I didn't expect to love this dress as much as I do now but it's perfect for the classic gangster look I'm trying to achieve at the party. I usually wear any size between an 8 and 12 depending on the designer, but decided on X-Large after reading some reviews about the dress being ridiculously short (I'm 5ft 9in). I could reduce the size as it's a bit loose, but it works and I don't light up the world with a little lean. I also bought a matching hat/beaded necklace/black gloves sold by the same brand and together they are fire. I would highly recommend both sets from this brand as the other dress/headband sets were of a much lower quality.