Don't know how to dress anymore - Back to work next week - Please help!

[MrsKitty]

Oh God. I have no idea how to dress these days, I don't know what suits me, I don't know where to shop... I go back to work next week after maternity leave and I have nothing in my house that fits that I would be happy walking in to the office in.

Help!

I'm a size 20 (but am currently on WW and have lost 2 stone so far) 5ft 2" (short and fat - marvellous ) and I think I'm an 'apple' shape.

I don't want to spend a fortune, as obviously I intend to carry on losing weight, but I do need a few things just so I don't feel like a big pile of frumpy shit when I get back to work.

Don't need suits - Work wear is on the casual side of smart, so trousers/tops, dresses, knitwear etc. And if anyone can find me a pair of flattering, well fitting good quality black trousers I will love you forever .

Oh and one more question...Skinny trousers with boots & a long line top - can fat girls get away with that? Or not? It's not a look I've ever considered for me, but I tried on a pair earlier in the week, and although they didn't fit (Ok on waist, too baggy elsewhere) I thought the overall premise was OK. Opinions?

I'll be in & out of this thread as DD napping & I have a million & 1 things to get done...

I agree on the colour thing - I always try to stick with things that will go together, although that does mean I've got an awful lot of black in my wardrobe (and I think I'm getting to an age where I can't carry it off anymore - makes me too pale)

I like brown, purple, burgundy, and I think they generally suit my colouring (light brown hair, blue eyes, fair skin)

But what shapes should I be looking for? And where do I shop? I've had around 18 years of being stuck with no other choice than Evans, (and that shop depresses the hell out of me) aside from a brief stint in my 20s where I slimmed down to a 12. I'm a small 20 now, apart from in M&S whose size seem to have gone very strange , but I just don't know where to look for these simple/capsule items that I need...

Off out in a minute, but any more advice very gratefully received

I would start off by getting your hair done. It's amazing how a new 'do can all of a sudden make your existing clothes look better.

Other than that, as a size 16 shortass I find that sticking to tailored 'staples' works best for me, and much better to find something body-skimming (I live in a Boden linen tailored dress) in a dark colour whatever your size, and then add splashes of colour to make you look confident and cheerful. Avoid jersey. And if you have a round face or short neck, scarves.

So this would be my 'typical' outfit for work:

Boden black linen tailored dress (also have one very similar from Kew)
Coloured tights + long black boots if dressing it 'down', flesh coloured tights and coloured shoes if dressing up
A coloured bolero cardigan or other cardie
A chunky necklace in the same colour as the cardie

So it all looks put together but basically revolves around just one item.

Had my hair done last week . Main problem is old work clothes are either too big (a good thing) or too small (a bad thing). I don't seem to have been at work at this size before!

I don't know what Boden's sizing is like, but I've just ordered 2 dresses in a 20. I will worry about the credit card bill when it arrives, and hope they hold their value on ebay for when I get a bit smaller...

Any more ideas in case these dresses don't work for me?

This is what I've ordered, by the way, in black - I was going to try blue, but chickened out!

and this in mouse - love the purple but can't wait 3 weeks!

Yes, either buy cheap things from Asda you can chuck or decent stuff from Boden that you can sell - don't buy expensive stuff from labels that don't sell well on ebay - say, Kaliko or CC.

I think you'll live in the first dress, but the 2nd is quite chunky and, I think, may just add bulk as it doesn't have a lot of shape but you'll have to see once it's on. (I hosted a Boden party earlier this season so I've already seen it in the flesh, when everyone was buying it in the green).

The only prob I have with Boden is that the v necklines go too low for me and you can always see my bra (this is not a good thing btw)

I really like that first dress, am trying to recall if I've seen it?

Yes, I noticed on the reviews that a lot of people have said the neckline is low...Will have to solve that with a vest I guess. Fingers crossed it fits!

What does Boden sizing come up as, anyway? Is it generous or not so much? I had a lovely surprise in John Lewis today when the dress I tried in a 20 was way too big, so I got a 18. It was quite a generous cut, but still! (Have tried to find a link but it's not on their website - Is a lovely purple knitted dress with a ruffly bit at the front.) Also bought a lovely new bra today. Still feeding DD, but I figure I won't be feeding her at work, and since I've just bought a load of dresses I'll just have to strip off to feed her when we get home .

Given that I'd hoped not to spend too much money, I've not done very well .