Bluebelle is a Singapore-based vintage inspired clothing company run by sweetheart owner Ammy. She began the company in 2013 because she and her sister, vintage lovers that they are, had trouble finding vintage inspired clothing to wear in Singapore. She began by stocking established European repro companies on her website, then branched out into producing her own Made By Bluebelle line last year. Her Lady in Black tea dress was so well received that European stockists began requesting to stock the piece themselves, a turn in the tables of her position of just a couple years prior.

The line, originally catering to the petite sizes of ladies in Singapore, is now looking to branch out their sizing to include UK sizes 14 – 18. Their original hit Lady in Black tea dress is the first piece in the range to be extended. Given its classic modest cut and simple yet elegant floral print, I can see why.

Dress: Lady in Black Tea Dress C/O Shop Bluebelle
Cardigan: Old season Primark
Bag: Red Acrylic Purse by Lola Von Rose
Shoes: Old season espadrilles by F&F at Tesco

The Lady in Black tea dress is made in Georgette fabric with full satin lining, creating a feminine floaty top layer over a soft, opaque lining that feels comfortable and pleasant to wear. The skirt is 24 inches long, with the lining a couple of inches shorter, so it gives a pretty, sheer layered effect at the hem when worn alone. Typically, I massively dislike visible petticoats peaking out from under vintage style dresses, but with this dress I think a touch of black chiffon or tulle visible against the sheer floral border looks beautiful.

The dress has a rounded neckline which leads into a V shape back, where it closes with an invisible centered zipper. There’s tie ribbons at the waist that tie in the back to allow you to nip in your silhouette. Plus, the dress is machine washable, which is always a blessing in vintage-inspired clothing, as that’s not always the case.

I sized up into a size 18 for this dress to fit my bust. There isn’t a lot of give in the fabric, so that was definitely a good choice as the bust is the tightest area for me. The size chart for their size 18 is 41 inch bust, 35 inch waist. The dress flat measures 36 inches in the waist, with an inch of give to take it to 37 inches, and flat measures 42 in the bust with enough give to take it to 43 inches, but likely no more. Since the waist has a tie to pull you in, I’d definitely recommend you follow the size chart and choose according to your largest measurement to ensure a good fit.

It’s a lovely dress, very dainty, feminine and classic in a way that makes it easy to throw on with little pre-planning to still achieve a pulled-together result. Plus, it made me feel a bit like a vintage fairy flouncing around such a pretty garden in it, and really, who could be mad at that?

The Lady In Black Tea Dress comes in UK sizes 6-18 and costs $158 Singapore dollars (roughly £89 or $118 USD.) This tea dress is also available in pink, but currently only in their original size range of UK 6-14. Bluebelle ship internationally and are very excited to be extending their collection further into plus sizes in the coming months, which I’m also really looking forward to myself. If you want to keep up to date with the news of that plus size range extension, as well as their general product news, you can follow their Instagram account @shopbluebelle, their Facebook page, or sign up on their website to receive their email newsletter.