Dress for a formal daytime event - your help please S&B ladies!

[BranchingOut]

I am going to a christening in a few weeks time and am looking for a lovely dress for the occasion.

This will be a pretty formal, upmarket event and I need something smart, almost "weddingy" but not quite. However, if I could get something that would also work for a wedding next year, that would be ideal.

I don't really want to do the jersey wrap dress style, as that has been my modus operandi for the last however-many formal events due to pregnancy, breastfeeding etc... It is going to be quite formal so I would prefer a shift dress or something fairly structured. I am fairly leggy so feel that I look a bit 'too much' in anything above knee length.

I am 5'7, fairly slim, 10 - 12 and my colouring suits pinks, reds, browns, clear blues and greens. Some purples work on me, some don't. I can spend maybe up to £120? £150 with a push?

Any tips on matching shoes? Love block heels, mary-janes and wedges, not so good on stilettos!

My ideas so far:

in the pink check. Boden shift
Boden sixties dress
Hobbs 1
Hobbs 2
Hobbs 3
Thanks.

[Gillybobs]

I think you could do better than those, they are all OK but...not loving them

How about this in cobalt blue colour

or this in gorgeous green

[minipie]

I've tried on that last Hobbs dress and loved it (couldn't quite justify the price so am now going to see if they have it on sale in my size! thanks for the link!) so I would pick that one. It's not really weddingy though because it's boiled wool so a bit too "comfy" for a wedding.

If you want something you can wear again to a wedding, I'd suggest the Hobbs green one.

Shoes - I'd suggest neutral rather than matching. Do you want to be able to wear tights (i.e. do you need a closed toe ideally)?

[pink4ever]

Sorry cant do links but there is a gorgeous pink dress on the Monsoon website. Pink shift with long sleeves-I want it but am too poor

[tethersend]

Step away from the Boden!

This (styled better here)

This

This

May be available in a 10 instore

This

This

This

This

This

This

[Clure]

like your lk bennet and jaeger suggestions tethers
I also think Davina dress is stunning

[mumatron]

i recently tried this on for a wedding. It looked fab on.

[tethersend]

The Davina is a great dress, agreed- didn't link as it is over budget, but I think that's the best one TBH.

[BranchingOut]

Just coming back to this thread to give an update.

Firstly, huge thanks for all the suggestions. Especially love the Davina :)

I must admit that I posted this thread then life got in the way, so for a while I forgot all about the need to buy something for this event. It is coming up soon, so I put my mind to it a couple of days ago, then came to the conclusion that I have a couple of things in my wardrobe that might do pretty well. The weather has also been so unpredictable that it would be disappointing to buy something then find it was totally wrong for the day...

Outfit option 1 'summery': vintage Katherine Hamnett ivory silk-linen jacket, plus yellow Hobbs flared linen skirt, with either a cream top or white linen blouse underneath. Ivory pashmina if chilly.

Outfit option 2 'not so summery': Ivory jacket as above, black M&S shift dress with patent belt. Ivory pashmina if chilly.

Comments welcome! The jacket is a lovely item, though it unfortunately has a few tiny 'rust' spots on one of the back panels. However, most of the event will be in a dimly lit chapel so I have decided not to worry too much about that!

Both look quite good and I have a pair of shoes/bag that would 'do' for each outfit - but better for the Black/White outfit. Have also come to the conclusion that I can't really justify the expense of a whole new outfit plus shoes for a 3 hour event, when I could put that money to much better use buying general autum/winter clothes.

I think I will prepare the two outfits then maybe shop for a pair of shoes that might work with one or the other, plus concentrate my efforts on making sure that my hosiery is right, maybe have a blow dry etc.

Any suggestions for a lovely pair of black or nude shoes very welcome - block heels or wedges if poss.