Review: Trashy Diva Flapper Robe & Lounge Pants
Disclosure: I received these items free of charge for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Trashy Diva "Flapper Robe" | Shown with custom "Ela" set by Karolina Laskowska | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
I have to admit, I found it flattering when Trashy Diva requested me specifically as a reviewer for these pieces. While it's always interesting to try new brands (sometimes without even choosing what you're sent), that doesn't do much to replicate a consumer shopping experience. Of course, I didn't let their request influence my opinion, but I was intrigued. I had, of course, heard of Trashy Diva, but never so much as tried on any of their products. They sent me two loungewear items: the red embroidered "Flapper Robe" shown above, and a pair of loose-leg "Lounge Pants." I was quite pleased with both, although I did have a bit of a construction issue with an element of the Lounge Pants....
Trashy Diva "Flapper Robe" | Shown with custom Ela set by Karolina Laskowska | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Flapper Robe: First Impression
Let's start by discussing the Flapper Robe, $264. This robe is clearly gorgeous. I have always loved red, particularly when a nice saturated red is paired with a crisp black --- truly, it's a combination that is unlikely to ever go out of style. If you're very particular about your reds, it's more of a scarlet than a true red: very saturated, but leaning slightly towards orange on the color wheel. Incidentally, Holly reviewed the previous color way of this robe last year.
Trashy Diva "Flapper Robe" | Shown with custom "Ela" set by Karolina Laskowska | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Fabric
The fabric is rayon crepe de chine: a medium weight, moderately drapey fabric that is somewhat textural but has a light sheen. Notice the richness of the light and shadows in these images. The downside, of course, is that it's not a particularly wrinkle-resistant fabric. But I didn't let that stop me from taking it on a couple of out-of-town trips --- nothing says lounging in style like a classy robe!
Trashy Diva "Flapper Robe" | Shown with custom "Ela" set by Karolina Laskowska | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Embroidery
One of the trips I took it on was when I went to England for OCOC. Chatting with fellow columnist Karolina in my dorm room, she immediately gravitated to the embroidery. "I love stuff like this," she told me. "You can tell it was expensive to do, and it really makes this piece special." They definitely didn't skimp on the embroidery --- it's a large-scale, tightly stitched motif that takes up practically half the robe. Unfortunately, the inside is faintly itchy as a result. It's a very minor issue, but worth noting if you have very sensitive skin, and, like me, you tend to wear robes against bare skin.
Trashy Diva "Flapper Robe" | Shown with custom "Ela" set by Karolina Laskowska | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Fringe
The other design detail on this robe is the hand-knotted fringe along the bottom. Arranged in a scallop pattern several inches above the hem, the fringe hangs longer than the main fabric of the robe. After several wearings, one of the fringe knots did pull out from the fabric, which unfortunately left a small hole therein. I still have the fringe and am hoping to do some garment surgery to reattach it. I don't think this is a quality issue, as I had the same thing happen with a vintage robe --- it's just a hazard of this style of detailing.
Trashy Diva "Flapper Robe" | Shown with custom "Ela" set by Karolina Laskowska | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Accurate Vintage Styling
It was actually shortly after I was sent this piece to review that I found a vintage robe in the same style. The black fabric is very similar (probably silk, and a touch lighter), with large-scale multi-colored embroidery, and peachy pink fringe in a graduated fall. I inadvertently pulled out one of my fringe ties in the first wearing, when it snagged on the cracked edge of a sewing table. The weight of the fringe and embroidery is clearly a bit of a stress on the shoulder seams of the vintage piece. So if you're looking for that authentic vintage style, but without the "vintage DNA" and delicacy of age, this design really hits the mark.
Trashy Diva "Flapper Robe" | Shown with custom "Ela" set by Karolina Laskowska | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Sizing
Interesting for a robe, this design comes in four sizes: Small through Extra Large. I was sent the Medium, though I expect I would have also been fine in the Small. Given that most brands, in my opinion, underestimate wearing ease while overestimating size versatility, I appreciate that Trashy Diva offers a proper size range even in such an unfitted garment.
