What to wear for my 40th?

[Oblomov]

I normally wear dresses. I feel lovely, if I get the right one. But I need to find a stunner of a dress, this time.
But i have put on quite a bit of weight in the last 2 years, and I have the worst cankles ever, and now I'm just not sure I can carry it off.
I have until the end of Jan to find something.
I am only 5'2'', size 14. I saw some lovely dresses in Hobbs in the sale a few days ago. They were a-line, which does suit me, becasue I have huge boobs, small wait, but very big thighs, and bottom. But the dresses were quite boring. And I need a 'wow' dress.
What do I do, other than lose a stone?

[Oblomov]

MsArse, what a very kind offer. I might have to take you up on that!! I really hope that I won't have to, but I might need to, if I can't find another dress. I will keep on looking though. And I will see if they e-mail me.
But as Northlass has advised I am going to go back and have a look at some of the other dresses. I normaly fear too clingy, but I will re-view again.

"legs of a sturdy northern pit pony" lol. that is me too. although not northern, I think I have legs like a southern elephant !!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

What's your budget? I would recommend trying on a couple of Westwood Anglomania dresses. They look like nothing on the hanger but do amazing things to norks, bums and waists. :)

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

here

[Oblomov]

It is the Ava in Plum, that I REALLY like.
I am a bit worried by their measurements/proportions. The dress proportions don't seem to suit me, they seem to be very slim on the hips.
I was looking at the large, but because I have huge hips, to fit them, I may need to order the xl, but then that could be too big on the bust and waist. This would not be uncommon, because I do often have this problem.
I want it to clinch me in on the bust and waist, but with lots of material on the hips, to skim and flatter. I am worried that it won't do that.
Did you see the reviews? One lady is very slim. Doesn't clinch her in, like I want it to do to me, like it does on the model in the picture. And the other lady reviewee ordered the large and is 34DD, 29, 29. Oh dear. If the large fits her, its not going to fit me, is it?

Remember that I am only tiny: 5'2'', but have :
32E (total bust measurement, round fullest bust is 39 inch), waist 32, but hips 42.

Am all of a dither. As you probably gather

[Oblomov]

Remus, thanks for the link. x-posted with you.I may be able to go to £150 at a push. I was hoping for under £100, but I am starting to get a bit worried about he lack of availaiblity on dresses. Even on that dress Remus, the size chart says a size 14 is a Large, which is not stocked.

This is getting ridiculously hard, don't you think?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I'm a 12 / 32E and perhaps 34 or 36 hips. A medium is fine/slightly loose on me. Might be worth a go?

[Northumberlandlass]

Hey - have just got to work and uploaded a couple of pics from my 40th & billion dollar stop staring dress.

[MsArsebiscuit]

Northumberland, just looked at your photos, you look fantastic !

Oblomov, when's your 40th ? I covet an Anglomania dress and will be asking for advice on here when I finally take the plunge.

[Northumberlandlass]

Thanks MrsA !
I do love the dress & it really smoothes out the old lumps & bumps. Worth every penny!!

I've looked at Anglomania dresses too...i have a list of coveted dresses!!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Great dress!

I got my Anglomania for £100 in the Selfridges sale a few years ago and it's one of the best £100 I've ever spent.

[MsArsebiscuit]

Northumberland, I love my Billion Dollar Baby too, it's one of the best things I've ever bought.

Remus, I keep looking at the Anglomania dresses but can't shake the suspicion that I should try them on before I buy so I'm trying to build up my courage to go into the VW shop.

[ClaudiaWinklepants]

What about the Pretty Little Dress Company

www.theprettydresscompany.com/index.html

[tethersjinglebellend]

Red

Blue

Spotted

Red again

Black

[ClaudiaWinklepants]

Sorry, meant to suggest Embassy corset dress or the wiggle dresses from the PLDC. Can't get the link to stay but if you don't mind cut & pasting its worth a look

[Chewbecca]

I wore this to my 40th recently and felt fab. There's a variety of colours available and it's reduced to £90 too. I'm 5ft nothing and size 16 so I think it's a pretty special dress to make me feel fab!
Btw, your legs look great in your christening dress, really nothing to worry about there.

[tethersjinglebellend]

Green over budget

Suspiciously cheap lace

[tethersjinglebellend]

Over budget again and green again but gorgeous

[Northumberlandlass]

Oooo Chewy, LOVE that dress....

[Oblomov]

Northumberland, You look AMAZING !


Claudia. Thank you for the link. But I think maybe the Wiggle dresses are too clingy. I thought maybe a Hourglass Swing swing might suit me better.

