Caught out by the hot weather again!! Need Help Please?

[mumat39]

Just wondering what everyone wears in this heat?

I'm 43, a bit of a chubby size 14/16 and I haven't got anything to wear.

I have abut 3 lightweight tops but no dresses or light summery trousers. My DD wasn't well for a few days so I didn't have to leave the house. She went back to nursery on Friday and I ended up wearing a pair of dark jeans and one of the tops and my ancient fitflops.

Honestly, I feel so drab and felt hot. All the other mums were in lovely things. Crop trousers, dresses, sunglasses, etc and just all looked lovely and cool.

My few tops are actually in some colours other than black. I tend to shop online as I can't face going to the shops. When I do venture to the shops I only see black trousers or more jeans.

I would love to wear things that would be effortlessly stylish and not so drab and frumpy.

I don't like my legs and have alot of veins and big ish calves and smallish ankles.

I tend to shop (that's an overstatement!!) in dorothy perkins but do venture into other shops. I have in the past taken in lots of things into the changing rooms but nothing ever looks right. I think Maxi dresses look lovely but not on me. I always look like I'm quite a few months pregnant. Also, some fabrics like jersey seem to cling in all the wrong places but anything that is pure cotton, just looks like a tent.

So has anyone got any ideas for a few outfits I could wear just for everyday stuff like popping to the supermarket, or for a walk or the school run or the other everyday sort of things that we all do when we have kids. Mine are 4.5 and 2.5 by the way. :)

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

You sound just like me. I desperately want something light and cool for work but end up wearing my usual black trousers and short sleeved jersey top - and swelter in this heat.

I went into town today and just couldn't face trying on outfits, not that I saw anything suitable - some nice skirts, but not long enough to hide my legs.

Sorry I'm no help at all to you and I hope you don't mind me joining your thread to find something suitable to wear before I melt!

If you're not keen on your legs (I share your pain btw!) could you cope with cropped jeans? They are very flattering if they finish under the wide part if your calf to show off the slimmer part of your leg.

Then take a peek at Fat Face online - they still have some nice things in their sale, cotton loose fitting tops etc. I steer well clear of jersey fabrics in this weather.

Not at all. In a way, it's good to know it's not just me. [relieved emoticon]

I don't know about you, but I spend too much time worrying about what to wear and then just putting on the same things day in day out. I hate that. I just want a few things that I can throw on that make me feel proud of how I look for a change. I know it's only clothes, but it does get me down. I also want to be a 'cool' and stylish instead of frumpy and drab.

I hope someone can help us both. :)

Thanks PuffPants. I'll have a look.

I did a mass shop the other day
Cropped slouch jeans from sainsburys
Polka dot top from sainsburys
Denim skirt from m&s
Gold sandals from asda
Cropped cotton trousers from asda

I have 2 summer dresses, both bravissimo (eBay) that the sandals go with and loads of vest tops and shrugs. Also a pair of hush puppies sandals in black and white

I tend to be quite casual though, and am usually in work uniform/riding gear/gym stuff

We dont have a big sainsburys near us that does clothes but I'll try and find one and see if i can get to it. thanks.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is hard.

Go shopping (weekday morning if possible) and try on loads. If it doesnt suit you put it back on the rail and move on to the next item.

Dont get down if it doesnt suit you. I'm a size 6-8 and lots of things dont suit me! maxi dresses for instance look rubbish on me and I really want to wear them.

I agree re cropped jeans - for hot weather go for coloured ones. Trendy and availaable now but will always look good on sunny days. Try Uniqlo and Next - get loads and have a try on at home and send back what doesn't work. Stripy t shirts and loose shirt (Gap or supermarkets are good) to go with - bit of a uniform but easy to find and wear. M and S has good cheap necklaces at the mo which pretty things up well. I also have 2 linen skirts - 1 from Brora and 1 from Kew - kneee length plain colour but detail at hem ruffle on 1 and embroidery on other, which go with all kinds of tops but particularly the stripy top and shirts. Then a cotton cardi and some leggings and it all works for chilly days too! Try H and M for cardi and leggings. Pretty flip flops and you're done - Next

I have the same issue - I managed to buy some new tops last year (then got pg so ended up back in my looser old favourite t-shirts) but I am walking around atm in jeans/cords - not too great.

Anyway, what helped me last year was having a personal shopper session (we went to Debenhams) - lots of suggestions, most of which I wouldn't have looked at if left to my own devices. Could you try something like that?

