Hooray! The Big Sale at Collectif is well underway and we’re all rushing to put orders in – sometimes multiple times as there’s always that extra item you never noticed before but suddenly have to have! Maybe the beautiful Mara is one of those frocks you’ve been eyeballing for a while but weren’t too sure about? Well I can tell you it’s fabulous and you definitely need it! hehe.

I haven’t had a Mara before, though I almost bought the previous checked patterns which came out. The shirt style really appealed to me but it seemed like a lot of dress for my frame. When the green Garden Stripes version was launched, I hovered over the buy button for some time, pondering which size I would need as I’m aware the checked versions were sized smaller. 

I took the plunge and decided I needed all those glorious green stripes in my life! The dress is so vibrant and I really love the pattern. I have a petticoat on underneath too for added poof and the fullness of the swing skirt is very swooshy which is excellent!

The dress can button right up to the neck and has a matching waist tie which I’ve worn as you’re meant to at the waist in the photo above, though I left the neck open as I like a more casual look sometimes with a necklace showing. However, I also really liked switching the waist tie to make a bow neck tie instead and adding my own belt too.

With long, cuffed, sleeves and a placket of concealed buttons to the front, this practical dress also has two side pockets which are super handy. I went with my normal size and luckily that was the right choice for me as a size up would have been far too big. There’s slight stretch in the fabric and the length on me is the same as a swing Caterina – which is lower calf and a bit longer than my other dresses, but I don’t really mind that.

So if you’ve been pondering this dress, I can confirm it’s brilliant – a really practical but cute piece which is lots of fun with the dramatic stripes and great sizing wise – get it in your basket! haha. It’s currently half off at £33.75 with code BS50 (which lasts until 11.59pm on the 17th) and it’s available in all sizes.

Also wearing:
Lulu Hun Susan High Heels in green (previous season)
Adore Heart belt in red by Collectif Clothing (previous season)
Tiki earrings in green by Collectif Clothing 

Additional information:
I’m 4’11” wearing 4 inch heels. I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif and that’s the size I’m wearing above.
The dress was bought via the fabulous Cherry Red Vintage