I bought the dress for a 50's inspired party we had but I also wanted to buy a dress that i can wear for other formal ocassions. This one fits the bill. It is not too costume-y. I liked the vibrant blue color of the dress and it is made of stretchy material so you have room to breath and is very forgiving. After reading ALL the reviews I decided to buy 1 size down. Normally I buy a large because i have wider shoulders but the testimonies made it seem that the fabric will stretch for me. And it did! The medium worked very well. Thank you other ladies for the very honest reviews. I also never ever write reviews but this purchase inspired me. I am 5'2, 21 shoulders, 39 bust, 34 waist. Since the bottom is a very room, the hips didn't matter. At the party, I got a lot of compliment from other ladies and I urged them to buy one too because i think it can fit many body shapes. It has a lot of swing and fun to dance around in. The ribbon at the back can also help adjust if a person has a more narrow shoulder. To add more volume to the dress, I wore it with a petticoat also from Amazon. Also, put a belt on to cover the seams. Hope this review can help someone make a decision. PS: I also bought two other dress designs from other companies here, but this particular one is the best fitting one.