Autumn’s an exciting time of year.  Hedgerows and trees are heavy with ripe fruit ready for picking, the sweet scent of turning foliage fills the cool air and wades of crunchy leaves blown down pathways are hard to resist kicking up in my boots.  Thoughts turn to the knowing of Christmas around the corner and the cosiness of settling in for the night in front of the tv and roaring fire.

It’s not especially cold enough to warrant wearing my thickest woolies yet but with the damp days of mist and rain and the nights drawing in, I am aware it’s time to finally pack away my t shirts and prepare my winter wardrobe.

Having Raynaud’s, I’m especially sensitive to dropping temperatures and inclement winds, and ensuring what I wear is warm becomes the most imperative factor in my outfits.  Chunky jumpers over leggings is my downfall, which as comfy as they may feel, don’t do a lot for my figure.
The Samantha dress from specialists in D+ fashion, DD Atelier, is a lovely option for dressing a little more smartly this Autumn.  In a weighty chocolate brown jersey (natural viscose polyamide and a touch of elastane for stretch and durability), the dress is substantial enough to wear throughout the cold months worn with a thick pair of tights underneath.

Samantha is a figure flattering dress that gently shires from the waist band creating the popular skater look, whilst the scooping boat neckline and three quarter length sleeves lend the dress a casual feel.

Having provided my waist (28″), hip (38″) and bust (38″) measurements, DD Atelier sent me Samantha in size 80D.   Now, this is a very different method of dress sizing which found my generic UK size 12 of little use here, since DD Atelier take all your measurements into consideration to ensure the best fit with their clothing.

I’ve found the dress very comfortable to wear and the style rather flattering, though I would make some changes to reflect my personal taste.  I would love to see Samantha designed with full length sleeves simply for the warmth factor, and I much prefer to wear scoop or crew necks as opposed to a boat neck since the latter tends to show off my bra straps.

The fit is excellent across my shoulders and bust, which are prime areas I often struggle with, but the waist feels just a little too loose.  It’s not very noticeable though and I’d wear a skinny belt around the dress anyway.  The ample deep side pockets are worth a special mention since I love functional, perfectly positioned pockets!

In respect of the dress length, I do find it a little bit long, which I would fear others may experience too.  I desire the hem to sit just above my knees, but it falls a few inches down over my knees which makes my legs look stubby.  This did surprise me, since I’m 5’8″ tall and with the average UK female height at 5’4″ (Polish 5’4 1/2″) the dress length appears to be overlong.  The DD Atelier model at 5’9″ looks the perfect height for the dress, but not many of us are that tall.  Having said that, if the dress was nipped in at my waist where I’d prefer it, the hem would naturally come up a little higher.

My measurements converted into centimetres according to DD Atelier’s sizing chart is an 80D, but I am intrigued to see how the next size up (smaller in the waist and hips) of 75F would compare.