Anyone up for a challenge?

[Glenrosa]

Please help me find an outfit for a summer wedding in the south of France. I'm not an easy person to style, for a start I'm 60 years old. I'm 5'6" and size 14 but have narrow shoulders, small boobs, a tummy & hips not to mention washerwoman arms! I also have skin problems, extremely dry, flaky legs so fake tan doesn't work. On the plus side I don't look my age, have a reasonably attractive face, nice eyes and good hair.

All the magazine articles on 'dress for your shape' are no good as the pear shape advice doesn't take into consideration all the other problems.

I don't want the mutton/lamb look, there will be dozens of young beautiful girls in long floaty creations and I'd hate to look like a caricature of them.

I've been down the personal shopper route in a couple of stores but I felt self conscious about explaining my concerns.

Can anyone out there make any suggestions please?

Anyone?

Oh, a wedding in the south of france, no here at all!

Hope this kicks off some good ideas from everyone else, but I thought I'd get the ball rolling for you, even if it has headed off in the wrong direction and is now causing a hazard.

It looks to me that the v cut out in the neckline makes it a more flattering shape than a standard shift for a bottom half conscious figure. It is claimed to be just below knee length (leggy model in the pic notwithstanding) East £90

This is a classic shift neck, but is well lined to hide lumpy bits (I tried it on in John Lewis last week) Damsel in a Dress £189

Looks much nicer in real life, size down down down, Viyella £139

Layering/shuttering=flattering. Again, check size guide (often generous) Jaeger £180

Getting expensive now

Drape 1, vivienne westwood £348

Drape 2, vw £390

Thank you Sir, some lovely suggestions there, I particularly like the Westwood Drape 1 but not sure that I could justify the price.

As always my problems are the arms - fat & the legs - flaky! I was hoping to cover them though I realise a long sleeved long dress may look a tad out of place

Might be a bit 'ot if all extremities are enveloped :D

This has sleeves, is silk not polyester, and not above the knee on someone who is 5'6" (ie me, who tried it on last week but forgot about it!)

Bump for evening help from the knowledgable (or is it knowledgeable, I am obv. not, can't even spell it)

What about a long, floaty maxi with a shrug and some beaded sandals? An empire line one would maybe skim over your hips and tum.

The legs shouldn't be a problem which dictate you wear a really long dress if you don't want to - can always be either fake tanned at a good professional salon where they exfoliate properly first, or you can wear some of the very good 'nude look' tights which are around, including in M and S.

Also, if you start regularly exfoliating them now yourself - only takes seconds in the shower - and applying a good body cream, they should be better by summer anyway. I try to do mine most days, as they tend to get flaky in winter, though are fine in summer.

On the arms, proper short sleeves, rather than the dreaded 'cap' ones which are a bugbear of mine too, ought to be enough to hide the parts you don't want to bare. Or possibly just over elbow?

Btw being 60 is no bar at all to looking stylish.

PS I definitely wouldn't go for linen, as in the Damsel in a Dress one, in a dress which needs to look good all day.