Find out all about the Evans Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress size 14. Read my honest review and discover this fabulous piece of plus size clothing.
I’ve reviewed quite a lot of Scarlett & Jo items lately, and that’s because they are a brand that make some really great pieces of clothing. They are committed to designing gorgeous items for us plus size ladies and so I can’t help but want to you all those that I’ve personally tried.
Today I’m going to share with you the Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress (£39.00; UK sizes 14-32).
Image courtesy of Evans
Now, on the mannequin the Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress doesn’t look particularly special, but I love animal print so I ordered it anyway. I usually go for a size 14 or 16 in Scarlett & Jo but at the time of ordering my only choices were either 14 or 20 upwards, so I opted for the 14.
(For reference, in these photos I am wearing my Ewa Michalak S Pieprzyk 32KK/70KK bra, along with some tights from Matalan and a pair of black platform stiletto heels from eBay.)
The Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress is made from an extremely stretchy and quite heavy fabric. It’s definitely too thick for summer wear, but it makes a great dress for all other times of the year! The material (97% polyester, 3% elastane) has a lot of give so it hugs my curves on the top half and the skater style skirt skims over my hips and bottom.
The Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress washes and wears pretty well (I am wearing it as I write this review, in fact!), although I have found it has developed bobbles on the areas that get the most friction, i.e. on the boobs and the hips. This doesn’t faze me though, as bobbles can be easily removed by running a razor over the fabric and then going over it with a lint roller or a loop of sellotape around your fingers.
The scooped neck of the Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress is great as it gives the slightest hint of cleavage and nothing more, but the cut of the dress emphasises the bust and waist. I personally wouldn’t wear this to work as it’s a fairly loud print and so not suitable for my workplace, but I am sure it would be fine in a more relaxed working environment. It’s perfect for casual wear, though, or for a night out with the girls.
The elbow-length sleeves of the Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress are very slim-fitting and surprisingly the material doesn’t seem to have a huge amount of give in the arms so I’d advise sizing up if your arms are on the bigger side for your size. Lengthwise the dress’s skirt comes almost to my knees, so it’s perfect for wearing with tights or leggings, or even bare legs, of course.
I really loved everything about the Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress…except for one thing: the waist. I know it’s a common gripe of mine but it’s just too baggy for me! This means I have to wear the dress with a belt, which is something I often do to help make ill fitting dresses look a bit better on me. On this occasion, I added a red elasticated waist belt from Primark.
I love how the red of the belt contrasts beautifully against the animal print of the Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress and highlights my waist. I find that adding a red bolero/shrug also helps to bring the print alive, and indeed any colour of belt and/or bolero will do the same. It would be fun to try this dress with coloured tights as well.
I actually returned this size 14 Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress as I felt it was too tight on my boobs and too loose on my waist. I immediately realised I’d made a mistake and promptly rebought it.
This time the smallest size available was an 18, so I went for that and it actually works pretty well. My boobs are still a fraction squashed, but it’s a far better fit on the bust than the 14. Of course the waist is bigger, but again this is solved by adding a belt to cinch the dress in. I usually wear one of my belts from my Pinup Girl Clothing Heidi dresses, as they are easy to adjust and comfortable to wear, or my red or black Obi Belt from IGIGI.
What do you think of the Scarlett and Jo Animal Print Fit and Flare Dress?
I have so much love for this dress, you look fabulous in it so good job you re-ordered it!!! I need to order one too xx
Thanks Nikki – I have lots of love for this dress, too. I wondered if the leopard print might be too much but it's quickly become a firm favourite x
Personally I think the red belt jars, but I do like the leopardine snarl on the last one! I have a leopard dress from a different brand and it works well with green accessories. Probably depends on the exact colors of the fabric though.
Haha – I couldn't resist the snarls! You are of course entitled to your opinion. I wear a red shrug with the dress so the belt isn't quite such a stark contrast as it looks in these photos.
I'm so glad you paired a belt with this as it looks fantastic with the contrasting red. Although I sometimes wish it were possible to wear a dress that doesn't have to be cinched in by a belt …C xx
I do, too, Charli…have you ever tried Pepperberry, BiuBiu, or Urkye? All of these brands make clothing that has extra 'boob room' so you can get a decent fit on the waist without having squashed boobs.
Love the red belt! Red and leopard print rocks! I need to get this dress myself but can’t find it anywhere at the moment. Faith x
Thanks Faith – I love leopard print and red together, too! Luckily I have a red shrug that works very well with this to complete the outfit.
Hope you manage to find one of these dresses – maybe try Ebay?
What a great dress, it looks so good on you. I do love leopard print but its a fine line between classy and trashy. Thank goodness you are the former and wear it so well. Who says plus size fashion can't be stylish AND flattering? You prove it can be done with all these fab dresses on your blog x
Thank you for your kind words, Anna. I think the secret to wearing animal print without overdoing it is to have just one statement piece – in this case it's the dress – and then keep everything else quite plain and understated.
I wish I had bought this when I was in the UK in December, it looks so good on you. I wasn't sure about it on me, but seeing this blog post I have serious regrets. Oh well, maybe I can find one on Ebay. Shame there isn't a plus size selling section on there!
What a shame, Amy. I sometimes have dress regret too, so nowadays I try to snap up anything I like and hang on to it for a while before making my final decision. Shops almost always let you return things for a full refund so it means you don't have to miss out on that amazing piece of clothing, pair of shoes, accessories, or whatever it may be.
What a beautiful dress! I love fit and flares. They’re so flattering and classic looking. The print on this one is just amazing.