Monsoon Polly Print dress review

Polly Print Dress from Monsoon: £69

This is a great dress. It's a size 14* which fits me brilliantly, despite the Monsoon size guide suggesting I need to measure 38/31/40 (Bust/Waist/Hips).  I actually measure 37/34/40.  But there is enough room in this dress for my larger waist.  

It's not very obvious on this picture, but the material wraps over at the waist and gathers at the left hip.  There is a fold of material that hangs, beautifully disguising my mummy belly!

The material is soft and silky to the touch, but is surprisingly 100% polyester, so it's washable, which is always a bonus!  It's also fully lined.

I absolutely recommend this dress from Monsoon, but there is a caveat.  

Don't wear it whilst out anywhere with children.  If you have to lean forward, which you do often with young children as they are naturally at a lower height than you, you will find that the sleeves dig into your arm at the front.

I have had dresses before that do this.  They are fine when stood or sat straight.  The sleeves even look roomy.  But somehow, the second you try and put your arms out in front of you, the sleeves dig in.  

Cropped tapered trousers? Really?

I have always been a fan of Trinny and Susannah.  I particularly like their argument, back in their first What Not To Wear books, that cropped, tapered trousers are a definite no no.

I'm very aware that Trinny and Susannah started sharing, some might say spouting, their fashion advice a good ten years ago now, and those of you in fashion circles will obviously say that their view then shouldn't be used as good fashion advice now.

Before this week I would have disagreed.  There are just some items of clothing that will never ever look flattering on anyone other than a size zero, 6 ft tall, 18 year old, and cropped trousers is just one of them.

The fact that so many size 16, short, middle-aged women insist on wearing them astounds me.  They don't flatter your leg; in fact they make it look even shorter, and make you look even wider. 

 Why do it?

This week I may be stepping down from my soap box and admitting that there may just be instances where the cropped trouser has a lot going for it.

A month ago I bought a pair from Monsoon (surprise surprise).  They are lovely and comfortable and were purchased specifically for my summer holiday.  I had my doubts before trying them on, but they looked OK and I figured I could at last buy a pair of trousers that I didn't have to re-hem.  I'm 5 ft 6, you see.  This is taller than average, but short enough that 'long' trousers drape on the floor without a minimum of a 4 inch heel.  So my trousers are either re-hemmed, or I wear them with the heels. 

 

This has always caused me a problem at this time of year; particularly this year; when it's raining a lot.  You see I don't like doing the school run in my heels.  Read more about this HERE.   I buy particularly nice heels for work and don't want them ruining.  The thought of trudging through the mud and puddles to the school yard and standing there with my 3 year old stamping all over my feet makes my heart sink.  So I try and wear flats for the school run (all the better for chasing a runaway child down the road in).   Of course my long trousers then end up soaked.  So I have to tuck them into wellies (not flattering), tuck them into pop-socks (even less flattering) or wear a skirt.

But now I have discovered the cropped trouser.  Not just any cropped trouser.  The work cropped trouser.  The cropped trouser that has this week been worn with flats to work.  It's a first – I NEVER wear flats to work, but I did and it was fine. Though I won't be doing flats again; I like being tall too much!  

But the slightly less smart, but nevertheless smart enough for work cropped trouser worn with my favourite smart Irregular Choice heels; now that was a genius plan.  I wore flats in the car and on the school run; happily avoided looking daft, and popped on the heels at work.  

No drenched trousers.

They don't make me look nearly as tall as the boot-cut, overly long trousers do.  But they solve the rain problem.

So I apologise Trinny and Susannah, but I may well be buying some more!

*I apologise for the picture quality, but my photographer is only 6 years old! Personally I think she did quite well with a dodgy model.

I have found the best jeans ever for mummy tummies!

Monsoon Farah Regular Jeans £45

I have discovered the best pair of jeans ever.  This is no easy feat.  I have been looking for jeans that fit me properly since, well, since I worked out that the boys in school preferred jeans to the flowery skirts I thought were trendy in the early Eighties.  

Even before I had children I struggled to find jeans that met my stringent criteria; stay up throughout the day; don't gape at the small of my back; be the right length.  I realise that these are completely unreasonable criteria.  They must be, because if they were sensible pre-requisites then the designers would have addressed them before now.  

However, it appears I am alone in my requirement to keep my jeans up on top of my hips and certainly alone in the wish that they didn't show off my pants at every possible opportunity.

Of course then I had children.  My pre-baby body was always larger at the hips, with a slim waist.  But now I have a tummy that certainly isn't concave, and so I discovered that, short of wearing braces with my jeans, I was unlikely to find any that stayed up without a belt.  

Therein lies yet another problem (I told you this was a feat) any mother that has a similar (overstretched) tummy from giving birth will know that belts, when worn on jeans that like to sit on your hip bone, are the most uncomfortable belts in the world when you try and sit down.  The belt rams itself into the folds of flesh that you wish you could magic away with 200 sit-ups a day.  Oh if only we had the time.  You end up having to hoist the jeans back up onto your waist before sitting down.  Not an attractive sight, and second only to hoisting tights up to the correct position by lifting one leg at a time into the air in an unseemly manner.

So, in a world that designs it's jeans for (so it appears) size zero models only, where would I find a pair to meet my needs?

It turns out, that I found them when I wasn't even looking.  When I had, in fact, given up the search in favour of actual trousers.  I found them at Monsoon; one of my favourite stores.   

The Farah jeans are beautiful.  They come in a short or regular length, which is great for me, as the regular is perfect.  Usually regular lengths are too short for me, and long lengths only good when I happen to be wearing 4 inch heels.

They don't gape at the base of your spine.  At all.  

They completely hide my mummy tummy.  Completely.  Without digging in at any point.  If you think they may look too high, don't worry.  They don't.  And I always wear tops that fall slightly over the top of my jeans anyway, so that's not a problem.

When I tried them on in the store I nearly cried.  I extend my heart felt thanks to the shop assistant who pointed me in their direction.

They fit!

If you have curves and usually struggle to find jeans that fit, try them.  You won't be disappointed.

I provide only one caveat.  These are 2% elastane, and so do make an attempt to slide down your hips.  You can feel them trying (if you stand up for a long stretch of time and are specifically concentrating); but they don't get far because of their shape.  I love them.  A lot.

***

This review is my honest opinion of jeans that I discovered in store and paid for myself.  I would be more than happy to test other products for Monsoon, should they be interested (wink).  I purchased the Farah Regular Jeans £45.