Tethers - thanks for your links too. The first two, and the fourth are too clingy.
You all keep wanting to get me into clingy dresses. Do you think I am foolish to re-sist your efforts
I am scared by the clingy dresses, but honestly don't think they suit me. Do you think I am being stubborn and this really is where I am going wrong?
Thethers -the third - black and white, and the fifth, I thought was not glam enough. I also think it doesn't show enough chest, which I think is one of my best assets to show my curves. Thats why I normally go for a v at the front, to show some clevage.

The Green over budget, I truely LOVED. I thought it was beautiful. This is a possibility. I will talk to dh about the cost of it!!

The cheap lace one, I did not like.

Your last link, did not link to a specfic dress.

The asos dress that Goldplated linked to, at the start of the thread arrived last night. I wanted the oxblood colour, but they did not have, but a navy did arrive.
I am feeling very very fat and unattractive at the moment?
I have never been this big. Even my diabetic consultant commented on it,last week, saying we need to get my weight down. I seem to have no will power.Plus, losing weight is hard, I can't just cut down on food, without havign to work really hard at reducing my insulin and tryin got stop me from plummeting down so low that I have a hypo. Is a tricky balancing act anyway, on a daily basis, without trying to cut down on food aswell. I did try last year, for 2 months, cut out all wine, chocolate and crisps, keep going low so having to consume lucozade, thus presumably undoing all my hard work, and despite my efforts, lost not 1lb in 2 miserable mths. Anyway, I have started today and am going to try hard for the next 2 mths.

I tried on the dress. Dh, who is fab as choosing my clothes, and is very sympathetic, said it was " not flattering on the derrier, I'm afraid, my lovely"

I have put photos on my page.

Talking about diabetic,and I am really sorry to drip feed, but I wear a pump, so often buy dresses that have a tie at the back, so I can clip my pump, <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.endotext.org/diabetes/diabetes22/figures/figure11kl.jpg&imgrefurl=www.endotext.org/diabetes/diabetes22/diabetesframe22.htm&h=363&w=550&sz=21&tbnid=b5dqLI7vyRxDSM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=122&zoom=1&usg=__xy6bUbSScE6W6gBG7MmBSj8gUyY=&docid=kThFyFsDrccjNM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Im3lUPL2E9CR0QXDpoC4AQ&sqi=2&ved=0CFgQ9QEwAw&dur=0" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">pump which has a metre of tubing, out from from tummy, up and under my bra, and out the back to clip onto the ties at the back of the dress. This always means that dresses never quite fit properly, but it is the way it has to be. If there are no ties, I clip my pump to my bra, under my arm, most uncomfortable!

I have also pm'd MsArse, after her very kind offer, to ask to borrow her Ava dress. She has the jade in a L, so am hoping that will fit me. I really like the jade alot. But would prefer the plum. But atleast I can try her's on, and maybe wera the jade. And also trying hers for size, will tell me if the L fits. and then I will know whetehr to keep trying to get hold on the L in plum, or to try and get the XL in the plum.

What do you all think.
Give it to me, hard and straight.

[Northumberlandlass]

Ah thanks Oblomov

Have you looked at Deadly is the Female site ? It's where I got my stop staring dress...
what about this one ?

Alika Dress

Emma Dress

I am determined to help you find something !!

I am sorry you are feeling so down, it sounds like you have a lot to deal with. Do you see a dietician aswell as GP for your diabetes ?

[Oblomov]

I don't see my Gp for my diabetes. I see the Consultant. She is the top consultant in the country and she admitted last week, that after all her efforts and mine, for the last 8 years, so almost knows not what to do with me!! Great.
I do e-mail the pump specialist nurse, atleast onece a month - she works for the consultant.

Thanks. IAm I your mission ? I appreciate your support. I am sure we will get me sorted. Eventually.
I have never been known to be that 'easy' in anythng I do !!

I will look at your links Northumberland.

By the way, for my 40th an appointment has been booked for me, to go to Debenhams and also to John Lewis for one of thiei fashion consultations. free. But was booked for me. I thought that was a really nice thought.

[Northumberlandlass]

Ok - so the aim is to make you look fabulous & find an awesome dress.

I haven't had any experience of John Lewis or Debenham's fashion consultants. I had a personal shopper at Debenhams once and it was ok..... but I did it in a blind panic when I didn't have anything to wear....

I usually know what I want to look like.....I just find it problematic to get there

[TapselteerieO]

Have you seen the Get Cutie dress? It is made to order, you can have a look at the sizing chart and choose a fabric. They have a gallery on the website so you can get more of an idea of what the dress is like. I think they might have a shop too.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

MrsArse - Liberty and Selfridges stock VW too, if those seem less scary than the VW shop. :)

[MsArsebiscuit]

Thank you Remus, I'm thinking about going to the VW shop in Manchester as, even if they are dead posh and intimidating, I'm on home turf so will feel better able to stand up for myself !