Hi
I'm a independant stylist and personal shopper and a pear shaped size 20 on top and a bit bigger on the bottom.
Monsoon have two knitted dresses that are lined and very flattering. Both are black, cost £65 and can be dressed up or down.
The Julianne crochet dress is VERY forgiving and only needs minimal magic knickers. It goes up to a size 20 but the hip area definitely has room for a little more than that. It's knee length if you're around 5'6"and has quite a bit of weight to the dress so it hangs well.
I've lived and died in this dress since buying it a few weeks back. Great with boots or shoes and just needs a statement necklace or scarf to add some colour.
The other Monsson dress is the Milly Pointelle dress. Lighter in weight and more knitted. Even if you're bigger it drapes nicely with good arm coverage and a flattering knee length. It definitely needs some medium compression shapewear to give a really smooth line but again a value for money dress as you can accessorise to dress it up or down.
I'm off to M&Co today for a reccie but probably not soon enough to recommend something specific. I'd just say if you're size 20 and under go for their main range and not the plus size - it's just not the most flattering as lots of plus size lines work on the basis of lots of fabric to cover up our problem areas - this goes against the rules of good styling. Extra fabric in our biggest area just makes us look bigger. Choose a fit that skims rather than clings as clingy adds 'heft' factor.
Don't forget the accessories - choose a necklace maybe that mimics your skin and hair tone or has a bead or stone that picks out your eye colour. The eye loves to look for 'patterns' so if we compliment our natural assets we can pull together a harmonious look that other people see as total picture rather than focusing on one particular area or item.
Remember to shop like continental women. They walk into a shop and look for items that draw attention to their best bits. British women tend to go looking for something that covers up the bits of their body they hate. Before you go shopping today sdecide what's your best feature and look for clothing that highlights it even more.
Hope that helps a little and let us know what you buy!!