I might accidentally be collecting yellow dresses. You might think that’s not a colour in which one needs a lot of different dresses, but I’m going to have to disagree. Particularly since, in my defense, each dress offers something different to the other: one’s polka dot, another is gingham, one plain, yet another is eyelet lace, and the last sports a vibrant blue Hawaiian floral. And now there’s Voodoo Vixen’s Sylvia dress, which has a mixture of many of those features, as well as something else entirely. It’s one of those dresses that is far prettier in person than pictures are able to capture, but I’ve given it my best shot for you anyway.

Dress: Sylvia dress C/O Voodoo Vixen
Hair Flower: Red Signature Double Rose by Daisy Jean Florals
Brooch: Red Poppy Field by Erstwilder
Shoes: Bedazzled by me (tutorial)
Cardigan: Old season Primark
Bracelet: Old / Similar by Splendette

This dress has a lot going on, but in a good way. The top layer is a sheer check, like a semi-transparent gingham, on which the truly vibrant floral is printed. The tops is lined and there’s an underskirt layer beneath the tiered skirt, which makes me think both of country and sundresses from my youth. The bodice has vertical pleating and decorative pearlised buttons running down the centre. It’s such a small feature but I love the little triangle cut out in the middle of the bust, and the straps aren’t adjustable but are a middling thickness, nowhere near as thin as spaghetti straps.

It’s a relatively high bustline, with no potential for accidental boobage displays, so it’s a dress that would be well suited to more modest tastes. The skirt, which is 26 inches long, has room for a medium volume petticoat, as I’m wearing in the pictures, or lays nicely without an underskirt. It’s a comfortable, light summer dress and I really love how different the sheer gingham layer is, particularly with the flowers printed atop it. Pictures really don’t do justice to how bright and pretty those flowers are but they’re best displayed in this close up of the skirt.

I always wear the XL from Voodoo Vixen, which is the nearest equivalent of a UK size 16. When it comes to sizing and fit for this dress, you’ll probably be especially interested to learn that this dress doesn’t have any zippers, functional buttons or closures. None. It’s got a smocked shirred elastic bank panel with so much stretch that getting into it only requires putting it on over your head or even pulling it up over your hips–which, yes, I managed to do without hearing any tell-tale stitch ripping noises.

Due to that large shirred back panel, this XL flat measures 30 inches in the waist and flat stretches to 35 inches in the waistband. With it on, though, I could get the dress off and on over my hips, which are 47 inches, so there’s more stretch in the dress in practice than demonstrated when trying to get accurate measurements laid flat. The bust measures 32 inches flat unstretched but I could flat stretch it measured at 44 inches and, much like over my hips, I feel there’s probably more stretch in that when moving it and putting it on a body compared to me wrestling with it over a tape on my floor.

All that stretch in the back panel does mean it can fit a bit loosely in the bodice once on, giving a more relaxed looking fit, which makes it a good dress for comfort during the heat of summer. If that kind of fit really bugs you it’s possible you may be able to size down for a snugger fit, but do bear in mind if you do that then you will still need to be able to pull it on over your head or hips without a zipper so you need to take your measurements and weigh up if you’ll be able to get it on in the next size down.

The Sylvia dress by Voodoo Vixen costs £54.99 and is available in sizes S-XL, but using the discount code MISSAMY20 will get you 20% off across the site until October. Unfortunately this style won’t be coming in plus sizes, but Voodoo Vixen have lots of their other newest styles coming in plus instead in their Vixen Curve line. Voodoo Vixen ship internationally and they’re having a big sale this Bank Holiday weekend, with up to 50% off loads of styles until Tuesday 3rd at midnight, so you better get crackin’ if you want to pick up a bargain!