Alex Evenings Women's 2 Piece Tea Length Jacket Dress with Sequin Beaded Trim - Elegant Formal Dress for Weddings, Parties & Special Occasions

This will be my dress for a niece’s winter wedding. It’s what I wanted. Only drawback is the center front of the dress’s neckline doesn’t lie flat and I’m not quite sure what alteration will help. If you are thinking of taking this on a cruise, it may be a bit heavy to pack, though you’ll look great on dress up nights.I bought the wrong sizeI am 5'3", 165 lbs, and thick wasted. 42 bust, 36 waist, and 40 hips. According to the size chart, I should have ordered the 16 or 14 plus/wide, but I didn't. I read all of the reviews that said the top was generous and the fabric forgiving. I took that advice and sized down to the standard 14. I am grateful that I did. The drape is nice. This dress is elegant, current for the times, comfortable, and can easily go from church to evening wear. This is for an upcoming wedding guest dress.This dress is absolutely beautiful. I didn’t keep it because it was the wrong shade of blue for my event but I would purchase this again in a heartbeat and was so sad that it didn’t work for me.I searched & searched for a dress for my son's wedding! I needed something simple for an outside, early evening wedding in July's brutal heat. I liked this dress because: It was long enough but not ankle-length. It had 3/4 length sleeves which was good for me since I am old. The chest was too big for me but I took the straps up about 3 inches and the top draped very nicely. The material did not wrinkle. I did not like the sequin beaded trim so I painstakingly removed it with a seam ripper. (I tested the removal on the back of the dress first so it would be covered up if removing the trim was a mistake)! It was just too much bling for me!! Overall, it was a bit of work but I was very happy with the dress!This dress has a very flattering design and cut, and I was drawn to the little bit of sparkle around the necklines of both the dress and the jacket. But, as others have also mentioned, the sparkle wasn't as refined as I would prefer. In addition, I happen to fall between two dress sizes and, had I kept this dress, I would have had to have it tailored to fit perfectly. I gave it a lot of thought, but in the end decided to return this dress.I bought this dress to wear at my son's upcoming wedding. I am delighted to say that it fits perfectly, as though it was custom made just for me! I wanted to avoid chiffons and this fabric is a lovely, substantial knit with the perfect degree of stretch. The sewing is well done. The sequins and beads are lovely - not over done or cheap looking. It is an elegant, classic ensemble that I will be proud to wear. After reading the reviews I ordered a size down - I agree with that recommendation. I am 5'8" and the skirt falls at mid calf (tea length).I bought to wear to my son's black tie wedding. I decided to go with another Alex Evenings dress but decided to keep this one because it is so lovely and, being a bit more conservative, I thought I would wear this for future occasions. If you are looking for something that is conservative but not frumpy that is comfortable, I recommend this jacket dress.