Christy Dawn Review: Do the Dresses Live Up to the Hype?

I obsessed over these dresses before finally buying two. My Christy Dawn review discusses the all-important question: Are they worth the hype?

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I was nervous as I walked into Christy Dawn’s Los Angeles boutique for the first time.

I had obsessed over their dresses for months, imagining what they’d look like on me. I was cautiously hopeful that they’d fit, but also bracing myself for another disappointment.

It’s what I’m used to when shopping for clothes.

My body isn’t shapely or feminine or trim. It’s broad and wide and more jiggly than I like. Most clothes aren’t designed for my body shape.

So I usually leave shops feeling sad, discouraged, and a little bit depressed.

But it’s amazing how the right dress has the power to transform how we feel about ourselves.

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What Is Christy Dawn?

Christy Dawn is a sustainable, ethical women’s clothing company based in Los Angeles, Calif. Their women’s collection consists of limited-run, small-batch, vintage-inspired styles in regular, petite, and extended sizes.

Christy Dawn creates the majority of their clothing from deadstock fabric, which is leftover fabric from other fashion companies. They also sew pieces from organic cotton fabric, including organic cotton from their own regenerative farm in India.

While their dresses are their signature items, Christy Dawn also offers other clothing for women, like blouses, sweaters, and bottoms. They also have mini versions of some of their popular styles in kids’ sizes, in addition to home accessories.

Styles I Tried On and What I Bought

While in Christy Dawn’s Abbot Kinney boutique in Venice, I tried on several styles they had in my size, which is a petite medium/large.

The first dress I tried on was the Augusta dress in the blue organic cotton gauze. The petite medium pulled in my waist and gave me a feminine silhouette I don’t normally see on my body. It has many of the elements I love in a dress for my apple shaped body, including a v-neck, a wrap waist, an a-line silhouette, and a tiered skirt.

The second dress I tried on was the Dawn dress in the green organic cotton gauze in a petite medium. This style also flattered my body, but not as much as the Augusta dress. I also tried on the Dawn dress in the non-gauze organic cotton, which doesn’t have as much give as the gauze and felt tighter throughout my back. I would need a petite large in that fabric.

I also tried on the Brooklyn dress in a petite large and while I loved the fit of the body, the elastic on the sleeves were uncomfortably tight on my arms.

I was very surprised that I liked the Theo dress as much as I did. This dress style typically makes me look pregnant or larger than I am because the fabric usually poofs out from my chest. But the Theo dress is cut beautifully so that the fabric fell straight down from under my bust instead of flaring out.

The Christy Dawn Dresses I Bought

I purchased the Augusta dress and the Dawn dress in the organic cotton gauze because I saw myself wearing them the most often. I love the comfort of the gauze, but I do think the non-gauze organic cotton would provide better structure and downplay the softer areas of my back.

What I Like About Christy Dawn

In addition to their regular sizes, Christy Dawn offers an inclusive size range of their most-loved styles in petite sizes in PXS-PXL, and extended sizes in 1X-3X. The petites are cut with properly-sized proportions throughout the dress to fit shorter women.

The garment measurements are listed on the website. I appreciate this more than I can ever express in a blog post. Because I am an apple shape with uncommon proportions, garment measurements help me make a much better decision as to whether or not an item will fit me.

Christy Dawn is sustainable, repurposing leftover fabric from other fashion brands, as well as creating pieces from organic cotton. They are also dedicated to regenerative farming, turning depleted farmland in India into rich soil for growing organic cotton.

Another way Christy Dawn is sustainable is that their designs are timeless, which means you can wear their clothes for years to come.

What I Don’t Like

All sale items are final sale. I would love if Christy Dawn offered returns on sale items during its site-wide sales. But I do understand final sale when there are only a few remaining items in styles or fabrics that won’t be re-stocked. I recommend reviewing the Christy Dawn return policy before purchasing.

The prices are high for me. I wish I had more of their dresses, but I have to spread out my purchases. But in a way I think this is a good thing because it makes me more selective about what I buy. It’s the opposite of fast fashion.

Some of the fabric is unlined and sheer, requiring a slip (in my opinion).

Where To Buy Christy Dawn

You can purchase Christy Dawn clothing on their website, as well as in their store in Venice, Calif. Use the Christy Dawn coupon code DAWN10 for 10 percent off your first purchase.

You can also find secondhand items in online consignment shops like TheRealReal, thredUp, and Poshmark.

Below are some of my favorite Christy Dawn styles!

Final Thoughts on My Christy Dawn Review

I’m so used to being disappointed when trying on clothes that I couldn’t believe I loved multiple Christy Dawn dresses.

There won’t be any fitting room tears when I’m at Christy Dawn.

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This post is a Christy Dawn review of the brand’s sustainable dresses.