Recently I had the opportunity to try out a couple of items from Vivien of Holloway to review for the lovely readers of In Retrospect. First up is this beautiful 1940s style dress in the ‘tea dress’ style.
First let’s take a look at the print. As you’ll see from the pictures, it’s a novelty print consisting of little envelopes. I particularly like the print on this dress as it looks very authentic and is quite unusual amongst vintage reproduction or vintage style clothing. As I hope you can tell, the print also carries through to the matching bandana. The bandana is a square of material so can be folded in different ways depending how you want it to look. Here, I folded it into a strip and tied it around my head, but it could also be worn covering the back of the head in the ‘Rosie the Riveter’ style.
So to the dress itself: I instantly noticed the quality of this piece from the construction to the attention to detail. It’s a medium weight cotton which irons beautifully and feels sturdy. It hangs very well on the body, and I didn’t find it clung to my legs as lighter materials can sometimes do. I was very pleased with the fit of the dress and it’s comparable to my original 1940s dresses in proportion. I believe this is the case for all Vivien of Holloway clothing. The belt in this case is purely decorative as the waist of the dress fits my own waist very well and doesn’t need a belt to pull it in. As the sizing of Vivien of Holloway clothing differs to modern clothing sizes, they provide a measurement chart on their website to help you decide what size to order. If you’re still unsure I’d recommend contacting them to discuss it, as its well worth making sure that the fit is perfect. The cut is very good!
The dress also has shoulder pads which add to the 1940s shape. The mid-calf length is nicely authentic; I personally often prefer a small heel with dresses of this length to help give the appearance of lengthening the legs. There are also pockets in the dress which is something I always really appreciate and I know many other ladies also do. The pockets, sleeve cuffs and collar all have the same piping around the edges.
I really enjoyed trying out this dress. Retailing at £75, it’s a little pricier than some other vintage style clothing but worth paying the extra for the quality and authentic style. It would fit very well into an authentic vintage wardrobe, but can be worn without the additional considerations necessary for true vintage items.
http://www.vivienofholloway.com/women-c70/dresses-c10/1940s-style-tea-dress-letters-brown-p2147
That’s all for now but I hope to see you again soon for my next review!
Photos by Lexie Masters
