Help me to wear dresses- I feel overdresssed.

[ameliagrey]

Help me. I am always in jeans or skinny leg cords.

This winter I've bought a tunic- charcoal merino with pockets at front- and a dress that's a knitted shift dress in charcoal.

I wear both with either thick tights and chunky flat boots , or leggings.

BUT- I tend to keep thes outfits for "best" and never really wear them. i think it's partly because I feel older in them- I am 50-ish but people think I am much younger mainly I think because I tend to dress smart casual and not Alexon or CC!

I've got a good figure ( size 10) and look okay, so I am told, but I always feel over dressed in anything but jeans or casual trousers.

I work from home anyway, but go out to meet friends for lunch or go to exhibitions etc in London.

Please convince me I can wear my dressses.

Hmm, A pear with norks????
That sounds like an hour glass but I am not that glam. When I lose weight my norks vanish and I am definately a pear...... Yup I guess I am spiritually a pear.

Something like this maybe?

John Lewis (and I think Debenhams) are both good as they allow you to search by 'A-line' and lots of other criteria.

What sort of colours do you wear?

Maybe something like this with a dark top underneath and dark leggings

more White Stuff

this might be a good shape to look for, (though this particular one is no good as only in size 8).

They are both really lovely but way too short for me I am afraid.

Colours that work for me are navy, puples, red, emerald green - strong colours really. Creams, browns and pastels are a bit meh.

I will look at the sites you recommend but I fear that the dimensions just won't work.

Have just looked at Long Tall Sally as I know that they will fit me but the styles were uninspiring to say the least.

Thanks

Yes, sorry I'm a short-arse so not very good at knowing the best places to look for longer styles.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along

If you type 'tall' into shopstyle.co.uk then 'day dresses' this selection comes up - might be worth a look?

The search results might be a bit random in places but might pick out some 'taller' styles.

House love your recommendations. Im short arse like you where else do you buy dresses. I desperatley want to get into wearing them. Im 5'3" curvy size 14 large of norkage 32gg small waist and big hips. HELP.
And what on earth do you wear on your feet? I have chunky calves (from too much step aerobics years ago!!)

Thank you I really don't know much about shopping, have only started to buy dresses recently.

I don't buy from a particular range - when I shop I just have a 'search image' (in my case a plain, A-line, just above the knee dress in non-nylony fabrics) and trawl through loads of websites.

Ones which have good Advanced Search facilities are good, like John Lewis, Debenhams and Shopstyle, but there must be more.

One of my favourite knitted dresses came from M&S though they don't do it any more, boo.

I do the same with boots - to go with short dresses I know I want high ankle or mid-calf and in a certain colour, so just type that into Javari and lust after all the ones I can't afford

I want to wear more dresses as well, but I have lived in trousers for all of my adult life. What dresses would flatter an, ahem, larger than I'd like figure?
Web links appreciated! I tend to like bold and fancy the idea of tunics with something, but what?!

I am thinking about ordering this and this - could they be worn together? I don't do short sleeves.

..and what shoes?

Fizzy - I like the cardigan but not sure about the dress, it's a nice shape but my eyes keep being drawn to the pattern on the norks! Might just be that picture though. It's also more of a proper 'dress', not sure how it would look with leggings or thick tights. But as I say, I don't really know about these things so am prepared to be corrected

Yes, I have, errrm, larger norks than I like and I think it might draw attention to them. I like the idea of tunics with tights but I don't know about them either.

If your bust measurement is larger than your hips you could probably get away with straighter cut dresses/tunics, there are lots about. It's would also be easier for you to wear sweater dresses as those tend to have a clingy hem which are no good for pear shapes.

they are no good for my fat, podgy tummy either! Roll on weight loss in the new year.....

Can someone please tell me what shape I am. 5'7", size 10, small of boob, slim of back, not hippy and decidedly pot-bellied!! Apple never seems quite right. It's my tummy that is my big problem area.

Anyway, lovely links. I've a couple of knitted dresses from last year and the year before. A boden dress from 2 years back simply makes me look pregnant now so I don't wear it anymore. I have a lovely White Company knitted dress which is okay if I don't eat too much. I missed the best part of a day's food a couple of weeks ago as I was stuck in hospital with DS - my stomach was almost flat at bedtime instead of it's usual distended look. Maybe starving myself is the answer ... reaches for another Roses chocolate! Ordered the Hush Amy dress recently but it was too clingy around my midriff. Think this is lovely from Celtic Sheepskin.

Donna Love your dress but one question. On the model it almost has a V back. Is it a very deep cowl or has it been exaggerated for that photo? Am tempted to order a couple to try.

Any ideas what shape I should go for. I'm very like Amelia in that I live in jeans but yearn to get out of them. I tend to wear dresses or tunic and leggings only on a Sunday which is silly but agree with posters who say to wear them more often and they will feel less dressy.

Millie - I haven't ever shopped for your shape, but I had a friend who sounds similar to you. She always looks good in loose tunics to hip length, and slim-fit trousers. Might be worth making sure you have a well-fitting bra with a bit of moulding in the cups to pull the tunic out at the bust so it drapes better? Re bloating, sorry if you've already been down this road but might be worth cutting out certain foods to see if it helps, wheat is an obvious culprit.

There's a link here - Trinny and Susannah shapes which may or may not help!

Fizzy - yes sweater dresses can be hard when they cling in the wrong places . Something that's a more clearly defined tunic or dress usually works better, for me anyway.

A good website is howtolookgood.com which is stylist Caryn Franklin. She has written a series of ebooks about shopping for different styles.

Thanks House ... interesting! Apple is what I'm closest too but not resembling their Apple-shaped pictures. If it werent for my tummy, I'd be a ... gosh, I don't know, closer to a column but not a really tall column! . Good tips though!

That How To Look Good website is good thanks Sharon - a few links to it here:

standard figures

fuller figures

petite

tall

You have to scroll down on all these.

Millie, I'm you size (just an inch or two taller) and I actually wear the navy merino dress in the pic mostly reversed (ie, the cowl is on my cleavage side). It's a very modest opening, about my hand's width down from my collarbones, well above my bra line, not scoopy or daring in any way. I can easily wear it reversed (with the cowl on the back side) and not fee exposed in any way, but I think the material just drapes more prettily on me if I wear the cowl in the front (and the soft drapes flatter my flattish chest).

Oh- I didn't realise there were updates here! These are the dresses I have bought- all with at least 20% off.

i've got good legs even though I say so myself- andwear the tunic with thick lacy tights or leggings.

The shift dress is a bit straight up and down- might think of trying a belt with it.

www.thewhitecompany.com/clothing/dresses-and-tunics/tipped-placket-tunic/

www.thewhitecompany.com/clothing/dresses-and-tunics/texturedbodice-dress/

www.thewhitecompany.com/clothing/dresses-and-tunics/simple-knit-dress/

One issue I have is that my every day coat is 3/4 length, so wearing tunics/shorter dresses and a shorter coat can make me look mutton as lamb as the whole look is "mini".

^ I have bought one of the merino dresses from The White Co and found it did not wear well. The material was quite thin from the start and after a few wears it has started to bobble. I have rung customer service and should receive a return label. Hope yours wears better as I like the styling and plain colours.

Was gutted as I have a merino jumper in thicker material which is ancient and looks brandnew.

Am no help re the coat scenario, I often put on skinny jeans over my tights before I go out (mainly to keep warm) and team with a shortish biker jacket. My winter coat is really long. If your legs are good, you wear flat boots, etc I wouldn't worry about mutton/lamb at all.

I have a White Company dress from last year which is a dream! Didn't see one that suited me this year though.