I love it when a brand has one or more staple dress styles that they release each season in new colours and prints. It’s great when you find a dress that ticks all your boxes, anyway, but knowing that you’re able to grab that dress in other colourways allows you to expand your wardrobe for different occasions safe in the knowledge that you’re going to feel really comfortable in them all. Dolly & Dotty constantly release their staple dress shapes in tons of new prints and I love how varied their winter selection is in this Amanda dress.

Dress: Amanda dress gifted by Dolly & Dotty
Wrap Top: Old
Hat: Black Straw Headband Disc Hat previously gifted by Unique Vintage (A/L)
Brooch: Vintage

The Amanda dress is a basic style, in all the good ways. It has a scoop neckline that isn’t too high nor too low, and the fact that it’s sleeveless means it’s suitable for warm weather wear but also layers up easily in winter without any potential sleeve-bunching under cardigans or coats. The bodice is fitted, so it’s flattering through the waist. The swing skirt features box pleats and can house a medium-full petticoat well to achieve the quintessential 50s swing shape. Said skirt even boasts pockets, an absolute must! (Every time I reach for pockets in a dress and realise it doesn’t have them, I feel so genuinely disappointed and sad.) They’re useful sized pockets, too, able to fit my iPhone 7 Plus without the risk of it slipping out when I move about, something I’m grateful for compared to the kinds of pockets that can only hold your lipstick and debit card, at most.

The print of this colourway is just lovely, a cluster of red, purple and pink flowers repeated across a black background on satin fabric. I’m not sure I even own another satin dress so this one makes a real textural change for me in my wardrobe. It’s soft and comfortable to wear, and of course the sheen of the satin easily gives this dress the feel that it would work wonderfully for formal or evening events in particular. I automatically wanted to style this print with black, but after stepping back I decided to go with an emerald green in velvet to layer a contrasting texture atop the satin, in a jewel towel that elevates the colours of the florals.

I asked for this dress in my usual Dolly & Dotty size 18. The bust flat measures 42 inches with stretch to 46, while the waist measures 38 inches flat with stretch to 40. The skirt is 26.5 inches long. The dress closes with a back zip and is machine washable.

The Amanda dress comes in over 30 different patterns and prints in UK sizes 8-26, as well as in a kids version, and all of them bar one are 50% off in Dolly & Dotty’s January sale!

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[Disclaimer: The dress featured in this review was gifted to me by Dolly & Dotty in exchange for providing an honest blog review. The hat was previously gifted to me by Unique Vintage for a past review. All opinions expressed are truthful and my own, with no input from any brands, companies or individuals. Items marked with (A/L) are Affiliate Links]