A love affair with Lady Voluptuous

Hello darlings! 

Hoping that this post finds everyone well and enjoying the lovely month of May, I know I have been!

Today on the blog I'm going to be showcasing something particularly special - the arrival of a UK based plus size vintage reproduction clothing line  - Lady Voluptuous and a particularly special beautiful outfit. 

Unless you've been in hiding, living under a rock without WiFi for the past few months, chances are you'll have heard all about this amazing new innovative range of plus size dresses (going from a UK size 16 up to a UK 30/32 might I add!) that have been designed by none other than my lovely friend Georgina of the blog FullerFigureFullerBust and more recently of Plus Size Wars fame. 

At the time of writing, Lady Voluptuous has 5 key styles of dress as well as a lovely circle skirt, available in a wide variety of prints and block colours, each equally as stunning as the last. These are the Medusa, the Phoebe, the Lyra, the Bellatrix and my personal favourite, the Cosette. You can check these all out at the following link here.

Georgina looking phenomenal in the Cosette dress

I was incredibly grateful (and slightly awed) when Georgina approached me and offered to send me one of her newest designs. After a great deal of umm-ing and aah-ing over her gorgeous behind the scenes photographs, I decided upon the beautiful Cosette dress; a sleeved swing dress with demure (yet still decidedly sexy!) wrap-over bust. I chose the red rose on lilac fabric as I thought this was a unique colour combination that I was keen to try. I don't own any lilac clothes and was slightly concerned that the pale pastel colour wouldn't suit my complexion, but I needn't have been worried at all - in fact, this is quite truthfully one of my new favourite outfits of all time!

 Once it arrived and i'd gushed over the amazing quality of this lovely frock, I found the fit of the Cosette dress to be fairly generous. According to the size chart I should have been in between the sizes 18 & 20, however going by Georgina's instruction I went for the size 18. For reference, my measurements are bust 46" waist 37" and the measurements of the Cosette dress in a size 18 were bust 43" waist 36". As you can see I don't quite match up with these at all, but this dress is generously cut (I could have got away with the size 16) so i'd recommend sizing down when ordering. 

One thing I was fairly worried about were the sleeves on this dress- i'm always fairly apprehensive of sleeves as I have quite big arms, however I needn't have worried. The sleeves of the dress fit brilliantly with plenty of room, so I don't feel constricted at all and they are a lovely length that isn't too long nor too short. 

Another key aspect that I think is important to highlight with this outfit is the belt. All too often when I purchase dresses in larger sizes, the belt nowhere near matches the waist measurement rendering it unwearable. Luckily this isn't the case for the striking Cosette dress and I found the belt to be a comfortable fit (when corseted I wear the belt on the 3rd loop and when un-corseted I wear it on the 2nd loop). It's also well structured so won't bend or loose it's shape over time- another added bonus.

 

The attention to detail on the hem of this dress, as well as the collar and cuffs is also second to none. The stitching is magnificent and really makes the garment feel expensive, although with a £50 price tag I find this dress to be a bit of a steal! 

I should mention that when I took all the photos for today's blog it was raining fairly heavily so I made due and accessorized with a funky umbrella. I was worried that the pink would clash against the lilac and red pattern of the dress but in reality I found it to be quite complimentary. I may even try accessorizing this dress with a little more pink next time as it just so happens to be one of my favourite colours. 

 

Red lipstick is "Chilli" by MAC

Singin' in the rain...

Another feature of this dress that I found to be a huge plus is the bust on this dress. It is a delicate v-neck that has been sewn shut so there is no risk of over-exposure or gaping - a big plus in my eyes! This helps to make the dress a lot more work wear appropriate also, as the concern over flashing too much is already taken care of. 

The only thing I could possibly fault this dress on is that the side-zip fastening feels a little flimsy. The dress itself is exquisitely made with a lovely high quality fabric (cotton sateen) bu I feel as though the zip may not live up to the general wear and tear i'll have getting this dress on myself. I certainly wouldn't let that deter you from purchasing however, as zips are easily replaced yet gorgeous plus size frocks unfortunately don't come around that often.

One thing that I find particularly exciting about the Lady Voluptuous line in general (not just the Cosette dress) is that it comes in sizes 16-32. This is a great example of how plus-size clothing should be sized, it is non-exclusionary and doesn't presuppose that those at the bigger end of the plus-size spectrum couldn't/shouldn't/wouldn't wear clothes that are loud, colourful, fitted, flared or any of the above. Upon release, many of the dresses sold out instantaneously - proving that plus-size women are literally begging for affordable and beautiful clothing that doesn't discriminate. Georgina has really responded to a gap in the market with the Lady Voluptuous line and done so taking into account the needs wants and desires of the plus-size community. 
Brava George, I applaud you!

Outfit Details 

Dress: Lady Voluptuous 

Shoes: BHS 
Earrings: Accessorize

Fascinator: Diablo Jo's

Stockings: What Katie Did 

Umbrella: Lidl 

I always think it's important to showcase an outfit/dress/ensemble in as many ways as possible, and so here are some more beautiful bloggers sharing their Cosette dress reviews for your perusal, as you can see they are resoundingly well received - click on the links for direct access! 

U Can't Wear That
Arched Eyebrow
Lolly Likes Fatshion

That about wraps (haha, see what I did there?!) it up from me for this post - next time on the blog I'll be sharing my vintage shopping tips for plus size darlings and how to avoid falling into a polyester nightmare, inspired by a recent shopping trip to Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair in Edinburgh. 

Until next time sweethearts!
Lovelustloves x0

**This dress was kindly gifted to me for review, however all opinions stated here are completely my own**