The ultimate dress...

[ApplesandBananas]

Can you help me? I don't generally buy designer clothes but need a 'wow' dress that has to be elegant. Budget of around £1000.

I had a look on the Selfridges website, and like this -

www.selfridges.com/en/Womenswear/Categories/Dresses/Evening/Knot-detail-shift-dress_159-78064228-DEO RA50183157/

but it's out of stock. And it's nice, but not 'wow'. But it gives an idea of the tone I'm going for - is needed for a work do, professional but glam.

Am a size 10, not very booby and don't suit strapless at all. And needs to be knee-length or close to it.

Maria Grachvogel?

Nimbus

Dante (if you can carry off the colour and live with that neckline, it's certainly a statement)

Ewe, that first dress is fabulous. I am very tempted. More sober than the Gucci, perhaps more suitable. But very elegant.

The second dress - my colouring and skin tone are the same as that dress, unfortunately!!

I like the McQueen as well. But I think my favourite so far is Roksanda Ilincic.

The Dante is similar to Ewe's Burberry - difficult to see where the dress stops and I start!!

Do you have shoes Apples? - that is my specialist subject.

Here? also in Black

Not sure, they may have been linked before...

Roberto Cavalli

Herve Leger

Jason Wu

Alexander McQueen (probably too short)

Bottega Veneta

Valentino

Donna Karan (if you are tall)

Only 700 quid over budget

I'd suggest a trip Liberty or Browns.

Matches has a great selection but the staff (and owners) are utterly vile, so am loathe to suggest that anyone spends money in there!

Roland Mouret makes beautiful classic dresses and I'd also recommend Erdem, Alexander McQueen and Lanvin.

Good luck and have lots of fun finding a frock

Here

Thank you all.

Yes please, Choogirl, any shoe suggestions (of a similar designer-ness) would be gratefully received

Prof Layton, those dresses are lovely, but generally wouldn't suit me - too much skin on show, too trendy. I need classic shapes and cuts, I just look odd if I try to be too fashionable or edgy.

I've buy quite a bit in Matches, but always at the lower end (for them). And it's still the not knowing what I'm looking for that makes it all too much like hard work, so I can't quite bring myself to commit to the big spend!

I love the St John selection, too.

that bottega one is gorgeous.

Tethersend, I like that one too, maybe a touch too evening=y compared to the other Roksanda Ilincic.

But lots of designers I'd never heard of to look out for, thanks.

Yes, the Bottega is lovely.

Love the Bottega one too but haven't looked through all.

Back tomorrow for a better look. Very lovely indeed.

The GuccI is stunning.

If you're shopping in a store like Matches, you should be able to say to the salesperson that you want to spend x amount on such and such - in this case a really wow dress and some shoes and the person helping you should pull you a selection of stuff for you to try on and at no expectation for you to buy it, that's what the staff at Matches are actually there for. I used to work there (hence my intense hatred of the place) and this is what the staff do. Indeed, any competent salesperson should know their stock inside out and be able to pull a selection that fulfills the customers brief and possibly show them things the client wouldn't probably consider and hopefully know just by looking at the customer what will look great on them.

In my experience, if the customer, like you, doesn't know what they're after, that's not a problem as chances are you'll know the minute you slip the right dress on.. so it's up to you to try on as much as possible and be open to suggestions.
When you shop at Matches, do you have a regular salesperson? If you do and you like them, have a chat next time you go in there.
A really good unbiased salesperson should have a wide knowledge and if they're really good and not commission orientated, they might just suggest something from another store.

It's at times like this I wish I was still a personal shopper at matches as I'd get you to come see me and I'd find you a frock be it there or somewhere else!!

So, my advice is be open to suggestions and try on as much as possible.

I have these choos which will go with everything.

I also recommendLouboutin New Simple Pump which are more comfortable than they look and would work well in a professional work setting.

Right, trying to go more classic...

Yves St Laurent black silk wrap dress

Alberta Ferretti blue dress

Ralph Lauren shawl collar dress

Blumarine black 3/4 sleeve dress

Collette Dinnigan chocolate lace dress

Alberta Ferretti black 3/4 sleeve dress

Alberta Ferretti blue belted silk dress

Valentino black silk jersey dress

Roberto Cavalli printed dress

Choogirl, both those pairs of shoes are fabulous. And ProfLayton, I love the black Valentino.

Time for bed now but will have a look again tomorrow. Am starting to enjoy myself!

Such lovely lovely dresses.

Think I'd go to Harvey Nichols but thats my favourite shop in the world if only I had the budget. Selfridges was looking a little tired last time I was there.

But then I've never used a personal shopper.

Hells has used Selfridges personal shopping and had a brilliant time and they got her some lovely stuff to try on.

Choo's choos are gorgeous indeed.

This is such a fun thread - love a bit of vicarious dress shopping.

I like the sort of dresses you discribed - they usually suit me to. I'd go for these sorts of things:-

nice structure

nice classic dress

might be a bit plain

calvin Klein classic

plain but lovely

yum

D&G classic

very very nice and NOT BLACK!

more evening wear

similar to the VB dress

OMG yum Alexandra McQueen

The wrap St Laurent wins hands down. So classy - and you could wear it forever.

Oh this is my favourite thread EVER.....

(have just seen I called St Laurent dress black when it's green . Too much cutting-and-pasting...)