Over the last few years I’ve developed a real love for maxi dresses. There’s just something about the floaty feeling of fabric flowing about one’s feet—the lighter weight the fabric, the better. No need for petticoats, checking straight stocking seams, or even shaving your legs if you don’t want to—it’s just you, your cute dress, and the regal feeling of a good swish, swish, swish as you walk. I’ve also come to love black clothing over the past few years—long term readers will know I once found it boring compared to layers of colour!—so this Mortem maxi dress is a great combo of those two recently developed appreciations. Plus, there’s lace! Ya girl never says no to a bit of lace. 

Dress: Mortem Maxi dress gifted by Hell Bunny
Sleeves: Old lace bolero by Savage X
Bag and belt: Old New Look
Bangles: Dark Woven Bangles by Splendette

The Mortem maxi is a quintessential holiday dress if ever I saw one. The frill design around the neckline screams tropical vacation, even while its lace texture—echoed in the lace panels in the lower half of the full length skirt—does, in fact, counter that tropical scream with one of its own: ‘um, no, it’s goth, thanks.’ This is one of those dresses that can blend easily into different genres of fashion depending entirely upon how you style it. If you do love the All Black Everything lifestyle and its more gothic/alternative aspects, this dress is a perfect answer to the conundrum of ‘But what should I wear when it’s boiling?!’ For the more vintage amongst us, a retro hairstyle and makeup does plenty to temper the alternative vibes, and that’s even before the possibility of layering up with bamboo bangles, a matching bag, cat’s eye sunglasses, and the biggest hat ever to hat. Since this is a casual sleeveless dress, it doesn’t look out of place to layer it up when the weather—or your preferences—requires it. I went with a lace bolero for this styling because it was surprisingly mild this past weekend, but on a breezier day it would look amazing layered with a faux-or-otherwise leather jacket, or just a little cardigan if you want to be casual and snuggly. 

Now, we can’t talk about the lace without properly talking about the lace–specifically, those lace panels in the skirt. They give a great peekaboo effect that requires no real bravery or particular confidence, since–depending somewhat upon your height–they only flash a few inches above and below the knee. For me, at 5 ft 7, that top panel is still a higher section of leg than has seen the daylight in more than a decade, but thanks to the pattern of the lace it doesn’t feel as revealing as a fully sheer panel, let alone an actual short skirt. And there’s no ignoring the benefit of that additional air flow through the holes in the lace, something that will feel absolutely amazing on sweltering days.

This dress is made of a non stretch viscose and it’s super soft to the touch, which I love. That lack of stretch does mean it’s worth checking the size chart closely if you’re new to Hell Bunny. I asked for this in my usual Hell Bunny 2XL and it’s a great fit. The waist flat measures 40.5 inches flat with only a little give, while the bust flat measures 46 inches. The skirt measures 36 inches in length from the waist, putting it just above the ankle on me. It closes with a back zip and, sadly, there are no pockets, but it is machine washable. 

The Mortem Maxi dress comes in sizes XS-4XL. Hell Bunny ship worldwide and have stockists, both online and in store, around the globe. 

____________________________________________________

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.