Several weeks ago I went to an event at the London Palladium, with the Bestie, Boo.
It was a show from two amazing ladies, Laura Adlington and Lottie Drynan, called “Same Dress, Different Bodies”.
There were a few companies that contributed to the show, highlighting some of their garments, and I was introduced to one I had never heard of before; Hope and Ivy.
One of their dresses was shown on different size models and I just fell in love with it. Boo knew a bit about the brand so pointed me in the right direction and advised that although they have their own website, they also sell through Simply Be, and have a bigger size range on there!
Sounds a bit bonkers, right?
Well, I popped onto both websites and found out that she was unsurprisingly right. Hope and Ivy go up to a size 24 on their site, however on Simply Be, they go up to a size 28!
I started off by looking for the dress that had been shown on the stage.
Well I thought I did.
The Nicole.
The Nicole from Hope and Ivy
A stunning, green and dark pink floral wrap dress with long sleeves. It was right up my alley.
I now realise that what was actually shown on the stage was more likely to be The Delia; a scarlet wrap dress with flutter sleeves (although I can’t be totally sure)
The Delia from Hope and Ivy
Either way I ordered the Nicole in a size 28, after checking the size measurements.
Of course, I couldn’t resist going and having a look at what else was on the site and ended up ordering two other dresses;
The Elise from Hope and Ivy
A couple of days later and my package arrived. I was really keen to open it and see just what I had ordered and whether it would fit/suit me.
Of course, I tried on the Nicole dress first, as it was the dress I had fallen in love with.
The fabric was beautiful, as was the pattern. I was so eager to try it on, that I didn’t even bother doing my hair or make up.
The Pricilla from Hope and Ivy
To be honest, it was a good job I hadn’t wasted the time as the dress just was not a good fit for me.
Given that it was a wrap dress, it didn’t wrap over me very well. Most of my bra and the ladies were on show and the sleeves were extremely long on my short arms.
I would have needed to take several inches off the length as it was draped across my feet and floor.
To say I was gutted was as true an analogy as I could get. It just didn’t fit me and I sadly took the dress off and repackaged it.
Elise in Bali
Given that the other two dresses were wrap dresses and very similar, I wasn’t even going to bother taking them out of their bags.
Poolside
However, something told me to make an effort and I pulled the Elise out first to see if it was any different.
Side by Side
I had ordered this dress as it reminded me of a Monet or Van Gogh painting. A stream, swans and an abundance flowers covered the bottom of the dress whilst the top was a simple white.
The Complete Length
Add in flutter sleeves and a different patterned ruffle on the bottom and it was simply divine.
Poser!
Trying it on, I was really surprised to find out that this one actually DID fit really well.
An Indoor Shot
It wrapped across my body beautifully, hiding the girls (for most part) and felt beautiful on my skin.
At the Copa…. Copacabana
Personally the only flaw I would have to say, is that it was probably 3-4 inches longer than I would like if wearing as a dress, however wearing as a robe around the house, it was perfect!
What a Stunner!
The print was beautiful and so was the contrasting ruffle.
Styling it Out
Looking at the length, I could always get the ruffle removed to make it a little shorter, however I do think that would take away some of its charm.
A Bit Arty!
Now, if the Elise could look this good, how about the Pricilla.
Although this dress was virtually identical to The Elise, it was one standard pattern all over; sage green with a large floral design in pinks, purples and lavenders.
Weekend at the Vintage Ball
Pulling the dress on, tying the bow around the back I was astounded.
Posing Up A Storm
This dress fit even better than The Elise.
Oh What A Dress!
No boobage on show, the length was shorter, so perfect and it fit me like a dream.
Evening Repast
I was absolutely over the moon with it, and felt like it was ‘me all over’
Hair Accessories by Pin Up Curl
The sleeves hide some of the dreaded bingo-wings and were loose enough that there was no uncomfortable digging in.
At-mosphere at the Burj Khalifa
Draping my figure beautifully, I knew this was the favourite of my purchases and it didn’t take long before I was wearing it out in public.
Afternoon Tea
As for Nicole, sadly she didn’t make the cut and I ruefully packed her back into the postal bag and sent it back to Simply Be.
Waiting for the Plane to Kuala Lumpur
Let me be clear on this one though; the dress was beautiful, high quality and even better, it is currently in the sale. Because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it couldn’t be YOUR dress of dreams.
On the Plane… finally
So, what have I done with my Pricilla and Elise?
Well Pricilla went to a vintage weekend ball, where I wore her to dinner, alongside a beautiful purple floral hair accessory, which I had custom made by the brilliant Pin Up Curl (otherwise known as Sarah Bloor)
Cocktail Time
I also wore her for a 13 hour flight to Malaysia, and have to say it not only got a few compliments, it was also probably the most comfortable dress I have ever worn to fly in.
She was also worn for a very swanky Afternoon Tea at At♦mosphere which is a beautiful restaurant on floor 122 of the Burj Khalifa!
Swanky!
As for Elise, she took part in a professional photoshoot in Bali, on the same holiday.
Poolside snaps, in the cabana, reflected in the glass and whilst wearing a huge sun hat, all of the photographs look so beautiful and the dress really stood out from the crowd.
All in all, Hope and Ivy really came good, and I know these two dresses will be stalwarts of my wardrobe as I truly do feel they are suitable for any and every occasion.
Beaming in Bali
I highly recommend you go and have a look at either their own website (up to a size 24) or Simply Be (up to a size 28) and see what delights you may find, especially for summer weddings or events.
For the record, Pricilla and Elise were priced at £90 each, whilst Nicole was in the sale at £56.53 – this is now down to £47.50 which is a bit of a bargain.
I have to admit that I have my eyes on another stunner; The Grace dress, but at £130 I need a special occasion to wear it to, before splashing that much cash.
The Grace from Hope and Ivy
But watch this space…
Till next time,
SPSG xxxx
***Many Thanks go to Nabila Baharun, our photographer in Bali, for her stunning images***