This dress was handmade in Seattle by the very awesome local bridal boutique, Cicada Bridal. It is an off-white or ivory shantung/dupioni silk, which has sort of a raw/rough texture that is gorgeously reflective and iridescent and photographs beautifully. The dress is well-made, with really luxurious materials. For this price from somewhere else, you'd be getting polyester instead of silk.
The dress is a ballgown style, so while I listed it as a size four, the only place it really needs to fit is around the ribcage/bust as the hips are full. Because of the strapless design, I think a range of bust sizes could fit in the dress. Cicada does letter sizing (S, M, L), and this is their XS. I provide this information in the case that you are familiar with Cicada sizing, as I don't think that this dress is a street size XS.
At the shop, they described this dress as being their "rustic/wedding barn" dress, but I think it's much more versatile than that. I love the combination of the raw silk and the full skirt. The dress was very comfortable and easy to wear all day, not hot or heavy while still having the big-skirted, dramatic wedding dress effect. I did not wear a petticoat, but you can to give it an even fuller skirt. And it has pockets!! Note that it does not have the belt shown in the first picture. I had a very small wedding without a professional photographer, but I have included some images to give a sense of the reflectivity of the dress.
I know how hard it can be to pull the trigger on a dress! If you are local, you are welcome to come over and try it on. Otherwise, returns are accepted within a week, return shipping at buyer's expense.
