Dress Review: Trashy Diva in Irish Polka

It's been quite a while since I posted any dress reviews. 

I would like to say it's been because I've been good and haven't been making any new dress purchases, but that would just be a fabrication. While most of my dress purchases have been older dresses I've gotten through swap and sell avenues I have been doing a fair share of purchasing new as well.

Earlier in the winter at the very start of 2015 Trashy Diva released their Irish Polka print. While I initially had decided to pass on anything in this print thinking polka dots are just polka dots, I eventually got won over by Trashy Diva's beautiful cuts and styles! I excitedly placed my order for a Streetcar dress and an Ashley blouse and skirt set thinking most likely something wasn't going to fit as I've heard that lots of ladies were having problems with sizing, and also convincing myself that even if both the dress and the separates set work out I will just return which ever out of the two I like the least. And though this was completely unplanned, while I waited for my order to arrive Tim and I decided to take a day trip to Santa Cruz and made a stop at the super awesome retro and vintage clothing shop out there, Cognito, which you can read about in this post here. I just wanted to pop into this shop just to see what they had but I ended up leaving with, would you know it, a Trashy Diva dress in the Irish Polka print (the Dorothy dress)! I was doubly convinced that something in my order from Trashy Diva (which was still on its way) was going to have to be returned because the dress I got at Cognito I ended up loving so much I couldn't stop myself from buying it. And it was a style I never would have thought of trying if I didn't happen upon it in the store.

Like a true shopping addict though, when my order arrived I loved everything I got. Everything was a perfect fit (thanks to their wonderful customer service staff who helped me pick out the perfect size in everything), and while everything was in Irish Polka print, the styles were different enough that I didn't want to part with anything.

Keeping the Dorothy was an easy decision as it was a final sale buying it in the store ;). But when it came to which of the two from Trashy Diva to return, that was a much harder decision than I anticipated. For one, the dress I got, the Streetcar, is my all time favorite cut that Trashy Diva makes (at least out of the styles that I've tried). It has a fully detachable high neck bow which makes this dress very versatile since it can be worn three different ways: with the neck bow attached, with the neck bow not attached but with a mandarin style collar, or with the neck bow not attached with the collar open. And while the gathered skirt of this dress seemed shorter than other Streetcar dresses I have, it gave the dress a super fun feel to it. On the other end of things, the separates I got, the Ashley blouse and skirt, had such a classic 1940's look to it. This set was love at first sight when I first saw it on Trashy Diva's blog. Not only did I love the way it looked and felt, I loved that as a separates set it was so versatile and could be worn with so many things I already owned. It can be worn as the two piece set to make it look like a dress, it could be worn with my Collectif wide leg suspender pants for a super 1940's look, it could be worn with my Tatyana pencil skirt jumper to give it a chic and sophisticated 40's look, and the skirt could be worn with oh so many tops! Also, I liked the idea that I could wear the top to work as well.

I put it to a vote and everyone I asked said to keep the separates for sure but when I started making arrangements to send back the Streetcar dress I knew that it would be something I would regret later. After all, the Streetcar is my favorite style of dress from Trashy Diva, and on their website they were already fully sold out in my size. Also, I had a pair of shoes that matched perfectly with the Irish Polka print (Chelsea Crew Dark Green Ida Kitten Heels) so why not have multiple things to wear with these shoes! ;) I know it's a little bit of faulty logic there, but for me I can live with it. And so in the end I decided to keep them all. :)


Trashy Diva Streetcar dress in Irish Polka:

Trashy Diva Streetcar dress in Irish Polka- Front View

Trashy Diva Streetcar dress in Irish Polka- Side View

Trashy Diva Streetcar dress in Irish Polka without bow- Front View

Trashy Diva Streetcar dress in Irish Polka without bow with collar open- Front View

Trashy Diva Streetcar dress in Irish Polka with Vintage Ethel Of Beverly Hills Bolero- Front View

Trashy Diva Ashley Blouse and Skirt Set in Irish Polka:

Trashy Diva Ashley Blouse and Skirt Set- Front View

Trashy Diva Ashley Blouse and Skirt Set- Side View

Trashy Diva Ashley Blouse with Collectif High Waist Suspender Trousers- Front View

Trashy Diva Ashley Blouse with Collectif High Waist Suspender Trousers- Side View

Trashy Diva Ashley Blouse with Tatyana High Waist Pencil Jumper- Front View

Trashy Diva Ashley Blouse with Tatyana High Waist Pencil Jumper- Side View

Trashy Diva Ashley Skirt with Heart of Haute Estelle Top in Black- Front View

Trashy Diva Dorothy Dress in Irish Polka:

Trashy Diva Dorothy Dress in Irish Polka- Front View

Trashy Diva Dorothy Dress in Irish Polka- Side View

This is the first time I've ever bought so much in the same print but I have to tell you, I regret nothing! ;)