Hello Ladies,

Confession time:  I hate shopping.  Okay, so I don’t actually hate shopping, but I do hate how I have such a hard time finding something which fits and flatters my curvier figure.  There have been more than one occasion where I have gotten frustrated and rage quit a dressing room.  Consequently, I prefer to purchase fewer pieces of higher quality that will last me several seasons rather than be on a constant search for cheap replacements.  Even then, I have had some experiences which left me disappointed with the longevity of a pricey item.  There is nothing more grating to me than falling in love with a hard-sought item, spending my precious few dollars on it, and having it fall to pieces prematurely.  In the past, I stuck with brands I could trust, but many of them have fallen victim to the faulty quality bug (I’m looking at you Gap and Banana Republic).  With this in mind, I am not afraid to admit I was a excited but cautious about Bolero, a Made-in-America company focusing on deliciously soft jersey dresses and tops, many of which are for fuller-busts.  Owner Patricia kindly sent me a free sample at the end of last year to gauge the fit and quality, and I absolutely loved it.  After five months of wear, the dress still looks brand new (visit the shop today if you don’t believe me).  As a result, when Patricia asked if I wanted to sample her latest D+ Cup maxi dress, I did my best to play it cool and calmly, nonchalantly agree.

Maxi dresses are a funny thing for me.  I adore them.  They are cool when temperatures swelter, and the long skirt flatters my figure.  However, I am incredibly picky about them.  For starters, I refuse to wear a strapless bra.  I hate them and do not want to buy one for the sole purpose of wearing a handful of items with non-traditional necklines.  Of course, maxi dresses in general seem to be plagued by halter, strapless, one-shoulder, etc. style top halves.  Not to mention, many of the ones less than $120 often use scratchy materials, like cheap polyester which turns the dress into an oven, or stop above my ankles.  Is it any wonder that in five years, I only found one I even semi-liked?  It’s totally sheer on the bottom though, so I have to wear a slip.  But, dang it, I wanted a maxi dress!

With Bolero, I do not have to settle.  The maxi dress perfectly embodies the essence of what I want.  Like the regular length dress, the fabric of the dress is lightweight, silky smooth, and cascades softly over curves without clinging.  A standard sleeveless design with a scoop back completely covers a regular bra while keeping me cool on days like today which soar past 90 degrees.  Furthermore, the length is perfect for flats although petite ladies may need to hem the dresses.

As with the regular D+ dresses, Patricia creates a little ruching toward the middle of the top to complement a fuller bust without seeming like the chest is stretching the dress to its limit, and the double-lining at the top means I can wear any bra I want underneath without worrying about showing texture or seams (like I worry about that anyway).  Furthermore, the dresses layer well.  A bold black and white print complements my pale skin and provides a perfect backdrop for colors or neutrals.  I wear mine with cardigans and jackets as well as a crisp button-front tied around the waist for a breezy summer style.

Bolero’s D+ dresses are sized Small through Extra-Large, and I personally take a small.  However, as you will see in a future review of their lace styles, the dresses are flexible with sizing.  My aunt who wears a size 30F and a size 2 looks just as nice in the small as my 30HH size 8 self does.  I think both the ruching at the center as well as the high quality fabric with stretch allows some leeway in sizing and accommodates different body shapes too.

Price-wise, the dresses will retail between $98 to $118 in our shop, making them on par with Nordstrom, Banana Republic, or Ann Taylor.  However, please do not mistake this as false praise when I say the dresses are amazing.  I toss mine in the washing machine and hang them dry like I do for most of my work clothes, and neither dress looks like it has even been worn.  They dry fast, never wrinkle, and are ideal for packing or traveling.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I loathe spending money on something which pills or wears out fast, and I can honestly say I would pay full price for these dresses—a sentence I can no longer state for some of the other retailers mentioned.  I love my maxi dress so much I am going to order another one for myself when I place our opening order for the store.  Until we gauge customer interest, we will carry one color in both the short and the maxi dresses.  If sales are good, we will expand to more options.  We will also allow customers to custom orders styles, including in our opening order.  If you’re interested, please feel free to email me.  Finally, here are a few of the colors available for order too.

Remember, Bolero is a Made-in-America small business, so not only does your purchase fully support our economy but you also support a small business woman following her own dream.

Erica

P.S.  Rayden was being a total camera hog while Einstein chilled in the grass.