I’m always honest here on the blog, there would be no point in offering you size and fit reviews if I wasn’t, but I’m about to be honest in a way that’s probably going to upset some of you: I don’t like Halloween. I actually kind of…hate it. Yeah, I know. But spiders? Hate them. Bats? Sure, I get that they are kinda like cute winged puppies in stasis, but in motion I would not want one of those suckers flying anywhere near my person and my easily-tangled hair. Pumpkins? I think the only acceptable shade of orange is rust, otherwise it’s ugly AF, so a tasteless bumpy vegetable that is glaringly orange obviously will not win me over. Spooky things? Nah, I don’t like being scared or anything close to it; I think people who enjoy being spooked must have evolved from the hunters of our species. My over-cautious, risk-adverse brain, contrarily, definitely evolved from a long line of quiet clan members who volunteered during each hunt to stay in the cave to count out what remains of the firewood stack.

Halloween is not for me and it’s aesthetic kind of grates on my visual nerves. Sorry not sorry. Big time shrug emoji, y’all.

Why is this relevant, I hear many of you mumbling to yourselves through gritted teeth and memeified clenched Arthur fists? Your slimy green blood is boiling, you’re trying hard resist the urge to smash your new ‘ghoulfriends’ mug on the floor in slighted rage. Well, it’s relevant because I know for many of you this dress is automatically a hALloWeEn dReSs, and because it is very Beetlejuice I must concede the fact that, yes, it really is a very good Halloween dress. But it is also just a black and white dress, and that monochromatic style-tabula rasa is something I am much more here for.

Dress: Juno 50s dress gifted by Hell Bunny
Jacket: Lana PU Biker jacket by Collectif*
Boots: Black Cecily boots by JustFab
Belt: Old New Look
Tights: Black Merino wool tights by Snag Tights

I like a stripe. Stripes are simple to style, pretty safe for most occasions, and yet offer something beyond a solid colour. And I also like monochrome as a basis for an outfit, because again, the simplicity in styling it means it’s very easy to get out the door without a lot of dithering as to whether X really goes with the Y of this dress, and really do I have the confidence to even attempt Z anyway? Not of that. Black and white both go with basically everything, so depending upon your personal preferences and the season, you can layer in as much or as little colour as you want.

My instinct with this dress is to lean heavily into burgundy and vampy makeup, because if you can’t get a little bit goth adjacent during autumn then when can you? Layering a floaty pussybow blouse beneath it can summon a splash of gothic romance vibes, if that’s your thing, or a solid blouse can push it all the way into secretary territory, in a good way. Cardigans are easy and classic, a polo neck sweater aesthetically clean and physically warm, and if you wanna get really fun with it then fuck it, pair it with hot pink everything. All of this is to say that black and white stripes do not necessarily equal Halloween nor Parisian stereotype, and you can have as much fun styling this dress as you fancy.

This dress shape has returned several times for Hell Bunny in different fabric prints, my first iteration being the Violetta dress from a couple summers back. It features a fitted sweetheart bodice, black contrast adjustable shoulder straps with decorative bows, a full skirt with room for a medium-full petticoat, and pockets, because Hell Bunny know we fucking love pockets. It’s one of my favourites of their staple dress shapes and I think it looks great on everybody. You certainly can’t convince me it’s not proper cute, even if our opinions about October differ!

I asked for Juno in my standard Hell Bunny 2XL and it aligns with their usual sizing perfectly. The bust flat measures 44 inches with room for up to 48 inch busts, while the waist flat measures 38 inches with stretch to 40. The skirt is 26.75 inches long. The sliders on the shoulder straps mean you can adjust their length to give you the best fit. It is, all in all, a great dress, even for this Halloween hater. 

The Juno 50s dress is available in Hell Bunny’s extended size range of XS-6XL. The same striped fabric is also used for the Juno short sleeved pussybow blouse and the Juno swing skirt. The full Juno range is available direct from Hell Bunny, who ship worldwide, or from one of their manty global stockists. 

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Disclaimer: The dress featured in this review was gifted to me by Hell Bunny in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are truthful and my own, with no input from any of the companies listed or any other individuals. I bought the jacket from a company that has previously gifted me items for past reviews.

COVID-19 NOTE: These pictures were taken alone and safely in a secluded outdoors area with no other individuals present, thus practising strict social distancing measures in an effort to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.