Challenge for you - the perfect post natal dress

[worriedwretch]

I need a dress -

It must be size 14/16 (I've put on a fair old chunk)
It must be suitable to wear with leggings
I'm 5ft 7

I can't find any thing ...

Joules?

www.joules.com/en-GB/Womens-Dress/Navy/N_RORI/ProductDetail.raction

Joules again but spotty
Is it for every day? Sleeves/no sleeves?

www.joules.com/en-GB/Womens-Dress/Navy/N_MONICA/ProductDetail.raction

They are pretty but I'm basically looking to buy 5/6 dresses that I can wear after had baby - whilst I get on with having 3 under 5

• so effortless dresses that I can chuck on that slim / skim over my large post natal belly and extra back and leg fat :)

This was my emergency 'have to look good' dress. I had a stack of weight on and the dress looks plain but INCREDIBLY flattering. Unbelievably flattering. Much nicer IRL than on the site. I'm 5'6" and post babies was a 14 to 16.

I know it's probably not ideal with leggings, but the length is v nice, no chubby knees on show. Plus I found their customer service to be excellent.

That dress does look lovely but I need every days / school run etc
Type easy clothes

Tunics?

I rather like some white stuff stuff

Have you looked at Asda or Tesco?
I have a few casual dresses from there
Dorothy Perkins is usually my go to as well

Do you need to be able to bf in them?

Ooh I wonder...
Sainsburys had some v neck fake wrap dresses in, v cute with prints. Was a thread on them somewhere as ideal for bf
They were in the sale, might have some left in? I have a purple and a blue one that I wear with leggings, I stick a vest top under too

Regards BF I normally just wear vest tops ( stretchy ones
With spaghetti straps) under whatever normal top /
Dress to hide belly and pull up the top.

French Connection have a tie-waisted dress that they do in short and long sleeves, depending on season. I have a maxi version and a winter version and they are incredibly flattering and easy to wear. Hagng on, will find one and link.

Yy to Russian's suggestion. Also had one, v flattering and hide a multitude if sins. You might get one on sale ATM.

This is the style - would imagine they have some in the sale (in fact they do, I was in FC this week and there were loads) and they are always floating around in EBay. Very easy to bf in them and they wash very well. Also good to wear during pregnancy.

fab print and suitable for breastfeeding

jersey twist front dress, reduced in the sale from £69 to £35. Sizing generous in my experience (I wear a 12 in their tunics, normally a 14)

hmmm, im still not WOW'd by any of these, im mid 20s, maybe I should get a tent :(

I had three under 5 too - prints and jersey fabrics are your friends - the print disguises lumps and bumps and toddler spills / baby puke. Jersey with some synthetic easy to launder and minimal / no ironing. May not be what you would have chosen to wear pre children - I used to wear super high maintenance suits and heels, but life and priorities change!

What would wow you? What sort of style do you go for normally?

www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33053&storeId=12552&productId=5997829&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=228005&parent_categoryId=226988&pageSize=20 this is great to chuck on and for feeding in. Comes in various colours. I'm in the middle of a post last baby wardrobe revamp and I've got a couple of white stuff tunics off ebay that are easy to throw on and can be fed in. Tunics are good for bf as you can stuff pull the tunic up and shove the baby under but with a dress you need a button or wrap neckline.

what about this?

or have you looked at fever designs?

H&M?

Wouldn't a jersey dress just drape over every lump and squishy bit?

I think the main problem is I know how to dress my skinny toned size 8 body ( that I had AFTER dc1) but didn't get back to after Dc2 and now I'm SO huge with dc3 I'm dreading what I will look like after I've had the baby.

At the moment I'm struggling to get my mat jeans up my thighs are so big.

I tried on some size 16 maternity dresses yesterday and whilst my
Bump fills them and they are tight - they were
Loose and ill fitting accross the chest / shoulders

I need a mirracle dress.

I have the dorothy perkins one I linked to but in long sleeves and it is quite flattering over the post natal tummy. Jersey isn't always bad. How about something like this then? The neckline will show off your bf norks (wear a vest top under that you have cut off under the bust so you can lift it up to feed and push the neckline down. The vest will cover a big bf bra and cover the top of our breast while you feed) but it is empire line so should skim your tummy not cling to it.

The frugi dresses are really good. I have had several non maternity friends asking where I got mine from - lots have wrongly guessed White Stuff. They are amazingly flattering and perfect for throwing on and covering up post-baby stomach.

indith i really do like that blue dress from DP you linked to, they have a couple of stripey ones in a similar shape too, would they be ok on a lumpy curvy size 16 then too? And I like the sound of longer sleeves... bassically thats what i need isnt it?

An Empire line dress - that skims curves - with a sleeve

what to wear with? I dont do bare legs, tights? Pumps? Leggings?

I feel SO FAT

I see a couple of people have already mentioned the FC jersey dresses. here's one in the sale

They are honestly so flattering on, and they do the same style in different patterns and sleeve lengths.

bloody DP have none in any sizes... GSAHHHHHHH

some thing this shape would hide more wouldnt it? Rather than wrap style.