Liverpool theatre director’s dress fail warning after glitzy baby shower frock is ‘only fit to use as a dish cloth’

Mersey theatre director Jane Joseph has urged online shoppers to be extra vigilant after a ‘gorgeous and glitzy’ dress she ordered was ‘only fit to use as a dish cloth’.

Jane, who co-owns Regal Entertainments which produces some of the region’s top pantos, thought she’d found the perfect dress for her daughter’s baby shower when she saw a shimmering blue gown with sheer chiffon sleeves and fine feather trim.

But she was horrified when her ideal outfit arrived.

“I couldn’t believe it when I opened the parcel and saw this cheap flimsy dress with stringy sleeves,” says Jane. “I thought I’d got the wrong parcel and that it wasn’t for me. But it was.

“The dress bears no resemblance to the one I’d ordered. 

Jane had paid £170 to buy the dress in two sizes as she was unsure which would be best for the special occasion – ‘I thought I’d keep one and send the other back’ – but as it turned out neither of them were suitable for that event, or any other!

“There’s no zip, no lining and it’s the cheapest of cheap fabric that you could possibly use. It’s horrendous.”

She smiles: “I did try it on for a laugh and it gave my family a good howl; it was so transparent it showed everything underneath.

“But it’s so disgusting, all it’s fit for is a dish cloth.”

Jane, from West Derby, had spotted the dress when she was looking for something to wear for daughter Georgia’s baby shower on April 23.

The mum-of-two who’s already a granny to three ‘beautiful’ grandsons explains: “I saw it advertised on Facebook and thought it was really nice. It looked like something I’d feel comfortable in, but it was beautifully embellished and still a bit glitzy. It was gorgeous. 

“The company looked like a reputable UK-based company, and it was only when I’d put the order through that I realised I’d ordered something from China. My other daughter Chantelle warned me about my stupidity, especially as she was stung a few years ago when she ordered a dress from China and the one that arrived was nothing like the one she’d sent for.

“She asked why I hadn’t learned my lesson from her mistake. But it was too late, I’d already paid.

“I fell for it, hook, line and sinker!”

Jane says she regularly orders outfits online from recognised companies and is normally more than happy with the goods that arrive.

“This is hysterically funny but what is not funny is that I paid £170, and it would be too expensive to send the dresses back even if I could get a refund.

“It’s my own fault but I’ve been amazed at the response from so many people, men and women, who’ve said the same thing has happened to them, that I think surely something needs to be done.

“I have complained and reported it to Facebook.

“At the end of the day I’m £170 lighter and still in need of a dress for Georgia’s baby shower, but if it serves as a warning to other people, and stops them from falling into the trap, then that’s great.”