Need fabulous outfit for swanky lunch date but not feeling fabulous ...

[wishingchair]

Please help me - am trying to find the perfect outfit but keep defaulting to boring!! I am meeting someone for lunch, need to scrub up well but lunch is tricky to dress for in some ways as you want to look great but not as if you've really tried too hard! I'm aiming for stylish, on trend (but not crazily so), and just effortlessly wonderful but feel sadly clueless

All ideas welcome ... this is me:

No jeans
Don't want to look worky
Have thick calves and ankles so skirts are problematic
I'm size 12 (10 on top), 5'6", 40 yrs old
Relatively chunky thighs so often find trousers may fit on waist but not on legs or vice versa
Budget maybe £200

Thank you!!!

[polyhymnia]

What and where is the venue exactly? Ie, London or otherwise, posh traditional hotel or trendy restaurant, etc?

[wishingchair]

London, posh traditional hotel

[Twinklestein]

I'd wear a DvF wrap dress, it will show off your top half and flatter your bottom half.

[ZeroFunDame]

You need some lovely boots - either knee length or mid shin (sort of Gucci-ish) and your most discreet but flattering jewellery. Other than that really simple clothes; a beautiful plain sweater or silk shirt and a flattering skirt that works with the boots. You don't even really need a show off bag ...

Don't rush out and buy anything "unusual".

[FauxFox]

What about an embellished blouse with slim black trousers and statement shoes If possible a black mid-length mac or black faux fur coat would be nice to complete the outfit.

[ZeroFunDame]

FauxFox You and I are clearly thinking of entirely different types of lunch ...

[wishingchair]

Yes - definitely need boots. I have a lovely grey wool wrap coat and a nice white shirt. Then just need to decide skirt or trousers. Fab!

[burnishedsilver]

How about wide leg trousers and high heeled ankle boots.

[polyhymnia]

I thought Zero's advice was bang on. By that token your idea of a nice plain buy stylish white blouse is much more suitable than that embellished blouse, which looks more 'fun hippy reunion'than traditional London hotel.

[polyhymnia]

Just looked at the statement shoes - also to be avoided I think, in favour of elegant boots.

[BelindaAllWorkedOut]

Uniqlo do lovely silk shirts. I think a crisp white shirt might be too worky.

[ZeroFunDame]

D'you know, I see images of exactly what I mean every day generally. But I've just spent half an hour looking through my favourite sites and cannot find a thing.

[wishingchair]

I have this shirt ... so not crisp white ... drapey and sheer ... what do you think? Shirt

[wishingchair]

zero am curious what your favourite sites are ... just for future reference

[wishingchair]

And I am totally going to hit Uniqlo next week!!!

[ZeroFunDame]

Some good sites here. Ignore the thread title.

Not sure about your shirt. Something simpler and more lux?

[wishingchair]

I know - not 100% sure ... maybe just classic silk shirt ...

[SocialMediaAddict]

Love Fauxfox's outfit.

[FauxFox]

[Datahub]

NO FLIPPEN WRAP DRESSES

[Datahub]

and those shoes

zooeey mama

is this a sex date?

[Greenstone]

Omg - love that Biba blouse. Love it!
But perhaps not for op's lunch date

[coffeenut]

I'm not sure whether boots would work with thick ankles/calves (could most certainly be wrong) and OP says that skirts are tricky .... I don't mind FauxFox's outfit except the blouse wasn't quite right in my opinion. A simple silk shirt/blouse much better. A white shirt/blouse screams work to me though (and is also very boring when worn with black trousers/skirt?). And although I like the colour of the Fox's shoes, the ankle strap was heinous. My standard "nice" lunch outfit is a navy/cream striped fitted dress with sleeves with a black pleather trim and simple black heels (or ankle boots). However, the last time I went for lunch at a posh hotel I wore pleather skinnies, a black chiffon blouse and black ankle boots ... so perhaps don't take any notice of me!

[FauxFox]

I know the ankle strap is horrid, it would be under the trousers so not on show too much. When I try to offer advice I do a 'quick' selection of links to gauge the OP reaction and if they mostly like it then i'll search further.

On this occasion I clearly haven't got it right but I thought the request was to move away from 'boring' so a white shirt would never have been in my response.

[darlingfascistbullyboy]

I love that Biba blouse! It's my 40th in two weeks & I'm going to for lunch with some friends ... I am ordering it now - thanks FauxFox