Me, the last few weeks: Omg I’m so excited it’s spring 😀 😀 😀

Spring, on the 2nd of April, in the South East of England: It’s 1°C, ice on car windshields, tried to snow the last couple days.

Me, waking up to that nonsense ready to take these summer dress pictures: Shocked Pikachu meme

Dress: Aqua Cry-Baby dress gifted by Hell Bunny
Blouse: Andra blouse by Collectif*
Belt and bangles: Old
Bag: Vintage
Shoes: Tan Martinique wedges previously gifted by Hotter

Considering that turn in the weather, I’m sure you’ll forgive me for wearing a blouse under this sleeveless Cry-Baby dress because my, my was it cold shooting it. Despite the dress’s name, though, there weren’t any tears or even whimpering, just joy at wearing a lovely dress near some daffodils, which likely will be fading out soon. At least I can continue to enjoy this dress once they’re gone.

I’ve never seen the movie that I must assume this dress is named after, so you’ll have to look elsewhere for fun references linking the two together. What I can tell you is that the Cry-Baby dress is a springtime sweetie, a simple sleeveless dress which features a gorgeous square of pleating in the bust, a collar, a matching tie belt (not pictured here, as I’m a grommet belt gal) and pockets in the skirt. Do I feel bad for listing the pockets in that summary rather than giving them their own celebratory sentence? Yes. Was that question my own sneaky way of fixing that issue? Also yes.

The pleating detail on the bust is something I can’t say I remember seeing before in a vintage inspired dress, or any dress, really, and I love it. It’s so clean and sharp, a detail that’s not super eye-catching but offers something textural and structural anyway. The skirt is gently gathered, so there’s room for a medium-full petticoat as I’ve worn here, but it’s not overwhelming for those who don’t love a lot of volume. The aqua colour is stunning, a fresh and happy tone that I’ll wear year round (with the appropriate layers, of course,) but feels particularly lovely in spring and summer. This dress also comes in yellow, another brilliant colour that I adore wearing, so much so that I went back and forth deciding between the two colours, but as I own other yellow dresses and nothing in aqua it was a no-brainer in the end.

The fabric is lightweight enough to be comfortable for warm weather wear but doesn’t feel thin or insubstantial. The V-neck created by the collar means layering blouses underneath it will look especially good, an easy way to adapt this dress to cooler weather, in additional to the obvious of adding on cardigans or jackets over top. It’s a great casual but smart piece that can be worn in dozens of different ways, and depending on your profession could function as work appropriate wear in addition to social wear.

I asked for this in my usual Hell Bunny size 2XL. This dress is made from a non-stretch fabric, so the waist flat measures just shy of 40 inches flat, and the bust measures 46 inches flat. The skirt is 26.5 inches long. There’s a popper hidden inside the placket of the top two buttons to help avoid that dreaded bust gape we all hate on buttoned items of clothing. There’s also a hidden side zip to get in and out of the dress as the buttons stop at the waist. It’s machine washable.

The Cry-Baby dress comes in Aqua and Yellow in sizes XS-2XL. Hell Bunny ship worldwide and have in-store and online stockists around the globe.

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Disclaimer: The dress featured in this review was gifted to me by Hell Bunny in exchange for an honest review. The shoes were previously gifted to me by Hotter for a past review. Items marked with an asterix* are items I bought myself from companies that have previously gifted me other items for review. All opinions expressed are truthful and my own, with no input from any of the companies listed or any other individuals.

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