I'll start by saying it fit exactly as expected - and I love it. I'm 5'1" and currently 166 lb, so a bit "fluffy," and the XL fit perfectly. I'll go over each part of the costume and mention what I did and didn't like, but I would 100% buy this again if I needed to. This costume makes me feel fabulous and I usually hate the way I look. I would wear this every day if it wouldn't be weird. It hugs all the right curves, accentuates the best, and hides all the rest. Love it! The top: There is a zipper in the back of the top, which I was able to do myself easily, and the ribbon in front comes pre-laced on half of the eyelets. I undid that and ran it through all of them. I didn't pull it tight though, because I had read a few other reviews that warned about pulling too tight and potentially ripping out the eyelets, so I just gave it a gentle tug to tighten the ribbon and tied it up. It was 'low cut' but not slutty, though definitely be sure to at least wear a bra under it in case you decide to lean forward. It rides about an inch or two higher on my stomach than I was comfortable with, but as everyone else did, I just brought the skirt up a few inches and it was perfect! Felt more comfortable, too. The sleeves: Not much to say about them; they are small ruffles of fabric on an elastic band. I like them because they help hide the "extra" I have on my upper arms, but you can leave them off and it still looks great. The skirt: This is probably my favorite part. It's shorter in front and longer in the back, which I LOVE, and it's got three different layers of fabric so buying a petticoat to go underneath isn't actually required. I bought one anyway, but it hasn't arrived yet. Until then, honestly, the skirt looks great on its own and has enough flare to it just from my hips that it doesn't really need any extra fluff. But I'm excited to see how it looks when my petticoat arrives, so if I remember to update this next week, I will. This skirt has an elastic band so it can fit a great range of sizes and hip widths. I brought it up a little at my waist to cover my stomach, and it still went just longer than mid-thigh in front. The belt: This is probably the only part that I was disappointed with. It's just a piece of fabric with a plastic end, but no hook or fastener or any way to hold it in place aside from tucking it into a loop next to the buckle. It's also very short, so it just barely went around my waist. If I can find a safety pin, I might be able to pin the end down and keep the belt on without being constantly conscious of it, but the costume still looks great even without the belt. The hat: The hat is also kind of cheaply made, but easier to fix than the belt. It does come a little squished, and the feather is long and straight rather than curvy and fluffy, but it still looks great (and honestly, do all pirates have perfect looking hats?). I'm going to do what a few other reviewers suggested and steam it and reshape it. All in all, amazing costume. It makes me feel fantastic and I can't wait to find every excuse to wear it. (Also, fun fact, if you take off the belt and hat, it can double as a barmaid outfit. ;) )
