The material is soft on the bodice, satiny on the skirt - overall nice & not scratchy at all. My daughter is 3.5 years old, weighs ~35 pounds and is 42 inches tall. The bodice fits her well enough - it's loose & a little stretchy with some room to grow, but not so loose that it falls off her shoulders. Then length is super long, and I tape-hemmed up about a good 3 or 4 inches so that it's about ankle length on her.  The frilly edge by her neck & shoulder line are soft & not scratchy.