If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you’ll have read me announcing at least a dozen times that it was love at first sight for me when I saw a certain dress, or skirt, or bag, or pair of shoes…okay, maybe less like a dozen, and more like a hundred. But what can I say? I find men hard work, but falling for pretty things I can twirl in is easy.

In this case, I actually saw the skirt version of this dress first, and thence came the fall. I quickly realised, though, that Voodoo Vixen would not be making the skirt in their plus sizes. Thence came the devastation. Such heartbreak! Why would they forsake me so? However, it was coming in a dress version, I was told, and so returned hope.

I wasn’t fully sold on the dress style when I saw it initially, for reasons I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but after mulling over the reality of missing out on this print entirely, as well as reminding myself honestly that I almost never wear skirts compared to dresses, I came around to the idea of the dress and decided to give this print a second chance. We could make it, this print and I. I just had to be willing to open up my heart again. And boy oh boy, am I glad I did.

Dress: Jean border print dress by Voodoo Vixen
Cardigan: Black MAK cropped cardigan
Bangles: Charcoal Splendette + old gold bangles
Shoes: New Look Gold Cage flats

I think what put me off about this dress was the heart buttons–I’m not one for wanting hearts on my clothes, nor on anything else I might wear, because it feels so twee and childlike to me. As they’re black on a black background, though, they aren’t super noticeable, and it will be easy to replace them with plain circular buttons once I get the time to work through my sewing pile. They aren’t functioning buttons, so it would even be possible to just remove them and leave the bodice button-free entirely. The heart buttons aside, the rest of the dress is perfect.

The gathered skirt, featuring that show-stopping colourful border print, has plenty of room for a voluminous petticoat, but hangs beautifully without one, and features pockets, as all dresses should. It closes with a back zip, so I don’t have to curse the world while trying to do up a side zip alone. The fabric belt it comes with is long enough for the end to actually slot back through the belt loops to prevent it from flopping around at the waist, a small token of thought I wish all designers considered when adding fabric belts. The thick shoulder straps will hide your bra straps without difficulty.

Voodoo Vixen have always sized somewhat large in their ‘standard’ sizes but since adding an XXL to most of their items I’ve noticed the sizing seems to have aligned more closely with the size chart. A short sleeved dress I wore in an XXL from their last winter range couldn’t contain my bust, literally, eventually resulting in a split back zip. As a result I’ve sized up into their 1XL, which is the first size in their plus size Curve Vixen range. This dress flat measures 38 inches in the waist with stretch to 39 inches, while the bust flat measures 43 inches with stretch to 46 inches, a much more comfortable fit that won’t see me breaking anymore back zips between the shoulders. The skirt is 28.5 inches long.

The Jean border print dress comes in sizes S-4XL. Voodoo Vixen ship internationally and have stockists around the world.