Although my heart sings over true vintage – the heart stopping details, the gossamer thin fabrics, the attention to detail – I’m a gal who embraces her vintage-inspired frocks with fervor. For a lot of reasons – particularly the modern sizing, mashine-washability, and the fact that I don’t have to be quite so precious with them. But to be very honest, more often than not, it’s when a print is just too freakin’ cute that mere mortals such as myself cannot resist.
I have a decent grasp of the majority of players in the vintage inspired scene. It’s not very often I get stumped and have no opinion to offer. So, when my lovely readers emailed me over the past few months to ask for my opinion on the brand Lindy Bop, I had to admit that I’d never tried them! I knew that needed to be rectified immediately (I take my job as Dress Connoisseur very seriously). So, I partnered with one of my favorite shops Modern Millie to review two of their most popular Lindy Bop styles: the Holly and the Gilda.
I’m reviewing them both in terms of Fit, Fabric, and that certain Je ne sais quoi….
‘Holly’ Hare
The Holly dress in Hare print had me at hello. The border print is absolutely magical – and I love that it looks almost aquatic from far away, but once you get close you can see the rabbits gamboling about the psychedelic forest. I really love this dress for autumn and winter – with 3/4 sleeves, she felt cosy without being restrictive. I went for the size S/UK10 (US 6) in this, which I felt was pretty TTS. I am 35-36″ bust, 27-28″ waist, and when the dress arrived she measured in at 36″ bust and 27.5″ waist and was 15.5″ shoulder to waist. As my torso is known for it’s longitude, this did hit slightly higher than my natural waist, but was still really flattering.
The minute I slipped it on I felt I needed to have a woodland adventure of my own…
In terms of overall quality – I’ve read mixed reviews of Lindy Bop over the years, but was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the details on this dress, particularly given the price point. There was a back zip, complete with hook and eye, a coordinating belt and belt loops, and the bodice was lined in a thin acetate (but not the skirt).
The dress is made of 97% polyester and 3% elastane – definitely not the most breathable fabric in the world, but it felt soft to the touch and the stretch made it pretty comfortable to wear. As a bonus, it’s listed as machine washable – I haven’t tried washing this dress yet, but I’ll post an update if there are any issues. While it’s not of the quality of some of the other vintage-inspired brands out there, I think it’s great for all of us retro-lovin’ ladies on a budget.
And I mean. That print.
‘Gilda’ New York
Speaking of divine prints, the second dress I took for a spin was the Gilda dress in New York Print. Again, an amazing border print on a mint green and stars background, with an adorable collar and button front. The seaming gave her a really flattering shape, and the skirt was full enough to handle a decent petticoat (cause it’s all about the pouf in my book).
One important thing to note is that I found the sizing of these two dresses to be quite different. Modern Millie was able to provide detailed measurements of both, which really helped with finding the right one for me, but be warned that if one style of Lindy Bop dress fits you well, it may not be true of all of them. Following Modern Millie’s advice, I ended up getting the size S/UK10 again (which was the right choice), but struggled more with the fit.
Although the same size as the Holly, I found this one to run tight in the bust and a bit large in the waist. My dress measured at 36″ in the bust (which is normally more than enough) and 28-29″ in the waist. However, there seemed to be less cup room in this silhouette, and as my cup often runneth over, it was a bit more snug in the bust than the Holly. Plus, it ran shorter in the bodice, at 15″ shoulder to waist. Luckily, this is a common issue for me and adding a wide belt solved this issue. If you’re less busty than I am and have a shorter torso, I might recommend sizing down in this style.
On the whole, I found the quality of the Gilda to be a bit higher – the fabric was a breathable stretch cotton (97% Cotton 3% Elastane) and both the skirt and bodice was lined in cotton voile. The fabric also felt more substantial – which I think it great for the colder months. I loved the cute collar, the fabric covered contrasting buttons. I also loved the unique color combo in the print, with mint greens, oranges and browns, which like the Holly Hare, was super saturated. I will more than likely move the buttons over to accommodate the girls a bit better, but otherwise Willie and I were pretty happy with this one.
Oh, there just aren’t enough border prints in the world…
Petticoat
And I also feel I need to take a moment to discuss this petticoat – Modern Millie was kind enough to tuck it in with my dresses and I am OBSESSED with the color. I’ve been wanting a yellow petticoat for ages, and as the majority of mine are still being held hostage by customs, receiving this was like my birthday and Mardi Gras and Christmas morning all rolled into one.
It’s a great addition to my ever-expanding collection. She measures 23″ in length and had a modest amount of fullness, with tiered layers and not too much ruching in each layer (which seriously helps reduced the ‘edge effect’ you can often get with petticoats that aren’t the exact right length for your skirt). It has already been incorporated into many outfits for a bit of pop color as I swish my skirt – and I can see many more to come. Modern Millie carries these in a wide range of colors, which you can purchase through their Instagram. Oh how I love an underskirt rainbow!
Facts and Figures
I find the prices for Lindy Bop dresses to be so reasonable: The Holly Hare retails for $68 and the Gilda NYC for $64 – all of which can be found and purchased from the Modern Millie website. They also have the Gilda in two other stunning prints – the London Traffic print and the San Francisco print. I highly recommend having a chat with the lovely ladies who run Modern Millie if you’re unsure of sizing – particularly as the two I tried fit me so differently. Note that the sizing listed on Modern Millie’s site is US (not UK) sizing.
If you’ve been on the fence about trying Lindy Bop, I think the bevy of beautiful prints alone are worth taking the plunge. On the whole, I can see both of these dresses getting in the regular rotation of my wardrobe. I personally appreciate a dress I feel comfortable chasing after my niece in – anticipating the inevitable ice cream drop – where I can pop it in the washing machine instead of panicking and racing to my trusted dry cleaners. In particular, when you want the vintage look but can’t afford the pricier brands, or if you want to ease into this kind of style, but don’t want to break the bank, this is a good, affordable brand to give it a test run.
To help you find the dress of your Lindy Bop dreams, Modern Millie is offering a special coupon code to my readers! If you use the code dressedapp now through 31 January, you can get 15% off your order. It’s a one time use only code – so use it wisely!
You can also keep up with all of the new Lindy Bop styles sold by Modern Millie by following them on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, where you’ll get sneak peaks of what’s coming into the store! You can also buy directly from their Instagram (which I have done many times), should something not be on their website yet, with only $5 shipping!
Have you bought from Lindy Bop before? How was your experience?
xoxo
Outfit 1 Details:
Dress: Lindy Bop Holly Hare c/o Modern Millie
Brooch: Gift (similar)
Petticoat: Leg Avenue c/o Modern Millie
Shoes: DSW, sold out (similar here & here)
Lip Color: Retrofuturist
Outfit 2 Details:
Dress: Lindy Bop Gilda NYC c/o Modern Millie
Necklace: Gift, NC Aquarium (similar)
Belt: Trashy Diva
Handbag: The Wonder Shop (similar here & here)
Shoes: Modcloth
Lip color: Nars Cinematic lipstick in Short Circuit
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