Take a look at my detailed review of the Evans Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress 16 on Curvy Wordy. Get plus size fashion inspiration for your next dressy formal event!
I don’t often get invited to very posh ceremonies or parties, but before now if I had have received such an invite I wouldn’t have been confident that I had a dress in my wardrobe to fit that sort of occasion. You know, the type of fancy do where men wear tuxedos or very smart suits and the women wear their classiest, most glamorous dresses.
Granted, I do own a ton of gorgeous dresses, but until now I couldn’t think of one that would be glamorous enough for such a fancy event.
That recently changed when I acquired the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress in navy and in black.
Image courtesy of Evans
Image courtesy of Evans
Image courtesy of Evans
I had adored the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress as soon as soon as I set eyes upon it on social media a while ago, but at £68 I felt it was a little pricy for me to buy as a dress that would remain in my wardrobe until I was eventually required to attend a fancy do. And who knew when that would be?!
However, when the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress was in the sale at Evans shortly before Christmas, I knew I had to order it to see if the cut worked for me, and as I couldn’t choose between the two colours, I ordered them both in a size 16.
In these photos of me in the navy blue dress I am wearing my Ewa Michalak PL Jagodzianki Bra 34KK/75KK and Briefs 16/44, some plain black tights from The Big Tights Company, and black stiletto heels from Primark. I am not wearing a corset with the navy blue dress.
I absolutely LOVE this dress. The navy blue Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress is in fact more of a deep and rich royal blue, but I’m not complaining as it is utterly stunning. As you can see from the stock photo at the beginning of the post, the shoulders are embellished with a selection of beads and jewels, which is a very pretty touch that brightens up the dress and adds interest.
The material of the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress is 91% polyester and 9% elastane, making it super soft and easy to wear. It’s machine washable and comes out looking just as good as when it went into the machine (I just turned the dress inside out before washing to protect the embellished shoulders). The fabric is so lovely and stretchy, and it’s stroke-ably soft. When my young niece saw this dress hanging on my wardrobe recently, she couldn’t stop running her hands up and down the fabric, so it’s definitely got the touchy-feely factor.
As is commonplace with Scarlett & Jo’s masterfully designed frocks, the cut of the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress is simply terrific. It is certainly made for an hourglass figure and my photos make that crystal clear. The crossover bust is good for larger boobs as the top can adjust to accommodate them (although this does mean more cleavage is on display!). The waist is not cinched in but the dress is cut to go in at this point. There is some gathering of the material across the lower tummy area, which would help disguise any lumps and bumps if needs be.
The skirt of the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress is more or less straight, so it fits over my hips and upper thighs, and then hangs straight down. There is a long slit in the skirt and on me (I am 5’4 and a half) it hits me roughly mid-thigh. That’s not to say this dress is indecent, but that slit is quite high for me personally and especially as someone who doesn’t wear short skirts I would always choose to wear tights with this dress for modesty. The dress does not ride up when walking, and the slit it cleverly designed so that it doesn’t show too much leg despite being fairly long.
The elbow-length sleeves are perfect for the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress, as they are a decent length that won’t make you overheat as they only cover the top half of your arms. There are small shoulder pads in place to help give extra shape and definition to the upper section of the dress.
Now you’ve seen pictures of me in the navy dress and had an overview of the dress itself, let’s move on to the black dress.
In the photos below of me in the black Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress, I am wearing my Ewa Michalak PL Jagodzianki Bra 34KK/75KK and Briefs 16/44, some plain black tights from The Big Tights Company, and blue stiletto heels from eBay (to tie with the blue jewels on the shoulders).
Additionally, I am wearing a corset in the photos of the black dress, as I wanted to see how it changed my shape and the way in which the dress fitted me.
I was really interested to see that the look of the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress in my pictures here is quite different to what I saw when I looked in the mirror. Not in a bad way, but my reflection showed a far more accentuated waist so it’s a shame that this doesn’t show quite so much in these photos.
The corset pushes my boobs up, which is why you might think my bra is too small in the cup for me in some photos as my boobs look a bit squished. I think the Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress works well with a corset but because of the way it is designed and cut it looks just as lovely without.
After starting this post by saying I never get invited to posh dos, funnily enough I recently had to attend a posh do for work! At first I wondered what on earth I could wear…but it suddenly dawned on me that I had these two gorgeous Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dresses to choose from.
I ended up going with the black version as – being a posh do – of course there was a dress code, which was ‘black with a hint of red’. I wore red nail varnish to tie in with the ‘hint of red’ theme, as well as some red lipstick. I received so many compliments on my dress at the do and I was told by a colleague that quite a few men were noticing me. Sounds like a very successful dress to me!
The Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dress was very comfortable to wear all evening, but I did notice a couple of things. First of all, the crossover neckline didn’t stay put so I inadvertently flashed my bra on quite a few occasions. I think I’ll have to partially stitch up the neckline to stop this happening in the future. The other thing I noticed was that the dress rides up a bit when I sit down, and therefore the split moves even higher up my thigh. Thankfully I was wearing just regular tights and not shapewear or lacy hold-ups, as it could have been rather embarrassing to have those on display at a formal work event.
