, pockets, a rounded neckline reaching up to self-tie shoulder straps and a nautical print featuring everything from rum bottles and ragged flags to crabs, ship wheels and compasses. My 4 year old nephew had great fun studying the print recently when I went to spend the morning with some of my family, although he did question why a ship would be in a bottle–I dunno, little dude, people have hobbies, I can’t explain how that ever came to be.

My favourite part of this dress isn’t, surprisingly, the pockets, although I do greatly appreciate that they’re deep enough to fit my iPhone 6 even in its battery pack phone case, but the tie strap shoulders. I think shoulder straps that can be tied manually are not only great for customising the fit of a dress–is there anything more annoying than shoulder straps that refuse to stay on your shoulders because they’re too big?–but also manage to seem both wholesome and sexy all at once.

Dress: Navy Marin dress by Hell Bunny
Cardigan: Red Tootsie Cropped Cardigan from Doll Me Up
Shoes: Red Espadrilles by F&F for Tesco
Hair Flower: Ivory Blossom Falls by Alternate Normality

This dress is lined in the bodice and closes with a back zipper. I wear a petticoat 99% of the time when I wear a full skirt, but I actually love the way this dress falls even without one, which is nice to know since it means I can rely on it for more lower maintenance wear for casual or practical situations where a petticoat isn’t the best idea. However since it’s a full circle, it happily takes a very full petticoat with ease.

Hell Bunny pieces typically run large and that holds true in this dress. I ordered it in my usual Hell Bunny 14/L, which is made for 32 inch waists, but I flat measured the waist at 34 inches and stretched it to 36 inches. You might consider sizing down if your bust will allow that and you like a snug fit.

Hell Bunny are wholesalers who don’t sell any of their own pieces direct to customers themselves, so pricing and availability varies across their global stockists. I purchased my Marin dress from Tigermilly.co.uk for £43.99, but you should be able to find a stockist in your country on eBay or with a quick search engine check if you don’t have a store near you that you can check or ask to order in for you. This same print will be coming in a halter mini dress, apron and circle skirt in both the red and blue colourways.