A Sister's Gift

As I write this I realise that I really hate making decisions. I said it yesterday about perfumes, I came over a flustered mess at the hairdressers today when she asked what I wanted, and I'm about to say it yet again.  Every Christmas my sister buys me a new dress. She  is 13 years older than me, so invariably chooses me things I would never even consider. This usually results in something unexpected that I love (except for last year where the dress was just pure evil). This year, however, I was in two minds, so I thought I'd try reviewing it objectively.

 

The dress is from Whistles, which as a student is out of my price range, so it was lovely to receive. It is called the "Lula Plain Dress" and it is teal in colour, made  of silk and has an exposed zip going all down the back. It has a lovely pleated detail on the front, which I think is quite flattering on the belly. The main downfall of the dress is that it is dry clean only, which I find very irritating. Another annoyance for me is that the website says the model is wearing a size 10, but she really looks like a size 8, so being a curvy size 12 the dress looks completely different on me. Does this annoy everyone or is it something that only grinds my gears?

So what does it look like on a non-model, with legs that only go up to there?

Key learning point: It is very tricky taking photos of yourself in the mirror without pulling a smug yet dazed face. Also my smile is very creepy, I'm glad I don't have to look at it too often.

So I had to drag my mum into help. She still hasn't grasped the concept of digital cameras, and I have a lot of photos now of her face & fingers. This explains why I'm pulling my classic impatient bitch face. Also my hair looks a bit weird as I'm prepping it for a 40s party tomorrow.

Trying to smile... A one time thing. I promise

Wow, that's a very unflattering picture.

The last photo highlights my main problem with this dress. If I raise my arms up and then lower them down (which is a fairly common occurrence) then this happens. I somehow manage to get a hunchback, massive bum, and pregnancy belly. Which are pretty much my top 3 traits I hope never to have (until I actually happen to get pregnant). My mum's genius advice was simply to not do that. Brilliant.

So, it is fairly true to the online pic, but with a non-skinny girl filling it out. I quite like the colour, but only with black opaque tights for some reason (it looked too wintery for bare legs, and sheer tights make it look very cheap). It feels lovely on, and the zip doesn't get in the way when sitting (but it does hit you slightly when walking). All in all I do like it, I would recommend it, and I think it's a keeper.

So what do you think? Did you get any clothes for Christmas you can't quite decide on?

Kat x