Totally agreeing with everyone. You look superbe!

I didn't even realise something was of concern until I read the whole thing.. I think you look gorgeous.
I had a situation at office with someone wearing a body con dress at office party and the vp congratulated her On being pregnant. For a minute you could have heard the pin drop.. She wasn't even married.. Then my senior colleague laughed the situation away.. She was told not to bother but she never wore that again.. I guess if someone has once commented on you however ignorantly.. You'd only remember that ... We all had complimented her on it but that was easily forgotten I guess ..
So don't bother with all the tummy/thigh talks.. You look fantastic in that dress. Easier said .. I know

Oh yay, we get to see that fab dress again! The last time you posted it, I thought you looked amazing in it, and my opinion hasn't changed one bit.
Wear it and know you are a beautiful woman!

I think your friend is spot on. The color and print are terrific, and it is very flattering on your body. Like so many of us (myself included) your eye and mind are focusing on one detail of how your body is shaped instead of the bigger picture. You look really healthy too. Shapewear would be up to you but I can't imagine doing it often in your climate. I see a knockout dress on a stunning woman!

Who the heck made up this rule that says tummies are supposed to be flat???? And why do we give that unnamed person so much power over us??? Rhetorical questions. I know the answers, just saying maybe we should try to give less attention to some of these arbitrary rules that don't do us any good...

Manny, you look gorgeous in the dress and I see no reason for concern, but it is as others said...you have to feel confident in it. And perhaps it's about where or when you choose to wear it?

I think with these body con dresses there is always that slight concern...is it the right venue, and so on. I have (and wear) a couple of body con sheaths. I actually love them. But for me they are my "date night" dresses. I did wear one to a work party once and felt fine in it, but these were really close colleagues and we were in "relax" mode.

Anyway, my point is, for me, the body con dress draws attention to my body in a way I don't really want except (mostly) on date night. So I wear those kinds of dresses with pleasure on those occasions and for my more casual day dresses tend to go for something like your linen dress (also cute). That's just what feels right to me.

I do however wear my body con tube skirts for super casual occasions. They are midis, which sort of mitigates the "sexy" vibe a little bit, but also, I tend to wear them with more voluminous tops, to "de-bombshell." Not that I am a bombshell by any means, LOL!!

So, for this dress, I would be wearing it on casual date nights with hubby or for at home dates. Or for nights with close friends when you go out or eat in but want to dress a bit festively.

OK, first of all, I have to agree with everyone and say the dress is terrific, and you look great in it! And don't bother with shape wear. It's too hot where you are to think of that! You don't need it!

Now, I will tell you I understand how you are feeling, but from a different angle (heh, literally and figuratively). What you describe about your tummy is the same way I feel about my hips/thighs. Through some weird genetic quirk, I managed to get the flat tummy gene but also the big hip/thigh one. (However, menopause is starting to challenge that flat tummy, but that's a story for another day.) So I've always been happier with my side view than my front or back view.

Sometimes I just embrace the fact that this is how my body looks. That's when I wear things like a bodycon dress or those ruched tube skirts -- they do not really minimize my hips, but sometimes I'm OK with that. Those items are not the totally easy throw-on-anytime and feel amazing items -- they're a little more fickle and seem to require me to be having a bit better body image day, but that's OK. I have other options to wear when I'm feeling a bit more self-conscious.

Does that make sense? I hope it does because your post illustrates exactly what I'm talking about. Your second dress is more in your comfort zone and doesn't require you to challenge yourself. I might argue that challenging ourselves with items that are not immediately emotionally comfortable can be a good thing that helps us accept our bodies more.

I really, really like the dress and how it fits you but I also understand feeling uncomfortable about wearing something form fitting and the attention that it garners. I wouldn't wear it if I felt uncomfortable, I think we should feel confident about what we wear.

If I saw a stranger on the street wearing this dress, I'd think "wow, she looks great" "there's a woman who embraces her curves" "that woman has confidence". In fact, there's a woman I work with who wears dresses that fit her similarly and that's what I DO think! All good.

However... I'm not sure I would wear it. My curves (or lack thereof) aren't as "womanly" as yours, and I would feel self conscious. I don't have a poor body image, body con just isn't part of my style.

I think the key is how YOU feel in it. If body con is you, if you do that that confidence that the dress says you have, then please wear it and and enjoy it. I think you nailed it when you said you had to give it a shot and see how you feel when you see yourself in the mirror.

And NO to shapewear!!

You look amazing in that dress. Just WOW. I don't see any need for shapewear but I don't do shapewear. OUCH. Bodycon is a great look but for those who feel comfortable in it. I have a bodycon dress that I wear on occasion. It has to be the right place.

And for TMI I also spend a lot of time in the bathroom. I am sure I have broken records.

Manny, you look great in that dress. And, by the way, I think you look wonderful in the second dress. I am not one to wear body con clothing, almost ever, but I applaud those who are comfortable doing so, in, as has been mentioned, the right venue.
I like what Janet said, "....challenging ourselves with items that are not immediately emotionally comfortable can be a good thing that helps us accept our bodies more." I also share her "flat tummy gene" and issues with hips and thighs. I am tired of feeling this way and always dressing to de-emphasize that area. YLF has helped me see that we don't always have to dress in what we have been led to believe is the most traditionally flattering way, i.e. hiding any feature that we feel somehow doesn't conform to the ideal. Whose ideal?

I echo those who say you look fab in that form fitting frock, Maneera. You really do. It accentuates your shape just beautifully.

That said, I am a huge proponent of assessing how you FEEL in an outfit. So if you don't feel fabulous over and over again when you reach for this dress - don't wear it.

I think you look hot. You have the kind of figure I used to have and of which I now say "what in the world did I think was wrong with me back then?!" You look lovely and not immodest at all.

You have a stunning figure. No ifs, ands or buts about it. But if the dress makes you feel uncomfortable, you shouldn't wear it.

You look amazing in that dress , I like the color and shape on you. Nothing absolutely whatsoever wrong with any part of your body.
However this is a statement dress in the sense that you as a woman you won't go unnoticed in it.
It is up to you to know that leaves you empowered or if you rather don't .

I agree with everyone, you look great and the colors and shape are fab on you. Everyone's environmental norms and comfort with more bodycon looks will vary, but for me a dress like that would be a date night/going out sort of thing, probably not a day dress or something I'd wear to work.

I will say that on me at least, I have found ruching around the midsection is less than ideal. It's supposed to be more flattering and 'hide imperfections' but in my experience it just emphasizes the area and adds bulk.

Thanks a lot for your wisdom, ladies. I can't thank you all enough.

You're all right in your own way. Janet's comment really comes closest to how I actually feel --- a dress like this is a good dress for "better body image day", as she puts it. And I do have quite a few of those.

I also whole-heartedly agree with what many of you have pointed out - I need to FEEL GOOD when I wear it, or I won't look good....no matter how fantastic the print.

I am determined to experiment a bit with it. Wear it on days I'm feeling 'pretty damn good' about myself and see how the bright colors make me feel & look. I'll report back!

You look beautiful in that dress, Manny. It flatters your curvy hourglass figure, and I think the side profile looks just fine--no need for shapewear. Wear & enjoy. Love the shortened linen dress too. You have great legs!

You probably don't need another "You look great in that dress, Manny!", but I'll add to the chorus.

I think Janet has nailed it. A knockout dress isn't an everyday dress, but it sure is fun to pull from the closet when you are in the right frame of mind