To think a normal length cotton dress with sleeves is in fact the Holy Grail

[Orangeanddemons]

Because I can't find one anywhere, apart from Boden which I don't like.

I'm tall, so knee length is short on me. I work in a school, I neither want maxi or above knee level. I want just below knee or above ankle. These don't exist.

If they do they are ponte hideousness. Who buys all these polyester mini dresses?

I know what you mean. All dresses seem to be sleeveless at the moment which is a pain because a) at the scho where I work staff aren't permitted to wear sleeveless clothing, and b) I have awful flabby upper arms I'd never want to inflict on anyone.

I hate most of the fashion out ATM. It is mostly unattractive, unflattering and dull. Hate hate hate.

I must be old.

Should read school, no idea what a scho is!

YANBU. The sleeveless thing in particular drives me up the wall.

Years ago I had a couple of lovely 'tea-dance' style dresses - cotton, just above mid-calf, short sleeve. I wore them until they fell apart and have never found anything as remotely nice, comfortable to wear but smart and appropriate for work since.

I feel old. Especially when I get dressed up and think "don't look so bad" (doesn't happen often, as I work from home so slop around in leggings or jeans) and then walk into DD on the landing and she says

"Dear god. You're not going out like that are you?"

It might be generally very biddyish, but Cotton Traders have some plain dresses with sleeves.

White stuff and fat face?

I've had this problem, I had to buy a dress that had to be over the knee but one that covered my shoulders too. I spents weeks searching the best i could find was just a a few cm above knee but didn't cover my shoulders.

all i could find was floor length or borderline undecent.

YANBU

missy I hate todays fashion too, I don't understand the obssession with tops that are barely longer than a bra, t-shirts saying yolo, swag or twerk.. i could go on and on.

I might have seen some on Seasalt.

eBay shops. I've just bought a divine fifties-style dress with 3/4 sleeves, properly on the knee, in 100% cotton, slightly stretchy.

I have given up on the high street.

Forgot the link...
www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/m/women/clothing/dresses-and-tunics

Would the cotton ones among these be too short on you, OP?

(I'm a midget so find it hard to guess.)

Therapy in house of fraser have some, though I'm shorter than you so they could still be too short. I've bought a few of their fake wrap dresses for Fridays.

Sorry Rigglin if you own any of those, but I'm not paying £50-75 for something that looks like it was made from the same material as my dead gran's housecoat.

Where are all the nice dresses for average-shaped women? WHERE??

I have one, I have one.... Try people tree- sleeves, fair trade cotton and just below my knees. Comfy comfy!

Have you tried East? Again, sometimes a bit biddyish, but i have got a couple of cotton empire line dresses with short sleeves for work, just below the knee on me but i am not tall :)

I had this problem last year and bought a nice dress from Banana Republic. Smart enough for work, it got me through the heatwave.

great plains have some in and look nice and might be what you are looking for? Their sizing is also good I find.

people tree have lots of cotton dresses

I can't help wondering if the bloody awful penny-pinching dress designs out there these days are one of the main reasons for the revival in home dressmaking.
Last year I spent a whole day in York failing to find a simple white linen or cotton shirt with a proper collar.

Unfortunately I dislike the whole FatFace/seasalt/White Stuff/ Mistral look. It is just not my style.....

But I just want a longish 100% woven cotton dress with sleeves- not a plastic skater style thing. And I cannot find one anywhere at all. Here are the places I have looked online
HoF
JL
phase 8
hush
Wrap
White Company
Poetry
Whistles
Jigsaw
Me&em
Debenhams
Monsoon
Zara
French Connection
Cos
M&S
Not one dress anywhere at a all

I have one, I have one.... Try people tree- sleeves, fair trade cotton and just below my knees. Comfy comfy!

OP try Hobbs.

I feel your pain. I have been searching for a summer dress for work and all the dresses are either too short (mid thigh length), maxi dresses, too low cut, sleeveless, shift dresses (which don't fit propery on me), made from viscose/polyester or too mother of the bride looking. House of Fraser has some nice dresses, but I can't justify spending the best part of £200 for a work dress.

I am waiting for a delivery of this dress. It isn't cotton, but if it fits it will have to do.

I hate shopping online because I am in between sizes and much prefer to try things on before buying. I "window shop" online then am often disappointed when the stores don't carry the stock.

Have also looked on Great Plains...not a sniff
People tree all look too short. I look shit in knee length. Have lumpy bumpy knees. Mid calf much more flattering on my height. But all the 'midi' dresses are plastic.

Have been eyeing this up....but the cost and the ironing is putting me offwww.poetryfashion.co.uk/product-V881-POEDS/dresses-skirts/maxi-shirt-dress.htm

Just a suggestion, but how about investigating a local seamstress and seeing if you can find one to either make you a dress or alter one? It is going to be more expensive than buying from the high street, but you should get something that is exactly what you want and fitted for you.