Review on GownTown Splicing Picnic Cocktail DarkRed Women's Clothing by Jackie Chapman

Ordered for a swing party. I ordered two because all of these vintage style dresses seemed to have very mixed reviews. Overall I think this is a nice dress of decent quality considering the price. I've broken it down into positives and negatives, but they're both sides of the same problem, as you'll see below. PROS: - It's beautiful. True vintage style. The skirt makes a nice bell as you twist it. As said in the Q&A and the reviewers, you need a petticoat to get the fullness shown in the product photos. Unlike some others, my dress arrived in excellent (albeit wrinkled) condition - no protruding threads, fraying or holes like the others. .-- The fabric (see negatives below) is quite heavy (it doesn't look flimsy). BEAUTIFUL AND OPAQUE - Don't worry about your underwear showing through. The fabric is also very stretchy (see negatives). This is great because you get a nice flowy line of the dress. With the right fit, the heaviness of the fabric and stretch smooth out small imperfections. -- Measurements matched the size chart for the size I ordered (large) - see also the negatives CONS: -- Most importantly, as others have noted, I think SEMI NOT LIKE SHOWN IN THE PICTURES. The asymmetrical row of buttons on the wrap skirt lifts one edge of the skirt a few inches higher than the other where they meet. I don't think it looks bad, but it's not what is advertised and I can see that it's not attractive to a lot of people. I think that means my petticoat will be visible in the front as well. -- The dress as it appears will not be as shown in the product photos. You MUST purchase a petticoat to get the full rock look. -- The fabric is heavy and feels like polyester - it's a weird plastic feel. I'm afraid it might get hot, and I'm afraid the red will darken with even a little sweat - a major concern if you really want to dance in a dress. Although I don't know it yet. The fabric is quite elastic. The measurements given in the size chart are the actual measurements of the dress, at least for the larger sizes. This means the dress will be a little loose because I adjusted my measurements to the chart. I think I could go a size down and the stretch of the fabric would make it smooth and smooth at the top (like the photos). If you have your measurements in the chart correct, consider going down a size. The size of the belt does not match the size of the dress. At its tightest position, the belt is approximately 2 inches looser than the waist of the skirt. I need to drill new holes in the belt and am nervous that the holes are worn out. Also, there is no loop to hold. free end of tape. I think over time it will fly around with nothing holding it. When I leave the dress I can mark the size of my belt and add some small velcro dots to the end to hold it.