Alice's Pig (Gorgeous!) Coco's Crescent Dress Review

Outfit details

Carnation pink snood: eBay seller tina.g-2008
White plastic rose earrings: Claire's
Navy blue shrug: Sears
Coco's Crescent dress c/o Alice's Pig
Vintage gold flower brooch: Unknown (had for years)
Orange faux leather skinny belt: eBay
Gold tone metal bangles: Payless
1950s orange sheer gloves: (Probably) eBay
1950s/1960s pink handbag: Unknown (had for years)
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
Navy blue patent pumps: Payless
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Even if you're a a huge Lewis Carroll fan, you might not instantly get the reference in the company Alice's Pig's name, but once you learn that it stems from none other than that most beloved of childhood tales, Alice in Wonderful, the moniker suddenly snaps into place and suits this (relatively) new fashion brand delightfully well.

Based out of Brixton, South London in the United Kingdom, Alice's Pig is a 21st century women’s clothing line that looks to the past for much for its inspiration, while also keeping an eye on the trends of today’s world.

It was launched two years ago in May of 2013, and while it is not a vintage reproduction company, nor, would I say, one that strictly aims to replicate styles from decades past, a lot of their pieces do certainly have distinct notes of yesteryear style and are apt to instantly appeal to vintage wearing ladies the world over, very much including yours truly!

That's why when I contacted by the lovely brother and sister team of Amanda and Nicolai who created Alice's Pig, I jumped at the chance to collaborate with this exciting brand. From their dynamic website that presents the brand's offerings in a fresh, fun, interactive way to the fact that they offer free global shipping, to the old school influenced products themselves, there is a lot to appreciate and adore about this brand and their thriving online shop.

If you're wondering about the name, besides the reference to Alice and Wonderful, Amanda and Nico opted for this reference, in their own words, because, "The brand image comes from our love for Alice in Wonderland, where crazy is normal. The name is a reminder that colliding styles and cultures can produce something interesting and that there can be beauty and surprise in anything; even in a pig."

While Alice Pig's inventory is not mammoth at present, it is well curated and highly appealing, and I won't lie, I spent the better part of day debating which of their beautiful, stylish, and very wearable looking items to select as as wonderfully nice complimentary review gift (thank you so much for it, Nico and Amanda).

With pieces that the duo defines as a "modern, urban take on vintage style", I was intrigued and tempted by a number of their offerings (some of which, it should be noted, take their inspiration keys from later 20th century decades, whereas others look back further to the 1940s - 60s for elements of their sartorial DNA), but ultimately opted for the gorgeous Coco's Crescent dress.

From the elegant floral and bird pattern (which, when my mom saw it, on the day that these photos were taken, she swooned over every bit as much as I did!) to the fact this dress is lined, to the seriously cool element that is the built short-sleeve bolero that can be removed, if so desired (it attaches with the row of buttons across the upper chest area of the dress), to the classic silhouette, I was thoroughly hooked (ooohh, and don't even get me started on the tremendously pretty "tail feather" style panels on the back, that lend this piece such a joyful sense of movement with each step - plus, it has pockets on the front!!!).

The dress arrived in a flash, was securely and attractively packaged, and was even lovelier, to my eyes, in person than it appeared on Alice's Pig's website. We've been getting a lot of rain here in recent weeks and so finding suitable days, or even dry hours, for photos, on those days when we're out and about has been tricky at times. Thankfully though, a recent weekend jaunt north of Penticton to the absolutely charming town of Peachland (that has to be one of the best names ever for a town!), provided a few rain-free, if still overcast, moments for a shoot featuring this sophisticated floral print frock.

I have to say, as someone who has a closet does a very good job of emulating a lush garden, I'm no stranger to pretty florals, but this one really blew me away. Not only is it stunning, but its colour palette is fresh, fun, and very wearable, especially since it offers one a wide range of hues to pick and pull from when it comes to styling the rest of your ensemble.

The quality of the fabric here (100% polyester for the body of the dress and 100% cotton for the lining) is lightweight, breathable, comfy, and nice quality. The colours of the design are even, crisp, and delightfully vibrant. This is really a great dress and just the kind of thing I'd reach for if I had a wedding, garden party, tea party (fittingly, given the brand's nod to all things Alice in Wonderland :) ), baby shower, gallery event, or cocktail shindig to attend in the near future.

Interestingly, much like this Voodoo Vixen dress that I reviewed here last summer, this tremendously lovely frock from Alice's Pig is devoid of any black or white in its design, which can potentially make styling such a garment a little bit tricky. Luckily the generous colour palette of the flower and bird design paired with the standout navy blue buttons (interestingly navy blue does not actually appear in the pattern of the dress itself, but it certainly compliments the colours of it and the combo is nothing short of striking!) eliminated that potential hurdle and gave me a lot to work with on that front.

Looking at this dress, one could easily see it being styled in a 1940s, 1950s, or 1960s direction, just depending on what other accessories, as well as your hair and makeup styles, you opted for. I was in a 40s mood that day, so I teamed it with a carnation pink snood, white plastic rose earrings, cropped knit shrug, vintage sheer orange gloves (which I love to bits!), orange skinny belt, vintage gold tone floral brooch, pink 1950s - 60s faux reptile skin handbag, gold tone bangle bracelets, classic navy blue patent pumps.

That is, I'm the first to admit, a lot of colour, but thanks to the bold beauty of the dress' pattern itself, I think it came together and worked really well. I definitely have ideas for how I'm going to style this dress the next time I wear it, and plan to pull from the both the green and the gray in the floral design.

One thing that surprised me about this dress, especially because I had selected it part because of the hemline that was shown online, is that it is a lot shorter than I expected it to be. I'm barely 5'2" and have a 28" inseam, so my legs are not exactly giving any supermodels a run for their money in the slightest. I had expected this dress to hit me at more of a mid-calf point, but as it is, it barely skims my knees. I'm very thankful that it does though, because I virtually never wear dresses, skirts or cropped pants that don't clear my knees, due to reasons of personal modesty that are very important to me.

To their credit though, Alice's Pig does list the length of their garments online, but I guess because in the photos, illustration, and video, it looked a bit longer (and it was listed as being 112.5 cm/44.2 inches long in the size that I selected), I was still surprised that it was so short on me. No worries though. This somewhat shorter length works great for the roasty-toasty days of summer, and I just wanted to point out this fact, in case you are thinking of purchasing this beautiful Coco's Crescent dress yourself and were curious as to where it might hit on you.

Objectively and without a speck of bias because this was a review product (you'll never get a biased review from me, doing so would go against my own integrity to no end), I love this dress. I would have no qualms paying its £66.00 price tag, especially if I was intentionally buying it for a special occasion like the ones I touched on above, and I say that as someone whose modest personal budget making purchasing items from the UK quite the rare and special occasion. The fact that Alice's Pig offers free worldwide shipping, would seal the deal for me all the more.

I really enjoyed wearing this lovely dress, as it suits spring and summer sublimely, and getting a chance to review one of a new-to-me brand's offerings here for all you. If you haven't checked out Alice's Pig's fun website and offerings yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

And if you're interested in adding some of Alice's Pig's truly delightful fashions to your own wardrobe, the fine folks there have very kindly provided me with an exclusive discount code for Chronically Vintage's readers. Please use Alicespig10 at checkout, to save 10% off on all purchases between now and June 8, 2015.

Thank you again to Alice Pig for this gorgeous, vintage influenced floral print dress. I adore it to bits and felt like my frock had been painted by a talented artist, as the florals are off-the-charts gorgeous and the whole piece is a vision of loveliness.