Clothes for posh weekend away!

[TadlowDogIncident]

It's our silver wedding next month, and we're going to have a weekend away in a swish country house hotel. Which is lovely, but now I'm anxious about clothes - I wear suits at work, but the rest of my clothes are very casual, and I have no idea what to wear!

I'm 5'2", curvy size 8, very plain so have never spent much time on clothes as it always feels like putting lipstick on a pig. My style, such as it is, is very plain: I like trousers, simple shapes and plain colours. I could spring for a new outfit for dinner there so I don't completely let my DH down - any MN style mavens with suggestions?

[BumbleNova]

Little black dress of some description? What shape styles do you like? Any must haves? Anything you hate?

[BumbleNova]

This is navy but very lovely: www.whistles.com/women/clothing/dresses/amanda-lace-dress-24515.html?dwvar_amanda-lace-dress-24515_color=Navy#start=1

[LordPeterWimsey]

I don't wear dresses, unfortunately they make me look like a particularly unconvincing drag act. Last time I wore one was for DD's christening and the photos still make me wince! It does need to be trousers or I'll feel dreadfully uncomfortable all evening. I also really hate florals. Otherwise I'm willing to try more or less anything.

[BumbleNova]

I like this one: www.whistles.com/women/clothing/dresses/valentina-fluted-lace-dress-24734.html?dwvar_valentina-fluted-lace-dress-24734_color=Black#sz=60&start=61

[BumbleNova]

I like this one: www.whistles.com/women/clothing/dresses/valentina-fluted-lace-dress-24734.html?dwvar_valentina-fluted-lace-dress-24734_color=Black#sz=60&start=61

[TadlowDogIncident]

Sorry, the post earlier is me - had a name change fail.

[tigerdriverII]

I spy a name change fail.

I am rather a different shape from you but I've gone to some dressy dos recently in black pleather jeggings (not as desperate as it sounds), a diaphanous long shirt from John Rocha at Debenhams, with a black t shirt underneath and snakeskin flats.

I love this outfit, it's really smart but a zillion miles away from cruisewear.

[tigerdriverII]

Cross post!

[TadlowDogIncident]

That sort of thing might possibly work (though my legs are very short so I'd need heels to make it look OK on me). I have a nice pair of black fine cord skinnies that could go with a dressy shirt and a camisole.

[Laska5772]

A Lot of people have been linking this Phase eight jumpsuit. If you are curvy then it could look great on you? . Nice pair of heels would look good with it.. maybe a soft gold? You could always get the trousers shortened if needs be..

John lewis have plenty more nice jumpsuits or dressy trousers. Maybe go for a personal shopper appointment withthem?

Btw please .. No more 'very plain' or 'lipstick on a pig'!!..
if you keep saying this you'll never have the confidence to experiment.. ( this is kindly meant from one who did this for a lot of her life and now in her 50s has really made an effort to stop putting herself down and branchin out with style options and is much happier for it ) .

[tigerdriverII]

Honestly: you don't need heels - no one does. My shirt is really long, it could be an over the knee dress but has slits up the side.

[tigerdriverII]

That jumpsuit is lovely, as long of course that it doesn't make going to the loo a performance!!

[Laska5772]

Jumpsuit in your size on Phase Eight website

[TadlowDogIncident]

I like that jumpsuit, Laska: what would work over the top? I feel the cold so unless it's boiling that weekend I'll need some sort of cover-up. Thanks for the pep talk - I'm not as miserable or as anxious as my opening post makes me sound, I just don't really think about how I look most of the time (busy job, lots of other stuff going on), and then on the odd occasions when I do it's always a bit depressing.

tiger, I do need heels - my legs are really short even for my height, and heels (or wedges) balance things out a bit.

[Swimminguphill]

A plain black or navy blazer in a mannish cut or a silky/gauzy shirt, again in navy or black but not done up would look great over that jumpsuit.

[Laska5772]

Glad to hear it!!
This other jumpsuit might also look good, it has slimmer legs which may be better for your height and also a matching jacket

Phase Eight are suggesting either this jacket -which comes in several colours or a shrug cardi for the green, but im not so keen on them but i think a pasmina would be better (though MN stylistas might not agree!)

[TadlowDogIncident]

Sorry to sound ungrateful to the kind people who've made suggestions, but I've just noticed those jumpsuits are all polyester! Why is there nothing out there in natural fabrics? (I agree with everyone on the Sali Hughes thread about there being nothing out there for middle-aged women to buy.) The last jacket Laska linked is at least partly cotton.

[Squashit]

How about a maxi dress from The White Company and a cropped cashmere cardigan? All stuff you can dress up and use again.

Re makeup it sounds like you have previously tried stuff that is too much for your colouring. Look instead at a light textured foundation, bit of blUsher, tinted lip crayon, a highlighter on cheekbones and a bit of mascara.

[Squashit]

This one is linen.

[Eastpoint]

Do you live somewhere near a Space NK? Their assistants are all good at gentle make up if that is what you prefer. Nothing to scare you, just to make you look like the best version of you.

[TadlowDogIncident]

Hmm, could possibly contemplate a maxi dress if it was a very plain cut with no frills. The thing I can't do is show my legs.

The drag act issue isn't my make-up, it's my hair and the bones of my face. Even if I wear no make-up at all, if I wear anything too conventionally feminine I look all kinds of wrong.

[AWholeLottaRosie]

Have you looked at Mint Velvet? they tend to do plain shapes and muted colours (although sadly lots of polyester)

[sweetheart]

Daytime suggestion for me....get some well fitting jeans, plain white blouse and a blazer....Maybe a Bretton top to go under the blazer too

[TadlowDogIncident]

Good idea - any suggestions for blazers? I tried one from Pure Collection a few weeks ago, as it happens, and it was a shapeless tent that I had to send back. I have jeans and white shirts.

[TadlowDogIncident]

Bumping in case anyone has any good ideas about where I could get a blazer..