The long-awaited vintage-inspired Ruby Belle dresses have finally arrived at Evans, and I couldn’t wait to snap one up. I’ve been a fan of Fever Designs for a while, so I’m really glad they’ve teamed up with Evans to offer this range in larger sizes. Ruby Belle normally only goes up to a UK size 14 and while the size guide suggests that should fit me, my experiences trying on other Fever items suggests otherwise!

So I was waiting very impatiently for the dresses to be recut to Evans’ slightly more generous sizes – and given that it has a stretch top and full skirt, I risked it and bought the sailboat dress in a 14. And I love it! It fits really well, and I’d say it’s true to size, though I would warn potential shoppers that there’s not a lot of give to the wide band of elastic in the back of the waist, so getting it off can take a bit of wriggling about! The skirt is quite a flimsy cotton, but it is fully-lined so it’s not see-through. The top is quite thick jersey, so hopefully it’ll wash well. Shape-wise, I’m sold. Anything vintage-esque gets my vote, and I love the pleats and the nautical print.

Now that I’ve seen how it fits, I’d be really interested to try the mainline version in the same size to see how it compares. I much prefer the black and cream colourway of the Evans version, which is why I waited for it and didn’t attempt to squeeze into the main range (where the dress is hot pink which on me is just a bit too Barbie) but there is a £16 price difference; money which I hope has gone to good use developing a better fit in larger sizes. If nothing else, I’m going to guess this is a bit longer, and probably has a slightly larger waist.

If you bought one of the dresses, do comment and let me know how you got on. I’m sorely tempted by the short-sleeved flamingo dress!

- Shop Ruby Belle at Evans here.
- See more fab Ruby Belle reviews by Em at Oh The Places You’ll Go