Hearts and Found review: Dorothy & Bonnie

Spoiler alert: I adore them both.

 

Before we get into the review, of would like to ask you lovely people a favour. I’ve entered Miss Vintage 2019 (exciting yet terrifying, no?) and to get through to the next round, I need to get votes, which means Facebook likes on my photo. If you have a second, please could you click on this link and like the photo? Thank you so very much in advance! Carrie-Ann Miss Vintage 2019 entry.

A while ago now (it may have been as long as two years), I saw Miss Victory Violet wearing a Hearts and Found dress on Instagram, and filed the name away for future reference, as it looked rather lovely.

More recently, I discovered that one of their dresses is called Dorothy, and it felt like I needed it for my fast-growing collection of Dorothy outfits (which I’m sure will be a post in itself at some point).

It sounds silly, but I find that wearing something that carries her name comforting (for those of you who haven’t read about Dorothy before, she was my daughter and you can find out more about her here and here – these posts come with a trigger warning for premature birth and neonatal death).

In a lucky turn of events, Hearts and Found had a 25% off discount code to celebrate the New Year, so I treated myself. Then, when the Dorothy arrived with a discount code for my next purchase, I decided almost immediately to buy the Bonnie in emerald green, which I’d also had my eye on.

All Hearts and Found dresses are available on Etsy in sizes XS (waist 24″) to 4X (waist 44″), with a handy measurements guide under each dress listing. If you don’t match the measurements on these sizes, the Hearts and Found team will custom make one to your exact measurements, which I think is just wonderful.

For reference, both my Dorothy and Bonnie dresses are 2XL, and fit like gloves. Well, actually, they fit like dresses, but you know what I mean. The dresses also come in a range of lengths – above knee, knee or tea length. My Dorothy dress is knee length and my Bonnie dress is tea length.

And the fabrics. Oh my word, the fabrics. There are so many to choose from! Whether you’re a solid colour kind of girl, a fan of gingham, florals or novelty prints, there’ll be something for you in the shop.

The Hearts and Found team is based in Vietnam, and as the dresses are made to order, it of course takes a little longer for them to arrive in the UK. However, both times I’ve ordered, the dresses have arrived earlier than I was expecting, which has been a lovely surprise; the team has also sent me updates about how my dresses were progressing, which I appreciated.

I know I shouldn’t get so excited about packaging, but I was one of those teenage girls who used to buy the cheapest thing in a shop with nice carrier bags, just so I could carry one around. I feel like this is the adult equivalent. And look how adorable it is! They also both came with tape measures, which are incredibly useful – I tuck them into my handbag for any measuring emergencies (read: a vintage dress that I’m not sure will fit) while I’m out and about.

 

As the dresses are made to my measurements, it’s probably no surprise that they fit better than just about anything else in my wardrobe, but the colours were a pleasant surprise; they’re just gorgeous in real life and the photos don’t do them justice.  The Bonnie is a real jewel green in real life, and is very striking, while the Dorothy is in a beautiful soft mauve – I chose it because it’s a colour I associate with our Dorothy.

They’re a lovely midway point between casual and dressy – I can wear them with flat shoes and a cardigan for a casual lunch (or a more formal lunch) or with heels and a cardigan (I wear a lot of cardigans) for something fancier.

If you’re thinking of buying yourself a Hearts and Found dress, I would definitely recommend taking the plunge. The price is comparable with many mid-range reproduction brands (although shipping is, of course, pricey), but the quality and fit makes Hearts and Found stand out for all the right reasons.

And look, they go beautifully with my Dorothy Collection flowers (my collaboration with Miss Bella’s Blooms).