MelodyMae.co.uk » Peachy Keen With Banned Retro

Beautiful people, it’s the weekend again! I hope you’re all okay?

Last week’s post wasn’t easy to write, but I had such a wonderful response with sharing my experiences with you! It reminds me that we should all be more open with our mental health and the repercussions of it. So thank you, everyone who read the post and shared thoughts. Luckily my mood is improving quite a bit, and after a few days of lazy loveliness with my boyfriend for his birthday, I feel so much more productive! So onwards with this week’s style post; featuring Banned Retro!

We’ve been seeing Banned on Amazon and through wholesalers for years. It’s always been hard to see the whole of their collections – but they’ve finally launched their retail site! And even better than that? They’ve extended the collection they have with plus sizing available! Now parts of their collections go up to a

Banned were so kind to offer me an entire outfit to review for you guys, so buckle in as we’ve got a dress, cardigan, petticoat AND shoes to talk about!

First up, let’s talk bout the dress, shall we? The colour of the Tutti Fruity Sundress drew me in straight away. I bloody love a royal blue – and I was so glad to see that it was so much more vibrant in real life! I was initially unsure about the peach border print – I felt like it was lacklustre in colour compared to the background. Like the rest of the dress, it’s much brighter in real life, but I do think it could use a little more.

Secondly, I love that tie neckline. It’s reminiscent of so many vintage sundresses I’ve seen and lusted over. It also means it’s somewhat adjustable. This came up pretty well-fitting for my bust, so I’d advise going up a size if you’re quite ample.

I took a 3XL in this dress – and although I do have a slight issue with a UK22 being categorised as a 3XL, it is just a label, and it fits so well. This dress is available up to 4XL, but I will say there’s a bit of stretch in the fabric so you could push that a little.

Of course, there’s something else that’s incredibly important to mention about this dress; POCKETS.

We know by now that pockets are universally loved. I adore them, personally. And I’m so pleased to say that there aren’t just bog standard pockets, there’s actual room in there to put things in!

Banned Retro have an amazing collection of cardigans (Hello cactus cardigan!) to choose from, but for this outfit I went for the most complimentary. The Hudson Bolero is a nice easy cardigan, lovely colour and super soft. I took the 2XL in this, and I’d say it was a good size for my arms without stretching the sleeves much!

Now lets talk about these SHOES! I’ve not worn stilettos since I was in my late teens for a particularly good reason – I can’t walk in the bastards. Stilettos are too narrow for my feet, and the heel is just never enough to support me. I get Bambi legs practically every time – UNTIL NOW!

I have wide feet, so I usually take an 8 or even a 9 in shoes. Banned’s shoes mostly only go to a UK7/EU41, apart from the Riverside Rae heels, which come in five colours. So initially I was a little concerned these wouldn’t work for me.

Boy, was I wrong. I have never had a pair of heels this high feel so comfortable. Theres ample width, so your feet aren’t crowded, and the heel is nice and stable. Add to that the supportive cross-straps over the foot – they are just so comfortable to walk in. I’d been looking for a nice pair of non-suede red heels for ages now, I’m so happy to have found these!

Last, but by no means least – the petticoat.

I had it on good authority that Banned petticoats are the best around, and I agree! The Lifeforms Petticoat is so soft to the touch, so fluffy and just so gorgeous! It sits nicely under this dress at 26 inches, but the adjustable waistband can be threaded in three different places to fit under you skirt perfectly.

I took the XL-2XL in this petticoat, and I’d say there wasn’t much room for larger sizes. My 52in hips were at the max for the little underskirt, but you could easily cut that out and wear the waistband on the lowest band should you have your heart set on it.