One trend I liked the look of for SS16 (but have very little of in my own wardrobe) is the check/tartan designs. When I saw this dress from Dorothy Perkins I knew it was the right style for me. I ordered this in the hope that it would become my staple check piece.

I love layering, and this dress is perfect for that. Crop tops with no sleeves or t-shirts with full sleeves both look good underneath this pinny dress. I chose to show you a version of me wearing this dress with a crop top, because with any luck we’ll soon know better weather (in the UK) and can enjoy wearing less layers.

I hope that this item will last me throughout the year, paired with boots and layers for the cooler days, and wearing the dress (with at least a crop top) as it is with flats in the warmer months. The quality of the material is good, it’s thick and seems durable.

Pro’s and Con’s for a dress this style depend upon your shape. I’m slim but not very tall, just above a petite, so I find I can get away with wearing petite clothes at times. This dress was available in both, a petite and a regular, but I chose to order the normal length.
A pro is that the actual dress as a whole is the perfect height for me, it ends at my knees and I wouldn’t want it much higher than that. The pattern is lovely and I think most people can wear this style without any problem.
A con though is that the straps and neckline hang quite low on my chest, which isn’t good, I would always choose to wear something underneath it, for both a modesty and a comfort aspect. The same goes for under the arms, as you can see in my photograph below, the dress hangs low at the sides, another reason to wear a thin top beneath it.
Another pro has to be the awesome large pockets on the front. Great for the summer months when you wouldn’t be carrying a coat with you, they can hold small items such as a lip balm, a packet of tissues and some change no problem.

Over all I think this dress is a nice piece that I would definitely wear throughout the year. I wouldn’t say that this style suits my figure entirely, but I can work around it by wearing a top underneath the dress and therefore boosting my confidence to wear it. It certainly isn’t my favourite purchase of this year so far, but it is a trend that I didn’t own, and now do. The dress is wearable, and comfortable but I only felt confident once I had made changes, such as the layering beneath it. Honestly it reminds me of when I had dungarees as a child, without the shorts part, they were so baggy you always had to a wear a t-shirt underneath. Ah the carefree memories…

My final review for this piece of clothing is:
4/5 for comfort
4/5 for durability and quality
3/5 for style and appearance
3/5 for value

Here is the link to the Dorothy Perkins website for this dress if you’re interested in looking at it any further.
http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/gingham-check-pinny-dress-5264298?bi=0&ps=20&Ntt=pinny