Some weeks ago I heard about Marks and Spencer's new
Patent Pending special
Magicwear ™ Short Sleeve Double Crepe Dress
intended to support and slim the body. I was dubious that a dress could magic away lumps and bumps. But this
is no ordinary dress. This magic slimming dress is designed to have an
Elastane Lycra support in the design of the lining and the
seaming of the dress. I decided to do a road test on the dress and write up
a consumer review for the website.
Like many women, I feel my body is never going
to recover from the ravages of being lived in! It would take a miracle,
I thought, to improve my silhouette. So rather than contact Marks and Spencer's press
office I decided to be Mrs Average Consumer and tackle the consumer review
that way. I visited their online website and found several MagicwearTM garments on
offer. They say the garments have a '... Firm control inner lining that is
cut and seamed to control and lift in all the right places - holding in the
stomach and lifting the bottom and bust...'
Magic slimming dress sounded good to me, sounded worth a try, so I proceeded and placed an
order. Some of the magic items I ordered are on a month wait or more. If
it were to fit me on arrival, I felt this basic black dress was a perfect plain
dress to go under streamlined jackets and coats.
This dress is for UK Delivery only (more information See Marks and Spencer.)
Well this morning my black magic slimming dress
arrived from an internet order
placed just 3 days ago. You are supposed to be able to wear the magic slimming dresswithout
a bra. So after a shower and still braless, I unzipped the magic dress
and tried it on. I was quite taken aback. The
Magicwear ™ Short Sleeve Double Crepe Dress
really did do
what it said it would. There I was, with no make up and with uncombed hair, yet here was
a curvy streamlined silhouette looking back at me. I looked a size
smaller. You will have gathered - I really liked the magic dress!
This was a big tick in my consumer review box.
The dress slimmed me down, but even better, it pulled me into a curvy hourglass shape and this was without the help of a bra. I felt I could wear it as it was, however, being a D cup, it could look even better
with a bra.
In fact, I knew that once I scrubbed up, this dress would transform me.
Half an hour later, with hair and makeup done and by then wearing a
multiway bra (probably the ideal bra for such a scoop neck) I tried the
dress on again. I was very pleased with the result. This is a superb well cut dress, fitting in all the right places and it does exactly what the PR
advertising says. If your figure has been wandering freeform, then this dress
certainly reins it in again - just like magic! The cut is superb.
I'd mentioned the new magic dress
several times to my husband
in the week leading up to its delivery. So, as one does when feeling particularly fetching in something new, I modelled the dress for my husband and managed to get him to unglue his gaze from
the computer monitor. 'You look all woman ' he said. Isn't that the
very compliment we all want to hear. I cannot wait to wear it out.
I felt very womanly wearing it.
I can honestly say this dress is magic in the way it knocks you into
curvaceous shape.
Despite the fact that the dress really pulls you in, it gives you lots of
support especially around the midriff, which is my number one personal 'hate my body spot'. The
dress really feels very comfortable to wear. The inner lining is firmly supportive, without being uncomfortable in the way that a girdle can pinch. Take note, this
fabric weight will be perfect for autumn and winter.
The dress is very well cut, with interesting contoured seams on the back
and some front asymmetric side draping. The upper front bodice also
has a seam at the bustline which is part of the design to make a bra
unnecessary. Whoever cut the pattern for this dress knew what they
were doing. I'm sure it will thrill consumers who were also fans of
Roland Mouret's Galaxy dress,
but could not afford one or even acquire one if they could afford it.
They will love the
hourglass shape this dress gives them - and at a tenth of the price.
These magic dress
is a winner for Marks and Spencer in my opinion. Realistically
it is not a Roland Mouret dress, but all the same it is very nice dress and
uses the principle of an inner power support in a similar manner to the
Mouret dress.
The Technical Details of the Magic Dress
The inner lining of the Magicwear™ Short Sleeve Double Crepe Dress
is made of 23% elastane Lycra and 77% polyester. The double crepe top fabric
is made of 49% Viscose, 49% polyester and 2% Lycra. Crepe yarn, being a
highly twisted yarn that curls back on itself making it very resilient, is
naturally more resistant to everyday creasing.
This double crepe fabric has the advantage of just 2% Lycra (and we all know what a difference that makes in jeans) and it's mixed with polyester which does not crease easily either.
Polyester has a low moisture regain of 0.4%. On the other hand, the moisture regain of viscose,
a regenerated fibre made from cellulose material, is much higher at 13%.
The result of the combination of polyester and viscose is a winner in terms of wearing comfort. The viscose element will draw off body moisture helping retain
comfort in wear. The same combination of properties makes for easy washing. Viscose is
weak when wet, but polyester and Lycra are both very strong so the fabric
mixture wins again.
Nothing much. I love it! But to be complete, any good consumer review will seek out the negative aspects, so whilst
I think this dress is a 9/10, it does have a few elements I want you to know
more about.
The model looks good, but I don't think the pictures here really do the
dress
justice. The dress has a quality look, is neither too revealing, nor too
prim. The photos of the model also cannot let you know how good and pulled together you
personally would feel in the dress.
My very minor pet dislikes are the four small buttons at the centre back skirt seam,
which can be lumpy if you sit on that seam part. For example, if you scrunch around in your seat when at
the computer, a situation you might find yourself in at work.
Because of the fibre content, especially of the support lining, the dress might be quite warm in a hot club or on a hot humid day. But let's face it, I am sure you have been prepared to suffer in
order to look good many times before. The hourglass figure and looking one size smaller will compensate for any worries on overheating. Once you put this dress on, it performs its magic, not
only on the body, but also on the brain!
