Whispering Ivy Tropical Josephine Dress

I took this 'Josephine'dress by Whispering Ivy to Pembrokeshire on holiday, being a bit optimistic about the lovely warm spell we've had continuing.  No-one could have predicted the positively icy temperatures that we then plunged into thanks to winds from the Arctic, so we headed to the National Botanic Garden of Wales to find an indoors setting tropical enough for the dress.  With its bold floral and butterfly print on a white background and pretty strap detail at the back, it's a tropical feeling dress perfect for holidays (but probably holidays somewhere warmer than Wales...).

Dress: Whispering Ivy

Shoes: Hobbs

Bag: Vera Pelle, via car boot sale

Cardigan: Primark

Vintage celluloid brooch: charity shop

Lipstick: Giorgio Armani, Rouge D'Armani 401

I love discovering new-to-me brands of vintage style or reproduction clothing, and it was at London Edge that I came across the Whispering Ivy brand.  More well-known for their main line of 'Dead Threads' punk/gothic clothing, the vintage inspired sister line caught my eye with its lovely prints and authentic looking details.  On talking with the manager, he confirmed that original vintage patterns have been used and adapted in making the dresses, and I could spot a few dresses where I've definitely come across very similar original vintage versions in the past.

This dress is a size medium, which on the size chart was potentially a tad snug for my size 12 measurements, but thanks to spandex in the fabric it actually turned out to be quite a good fit.  It's unlined, and has a centre back zip closure.  I think that because I'm tall (5'9") the dress comes up slightly shorter on the leg than it's meant to, but for a summer dress I don't mind and it still covers my knees which is rare!  I am also broader across the back and shoulders than the average girl, so the criss-cross strap detail at the back is a little tight too.  If you're shorter than me then the dress will probably sit a bit lower on your frame and this won't be a problem.

The price point is pretty good, I did a quick search on Ebay and found that you can pick up a Whispering Ivy dress for around £30.  I think in terms of quality and design, you're getting more for your money than with a lot of cheaper dresses from similar brands.  I'd say it's certainly comparable to Voodoo Vixen and Hell Bunny dresses quality-wise, and trumps most of the Lindybop dresses I own.

The brand doesn't sell much through its own website (which I think is US based) but there are lots of stockists across the UK, so have a quick internet search and you'll find some.  The size range is rather limited, running from from S to XL.  This translates as roughly from a UK size 8 to 16, but the sizing does vary between styles - if you can get hold of size charts then these do help, and don't forget to factor in the stretch so you can probably size down if you're in between sizes.  Amendment: Good news, some styles are now available in a size 22!

This isn't the most 'vintage' dress out of their selection, but I really love the vibrant print and easy-care fabric and I can see it getting lots of holiday wear.

Have you tried the brand?

I was kindly gifted the dress for review, but all words and opinions are my own!

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