I am so glad I snapped these Scarlett and Jo Embellished Velvet Dresses up while they were still available. I am sure I will get a decent amount of wear out of them and it’s good to know I have at least two options to choose from if I am ever invited to a fancy event in the future.
Do you have a posh frock in your wardrobe that would be good for such an invitation?
You look utterly amazing in it!!! It's definitely my favourite dress of all time! Thanks for the mention too 🙂 xx
Thanks love – and no worries at all. I always try to link to other bloggers' reviews whenever possible. We should all support each other as kindness costs nothing x
So pretty and luxe. It is perfect for Christmas and the festive season. I get invited to a lot of parties so this would be ideal for that x Laura
This is indeed a very luxurious dress. I am so pleased I snapped them both up!
You look absolutely breathtaking in both of them. Wow! xxx
Aww, thank you for your lovely words, Leah. So kind of you x
Oh wow you look absolutely stunning! I love this dress on you, it looks AMAZING! xxx
Thanks Laura – it really is a show-stopper! Scarlett & Jo's festive pieces are always so lovely x
You look like an angel. I especially like the blue dress on you. You are a plus size inspiration x Becca x
Goodness, thank you for your very kind words, Becca. So lovely to hear from my readers x
I wish this dress was still available at Evans – as a plus size woman I don't have a lot of choices for glam dresses like this and I am so sad I missed out on it. Do you know if Scarlett & Jo plan to make any more in this shape/style?
Scarlett & Jo will be bringing out a lace fishtail dress, which is different to this one but might be suitable for special occasions just like this one is. Also make sure you check your local store as they might still have this one in stock (probably in the sale section).
I like the dress very much. It is a shame we do not have Evans here in Russia. There are many plus size women who would like dresses like this but we can only see them in places like your blog. Anyway the dress looks very good on you.
I do hope Evans expands to Russia very soon. What plus size stores do you have over there?
sexy , feminine and charming. these are the words that I think looking at his photo .under that beautiful dress I think this would be fine https://www.curvywordy.com/2012/01/kris-line-queen-body.html?m=1
Thank you. The Kris Line body I tried a while back didn't fit me properly then and definitely wouldn't now as my boobs are bigger than ever!
Lovely. I actually think I prefer it without the corset, but like you say it's perhaps just the photos. I can't think of an occasion I'd personally wear these dresses and actually my wardrobe was once filled with 'party' wear but now is just everyday stuff (fancy everyday of course).
Thanks – yes, I think I prefer it without the corset, too. Dresses like these definitely suit a particular occasion, and my works do recently was the perfect opportunity to wear the black one. I am keeping my eyes open for a time to wear the blue one, now!
seems all comments are ladies —but as male to me as a photographer its a good showing how different poses can make a dramatic difference in a piic as to how it stands out some its just wwooooweee others nice great etc.
Thank you for your interesting comment. I can never seem to choose between my pictures and that's why I have so many in each review. I try to show the clothes from as many different angles as possible as I feel this helps my readers decide how each item might work (or not) for them.
Oh god you are so damned cute!!! I wish I had bought this dress when it was still in stock, ugh. I will trawl Ebay for it instead as I simply MUST own it. I wouldn't look as good as you but boy it's a keeper. Well done to Scarlett & Jo for another plus size winning dress XX
Haha, thank you, Amy. I do hope you manage to find this dress on Ebay as it is so very lovely x
You look gorgeous in those dresses!!
Thank you – from what you've said do I assume that I don't look gorgeous when I am not wearing them? 😛
I like the slit, I like this because it's got that supersexy fantasy villainess vibe. I am going to buy this dress and imagine I am whipping a tethered He-Man, forcing a kryptonite collar over Superman's neck or kicking Batman down a flight of stone stairs in my gothic castle.
I just need to save up to afford the dress!!!
Keep an eye on Evans’ social media – they often have discount codes! Also might be worth signing up for the newsletter.
Great, thanks!
Love the dress and love YOU in it! You look amazing, I used to work in EVANS, their collections and style has evolved since then! Thanks for sharing. Shanna
Yes I agree, Evans have really upped their game over the past few years. It used to be a place to buy shapeless sacks but now they have all sorts of styles for plus size women. It's brands such as Scarlett & Jo who have really helped them to step forward in the fashion stakes. Long may it continue!
Oh wow, look at you – you barely look any different with the corset on as you have that amazing snatched waist as it is! Such a beautiful curvy blogger. I love that us plus size women have these options.
Thanks – somehow my photos didn't capture the super-cinched effect of the corset, but perhaps I should have tried the dress in a smaller size for this. Either way, I am pleased the dress works well for me without a corset thanks to its curve-friendly cut.
You are the perfect plus size hourglass. Your curves are so beautiful and this dress looks like it was made to measure for you. My sister in law got this dress for her work Christmas party and she said it was just the job. She even got chatted up by the CEO, haha!!!! x
This dress seems to make all sorts of weird and wonderful things happen! I think it has magic powers…