Sheath dress in seasonless stretch

The dress will accentuate the tummy area. I looked 5 month pregnant in the dress. For reference, I am 5’2, 105 lbs.

I'm a bit torn on this dress. I ordered in both black and grey, and I'm returning the grey. The ruching makes it just look a bit odd, and it seems to fit a bit larger than the black one. The other problem I have is that the waistline and darting on the back seams both sit too high on me, which causes some puckering at the end of the darts above my posterior and this is much more obvious on the grey than the black. I figure I'll likely be wearing it with a cardigan or jacket at work and like the remainder of the fit well enough to keep it in black. If they made this in a tall size would likely exchange for that; at my height tall is often too tall and regular size the fit is just off a bit.

I had high hopes for this dress.....the front of the dress has so much extra material at the waist, it literally looks like a maternity dress. I typically wear an 8-10 size, but J Crew normally runs very small for me, so I tried the 12. It was big in the chest, fit better around my thighs, but the middle section was horrendous.

I’m 5’5 and 145lb (hourglass, DDD bust) and the 6 fit best in the chest but was loose in the hips, while the 4 was tighter in the chest and fit the hips. I went with the 4 and love it. The ruching details add great interest and helps hide problems on days you need to look polished but don’t feel you best. I wear these dresses with my JCrew “Going Out” blazers and mix and match the colors to add a little flair in my formal office. If JCrew comes out with a navy version it will be my next must have!

I bought this in the larger of my usual J Crew sizes, and it fits well. It is super flattering and professional which is exactly what I am looking for in all my business wear. I often bring it with me on business trips because it doesn't wrinkle and I can look ready to go with minimal effort.

I was hoping the ruched sides would be like the bathing suit and give off a slimming effect, but because it's only on one side and opposite collar, it just looks off and isn't forgiving. The material is not very stretchy, either. It runs slightly on the small side. The chest is tight for anything C and above, which ends up constricting the neck area, too. 5'5", 135lb, and got a size 4. A size 6 would be too big in the hips and the 4 is a bit tight in an unflattering way. Like the concept but needs work. I'll be returning.