Pact Apparel Dress Review: Real Fit Photos on a Size 14/16, 5’1″ Body

If there is one apparel brand I get asked most to review, it's Pact Apparel. Made in Fair Trade Certified™ factories with organic cotton, Pact walks the talk of sustainable style. There is a range of Pact apparel for women: tops, bottoms, underpinnings, dresses, and more. When I received an opportunity to receive three dresses from the brand, I decided to offer them to a member of the Wardrobe Oxygen community to write an honest Pact apparel dress review.

Katie is a 14/16, 5'1″ grown woman living in the southern part of the U.S., so I found her to be the perfect person to review some summer dresses from Pact apparel. Katie got to pick the dresses of her choice from a lookbook provided by Pact through ShopMy, and I also paid her a fair wage for her thoughts.

Pact Apparel Dress Review on a Petite Midsize Woman

As an ex-Virginian living in Texas, I know a thing or two about dressing for the summer heat.  Beginning each May, I gravitate toward natural fibers like cotton, linen, and blends. That’s why I was so excited to try dresses from Pact. Pact promises organic, sustainable cotton clothing at reasonable prices. Out of the three Pact dresses I tried, two of them are keepers for me.  

I’m a 40-year-old woman who, at 5’1” tall, sometimes has a hard time finding clothing that fits my height. Pact offers several lengths in their dresses, though I expected some would probably be a little long on me. I wear a 14-16 or XL in most brands.

Using Pact’s size chart, I ordered three different silhouettes in size XL. Aside from the dress lengths (more on this later), I found the size chart to be accurate. I also washed and dried all three dresses according to their laundry instruction before reviewing, because I bet we’ve all been burned by cotton garments that shrink in the wash!

Organic Fit & Flare Open Back Maxi Dress

I’m not one to buy a dress I can’t wear a bra with, and you won’t find me in a strapless bra or boob tape. But the Organic Fit & Flare Open Back Maxi Dress caught my eye because it has a built-in bra, one of several Pact dresses that offers this feature. My DD breasts don’t sit as high as a younger woman’s might, and because of this I found the built-in bra to give me a bit of a uni-boob. I wore it with silicon nipple covers and that helped the shape a bit. However, the bra situation was the only negative I could find with this dress. 

Soft, stretchy cotton fabric makes this maxi as comfortable as it is elegant. It’s long on me, given my short stature, but it doesn’t brush the ground, even in flats. The fit-and-flare cut is flattering, and the side pockets are at a great spot. They don’t interrupt the flow of the dress. The back offers some interesting detail while providing a little bit of coverage, so you’re not showing your entire back.

This was my favorite of the three Pact dresses I tried. The silhouette and the print made me feel feminine and pretty, and I see it getting a lot of use for evenings out.

One thing to note is that despite Pact’s cotton-forward messaging, this dress is not 100% cotton (unlike the other two dresses in this review). It’s a jersey blend with 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane.  

Organic Soft-Slub Essential Easy Muscle Tee Maxi Dress

I love a sleeveless top or dress. Part of the reason I chose the Organic Soft-Slub Essential Easy Muscle Tee Maxi Dress was because I wanted to be able to wear some of the Pact dresses to work, and I couldn’t do that with a strappy or backless dress. This sleeveless cut is acceptable for my workplace, but it wasn’t my favorite dress to wear.

There aren’t a lot of interesting features on the garment that caught my eye, which makes it a blank slate for styling. That might be a plus for some folks, but I don’t wear a lot of accessories so I expect my clothing to be a little more interesting. I belted the dress to fit my style a bit more as I prefer tops that define my waist a bit more.

The Organic Soft-Slub Essential Easy Muscle Tee Maxi Dress doesn’t have pockets, but it does have a side slit that makes that dress feel a bit more playful. The loose fit and cotton fabric makes this dress extremely comfortable and easy for a weekend wear. I’m just not sure if it will get much use in my closet. 

Organic Coastal Double Gauze Boho Midi Dress

Cotton gauze is a quintessential summer fabric for good reason. It breathes well and flows beautifully, and it usually doesn’t require much work with a steamer. Out of this order, I was most excited to try the Organic Coastal Double Gauze Boho Midi Dress because it feels very much my style.

The cotton gauze feels lovely and it washed up well. However, the length of this dress gave me Handmaid’s Tale vibes. Because I’m short, I don’t expect dresses to hit me exactly where they do on the model, but I couldn’t believe it was supposed to be a midi dress! On someone of my height, it was a full maxi dress length. 

Aside from the length, I loved the other features of this dress. The elastic at the waist is defining without being too tight, and the sleeves are a perfect length for me. You can tie a bow in the neckline or leave it open for a more casual look. And of course–there are pockets! Once I hem this dress to hit just above my knees, it will be great for work or for low-key summer get-togethers. 

Overall, I loved the chance to try these three dresses from Pact and give the brand a try. All three fabrics feel nice to the touch, and the construction of the dresses looks high quality. Because they also washed up so well, I think they’ll last me through the long Texas summer, and then some!

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