Bearing in mind the thicker than average lining support
fabric, it looks as if the only realistic way to construct the dress has been
with a double-lap zip method. This method has been very well applied to my dress.
But, as someone who is able to sew and tailor, I'd prefer a single lap or invisible zip, rather than the
double lap zip method used here. I'm being picky here, really this dress is
excellent value especially when one considers the great cut. It's a good dress
and I am not parting with mine. This is one little number I won't be
returning.
Despite the fact the magic slimming dress makes you look one size smaller,
I think you need to size-up if my experience is anything to go by. If
you wear dresses from M & S in say, sometimes a UK size 14, but sometimes a UK 16, then in that case opt for a size UK 16. If you wear a size
UK 16 and a UK 18 occasionally then again go for the UK 18. The
smaller size did fit me and I did do the zip up unaided, but I felt as if I
was in a straitjacket. The next size was so much more comfortable
still pulling me in, but I did not feel bandaged up like a mummy.
I have not
found the shoulders oversized in the larger size I bought, which is a
blessing. So often when you go to the next size in mass produced
goods, the shoulder grading is overdone and shoulders get too wide and as a result
the dress loses its snappiness. But I think that because this
fabric has stretch, the shoulders are fortunately cut meaner than usual.
The sizing range of this magic dress appears to be UK size 8-22.
Our American visitors should remember UK sizing is two (sometimes three)
sizes larger than USA sizes.
The
dress length of the
Magicwear ™ Short Sleeve Double Crepe Dress
is just a little longer than I personally like
to wear in a straight sheath dresses. But it is far easier to shorten a
straight dress than add inches that are not there. The magic dress is
the same length on me as the model in the picture here. The skirt sits just below the knee, but I'd like it just a tad shorter. This is
nothing unusual to me since I am just under 5'4" - 5'4" is the average height of a British
woman - I regularly have to shorten things if I don't want mid calf or mid
ankle looks. For a short dress, I like it so
that the hemline just hits that area around the knees, that's the fit that suits me exactly.
However had I opted for the smaller size the length would have been perfect.
Most dresses and skirts even in Marks have 3 inches between lengths so
getting just the exact length can be a tall order. On some garments it
is not so crucial, but on a slim sheath dress
the perfect length for an individual can often vary. My legs are the bit of my body I don't mind, so I prefer
to draw attention to that good bit at knee level, rather than that thick waistline
of mine. Most of us know our figure faults and also most of us know
the little good bits. The rules are play up the good bits and play
down the imperfect bits. The magic dress will give you a head start.
The length of my dress off the rack, is very wearable, but I'll be lopping
3cm off, primarily because I want to wear it under
a gold Damask semi-fitted coat that I bought last season. The coat is
princess line and fits almost like a coat dress so needs a smooth dress
beneath it. This dress is perfect as an under layer and it has a short
sleeve making it more wearable than a sleeveless dress. Nothing looks worse than a dress
dipping below a coat hemline when it is not intended to show.
I'm really thrilled with my magic dress
- it's so grown up and understated.
A true LBD - well a little black magic dress! So thrilled am I that I've also ordered this sleeveless
red dress below in the same fabric range.
My sister has opted for this grey dress below because her hair is silver
and thus she no longer likes to wear black, finding it too harsh. This
may also be a consideration for you when making a colour choice.
You could also be a
Lady in Red. So get checking it all out now.
You may also like the black
magic bustier below. The
Magicwear ™ Sleeveless Double Crepe Bustier Top
looks like a really useful item and the
all in one magic body may be worth a look.
Finally there will be magic skinny jeans and a
Magicwear ™ Crepe Pencil Skirt
all
in the same fabric types at Marks and Spencer. You can also find a selection of magic
underwear all using similar fabric technology at M
& S.
Great stuff - Well done Marks and Spencer. You get my vote for
taking note of what people said when you were in the doldrums and are to be
commended for acting upon consumer advice. Marks and Spencer were the
first to introduce the of use Spandex/Lycra into the UK in the last century.
It's good to see they can still pull off a technological challenge in this
century.
Update October 2007 - Marks and Spencer no longer seem to be selling this
version of the dress, but they do have great magic underslip.
Please note you can only have Marks and Spencer products
including this dress delivered to a United Kingdom postcode. Although
you can order it from another country such as USA, it must be sent to a UK
address. If you need more details please visit the Marks site and
check delivery details information there.
Fashion-Era.com looks at women's costume and fashion history and analyses the mood of an era. Changes in technology, leisure, work, cultural and moral values. Homelife and politics also
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About Fashion-Era.com
Fashion-Era.com looks at women's costume and fashion history and analyses the mood of an era. Changes in technology, leisure, work, cultural and moral values. Homelife and politics also
contribute to lifestyle trends, which in turn influence the clothes we wear. These are the changes that make any era of society special in relation to the study of the costume of a period.
Fashion-Era.com can take no responsibility for any information on the site which may cause you error, loss or costs incurred from use of the information and links either directly or
indirectly. This site is owned, designed, written and developed by Pauline Weston Thomas and Guy Thomas. This site is designed to be viewed in 1024 X 768 or higher.
Before you write to me for costume/fashion help or information please, please consult the extensive sitemap which lists all our pages. If you still cannot find the answer after searching the site, then before you email me, please consider if you are prepared to make a donation to the website.
Donations Reader's donations help this site flourish, in particular donations encourage me to write more articles on fashion history as well as current trends. PayPal
allows anyone with a credit card to donate easily and securely. You may donate any sum you feel appropriate.
If you have any comments, or if you see any broken links, then please email with
details of the page url or problem