Trashy Diva "Lounge Pants" | Shown with Karolina Laskowska "Mizuki" bra | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Lounge Pants: Styling
The other sample I was sent to review were these Lounge Pants, $99. Trashy Diva suggests pairing them together, but I think that would be too much fabric on my petite figure. Instead, I like to wear them with a crop top or a fitted bodysuit. These pants perfectly fit the bill when I want to feel like I'm wearing pajamas... but not feel like I look like I'm wearing pajamas. These are great for around the house, work attire, and of course, swing dancing.
Trashy Diva "Lounge Pants" | Shown with Karolina Laskowska "Mizuki" bra | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Loose Leg, Drop-Crotch Cut
In today's skinny jeans/leggings-as-pants world, loose legs this pronounced are an anomaly on anything but pajamas. The general silhouette is 1940s-inspired, with fullness that breaks from the hip and falls straight down. Instead of darts, small tucks help fit the waist. You can also see that these pants have a decided drop crotch, which is literally halfway to my knee. This partially creates the free feeling of wearing a skirt, but if you like (or require) your pants to keep your thighs from touching or rubbing, it could be an issue. It took me a bit to get used to this cut. "Don't be a drop-crotch apologist," one of my coworkers advised me, and thereafter I embraced the comfort.
Trashy Diva "Lounge Pants" | Shown with vintage beaded top | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Sizing
Perhaps the drop-crotch issue would have been less pronounced if I'd gone by the size chart and ordered a S/6. Since I have wide hips (as compared to my waist), I went up a size to the 8. You can see in the back view (above) where I pinned the waist in. There's actually enough fullness through the hips for even vintage figures to go by the size chart and still have wearing ease. My only other note for sizing is that the legs run incredibly long. These photos were taken after I hemmed them, cutting off several inches and still leaving a generously wide, double fold hem. If you're tall or long-legged, this extra length is a great thing. If you're short, just know that you'll have to hem them, particularly if you want to wear them around the house in bare or slippered feet.
Trashy Diva "Lounge Pants" | Shown with vintage beaded top | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Construction Flaw
My issue with the construction arose when I hemmed the pants. One of my colleagues pinned my right hem for me. I used this as a template to trim down the left leg the same amount. Once I had stitched the new hem in place, it was very clear that the left leg had somehow become very uneven --- shorter by an inch or more at the outseam. Given that my stitching is typically accurate to a tiny fraction of an inch, it's highly likely that the problem lay in the original hem. I simply hadn't noticed because the pants were so long on me to begin with. Luckily, since I had done a double-fold hem, I had just enough fabric left to fix it, but I usually don't expect hemming pants to be quite so much of a project!
Trashy Diva "Lounge Pants" | Shown with vintage beaded top | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Fabric & Wear
Like the robe, these pants are rayon crepe de chine. In case you're wondering how close this fabric is to vintage originals, I have repeatedly mistaken my black vintage robe for these pants, and I will probably be using the extra from the hem to patch its delicate shoulders and other small moth holes. The pants crease even more easily than the Flapper Robe, though. It's probably a combination of the increased action and less delicate storage most pants are subject to.
Trashy Diva "Lounge Pants" | Shown with Karolina Laskowska "Mizuki" bra | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
Care
Oddly, I found myself unable to locate care instructions, either on the label or on the website. Perhaps I missed them. After some googling, I decided that machine wash cold/gentle and air drying would be safe, if not ideal. This vastly contributed to the wrinkling problem and going forward I will probably just have these pants dry cleaned.
Trashy Diva "Lounge Pants" | Shown with Karolina Laskowska "Mizuki" bra | Model: Victoria Dagger | Photo © Alyxander Ryan
What do you think of the Trashy Diva styles shown above? Do you have any other experiences with Trashy Diva products? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
