Beach-side Basics – Review of Bolero Beachwear Halter Retro Dress

I have to say starting work at a new company and a completely new branch of childcare (special needs kids) has had me facing a problem with work attire – I need to have something quite easy-going that can be washed with no problem, even several times a week. So you can imagine that stretchy jersey dresses have been a great option for me, especially as I work right next to a beach where we play with the kids on a daily-basis! When Bolero Beachwear came out with their halter dress a few months ago, I immediately knew this was the perfect work dress for the hottest days of summer, but also great for hanging around at a summer cabin and going for a girls night out on Fridays. Lucky me, the lovely Patricia who is the CEO of Bolero, decided to send me a dress to try for a blog review! Here are my thoughts on this Marilyn-esque little number… (Psst! Thank you miss T for taking the pics, I really appreciate it and love you forever <3)

It’s pretty obvious that the Halter Retro dress got its inspiration from Da Queen, that is Marilyn Monroe. You know the iconic flashing scene with the white dress? I think you do! Instead of going for the classic white only, Patricia has come up with a few different colours and prints that the Halter Retro dress can be made in and obviously, as a big fan of classic styles and colours, I decided to go for my favourite colour, red.  The dress is made from a very stretchy and quite thin material, so it is perfect for the more active summer days when you don’t want to stress about being restricted by your clothes.

I received my dress in size Medium, but Bolero Beachwear is overall on the generous side of sizing, so I could have probably gone down to Small, which I wear with my Erica and Carmen dresses comfortably. The bodice is lined to make it more sturdy and the cuts of the top accommodate a large bust very well. The neckline of the dress is quite open but I still find it work appropriate in laid-back work environments, especially if you throw on a cardi like I did in the pics (this one is from Collectif). Bolero also make lovely little shrugs in basic colours so make sure to add some to your cart! As the dress must be worn with a strapless (mine is the Curvy Kate Luxe in 30H), there is not much cleavage and I quite like it that way. The top part of the dress covers my bra completely which is a huge upside when talking about a halter dress for big busts.

One of the biggest selling points for Bolero Beachwear is the wearability and easiness of the clothes – they are easy to travel with, don’t require ironing and can be washed several times without losing colour. I simply cannot wear a lot of “Dry-clean only” clothes at work, as when I wash them in the machine, they don’t really like it that much. Also I can get pooped, pissed or puked on at work (yes, we work with babies too!) so I need to have something that I can clean with ease immediately. This is the reason I love Bolero for: there is no hassle if I drop something on my dress or a child gets messy – my Bolero dresses simply don’t get ruined (unless it’s foundation or something equally tricky that stains all clothes!).

In addition to being easy, I have found some great wardrobe staples from Bolero – my Erica and Carmen dresses get a lot of wear as they can be dressed up and down and worn through the year with some tights and cardis to make them more versatile in cold weather. This is why I usually choose the most classic colours and prints when it comes to basic dresses such as the Halter dress – so that they could be easily adapted to my pinup style and will look good after years and years of use.

I am all for team Wear-Whatever-the-Fuck-You-Want (as my dear friend Jessica put it), but if you are wondering who this dress would be for, I would say it suits very well someone who is either an hourglass shape or top heavy, as the top part of the dress is clearly designed for a fuller bust but also for a wider back. I found myself pulling the back up a few times when wearing the dress, as the Medium might be a tad too large for me. If you have a wide back and a big boobs though, this is the dress for you! I usually find every other dress too snug for me in that area, which is why I was amazed how roomy the dress is for a quarter-back built girl like me, haha.

To be honest, I don’t really have anything bad to say about this dress – it is comfy, looks great and has pockets! What more can a girl hope for?! I think it pretty much tells it all that I didn’t have time to photograph this dress before yesterday, as I wore it through the whole summer (it was probably my most worn dress for three months) and it was in the wash all the freaking time (oops, so sorry, Pat…)! The Halter Retro dress costs $120 which is a bit up there, but personally I feel it is worth the splurge. These garments are made locally in USA and thus cost a lot more to make than your average China dress. They are also made with love to achieve the highest quality and fit a fuller bust like a dream. What’s not to like! If you want to shop Bolero, take a look at their online store, here.