M&S linen trousers are good, loose and loads of colours. You need to size down as linen really stretches out. Only£16 too. Also M&S beach trousers, loose and light feeling. They are called plaited beach trousers I think.

Pale khaki linen trousers and a white top is always cool and fresh looking and with some nice accessories can be quite glam.

Metallic sandals are fab too, they go with everything, much better than black. Like silvery Birkenstocks or something, casual but still smart.

Dorothy Perkins vests are fab too, I have some of the ruffled ones and even though I have massive knockers (34HH) they are very flattering and wash really well.

If you want to cover up a bit but it's too hot for a cardi or shrug, I like a short sleeved blouse/shirt unbuttoned over a vest. Hides a multitude and feels nice and airy too.

Agree with linen trousers. Primary have millions of colours for £10. They also have cropped ones. Gap for Ts.
I went into White Stuff the other day and the assistant was amazing. She just kept bringing things for me to give me ideas. I may have just been lucky, but maybe that is their ethos - i'd go for a look anyway such lovely stuff and designed with 30+ in mind. I left with a fab, wear anytime dress I would have never contemplated (and have barely taken it off).

I'm a curvy size 16 and have bought this in the blue spotty fabric and this in the pink and white fabric. They are knee length on me (5' 2") and look lovely with wedges or pretty flip flops. I actually think dresses look nicer on ladies with a generous calf - I hate my horrible skinny white legs dangling down! There's 25% off at Joules but it ends today.

I've tried to wear more dresses lately to avoid the jeans/tshirt uniform that I usually wear. I have some cropped denim leggings in both dark and light fabric. They stop just under my calves and look lovely with tunic style tops like this

I may just go and have a look at the M&S linen trousers though.

Thanks everyone for your help, I really am very grateful

DD had a birthday party today which was a lovely fun occasion. It was a house party and held in the lovely sunny hot garden. I was again in my dark jeans and one of my light tops. Everyone else, no matter what size or shape, looked lovely and summery. Even the birthday girls granny was more appropriately dressed than me. So tomorrow when DD is at nursery in the afternoon, I shall try and get to M&S and Matalan and will see what I can find in the way of linen trousers and cropped trousers.

I have a confession to make, I am so desparate that I sometimes watch the fashion on QVC and have even got 2 pairs of unopened 3/4 length trousers upstairs that need to be sent back and that was just too much of a desparate moment.

By the way, the tops I do have are these, and although they look nothing like they do on the model, they are at least lightweight and not black. But would they work with wide legged linen trousers? I have an old pair that I tried them on with and I just looked like a wide rectangle shape. I am a curvy hourglass pear shape. If not, what sort of tops would work with the linen trousers you mention, that would hide all my wobbly bits without making me look like a routemaster bus ?

Many many thanks again and hope you've all had a love weekend and have enjoyed this glorious weather.
xx

these oops sorry

this maxi dress is totally flattering and easy peasy to wear - add sandals, possibly a shrug cardi, remember to shave pits - done.

tea dress is lovely, if you don't like flashing legs then wear some cropped navy or white leggings underneath - wear with
sandals - done.

And any wrap dress with leggings really - such an easy look to pull off in the summer and in the winter team with boots and cardi or jacket - really versatile.

Have fun with the shopping Mumat39. Don't put yourself under pressure ... only buy things that make you want to do a victory dance in the changing room! Its due to cool down a bit so you are buying to be ready for the next hot spell.
I have a Next top like that and find I can only wear it with jeans or slim trousers as otherwise its too 'enlarging'! Wide legged trousers can be tricky for the curvier amongst us. Slimmer fitted tops are better with them. I have huge boobs and plenty of wobbly bits but a jersey top looks better than something more voluminous. Shirts too can be tied at the front and look more 'classic'. Summer ones can be very thin and lovely and cool. Or try straighter trousers - even cropped flares (think they are last year but I love mine and I know Uniqlo have them this year). Its tempting to go for extra material if you are covering up but sometimes something a bit more slim line can be cooler and look prettier. The rough idea is slim on top, wide on bottom or vice versa.
By the way, Gap has free delivery online today and 30% off T shirts. They have brilliant customer service too so returns are easy. Might be worth a quick look at White Stuff too if you can - online or in real life - they have loads of tops and skirts that would 'prettify' things easily without being too mad. They often have offers too - check voucher codes to see!