Designer Spotlight: Stop Staring!

Alicia Estrada, head designer and founder of the Stop Staring! clothing line, began sewing as a teenager. With the help of her supportive family, Estrada has turned her hobby into an extremely successful business. She takes her design inspiration from classic couture, favorite films, and the inherent beauty of the female form.

Stop Staring! is a line dedicated to creating one-of-a-kind vintage designer reproductions. The line mainly focuses on dresses, many of which are made to flatter less than perfect figures (and whose isn’t?), and are available in a large range of sizes.

I discovered the line last year, when looking high and low for vintage dresses in modern sizes. Stop Staring! has since become the first place I look for vintage styles. Why? Because I am a size 8 with a thick waist and muscular arms, which are not easily accommodated by actual vintage clothes. I have come to love the line for their high quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, and I wore Stop Staring! to both my rehearsal dinner and one of my bachelorette parties. 

One of my favorite dresses by them is this Dolce Vita dress inspired by Anita Ekverg’s character from La Dolce Vita, which I sadly do not (yet!) own. The film is one of my favorites, and Ekverg plays an extremely coquettish young actress with a penchant for playing in the fountain. The dress is absolutely as seductive as the character, and would suit a curvy girl well. Available from Stop Staring!

Photo Credits: Stop Staring!