This dress is really beautiful. i was looking for something to wear to a summer 6 o'clock wedding, and this dress will work perfectly. the fabric is smooth and has a tiny bit of sheen to it which makes it look a little nicer and more formal. however, you can easily dress it down. my only issue was the length. i'm 5'4 and this dress was way too long. definitely need to take off about 5 or 6 inches! i also had to size up. i could have tried the petite, but it fit so well everywhere except length,