Brief History: Yuliya Zeltzer, a Ukrainian-born, self taught designer in her 30s is the motivation behind Igigi (pronounced ee zhee zhee) plus size fashions. She moved to San Francisco, California in 1991. At that time she was sewing clothing for her friends and family. As word of mouth grew so did her small business. Most of her clients were plus size, including her mother so it seemed natural for her to specialize. Following the need, by 2000, she launched Igigi.com to sell her designs to a greater audience. Igigi "manufactures and distributes apparel and accessories for fashion-loving women sizes 14+". You won't find a frumpy item in their product line of mostly dresses (including bridal) with some tops, pants and accessories. Rumor has it they may be carrying jeans soon.

Product: Lisabetta Dress in Raisin (22/24)

Description: Bodice twisted into a princess knot, 3/4 length sleeves, flared skirt. Shell: 92% polyester, 8% lycra. Lining: 100% polyester. Available in sizes 14 - 32, double sized (14-16, 18-20 etc). Colors include black, olive and raisin. Impressive, reinforced, clean stitching that stretches with fabric.

Packaging: Wrapped in plastic with its own hanger in a sturdy box.

Price: $74.00 US.

Comments: It's heavy! Not so much when you have it on your body but when you're holding it. It seems unusually heavy. I weighed it and its 1.5 lbs. This weight, I believe, helps with the fit and nice flow of the flared skirt. The princess knot and 3/4 length sleeves are very flattering. The lining is reinforced under breast so it can't roll out at the neckline. It's amazingly wrinkle resistant. This product has directions to hand wash in cold water and lay flat to dry. I'm not a hand washer. I'm sure I'm not the only one, so I used the delicate cycle on my machine and took it out as soon as the cycle was done. I do not recommend this but as I say, I am not a hand washer. I did not notice any shrinkage. The dress survived and in my opinion still looks great. It dried over night. Having to lie out a long dress in limited space is a challenge. As for pricing I think it is a reasonable price for a high quality dress. I expect longevity from this product although I am concerned about the potential for pilling under the arms as it is polyester.

Satisfaction: Very High! It's comfortable, flattering, fashionable and reasonably priced. I'm still sceptical of linings that are not reinforced down the sides but this one stayed in place.

Igigi's website has one of the best online selections of dresses for work, play and special occasions. They also have a revolutionary type of shopping feature where you enter a few questions to figure out your body type (one of five); after a search for that type all the suitable products are listed. No more searching through pages of clothing not designed for your needs. Check them out!

Visit Igigi for plus size dresses.

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