Casualish black dress

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I've been looking for a casual black dress for ages now. I want it to have sleeves of some sort and ideally be quite mini but not too clingy. This one from M&S is the perfect length and shape but the fabric is absolutely revolting. Has anybody seen anything similar but in nicer fabric, please? I'm a short-arse, so it needs to be pretty short to be mini-ish on me!

[botemp]

This is merino wool and silk, on the short side but might not be super casual? Anyhow, COS is my go to place for simple black dresses in non-shit fabrics. Fitting in store pays off better for me since their sometimes ample fit requires me to go down a few sizes if I don't want to look like a drowned rat and suddenly the length and fit is spot on for my short frame.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Love that. Thank you. Cos stuff is usually stupendously long on me, but will go and try it on.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

And LOVE this one.

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

This from M&S?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks, Pizzas. I saw that but it's not at all nice irl, or not for me and my giant norks anyway.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Has anybody seen this Boden one irl?

[GertyTheGert]

I am v e r y pleased I re-found this re Cos (& Boden too) because I too need a casual/smart black "dress" (tunic) and what you put here was IDEAL! I had NO idea Cos did stuff to fit a size 18 tummy-ish gal! I had seen a lovely little casual jacket in another shop which requires black leggings (sorted!) and a shortish black dress/tunic and this is ideal! It was the window display set me on a mission! Any other recommendations for size 18 (borderline 20) clothes that are on-trend but casual/smart? Please?!!!!

[evenoldergregg]

Similar dress here by Mango at John Lewis. 100% cotton.

www.johnlewis.com/mango-v-neck-cotton-dress-black/p2345292

Or this, but is a polyester mix. www.johnlewis.com/mango-v-neck-frill-dress-black/p2403949?imageCount=2#

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I like that. Thank you.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Just found this. It's viscose, so could be awful, but I think their quality is usually supposed to be decent.

[botemp]

Gerty I'm not your size so have a poor grasp of what's out there in that range but will say I was utterly miffed when I wandered into the Violetta by Mango section unknowingly and found lots of dresses I wanted (materials do vary) and found it all to be plus sized .This cotton mix dress in dark blue might fit the bill? There's a bunch of others that look great too but I didn't click any further despite the denim ones calling my name, I might get annoyed again...

[mrssmiling]

I discovered this site recently - lots of rather stylish black dresses. Might be worth a look.
www.stories.com/gb/Ready-to-wear/Dresses#/color=black

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks. The only one I like there is polyester - grrrrr.

[botemp]

Brand I always forget about but usually works out quite well when you're not of the tall persuasion: Massimo Dutti, don't know how you feel about short-ish sleeves but how about this in viscose (aka the gamble fabric)? I like this mostly cotton one too but it's blue and there's few other colours that look promising too, will have to pop into their shop soon.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thank you. I like the mostly cotton one but I don't do blue. The viscose one is too dressy/worky for what I'm after.

[GertyTheGert]

Dear Botemp and MrsSmiling (and evenoldergregg) - you are stars as I love these choices! If M&S had sense, these are the sorts of items they should stock, not those cheapo lurid (cheapo) colours/styles they have been stocking for nth years. Mind you, seeing the head of womens togs there (currently on maternity leave) no wonder togs choice is sh*te - she is a twinset and row of pearls woman - GAWD's sake, she is under 80.....

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

M&S drive me batshit. It would be so easy for them to get it right, but they persist in getting it so, so wrong. It makes me really cross.

[GertyTheGert]

PS My Mum was 84 when she died - d'you know what she used to wear? A pencil skirt (not tight, sort-of casual/smart) topped with a thin sweatshirt type top (like thick cotton?) or say a "loose" type round-neck short sleeve top with a cardie over and then brogues. If twas cold, she'd have a silky scarf round her neck. She had more style than the whole of M&S womens buyers from the past two decades!!!! She even had a fav dk maroon top with a tiny slogan on it in script - "Tequila Sunrise" and she wore that with a thickish pencil skirt too! Never caught Lisa wearing a row of pearls and twinset! Miss her!!!!!!! :-(

[mashpot]

Remus the Cos one you linked with the triangle front is gorgeous, I tried it but thought it was a bit too short for work and I'm only 5'5.

[GertyTheGert]

Yes Remus they drive me batshit too! For a laugh (high hopes!) I joined the M&S personal styler thingy and the stuff the poor gal emailed me to look at was GROSS (not her fault, what can the hell she work with at M&S?!) - a BLOUSE for gawd's sake in fever (dayglo) orange?!!!!! I feel for the gal cos obvsly its a job for her to do but M&S never read the reviews on togs - at one point me and a few similar gals were BEGGING them "bring back more choices in leggings/tunic tops!" (I didn't know the gals, it was just via Reviews) Did they listen? Nah - so I go to River Island quite a lot now and pretend its for me daughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CaitAgusMadra]

I have the first COS dress, it's a few inches above knee length on me (I'm 5'8). I love it, the fabric is very thick. It is dry clean only though but I hand washed it (once so far) and it seems to have survived ok

[botemp]

Cos just popped into my inbox that their mid-season sale is now on, starts in stores tomorrow. Same goes for &other stories!

Glad I could help Gerty. I have to say as a non-Brit who is non-UK based I always marvel at your collective national gripe with M&S and it's continued existence. They re-opened M&S here after being gone for over a decade and it looks very swanky but it only gets traffic in the food hall, the only time I ever see people in the clothes departments is when there's a sale on at 70%. None of it has ever enticed me to even stop on my way to the food hall, it's all poorly cut and I don't even need to look up the care labels to see the poor choices of fabric. It just feels like one of those giant organisations that takes forever to move in one direction only to discover they took a wrong turn. There's also an influx of British High Street brands here in the department stores and it has a really tough time competing, it's relatively high priced for what is is. Cos, &other stories are both owned by H&M so I'm glad they are getting it right, I've been very partial to the Scandinavians for awhile now. Rumours are they'll be opening up another concept soon similar to the Cos and &other stories brands, late 2016/early 2017.

[Ilovetorrentialrain]

Casualish black dress says All Saints to me. This or maybe something else in their dresses section? www.allsaints.com/women/knitwear/allsaints-elgar-dress/?colour=5&category=22

[Ilovetorrentialrain]

Could not agree more about M and S. What's more they've got a huge potential population of customers just willing them, desperately to succeed in the clothes dept. but nope, monstrosity after monstrosity. Aargh.

[Ilovetorrentialrain]

Gerty your mum's style sounds like it was absolutely classy and stylish with some lovely individual touches. It takes a bit of flair that. Lovely.