I’m one of those people who is always early. The mere thought of arriving only on time, let alone late, stresses me out, so I prep and I plan and I arrive early, even if that means sitting in my car for 15 minutes before I turn up, only 1 minute early, to an appointment or social gathering. 

Hell Bunny is the brand version of that. Twice a year, they’re the first brand in the vintage-inspired clothing world to begin releasing their latest line, sometimes getting out their first seasonal pieces before other brands have finished releasing their last straggling items from the season before. It always makes me chuckle. And so, many of their SS23 items have been out for weeks now, with others coming soon. This Nancy dress was one of their first spring drops and while I greatly appreciate Hell Bunny’s reliable promptness, it is in fact still January and was 2°c when I shot these photos, so please think warm, spring-like thoughts for yesterday’s Me as we look at this dress together. 

Dress: Red Nancy dress gifted by Hell Bunny
Belt: Old Primark
Jacket: Lana PU Biker jacket by Collectif* 
Boots: Leopard Selma boots by Lulu Hun*
Bag: Old JustFab

Since it was so cold when I shot these photos, I’m hoping you will appreciate the moments I braved the chill for the sans-jacket shots, and understand that I absolutely had to lean into the year-round styling of Nancy with this outfit choice despite my excitement for spring clothes being released. (So excited! Can the sun follow shortly too? I would love to see some sun!) Available in both red and black, featuring a flattering low rounded neckline, shoulder straps, and thick ties that function as cold-shoulder sleeves formed as cute bows, this dress is simple enough it can be worn in a dozen different ways and through all seasons.

I may be a planner when it comes to logistics, but do I read product descriptions properly for clothes? No! I am half uptight organiser, half chaos demon. So from photos alone I assumed these sleeve bows were stitched into place. In actuality you tie them yourself, which is excellent for getting just the right fit for your arms, something I appreciate as a person/chaos demon with larger upper arms, since not all companies grade up their sleeves appropriately, even in decorative styles like this. Experimenting, I even discovered I could tie those sleeve straps across the bust, as demonstrated in the above penultimate photo; that’s something I imagine depends somewhat upon your bust size, but it worked for me. Also, since that bow detail isn’t permanent, that means if you want to layer up during the colder months with a jacket or cardigan, you can avoid having an unsightly bulge on your upper arms by leaving the straps untied and tucking them into the dress under your arms.

I asked for the Nancy in my usual Hell Bunny size 2XL. The bust is 40 inches flat with stretch to 46, while the waist measures 35 inches flat with stretch to 42 inches. As you can see, there’s tons of stretch in this material, so it’s an incredibly comfortable dress for wearing all day long. The skirt is 25.5 inches long, a flared style that sits closer to the upper hips than a full circle or gathered style. Sadly, there are no pockets. The shoulder straps are wide enough that they should cover bra straps with ease, and the dress closes with a hidden zip in the V-back. It’s machine washable. 

The Nancy dress comes in red and black in sizes XS-4XL. Hell Bunny ship worldwide and have online and in-store stockists all over 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. 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.