A Plus-Sized Light in the Box Review

I first stumbled across Light In The Box's website when I was searching for the perfect, affordable wedding dress almost 3 years ago. I remember distinctly just how excited I was. For the first time in my life I had access to red-carpet attire, just like those worn by the celebrities our culture idolizes. Best of all, they weren't only available in a size 0. 

   

You can buy that dress up to a size 26. Thank me later.

I contemplated purchasing my wedding dress from their site for a mere $150 over 2 years ago. It was a beautiful dress that caught my eye immediately and the reviews on the site were nothing but praises about the fit and quality. However, I let my skepticism take over, and I ended up going with a dress that I was able to physically try on at a local boutique. I do not regret that decision, but  I now know that my fears about ordering a dress from this website were unfounded.

Since that first encounter with their website, I have purchased two dresses from Light In The Box.  Both of them were perfect for what I needed. More importantly, both dresses made me feel like I was wearing designer-qualitygowns.

The first dress that I purchased was heavily inspired by Reem Acra's 2008 dress worn by both Olivia Wilde and Julie Bowen above. I look nothing like either actress and I am certain that I alone weigh more than the both of them combined. Still, the reviews and customer-submitted photographs on Light In The Box's website proved to me that the dress looked amazing on all body types. I took a chance and ordered it in navy for my best friend's wedding.

It looks a little long here, but that's due to the high grass.

I was impressed by the quality. The fabric and construction were impeccable. The bodice was so well constructed that I was able to wear it with-out a bra. Mona and Lisa were not going anywhere if they tried.

I did have one regret though. I did not pay for the custom-sizing, though I should have.  Custom sizing would have only cost an addition $50 and would have saved me the time it took to get it hemmed by a local tailor. Being frugal and stubborn with my order ended up costing me more in the long-run because my local tailor charged me $92 to have it hemmed to the right length. Lesson learned.

It certainly was a blast to twirl in.

The other dress that I ordered from Light in the Box was also extraordinary. For LESS THAN $100, I received a beautiful bridesmaid's dress to wear to my other bestie's wedding. It was airy and made for a great dancing dress, even in the stifling Texas heat.  This dress looks like a bridesmaid's dress because of the color, but not because of the design. In fact, I would wear it again if it were not a powder blue that screams "I only own a dress in this color because I was in a wedding!" (And that, ladies and gents, is why I let my bridesmaids wear any black dress they already owned.)

If I have to attend another formal event in the future, I know precisely where to look first. Their regular shipping takes about 2-3 weeks but that is super speedy when compared to the usual 10+ weeks Alfred Angelo and David's Bridal require. The $50 custom sizing is absolutely worth it.

 Where else can you get red-carpet dresses sewn to your exact body measurements at such affordable prices? If they exist elsewhere, please share the information! :-)