Phase Eight Benita Sleeved Tapework Dress Real Life Try-on

Try-on date: end November 2019

To watch the video of this try-on click here

To see more details of my size go to Real Women, Real Life Try-ons

Phase Eight online and in stores

Phase Eight Click here to see the dress

UK online and stores £199 CURRENTLY REDUCED TO £145 (as at December 2019)

USA $ 360

Australia online and stores A$ 500

Europe online and stores EUR 299

How it looks and fits

Phase Eight Style Code: 207587207

Retailer’s description: Long sleeves add a little extra coverage and an elegant finish to this evening dress, detailed head-to-toe in our signature tapework lace.

Colour: Dark green tapework over a black fine mesh.  The body is fully lined in black and the sleeves are unlined so are slightly transparent.

Fabric.  90% Nylon with 10% Elastane for stretch.  The lining is Viscose. It has a great feel with a good weight which means it hangs well.  The stretch is perfect and allows for some clinginess but with plenty of expansion possible at the waist.  Perfect if you will be eating a large lunch!  The stretch also means that nowhere does this dress have any droop or sagginess.  It looks just right.

Fit.  I ordered size 14 UK (that’s about 42 France, 12 USA and Canada, 16 Australia).  Standard fitting, no petite available.  Available in sizes UK 6-20.  However these dresses are selling very fast so you may not find your size in stock.  My advice is to look through the Phase Eight site and find the nearest similar dress.  Many of their dresses have a similar cut with different necklines, sleeves or colours. 

It fitted me well.  In fact it is one of the best fitting dresses I have tried on  And that’s despite putting on several pounds recently making me a heavy 14.

Length. I’m 5′ 2″ (157 cm). I only order online clothes if they look simple to shorten.   In the try-on I have just pinned the hem up in case I decided I would send it back.  Note, the hem looks uneven in the video but this is because I just had four pins holding the hem up. The hem on the dress as bought is perfectly even all around and because of the good weight it hangs really true and straight.

This dress is 104.5 inches from shoulder neck point to the hem.  Take note of the model’s height and the size she is wearing when you view online to decide if you can wear the standard length or will need to alter it.  There is a narrow tapework finishing band on the hem.  You could turn the hem under and forget the band or you could get a seamstress to unpick it and reposition the band on the finished hem.  I just turned up the hem and was pleased with the result.

Style details.  The sleeves are three-quarter length. Ideal for showing a little skin which alsways makes up look taller and more feminine.  The sleeves are not lined – they are the tapework on black mesh.  This means you don’t look too winterised.  But at the same time, your upper arms are well camouflaged if you, like me, are poorly toned in that area.  Great news!

The neckline is just below the collar bone and is plain.  It cries out for a beautiful necklace.  No worries here if you have sun-damaged skin at your throat.

Accessories

Phase Eight also sells an excellent range of matching or go-with accessories – shoes, bag, hats, jackets. 

Jewellery.  Perfect for either drop earrings and/or an elaborate necklace.  Think gold, diamonds or other gems which will catch the light.

Cover-ups.  You could wear a really bright wrap in a different colour.  I think bright blue works well. The dress is also ideal for a short boxy jacket.  Phase Eight does a whole range of these so take a quick look through their site.  They have sales from time to time so it’s worth checking back several times.

Shoes: in the video I wear some open-toed sandals with a kitten heel.  IF I didn’t find high heels so tiring I would wear something a bit higher.  The narrow cut of the dress would look lovely with higher heels. 

During the dancing I will wear flats. And I think this dress will look good like that.  Everyone will be relaxing so I just want a laid-back style later in the evening.

Hair and headwear. You could wear your hair up or down with this dress.  I wouldn’t go for a hat though even for a British day-time wedding.

Verdict

A beautiful dress, very flattering and easy to wear and style.  It is fashionable but will not go out of fashion for years.  This makes it a really useful little dress to have in your wardrobe.  It is described as an evening dress but I think it makes a fabulous mother of the bride dress for cooler days whether day or evening.  I will be wearing mine to both day and evening dos for years to come!

Phase Eight returns policy.  28 days to change your mind – for full price items. 14 days to tell Phase Eight you intend to return the item then 14 more days to actually return it – for sale items.

Free returns for UK customers through shops or by post.

International returns by post can be made through ReBound which offers a saving on normal postage rates. If your item is returned because it is faulty or damaged you will receive a refund on your postage charges. Otherwise, for a simple change of mind or wrong size or colour you will pay for return postage.

Australia has a local returns address.

Phase Eight shipping. UK :Free on purchases over £100. Australia A$15. EU Free. Import duties and taxes paid for all international deliveries although a purchase over A$ 1000 may attract additional import tax. Ships worldwide.