Back in 2011, Mr. Dressed and I made our rather momentous move to Australia. When we landed, there were 8 million details to sort out, from where to live, to driving on the other side of the road, to how to work out where on earth to buy a hammer (Bunnings, it turns out). And in the middle of all of this chaos, my tendency was to naturally seek out a place of comfort. Wondering how I would fit into this new world, with odd slang I hadn’t worked out yet and clothing shops full of things that didn’t speak to me. I remember very clearly the afternoon when I was wandering down William st. It was as if the choir of angels started to sing and hope filled my soul as I turned, full of joy at the window display before me: My eyes delighted in glitter! tulle! polka dots! bows! That day I discovered Alannah Hill, and knew I had found my way home.
After that fateful day, during our 5+ years in Aus, I would be a regular visitor to Alannah Hill (as would Mr. Dressed when he needed to find me an appropriately fabulous gift). Season after season, their girlie, frothy style suited my vintage-inspired sensibilities (nearly all of the belts I own come from this fabulous little shop). From their intricately detailed cardigans to their rhinestone belts, for each breezy sundress and glittery party dress, I was hooked. And though we have since left Perth and I sadly had to leave my beloved AH behind, suffice to say their website and I have become close friends.
So, you can imagine how excited I was to get the chance to work with them! There is nothing better than getting to work with a company you love, particularly one where I have found some of my very favorite pieces in my closet (case in point here and here). Alannah Hill is an Australian-based brand, and a quick perusal of their website will tell you instantly why they are among my favorites for vintage-inspired clothing: they are all about romance and femininity, delicate beading and attention to detail.
So, to give you a bit of insight into their garments, I opted to review the glittery Dance With the Flowers Dress paired with the Faint Hearted Shrug. Naturally to do these pieces justice, I had to frolic joyously in the local Arboretum. Both are reviewed below in terms of fit, fabric, and fabulousness….
Dance With the Flowers Dress
The Dance with the Flowers Dress comes in sizes AUS 6-16, and I opted for my usual AUS 10. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Australian sizing, the general rule is to go down 2 sizes to correspond to your US size. For example, an AUS 10 is approximately a US 6. You can also take a look at Alannah Hill’s size chart here, which provides measurements (in cm) for each of their dress sizes. If it’s at all confusing, trust me when I say that I’ve practically gotten a PhD in converting US to AUS sizing and back again, so don’t hesitate to ask me if you have questions.
My normal AUS 10 was TTS. It was not overly fitted (as this style is supposed to be an empire fit and flowing around the waist). According to the size chart, an AUS 10 corresponds to a 90cm (35.5″) bust, 71cm (28″) waist, and 99cm (39″ hip), which was pretty accurate to the fit of my dress. My overlay measured 36″ bust, 30″ high waist, and free hip, while the slip was more fitted at 35.5″ bust, 29″ waist, and 40″ hip. Almost all of the other Alannah dresses I own are also a size 10, and I find that to be ideal for my 36″ bust and 27-28″ waist. The dress fell right to my knee and was 27.5″ waist to scalloped hem. It was definitely an empire waist on long-waisted me – at 14.5″ from shoulder to waist, but you can see I styled it with a belt in these photos, which clinched me in nicely. I actually also didn’t mind it unbelted – it floated beautifully around my waist in a gentle a-line and might be ideal for those 5 course dinners where a bit of extra room at the waist could come in handy…
Although a bit different for me, I was really loving the 1920’s vibe of this dress and opted for only a very slim crinoline underneath (ironically, purchased from Alannah Hill many years ago!). But, I’m happy to report that the skirt of the dress has enough fullness where she can definitely accommodate a decently full petticoat if desired. I tried several on over the slip but under the dress, and it gives that uber full skirted silhouette I love so dearly.
The Details
The minute I opened the parcel that contained this dress, she twinkled and sparkled at me from the tissue paper that was hugging her. And she had a beautiful weighted feel – you can immediately tell this is a high-end piece, with absolutely stunning floral beading on both the bodice and stitched into a border print of flowers along the hem. The base of the dress is made from a blush nylon mesh, with a second layer of tulle underneath, and it comes with a mauve slip. The different layers added so much texture and almost looked like I was bathed in candlelight (and what girl doesn’t want that??). If you’re feeling cheeky and a bit more daring than I, you can also opt to wear it without the slip and pair it with some beautiful lace undergarments.
I opted to pair this dress with the beautiful white Faint Hearted Shrug – a cropped shrug made of soft faux fur. It definitely added a bit of additional glamour to the look. I’m always on the lookout for pieces to wear when the evenings get a bit chilly, without needing a full winter coat. This is the perfect little piece to throw on over just about any dress. I went for the S/M (given the choice of S/M or M/L), which was definitely ideal for me. It fit perfectly in the shoulders (which measured 15.5″ across) and hit high enough where you could still see waist definition. I also very much appreciated the quality of the faux fur – I personally only own a few pieces of 1950’s vintage fur, and I appreciate being ethically responsible when it comes to my vintage-inspired purchases. This piece has all of the glamour of fur, while staying completely cruelty free.
I was a little overwhelmed at how many compliments I received while wearing this beauty. Wandering through the arboretum, with twinkling beaded flowers that matched the roses around me, it was very much like living my own fairy tale.
The Facts & Figures
As an added bonus, the entire Alannah Hill site is currently 20% off – the Dance With the Flowers Dress is currently on sale for $359.20 AUD including GST (~$270 USD) and the Faint Hearted Shrug is on sale for $159.20 AUD including GST (~$120 USD). Although these are definitely not inexpensive pieces, all of the Alannah garments I have purchased over the years have been of exceptional quality and these are definitely no exception. I always support saving for those special pieces, and this is one worth squirreling away my pennies for. And if they are way outside the budget, Alannah also has an incredible outlet section (which I have definitely paid a visit to on more than one occasion).
Needless to say, I was pretty happy with my latest acquisitions. If you love either of these, I hope you check them out. You can also keep up with all of the new Alannah Hill offerings by following them on Facebook and Instagram. They also have regular sales, so it’s definitely worth signing up for their newsletter.
Had you heard of Alannah Hill before? I’d love to know your thoughts!
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Dance With the Flowers Dress: c/o Alannah Hill
Faint Hearted Shrug: c/o Alannah Hill
Belt: Love Like Style
Handbag: Mary Frances
Heels: Irregular Choice (similar here & here)
Lip Color: Ruby Woo
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