The ins and outs of knitted dresses

[PfftTheMagicDragon]

This is my first ever post in S&B, and I am somewhat terrified by clothes/make up/all that jazz so go easy on me please!

I need something to wear on a night out. I think we can get away with jeans and A Nice Top, but I was thinking about a knitted dress with some patterned tights.

Thing is - I'm very much a scruffy bugger casual person, I wear jeans day to day with t-shirts or the occasional casual shirt. I don't know where to start. I can't even find a Nice Top.

What I want to know is: knitted dresses - what are the rules? Being a fatty size 18 with large breasts, is it stupid to even try one? Should certain shapes stay away from them?
I have to buy online so no scope for trying on in shops.

Help me, wise women!

i think if you are naturally a scruddy jeans person, why not just zher zhazz that up and make it your same style?
does the style suit you?
i am increasingly of the opinion that knitted dresses have the capacity to be amazingly unflattering ( looks at self)

why not do nice jeans? and i mean SMART not your daily ones.
"feature shoes"

a long line top/cardigan/coatigan
and then a glittery underneath bit

Or
same but with a long plain top and then (gasp) glittery knitwear over like
oh god i cant find it now

If you feel good about your body then you could wear a knitted dress. If you haven't tried one on then what you need to know is that that they cling and therefore show off every curve (which may not be a bad thing)especially if you have big breasts. Could be very sexy. If you are tallish, have good hair, make up, big personality it could be great. If that is the case, think carefully about colour, for maximum effect.

i got the boden blue top
its nice and not tight "fabulous wooll jersey" www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Womens-Tops-T-shirts/Short-Sleeved-Tops/WL567/Womens-Fabulous-Wool-Jersey-Top.html?NavGroupID=18

A thin one would work - avoid the chunky ones.

id avoid it in toto tbh

From another size 18, I give you the following, all tried and tested on moi

this

this

this

All, you note, in the sale.

wow, thank you all, and so quickly!

I didn't think about them clinging - I would not feel comfortable in that case. It would be the sort of situation where I would talk myself into it and then chicken out at the last minute because it felt all wrong.

Wiki, I think you are right, this calls for a new pair of jeans (I can make something look worn out in about 3 wearings, it's a skill ) and a nice top, with glittery.

I have been looking on Next (just default boring) and found nothigng it's very uninspiring. Didn't want to go to Boden prices but can.

the dressed down sequin thing easy to do
even marks have lovely long line sequin vests hereand here - shove somehting looser on top and bob est ot ononcle

now shoes?

you must have a long line cardigan that isnt too day havent you?

good work wiki

I like "bob est on ononcle"

Most of what I have currently is too casual I think. I do have a sparkly cardy that I have worn out before but it is at the end of its days and needs replacing.

If one is wearing a long line top, does the cardigan over the top have to be long as well? Will a shorter one look silly?

I have a pair of flats that I could wear, am reluctant to buy new heels as I harldy ever wear them, but have ridiculous weakness for green shoes. I have fallen in love with these: but have no real reason to buy them

I cannot wear any higher than that.

And thank you, wiki.

I like that second Marks vest

I don't think that size matters - it's to do the "cling" factor of the dress (a bit difficult to tell if you're shopping online). I steer clear of knitted dresses as I would just melt, but I live in jersey dresses (tunic and empire) and opaques/patterned tights (which is kind of the same thing). Hope you find something nice.

What about skinny jeans and tunic top? With your sparkly cardi and those fancy shoes?

Oh gawd I would feel so uncomfortable in skinny jeans! Am thinking about going for slim fit (never do anything less than bootcut)...argh this is such a minefield.

Have seen a couple of nice tunics flinging.

I quite like these, opinions needed!

black tunic - I like the top of this one, and it would need something underneath, but not sure about the frilly bottom, would it look silly on top of anything bulkier than leggings? I am not wearing leggings.

Is this secretly hideous?

too much like a nightie? But I quite like it

I also like this

per una

i would wear all three of those over jeans :)

and i love the green shoes :)

if you have the norks, do you do cleavagey tops at all??

are you sure you wouldn't do skinny jeans?? or even jeggings? purple nighty top over blue skinnies avec les green shoes? non?

stars are v festive :)

but personally star print (and i love stars as well :() remind me of primarni circa 2008 :(

Jersey dresses are what you want. They skim over bad bulges whilst accentuating nice ones. I wouldn't do knitted.

Why not look for a lovely jersey wrap-over dress? You'd get so much wear out of it, you could wear it day or night, just jazz it up with a necklace.

Isabella Oliver's classic wrap dress is lovely and flattering - i have two!

I really don't like the green shoes at all, in any way, at any time, on anyone

beautiful

I won't hold your hatred of the green shoes against you.

Mayor - I see the appeal of skinny jeans and leggings, when it comes to versatility and they can look good. What you said about the purple top with leggings, I can see it. But not on me. My legs can't take it. Nothing could convince me that I would look anything other than awful in them. And Jeggings are in my top 5 most awful fashion items of all time. I'm glad you like the green shoes though.

Mayor, would you only wear the tunic tops over skinny jeans? Would you wear them over anything at all bulkier? I am not completely opposed to cleavage but would rather not - I don't currently have a cleavage bra and buying another bra is a stap too far at the mo.

The Isabella Oliver wrap dress

I think you should concentrate on plain, elegant, simple things, like wearing all one colour. if you're normally scruffty, start building up a more glam wardrobe gradually. Dresses are good as they only need shoes with them - if you start with tops, you'll probably need nicer jeans, some cardigans... It all gets a bit £££.

Hobbs dresses are SUPER flattering, by the way!

pfft you can do slim jeans ( lets nto say " skinny") even gaps sexy bootcut would do

JERSEY DOES NOT SKIM
it clings