This dress really is deserving of all the stellar reviews. It's the perfect all-occasion, figure forgiving, comfortable, yet chic and sexy little black dress that every woman needs in her closet! For reference, I am 5'8," 152 lbs and a 38C bra and I ordered this dress in black, size L. In most shirts I wear size medium and in most jeans I wear a 10L. I have a pretty traditional shape to my frame as far as being balanced proportions in shoulders/waist/hips/etc. However, I do have a bit of a tummy pooch at the moment (what can I say, crunches aren't my favorite pastime). This dress minimizes that waist issue quite beautifully as it's slightly gathered and tailored at the waist, but without being too tight or drawing undo attention to the area (plus you can never go wrong with figure flattering black). I ordered this dress in medium initially and while it technically did fit, it was a tad more snug than I liked, so I reordered it in large and that was absolutely perfect! The large still clung to my figure, but gave a little more breathing room and was not too big or loose by any means.

I love the length of this dress because at my height (5'8") often skirts and dresses don't go past my knees and this one does. I'm a little self conscious about my knees as my legs aren't in peak condition right now, so this dress covers them perfectly without being too long or cutting my frame in a visually awkward way. The fabric is nice and stretchy, but not thin or at all see-thru (in fact it feels quite high quality and sturdy, yet not overly thick/hot), so it is more forgiving on the figure, offers a little shaping support, and doesn't show every little flaw or "jiggle." Although I'd still recommend wearing some shape-wear underneath if you have a few imperfections you'd like to minimize.

On a side note, I tried wearing this with both a nude and a black sexy ankle strap heel and personally I think it looks sharpest with the black heels, but of course that's up to personal taste... just throwing it out there if you're shopping for a pair of shoes to go with it. :) All in all I could not be happier with this purchase, let alone the great price! Fantastic dress!