Review: Dottie’s Delights Sugar Candy Babydoll

[Disclosure: I purchased this piece under my real name with my own money. Dottie’s Delights is not affiliated with this post, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Hey Holly, what’s up?

Nothing much, just SUPER EXCITED to be team-reviewing a super cute, super sheer, vintage-inspired babydoll with you, that’s all!

That’s right, today I’m tickled to be reviewing a piece from Dottie’s Delights sensational Spring/Summer 2016 collections alongside one of my favorite bloggers: Holly of The Full-Figured Chest. While last season’s Metropolis collection felt like a chic, futuristic spin on retro styles, the Soda Shop collection is a glorious riot of sweet, dare I say elegant, kitsch. Modeled by the staggeringly gorgeous Gia Genevieve against soda parlor-inspired stripes, the collection features a fantastic mix of pieces Dottie’s Delights is known for, like gorgeous vintage-styled bras, girdles, and babydolls, with super sultry new loungewear pieces like the fully sheer “Love & Whiskey” tanks and tap pants. My usual lingerie purchases are pretty practical: supportive bras, black stockings for work, sports bras for running, etc., but when this year’s tax refund came in I picked out two treats: some Harlow & Fox and a wholly impractical SHEER RUFFLED CONFECTION OF A NIGHTIE.

When Holly and I realized we both had a hankering for the same piece, we thought it would be really fun to share both of our reviews at the same time! Holly is a tremendous inspiration to me as a lingerie consumer. Not only does she know more about the industry than almost anyone I know, but she’s bold and creative in her lingerie purchases. Holly’s blog is helping me slowly overcome my fears of working with indie brands to create custom orders, so if you’re full-bust or plus-sized and you’ve ever wondered how an indie lingerie brand might work for you, definitely check The Full Figured Chest first.

APPEARANCE

The Sugar Candy babydoll looks like a ruffled cloud of spun sugar. Crafted entirely of super-sheer mint green nylon, the piece features a gathered neckline trimmed with narrow pink ribbon, short elasticized puffed sleeves, and a short, full skirt trimmed with Dottie’s Delights’ signature winding ruffles. As Stephanie mentions on the website listing, this piece is much shorter than the coordinating Short Dressing Robes; the ruffled hem just barely skims my butt, making for a fun, flirty piece. When I say sheer, y’all it’s SHEER. You can see EVERYTHING going on underneath (hence why I paired mine with some Claudette lingerie (and nippies) for these photos.

FIT

I followed the Dottie’s Delights size guide and ordered my babydoll in size XL/XXL. While a piece like this is of course super flowy and full through the body, my full bust + broad shoulders + above-average height combo makes me extra attentive to measurements, and I knew from trying on both sizes of the Short Dressing Robe that one size does not fit all (also, nylon is a non-stretch fabric). Happily the XL/XXL is a great fit on me, as I’m between the XL and 1X measurements, but if you’re outside the size chart I’d suggest contacting Stephanie to inquire about fit before ordering. In particular, I’ll note that the armholes come up a little smaller and tighter than I expected, so if you have broad shoulders or full upper arms, that is definitely a fit consideration with this piece. It might be the only one though– this is one of the most easy, relaxed lingerie pieces I own.

COMFORT

I knew before I placed my order that although this piece is inspired by retro nightgowns, I most likely wouldn’t sleep in mine. For one thing, it’s pretty delicate, and I’m a restless sleeper. I’ve also become increasingly sensitive to synthetic fabrics in recent years, and I prefer to sleep in cotton (or silk, if I’m feeling a little indulgent). When we had some cooler days a few weeks ago I did sleep in it a few nights just to see how it felt. As long as the temperature was low and I was good and tired I slept fine, but most nights I woke up and switched to a t-shirt in the wee hours of the morning. As with 100% nylon stockings, I start to feel overwarm and clammy when I wear nylon garments for an extended period of time, so this is a strictly boudoir piece for me, fun for short-term wear. I do, however, love wearing my babydoll around my apartment on the weekends while I’m lounging or blogging. It feels, well, FUN.

It’s interesting though: while this ticks so many of my boxes (sweet, frilly, flirty, ruffled, check check check), wearing a completely see-through garment, even in the privacy of my own apartment, took some getting used to. I have squishy bits, my boobs are heavy, and yeah, wow, I was not expecting to be self conscious wearing this, but I found myself sucking in my tummy when I walked past mirrors. Again, alone in my apartment. Yayyyyyyyyy body stuff, it never goes away, what fun.

OVERALL

Whereas the Metropolis collection offered several pieces that could translate easily to a more contemporary chic, the Soda Shop collection is unabashedly retro. Lots of people think of vintage-inspired lingerie as being more modest or coy, but I love how Dottie’s Delights defies that misconception with super-sheer, barely-there nylon. Sugar-sweet though it may be, the Soda Shop collection walks a brilliant line between cheekiness and cheesecake. While there are few lingerie pieces in my collection that are more frivolous (it’s a nightgown I can’t even sleep in for pete’s sake), the Sugar Candy babydoll brings me a lot of joy. I wish for comfort’s sake the armholes were a little more generous, but otherwise I think it’s pretty lovely, just as it is, and I’m already imagining the sensational burlesque routines it could inspire in some of the dancers I know.

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Babydoll: Sugar Candy in Mint by Dottie’s Delights ($115), XS/S, M/L, XL/XXL. Available in Mint, Lilac, Blue, Pink, Red, Black, White.

Bra: Dessous in Pointe Shoe by Claudette (c/o).

Brief: Paloma in Pointe Shoe by Claudette (c/o).

Photos: Studio Rezin

June 8, 2016 by Sweets | 1 Comment