Review: Floral tea dress by Whistle & Wolf

Described as ‘your new destination for quirky and stylish womenswear’, Whistle & Wolf is the new clothing brand from the design team behind Playful Promises’ award winning lingerie. They are bringing their cheeky but quintessentially British styling to a collection that includes flirty dresses as well as classic tailored work wear. All of their striking prints are designed in house – Playful Promises founder Emma works on her ideas with Eragh who works her magic to create the design and make sure it works well for digital print. The range includes sheer blouses, kimono tops, print skirts and a whole host of dresses.

I have been rather taken with a lot of the items but, as you know, I do have quite a fondness for dresses. Being pear shaped, I always look for styles with full skirts or a lot of stretch as that shape will ensure that something that’s perfect for my top half won’t be too tight on the bottom. Fitting the bill perfectly is the Romany floral tea dress (see picture), and I was lucky enough to be sent one to review on Rarely Wears Lipstick. I’d already had a chance to fondle the lovely silky fabric at their recent press day, but was pleased to discover when my sample arrived that the fit is also great. The wrap effect on the top doesn’t gape to show more than you intended, the sleeves were roomy enough for my rather chunky upper arms and, despite the side zip, I didn’t get stuck in it when I tried to take the dress off. That may sound like a daft thing to say, but I have tried dresses on in shops before only to find myself firmly wedged and considering calling for help, and it never happens with a back zip. So, top marks so far!

The polyester fabric was looking a tad crushed after being folded up and sent through the post, and so I decided to wash the dress before I wore it in order to try and get the creases out. It may be handwash only, but it dried in no time at all, so I was ready to go for work the following day with minimal effort. Sadly, the only fabric softener I own is in tumble dryer sheets so I did experience a bit of static cling around the skirt after my long commute, but a 2-in-1 detergent would easily solve this problem. I found the dress extremely comfortable to wear all day, and the silky feel of the fabric was appreciated by more than just me!

For now, you can view the Whistle & Wolf clothing range on the Playful Promises website, but the brand already has its very own Facebook page. Click ‘like’ to make sure you get updated with news on their latest styles.

UPDATE: This dress has since become one of my absolute wardrobe favourites! The style is so unbelievably flattering that I now own two more in different colours, and I have a short slip to wear underneath to prevent it clinging. I get compliments whenever I wear these tea dresses and even wore the Romany floral dress on a photoshoot for Sainsbury’s Magazine. Can’t believe I didn’t include a photo of myself in the dress when I first wrote this review, so I’ve added one now.

DISCLOSURE: I was sent a Whistle & Wolf Romany floral tea dress free to review by Playful Promises.