The new DRESSBAR for dressbarn excitement continues! (See my first post here.)

This Thursday evening (Oct. 22) I’m co-hosting an event in Orlando with designer Carmen Marc Valvo. Go here to view and RSVP to the event on Facebook, or scroll to the bottom of this post for the official invite. 

Through the planning process for the event with dressbarn, I had a lightbulb moment. Wouldn’t it be fun to showcase the range of sizes that dressbarn offers, by having three people wear the same dress in three sizes: plus, petite and misses! I enlisted the help of two local bloggers, Jhéanell of Belle Jhéanell and Christie of Raising Whasians (formerly Saving Said Simply), to do just that.

Three bloggers… three dresses… and three sizes. Here’s how it all went down!

Before we get started: Jhéanell is typically a size 14, Christie is typically a size 2P, and J is typically a size 0-2. Sizes at dressbarn start at 4 for Misses and 4 for Petites. Christie and J found that going up a size was a perfect fit. The 2X worked for Jhéanell, but the size 18 dresses were a size too big, so we clipped them back for the photos.

Dress #1: dressbarn's Floral Fit-and-Flare Dress, starting at $54
Plus  /  Petite  /  Misses

Jhéanell – Size 18 – Height 5’
"I absolutely LOVE the pattern of this dress and the fact that it is empire waist. Although the dress is conservative, the silhouette still allowed me to show off my shape in a tasteful manner." 

Christie – Size 4P – Height 5’1”
"This had to be the most flattering dress of the three. It fit perfectly across the top, even with my small chest size. Pockets were definitely a selling point for me. A beautiful shape with a great A-line skirt, I felt very confident in this one. How could you not feel fierce in red?" 

J – Size 4 – Height 5’7”
"You know from my first post that I’m a huge fan of this dress! The fabric is beautiful, the fit is really comfortable, and the print is keeper. Both Jhéanell and Christie looked stunning in this dress!"

Dress #2: dressbarn's MIXT by Heidi Weisel Floral Pocket Dress, starting at $68
Plus  /  Petite  /  Misses

Jhéanell – Size 2X – Height 5’
"As a very busty gal, this dress was my favorite of the bunch. The top feels and stretches like a comfortable sweater, which ensures that even if I fluctuate in size, I can guarantee that this will grow or shrink with me."

Christie – Size 4P – Height 5’1”
"I love the illusion that this dress is actually separate pieces. A stretchy and forgiving sweater on top leads to a fancy skirt on the bottom...with pockets! Score! Dress up or down for a great all-around look. Keep in mind that the length does go past the knees, even in the petite size." 

J – Size 4 – Height 5’7”
"This dress is not my favorite shape for my body type. The waist of the skirt is not hitting me in the most flattering place. I do give this one high marks for comfort thanks to the pockets and stretchy sweater top!"

Dress #3: dressbarn's Lace Print Sheath Dress, starting at $48
Plus  /  Petite  /  Misses

Jhéanell – Size 18 – Height 5’
"If you're working with quite a bit in the mid section like I am, I highly suggest wearing shape wear underneath this particular dress. While this dress is beautiful, it isn't forgiving so don't be afraid to utilize the proper undergarments such as Spanx." 

Christie – Size 4P – Height 5’1”
"If you know me then you know I don’t love the color pink. But with the Breast Cancer Awareness stamp and a beautiful design to accent a woman's figure, I had to say that I was really surprised with the results. It fit my petite frame beautifully and looked darn good, even for pink! Be mindful of that self-conscious mommy tummy though." 

J – Size 4 – Height 5’7”
"I don’t have much curve so the shape of this dress is my favorite on me. It gives me shape but also hung loose so that the dress wasn’t hugging my body too tightly. I also love the blush pink color – this one is a win in my book!"

Dress One  /  Two  /  Three

Last but not least… Jhéanell and Christie will also be at the store event this Thursday, and these are the outfits we decided to wear! (Note: dressbarn is gifting us these dresses to wear to the event.) There will be tons more bloggers at the event, including:

Meghan from Meghan on the Move 
Kathy from The Style Ref
Whitney from City Whit
Shannon from Upbeat Soles 
Karen from Kahrenheit 
Tiffany from Miss-Guided

And absolutely everyone is welcome to come! Feel free to add your friends to the Facebook event, and we hope to see you on Thursday!

Today’s post is brought to you by dressbarn. All images, editorial decisions, and opinions are solely my own.