Blind Review: Closet Curve London

*In a Blind Review, an item is selected from an independent small brand. Using their measurement chart we purchase the size that best fits the reviewer’s measurements. All tags, maker’s identifying marks, and packaging is removed so brand preconceptions won’t affect the review. Once the blogger has sent in their review, we disclose the brand and retail price and ask for their final reaction.

Closet Curves Navy Long Sleeve Drape Curve Dress rp: £55.00 sp: £38.50

Millie(UK 16): Well, for a dress that was thrown in my direction less than two hours ago, it’s not the worst fitting thing I’ve ever worn.

Knee length, dark blue and coming in at the waistline. These three things are a recipe for everything I want in a dress. It’s well fitting and the stitch work is damn near perfect. I have to admit though the back is far more visually interesting than the front. The simplicity of the front is perfect for a formal setting, however, as a girl who favours big patterns and bright colours, I have to say that I was underwhelmed.

The back holds a little more interest for me but only because of the choice to make the zipper big, obvious and metallic in colour. Not exactly innovative but at least it gives whoever is behind me something to look at. The material is not one that I would normally choose to wear. While style is obviously important when picking out something in a store to buy, the first thing I look for in a dress is comfort. It’s all well and good looking stunning in something but it’s all pointless if after an hour I feel the need to tear it off and return to the safety of pyjamas. This dress was not comfortable to me, the fabric felt cheap and irritating against my skin. I admit that this is a personal response to the designer’s fabric choices but past experience makes me wary. Nothing kills confidence like a red rash.

This dress is designed to instil a sense of confidence in its wearer, it’s meant to be worn to a job interview to make you feel like you’re the only person for the job. However, it made me think about just how easily I could show everyone I was trying to impress the underwear that I have underneath. I’m reasonably tall, standing at 5’8’’, so the dress is too short before it splits meaning that it would need to be pinned in order to more easily maintain what little dignity I have remaining.

Due to the materials chosen, I would estimate that this dress is in the £20 – £30 range. I’d be willing to pay the top of my estimation as I do think that the stitch work would have taken a lot more time than some dresses I’ve seen on the high street. Overall I do like the dress and I’ll probably end up wearing it to the next interview I end up in. I would be far more willing to wear this dress again if it had been made from a more suitable fabric.

Steff (UK 26): It’s a lovely colour – I’m fond of dark blue. I don’t often wear shift dresses so this is a new one for me; generally, I don’t like the way they look on me, but I felt it important to look at this one with an impartial eye. I do quite like the cut of this – with my large bust, sometimes the waist height is cut too high and winds up under – or just on – my bust. This, on the other hand, has plenty of room and is comfortable to walk around in – not too tight, but perhaps a little too loose in the waist for me. I think the split skirt works especially well and allows for comfort and flexibility.

However … I am really not a fan of the material – I tend to prefer softer cottons and fabrics and after wearing for a while I found this abrasive against my skin. It also seems to cling around my hips in a rather unforgiving way so I, personally, wouldn’t be wearing this without any shapewear underneath it. Asides my personal preferences, though, I’d say generally this is a lovely dress that I would wear in an office or interview setting – very smart!

REACTIONS

Millie: I have to say that I wasn’t all that surprised that the price was higher than I expected. For the kind of dress, it is I wouldn’t lament paying £50 all that much. It’s made from a material that is going to be long lasting and durable – all you’d expect from a work dress – however, it still feels slightly cheap against my skin and has a habit of creasing very easily. All in all, I’d say that this is a worthy addition to any working woman’s wardrobe.

Steff: This isn’t a brand I’ve heard of, but the site is well laid out and clear. I also appreciate that the clothes are made in the UK. There are some lovely designs on the site. The original price surprised me, as I’d put it at £40 or thereabouts. The sale price makes more sense. If this was my kind of dress I’d buy it at the sale price, otherwise I’d let it pass me by.