please help desperately need ideas for something to wear to a wedding!

[bossykate]

hello everyone

spent a very discouraging morning today (in the fanstastic sunshine - grrr!) searching for something to wear to a wedding dh and i are going to in a couple of weeks. i don't want to go and ds is not invited - double grrr!

searched everywhere but couldn't find anything. to give you an idea. covent garden, went to lk bennett, jigsaw, next, mexx, gap, m&s, french connection, zara, nicole farhi, east, whistles, hobbs, monsoon...

in short, i tried everywhere i thought might have things that might fit me, i'm not proud...

there seem to be an awful lot of floaty, floral, chiffony things around atm and while those would be perfect for a wedding, at 5'10" and size 14 on top and 16 on the bottom, suspect i would look like an up-ended chintz sofa if bedecked in florals...

am desperate for some inspiration, if anyone could help by suggesting styles, shops etc I'd be so grateful.

thanks in advance

ps - there is really nothing in my existing wardrobe which will do... otherwise, i would not be shelling out any more for this, believe me...

Nothing useful, the only thing you seem to have skipped is Ghost (out of my £ but apparently is great)

BUT, a friend and me are similar sizes and I've got a good dress, she owns a fab jacket & hat and I've got the shoes so between us we can do 'occasions' without us both having to go mad so why not check out your mates wardrobes ?

ho BossyKate

I am in a similar boat as I have a friends wedding 10 days before my EDD - its a black tie do and I'm really struggling for what to wear. I think I am just going to go with basics from in wardrobe and jazz it up with fancy pashmina/shawl and bag etc.

no help to you but to let you know you are not alone!

Having said that did find dress in Ann Harvey (shop for large ladies!) but as have a wedding 4 weeks after EDD that want to use same outfit for didn't think it was practical for b/f! Have you tried any of the shops for big women eg Evans, Ann Harvey etc.

Bk, my sister recently came home with some fab (and reasonably priced) stuff from Fenwicks after doing the personal shopper thing for the first time. She REALLY enjoyed herself, much to her surprise, and has got things she would not normally have tried on herself. Give it a go - she is a penniless BBC employee and was on a strict budget - and they didn't even grab her bust or backside, or make her stand in a mirrored cabinet.
Failing that, as Twink says, GHOST. Fabulous stuff and cut to look good on real gals as well as catwalk models. Assuming you have any ££ left after Bedruthan Steps

bossykate, I have always found that as long as I wore a stunning hat, it didn't matter what was on the rest of me. I rarely buy a new dress for a wedding or special event. I have a collection of hats with bits of fruit and/or flowers on them and just wear one of them. (I would offer to lend you one, but they are all in la.) Try one of the cheaper shops (primark, h&m) for a simple (non-floral) dress and then jazz it up with a hat from a proper hat shop.

Try Next, they have this wonderful color cream trouser suit, it's not too expensive and it has a very slimming effect on people with a Je-Lo derrier. A friend of mine tried it the other day and she is not Kate Moss, but she looked gorgeous in it! She was so surprised (you would never think of a cream pair of trousers as slimming!) that she bought it straight away. She is also going to a wedding and she will wear a corset underneath it, with a floral scarf and high sandals and a pretty small bag.

The look was very sophisticated, Kate Winslet meets Hollywood kind of style.

Try also Phase Eight, they do these lovely floral skirts with matching jackets, so you don't have to wear floral chiffon head to toe.
The skirts are so flattering that I ended up buying one when I was 28 weeks pregnant and had to go to a wedding and really love it.

When we go to weddings (thankfully more and more rarely these days, most friends seem to have 'done the deed'!) I almost always wear my one smart black skirt, with my smart handbag and smart black shoes/sandals (depening on weather). I have a selection of nice blouses (though sometimes buy a new one) and keep it all very plain. I'm a larger size than you bossykate and know what you mean about the florals - makes me feel like a pair of curtains. If I'm not taking children I add nice dangly earings (if I am taking children I am liable to get my lobes ripped) and I have a silver necklace/earrings/brooch set that was my own wedding jewellry that I usually wear. I dont do a hat unless I can't avoid it. If it is cold I wear a long coat, if it is moderate I wear my black blazer and if it is warm I go without a coat at all.
No-one is looking at you anyway!! Hope you can find something to suit.

How about trying some of the Indian shops in Wembley (Ealing Road), Southall (never been there so don't know the road/shops to try) or Kingsbury in North West London - I'm sure you'd look really elegant in a salwaar khameez and it will be cheaper than the dresses at the shops you have tried.

I've bought sari fabric in southall and had it made into a western style dress by a seamstress. The fabric was so beautiful and so cheap, that it ended up as a really economical way to get an amazing dress.

thanks so much for all these excellent suggestions! there's hope after all! thanks so much

Would second phase 8. Have you tried Austin Reed? There's one on Liverpool Street. Also try that row of shops along Bishopsgate after the station entrance - there's a karen Millen, Episode and Jesire I think and the last two do some nice stuff (Well so do Karen Millen but it wouldn't fit me )

bossykate

Phase Eight has some great wedding outfits - nice trouser suits in white (depending on age of children!!) - they also have great hats - Phase eight has some shops and are also have a small stock in John Lewis.

happyspider et al

V sorry for only skim reading this thread...all been said before bossykate!

Bossykate, Linea do really nice things that are good for your sort of shape (same as mine!) Not too floaty etc. They are in House of Fraser shops, ie Barkers in Kensington, DH Evans on Oxford street. I spend hours and hours trolling round all the shops you mentioned and end up with nothing. When I go to Linea I end up with so many things I can't afford them all!

When I said my shape is the same as yours I didn't add "but I am only 5'5!"

Can I second the ghost option. I bought my wedding dress there, and I'm size 18/20 and was 7 month pregnant at the time.

thanks again to everyone for these suggestions! they are all excellent.

one of the reasons i'm grumpy about this is that i just DO NOT HAVE TIME atm to spend ages b**y shopping! so unfortunately will not be able to pursue all of them, but it has given me some very good ideas on where to focus tomorrow.

thanks so much - this has really helped