Please help - summer style.

[elfycat]

I am having a change of style which started in October. I have been wearing knee length, mid calf or long skirts (never bifurcated clothing) with Clarks black low-heeled shoes, usually with a bar. I used to team this with white blouses and cardigans a-la Per Una.

Bought my first pair of boots, had to return as manufacturing fault, and now have a second pair. Knee high, brown with lacing up the front. I have wide calves no matter my weight so need some kind of give.
I then bought 3 fatface dresses, 2 woolen and an Ingrid dress but in a different colour to this. I bought trouser-like leggings to wear with them.

I've had tons of compliments about this and I've stopped feeling middle-aged before my time.

Now for summer as I guess I can't keep going with the boots.

I'm 41 and have long dark blonde going gently platinum hair, 5'6" but everyone thinks I'm taller. I'm also a size 14 on the top and 16 on the bottom so overweight, pear-shaped but curvy with a waist. We have a family nickname for the rather large bottoms that every female for 4 generations has had, thanks to Great-great-grandmother X. The X Bum! So I won't be wearing trousers or leggings without long tops.

I like the above linked dress and will be buying it. The other clothes I like are long light flowy skirts, with sleeveless tops. Last year's favorite was a white skirt with burnt orange t-shirt.

Any ideas/suggestions? I start the school run in September and don't want to get mistaken again for the grandmother!

"never bifurcated clothing" Do you mean you don't wear trousers, shorts, culottes etc?

That's right. Until I bought the leggings this winter it had been about 15 years since I last wore any kind of trouser/shorts* etc. I just hate my bum in them. A-line and longer skirts have been my friends.

But I'm feeling extremely frumpy and have been for about 4 years (since having the DCs). My wardrobe is stuck in a rut from 2 office jobs I've held (the last one finished 4.5 years ago).

• Except at work being a theatre nurse, or if I went to the gym (rare). I quite liked the theatre outfit too.

Marking my place. During the winter I live exclusively in knitted dresses and knee-high boots and think that I look pretty OK but I just can't do summer clothes. Of course the problem is solved if summer fails to materialise again this year!

I think dresses are your friend.
Look in French Connection,Great Plains,Oasis,Phase Eight,Mint Velvet.
I do wear trousers often but love a dress in summer.
I usually wear ballet pumps/low wedges from Clarks,Marks,Dorothy Perkins.

I guess I need to drag my longest-term female friend shopping as she'll be brutally honest about clothing choices.

Or I could take DH. He'd make a good personal shopper. He'll find clothes/colours that I wouldn't look at but look great on, and not just for me but friends/family too (too many years spent admiring the female form...)

I don't normally go into any of those shops Georgina so I'll make a note and next time I pass by I'll pop in.

Now for length of summer dresses. Do maxi-dresses look like tents on curvy women?

Just seen this.
Some can,Elfy
I personally perfer the jersey straight ones rather than billowing chiffony type.
Can make me look like ship in full sail!

Do not make fun of the wide of calf, it's no joke. >flits, muslinly

Why not see an actual personal shopper?

John lewis?

Pretty much the same things but with ballet flats or flip flops - unless we get an absolute scorcher this will be perfect. If it does get really hot perhaps go for maxi dresses?

I agree try some summer dresses.

Last summer I lived in summer dresses, little cardis with either lowish heel wedges or printed Birkinstocks.

Agree with Georgina about the less billowy maxi dresses too.