Tell it to me straight...

[Northernexile]

I'm 31, size 10-12. I have a posh wedding to attend and need a frock. What do you think of this dress?

Frock

I agree - prefect for hour glass figures (and its the type of dress my DH loves!!!)

The fabric is stretchy and clingy but very thick. I had to wear no-show pants under it. I think it would duo most shapes and sizes but you DO have to have the right underwear on.
I'm a size 6 with small boobs and it made me look positively curvy, almost Monroe :-)

Wow, this is amazing. I'd seen it on the HoF website but never took the plunge as I was concerned one had to be modellish to pull it off. However, I am quite short and it would need to be shortened: do you think it is shortenable (?!).

I know someone who does alterations so that might work ...

Oooh I tried the same dress on for a wedding, in navy, I am a curvy size 10 and 5'3 it looked lovely on and felt great.
The sales assistants reccommended nude shoes and a shawl. I couldnt justify new shoes too, so I didnt buy it.

But is is lovely !

Fab shape

But..

£180 for a polyester dress???

Couldn't you get a silk one for similar money? Damsel in a dress at John Lewis maybe?

I like the midnight or the purple. The brighter colours seem a bit cheap to me and detract from the gorgeousness of the dress.

Lovely frock!

Also like the Mary Portas one, on the same page (on the "what else you might like" bit). Very Joan in MadMen!

I've got this dress in the midnight blue, best dress ever! Absolutely amazing on, buy it now!! You won't regret it

I'm hoping that the cut and fit will make it worth £180 for polyester!

Took a reccy out to the Trafford Centre to see if I could see anything else that I liked more than this dress, and I tried these on:

Coast

Karen Millen

Karen Millen again

Think I'm still leaning towards the original dress, even though I haven't tried it on.

LOVE the red Karen Millen one although I imagine it could be tricky to wear unless you have a really good figure.

I thought that too Lotta, but it was fine actually, it was pretty flattering on a post-baby stomach, and the 12 fit comfortably even though KM sizes come up small apparently.

It's really stunning Northernexile. The only thing that would put me off is that it's a real statement dress, and if anyone else turns up in the same thing there will be no disguising it. Maybe you don't care of course! I would think that the Pied a Terre dress would be easier to make your own with shoes and heels and even the sort of make up and hairstyle you choose.

D'oh, that should say shoes and accessories

Yes, it's not the kind of dress you could wear loads, that's the drawback. It was lovely in the flesh though!

Red satin, no matter how posh/expensive the dress, always looks a bit tacky to me. Slightly Liz McDonald iyswim.

Original dress still the nicest by far. The others just don't have the same Wow factor.

Thanks Bunny I am leaning that way still.

Oh and Liz McDonald is definitely not a look I am aspiring to here!

I think the original dress is gorgeous, really elegant. Midnight gets my vote! It makes me wish I had a special event to go to just so I have a reason to invest in one too!

That is a fab dress. I now have total dress envy. I would go for midnight and accessorise. It looks very versatile.

Hopes wistfully that it one days goes on sale.

I have that dress in the blue and am wearing it to a wedding tomorrow! It is so flattering, it's fab!

I did have to have the pied a terre dress shortened though (am 5 foot 5).

Also, it is hard to put a jacket or coat on top because the arrangement of the fabric around the shoulders makes you look like an American footballer with a jacket on top. So you need a big wrap.

Lottapianos I have 32F norks and don't do Spanx. It looks great.

You're my kind of girl Ginda! Thanks for tip! Is it definitely an occasion dress or could you wear as a Slightly posh day dress with boots?

I still like the original the best, although the others are nice too. It's a gorgeous dress, I want! Go for whatever colour suits you - I like several of the colours, but it depends what looks best on you.

I was tempted on the other thread to get this but reckon I'm now sold how does sizing coming up?

Also tempted by the light pink (coral) which is definitely my best ever colour but fearful it's too "fashion" - thoughts?