I’ve heard it said that everyone has a base colour they build their wardrobe around, either black, navy, brown or grey. I’ve never felt I had an overwhelming pull towards any of those neutrals but if I look at my wardrobe on the whole I can definitely see that I’ve ended up with black as my neutral base. It might be funny, then, to consider that the past couple months I’ve become a bit obsessed with trying to add greys and browns to my collection, and have become increasingly frustrated with the limited options. Can I find a brown tweed swing skirt anywhere? No. A plain grey one then? No!

Thankfully, though my search for separates has been disappointing, my beloved Miss Candyfloss is happy to lead the charge with beautiful grey dresses that could never disappoint.

Dress: Maeby-Lou dress gifted by Miss Candyfloss
Gloves: Primark
Hat: Grey Fascinator from Amazon (A/L)

Generally speaking, my friends, who aren’t interested in vintage styles, nor fashion really on the whole, are so used to the way I dress that they rarely make comments about it anymore, one full-skirted dress likely registering to them as much the same as another. However, occasionally something I’m wearing will illicit an ‘Oh I love that!’ from them and often that’s how I know it’s a really eye-catching, special piece. That’s exactly how my friend Juliette reacted when she saw me in this dress and it seems like us vintage-lovers feel the same way, as this dress was only released a week and a half ago but already there are almost no sizes left on Miss Candyfloss’s own website. If you’re desperate to get your hands on it you should check with their stockists, and quickly. I recommend carrying that urgency forward with you for all anticipated Miss Candyfloss releases as it’s not unusual for them to sell out within days, and sometimes within an hour for the most sought-after releases.

When it comes to this dress the speed of its sales really doesn’t surprise me when you consider what a lovely piece it is, and so unlike other designs more widely available in the vintage-inspired clothing realm. As part of their Dear Marilyn collection, it was inspired by Marilyn Monroe and her sense of class and style. It has subtle dolman half sleeves and gentle gathering at the bust, accentuating the latter perfectly while still remaining modest with the featured black V-neck collar and centered faux bow. The black of the contrast collar is echoed in the matching grommet belt. There are pockets in the full pleated swing skirt, which takes a medium-full petticoat beautifully, and falls below the knee. The grey check fabric contains several shades of grey and one of tan, fulfilling my burning desire to add more grey to my wardrobe. It’s an elegant piece, designed to flatter, and so it does. 

I’m wearing this in my usual Miss Candyfloss 2XL. The bust flat measures 44 inches flat approximately with stretch to 46 inches, while the waist flat measures 37.5 inches with half an inch of give. The skirt is 28.5 inches long. It closes with a hidden side zip. As with all Miss Candyfloss sleeved dresses, the sleeves are graded up perfectly through the plus sizes so that there was not even one second of discomfort or tightness for me during wear, even though my large upper arms seem to flummox the sizings for most vintage-inspired brands. It’s also made in Europe, as are all Miss C pieces. 

The Maeby-Lou comes in sizes XS-5XL, though as mentioned, you may have to hunt through stockists to find your size where available.

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Disclaimer: The dress featured in this review was gifted to me by Miss Candyfloss for honest review. All opinions expressed are truthful and my own, with no input from any of the companies listed or any other individuals. Items marked with (A/L) are Affiliate Links.