Friends wedding next month and I've put on weight. Please help

[MarmiteMakesMeHappy]

I have always been around a size 12 and although broadly pear shaped, could find clothes that worked for me. I am 5 ft 6

I have had a bit of a hard year - family death, relationship stuff etc and found myself comfort eating A LOT, and lo and behold, I have ballooned.

I am now probably a size 16 although I am still squeezing myself into the odd 14. Everything has got fat - my arms, my tummy, and my thighs and hips which have always been big, are now repulsive.

I have also always had chunky legs, thick calves and horrible ankles - now they are worse than ever.

One of my best friends is getting married in May and I have no idea what to wear. I don't want to look frumpy which is REALLY hard when you are overweight, and i still want to feel like me - I like fashion although I am 40 and so have always tended to cherry pick the current styles that actually work for my age and shape rather than go all out, but given that I now feel like hiding every bit of me, I have no idea where to start with something that will look even half decent.

The wedding is somewhere uber cool. Everyone will look cool and skinny and then there will be me.

If it helps at all, in a parrallel universe where I had the face and figure of my dreams, I would wear a pretty/floaty above the knee dress with some cool ankle boots or strappy flats (I am not very into the high heel classic shoe thing as my ankles look even worse). But I don't have that body and NOBODY wants to see my knees :(

Any ideas would be much appreciated - budget up to £150

[MrsLettuce]

Might this work for you? I love it but you might not.

What sort of colours do you like?

[KP86]

Maxi dress with a beautiful shawl.

[MrsLettuce]

I do like a nice shawl. This is a stunner. Cover ups are such a faff when you want to keep your arms covered all the time though.

[Tanaqui]

You are not repulsive. You are a size 16, which whilst probably overweight is unlikely to be obese, and is apparently the average size. Be kind to yourself! Buy a beautiful dress that you like, and go and have fun!

[lucy101101]

Something edgy but loose from Cos or & Other Stories that comes just below the knee and has at least short sleeves? With some cool flats or ankle boots? I always find shawls etc. difficult. However, a 16 with some fantastic shape wear could look very good in something that celebrates your curves! A knockout Westwood-type dress? Be kind and enjoy whatever you wear though!

[TheImprobableGirl]

Maybe buy a hold it all in slip from m and s , feels good for confidence and that you can take off when you get a bit more inebriated and less conscious?

[MarmiteMakesMeHappy]

MrsLettuce I do like that dress. It is exactly the right shape for me and BIba tends to be generous with their sizing. I don't know if I REALLY love it, but I do like it.

I will look at Cos website now. In my head everything at Cos is very structured though?

Thank you. Please keep ideas coming :)

[MrsLettuce]

Cos is certainly worth a look, also Finery.

There are the 50s dresses too if you like that sort of shape at all. It would be flattering and some of the better quality ones are very nice and even have sleeves. They are under the knee / calf length mind.

[TheImprobableGirl]

From what I've seen of COS , everything is sort of sack-Esque that would suit tall willowy types.... I'd head for coast for something like this

[Fingermoose]

How about this OP - not sure what your colouring's like as it's quite bold.

[bibblebobblebubble]

Like the shape of that Coast one, nice and neat but skims over the hips

[Fingermoose]

I think this is beautiful but it's nearly the top of your budget, from anthropologie. If you sign up for emails you get 20% off though.

[bellabelly]

I know you're asking for advice about clothes rather than weight loss BUT if you want to shift some weight quickly, the Blood Sugar Diet by Dr Michael Mosley is really good. And I say this as someone who normally hates dieting. I lost LOTS the first couple of weeks (following it to the letter) - have slacked off a little bit now but still losing 1-2lb a week. It's basically low calorie, low carbs. Lots of tasty recipes to follow so you don't have to think too much about meal planning. Worth a try?

less than £4 on amazon!

[bellabelly]

Do you like Seasalt stuff? This would be quite flattering, i think - looks like it would drape nicely in all the right places. And with some chunky gold or silver jewellery would look cool. Or too informal? here

[herecomesthsun]

[http://www.asos.com/asos/asos-premium-embroidered-tassel-maxi-dress/prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=5838722&clr=Black&SearchQuery=maxi&pgesize=36&pge=2&totalstyles=745&gridsize=3&gridrow=8&gridcolumn=3 pretty in a folky way, vaguely fashionable and probably quite flattering]]

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

What about something a bit rockabilly? That really works on a fuller figure.

The Ophelia dress has a lovely ruched (sp?) panel on the boobs to accommodate them however big they are. Worn with an underskirt it flares out nicely at the hips making your legs look smaller in comparison (I hate my legs but was happy with the way this dress looked on me).

Lindy Bop

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

And if you google it there are lots of similar styles in all sorts of lovely patterns and colours.

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

Pic of one in a nice bright colour, I love it with red shoes and red hair!

[sunwish]

You sound EXACTLY like me! I found that trying to hide under floaty things just makes me look bigger. Something shapely but with thick, high quality material and shapewear underneath is better.

Something like this, with colourful accessories? (this looks much better on, less frumpy than on the model)

www.damselinadress.co.uk/shop/dresses/occasion-dresses/martini-dress-black.aspx

Things that nip in at the waist and/or have ruching/folds across the middle can be v. flattering.

I think this is gorgeous:

www.phase-eight.com/fcp/product/phase-eight/occasion-dresses/dress-eleven/203355036#dvt_pha178#dvt_pha178_2

Or something with a bit of a flare to it but not full on 'short prom dress' flare which can just make you look bigger. Something like:

www.phase-eight.com/fcp/product/phase-eight/occasion-dresses/casey-floral-dress/203333113

[ChocolateStash]

What colour suits your skin tone?

[Chippednailvarnish]

Love sun's second suggestion...

[MarmiteMakesMeHappy]

Oh god I love you all and genuinely like nearly everything you have suggested.

The Coast one is a shape that would flatter but I don't like black much and it feels a bit frumpy just because of the colour. But that shape in another print - yes! Thank you improbable

Fingermouse love the print on the first one but think it would emphasize my fat hips :( The Anthropologie dress is beautiful but I'd have to try it on to make sure it didn't make me look worse - Sunwish you make a good point about thicker slightly tailored cuts sometimes being more flattering. Your second and third dresses are gorgeous but would show my fat knees.

Herecomes - like that dress also, but it feels a bit too Festival for a wedding maybe? I think it might be the black again that's slightly putting me off.

And MarkRuffalo. I can't do the 50s thing. I am not buxom enough, I would be worried about my arms and my calves are horrible. But thank you :)

My skin tone is sallow/olive. Browny/gold hair and brown eyes.

So grateful for the suggestions so far, they have given me some direction. YOu are all lovely.

[MarmiteMakesMeHappy]

bellabelly sorry, I missed your suggestion. I do wear seasalt and white stuff dresses a lot in the day time and actually own very similar, but yes, too informal

[herecomesthsun]

How about this?

[TheImprobableGirl]

No worries marmite- I know what you mean about the print. You sound a similar size to me, albeit 6 inches taller (so you could get away with the mid calf length dresses) assuming you have a good shoe lined up? Try to avoid ankle straps unless you have gazelle like ankle/calves as they make them look chunkier, and something a bit blockier of heel would be comfy as well as balancing out a larger calf :)