Tackling the Heatwave – A Review of Urkye “Tuba” Dress in 36 o/oo

The summer has finally hit Finland and it’s not all good – degrees can go as high as +28 C which is very unusual for Finnish weather. I live on the coast so I’m pretty used to cool and damp air meaning hot weather can be a pain in the arse. I spend two hours each day in a bus to commute which is not fun with no air-conditioning whatsoever. One day at work we got a big package from Poland; some refills from Urkye. I jumped at the chance to try out their famous Tuba dress and as I got it on, it stayed on. 

To me Urkye seems like a pretty decent choice for those looking for practical basic clothing in delightful colours and modest price point. Of course I got mine with a fair discount, but even full price the dress would have cost about 40 € here in Finland, so not bad for a dress. We had four colours of the Tuba – red, black, pink and petrol green – but as a lover of a good red dress I decided to try the red one in size 36 o/oo.

The Design: My first thoughts about Tuba were that it was a little plain and nothing too special to spend my money on. That was when I hadn’t tried it on, just seen it on other people and on internet. What changed my mind then? I suddenly realised how practical and versatile Tuba actually is. Even though it’s a very basic style with no embellishments, I really like how it can be worn almost anywhere and be dressed both up and down. Ever since I brought the dress back home a few days ago, I have been wearing it non-stop and even had a nap in it.

The way I style the dress is a more vintage pin-up – I usually wear it with a scarf on my head and some red lipstick and a pair of ballet flats. The neckline is very open and needs something low-cut beneath it (I’m wearing my Gossard “Lola” in the pictures). However, the soft cotton material is so clingy in the mid section of the dress I’m actually not wearing panties at all in the pictures. So you be warned – it’s almost guaranteed you will get a VPL. Otherwise I love the way the dress hugs my curves and flares a bit towards the hem. It’s truly a classic shape to wear everywhere from work to after-work drinks.

The Fit: I opted for the 36 o/oo but as a 30GG I’m between the sizes o/oo and oo/ooo according to the Urkye size chart. I asked my boss which size would be better for me and she suggested the smaller to try on first. Her advice was spot on and I think the dress gives me just the right amount of coverage, ie. covers my bra but leaves tons of cleavage on sight. I usually wear a UK dress size 10 which is about the same as EU size 36 so I would say the sizes run quite true to size. 

As I started wearing the dress I noticed my bras always try to peek out a bit from the neckline but I’m quite okay with that. I actually feel it’s kinda my right to show off my bra a bit – they are all so beautiful and never to be seen otherwise! I think I could have gone up to size oo/ooo but feel like this is exactly the coverage level I want. The seam going under my boobs tacks beautifully to my ribcage and doesn’t lift up because of my boobs. The overall fit of the dress is pretty clingy but looks great even without any shapewear (unlike my MiP pencil dress!)

(Compulsory Miley pic, sorry)

Comfort: The dress is so comfy on! I love it how the materials have been so well-thought out – the dress is a stretchy cotton blend allowing you to move easily and feel comfortable at all times. As I told you, I have napped in this dress and also gone a few hours completely braless wearing it (would not recommend to anyone above GG-cup though..). It’s a thin fabric meaning it’s pretty comfy in hot weather as well. 

I would gladly recommend the Urkye “Tuba” to anyone who needs a pretty basic dress eg. for work or just hanging out. I would also wear it for casual drinks or dates so it’s really versatile in addition to being extremely flattering. You can get your Tuba at Urkye’s website which ships internationally. If you happen to live in Finland, Lumingerie has a few Tuba dresses in different colours so you can snatch yours up quickly and easily.