Copycat DESIGNS & DRESSES #4: Asifa & Nabeel's Cream and Black Velvet Dress

Another dress from my wardrobe, this time an unintentional copycat dress from the asian fashion industry. I'm not too sure who originally designed this, although the best bet is Lahore-based designer duo Asifa and Nabeel, who have many swishy dress designs like this. I've since seen this design (in various colours and adjustments) filter down to several shops in the high street, and obviously at a lower, more accessible price. It is generally a simple outfit, with the focus on the flow of the dress and the embellishment on the neckline, as well as the velvet portions of the neckline and hemline of the dress.

My version of this dress is not as long, although the colour scheme is more or less the same (although the cream colour is a lot lighter than the first picture shows, and is more like the second two). The dress was bought from a shop in Ilford, East London called Dhanak, although I have seen this same design in many other shops since I purchased my one. This outfit was a shin-length dress with wide, straight black trousers and with long sleeves on the dress.

THE GOOD: I like the way that the dress was made up of panels, as it made the dress flow so much more nicely, and gave a satisfyingly feminine swish to it. Another thing I liked is that the colour of the outfit was a lovely, light creamy-nude colour (rather than the yellowy colour of the first picture!), which meant that the velvet stood out more and made it a piece that has remained in vogue for the past year that I have had it. The fitting of the dress is perfect, and surprisingly quite comfortable, with the embellishment around the neckline not feeling too heavy as well. I also love the fact that the neckline is not too low, which can be a problem with some outfits, making it more comfortable and simple to wear.

THE BAD: The actual work itself was not amazing on the dress, but as it was not an expensive outfit, and not intended to be a heavy one either, I don't think this was too much of a downside. I think the case here is what you pay is what you get!

THE UGLY: The light colour of the dress means that it may attract stains like a magnet! Although I would say that the light cotton-y material means that it's also easy to clean.

OVERALL: I think this dress is a useful piece to have as a semi-formal outfit, it was bought at a very reasonable price and it is still available in shops today in varying colours and lengths. The shape of the dress is also one which will flatter almost everyone due to the A-line shape, which is also a plus. Also, nudes are one of those colours which I think will suit almost everyone as it is a neutral colour, while the velvet and embellishment adds some glamour to the dress. Admittedly, it may not have quite the same wow-factor of the original dress, but the style of the dress is very similar, and the outfit which I purchased was more practical to wear and a little more suited to my needs for the outfit to be modest. What I like most about this dress is that it needs minimal accessorising to bling it up, and it never feels too much or too little :)