Can anyone find me a dress for a smart casual afternoon thing?

[BlameItOnTheBogey]

Hi all,

I just started a new job and one of my colleagues is having an afternoon event next Sunday - drinks and some food outside. Lots of my new work colleagues (internal and external) will be there and it is my chance to really make an impression. I have to look smart for work and manage this well. But I am rubbish at casual and I suspect that for this event I need an outfit which is professional and smart casual. It needs to make me look like a competent and well put together person without being 'work' smart.

I don't even know where to start. Could prob spend up to 200 for the right thing. I think I am thinking dress - but open to any ideas.

I'd be really grateful for any help!

I would beware of looking too wedding like or formal. I think that we need to know a bit more about the host, the people attending and their age group before we can give you a steer.

I think you need to ask other people what they are wearing. It would be easy to be far too dressed up and 'worky' looking or weddingy looking. How about some 7/8ths cigarette trousers, a silk top, sandals and a casual-ish blazer? The weather will make a big difference to what is okay too.

Remus is right, as usual.

:)

Thanks for all the replies everyone and sorry for going awol. A crucial bit of info is that I am not in the UK and so time zones are different. This also means that I can't go in a browse in places but I can get super quick delivery from the UK.

So more info: I don't want a wedding look. I want to female equivalent to chinos and open neck shirt. I could go for trousers but that seems more complicated (more things to buy, more chance they won't fit) plus I am short and so trousers are difficult and I don't have time to get things taken up. Weather wise, I think I can be fairly confident that it will be sunny where we are so I in a nutshell, I am aiming for smart casual summer dress.

Of the dresses here none of them quite hit the mark. I don't want black. Or wedding. Or work. And masses of material will drown me as I am short and daily slim. I like the Zara dress best but it still isn't perfect.

I really really appreciate all the suggestions though; please keep them coming....

Too casual?

Tunic dress

Does anyone have any views on this ? I'm not wowed by it at all. But I wonder if it isn't an inoffensive dress that does the job of making me look professionally in a relaxed way. And since my main goal is to get an outfit that I won't have to think about at all then would this work? Or is it crazy to buy something that I think is perfectly meh?

Thanks Tapse. First is too casual and I'm afraid I don't like the second. i really want something that will make me look like the smart professional that I pretend to be - on work days at least....

sleeveless shirt dress? wanted to link to this before but I thought it'd be too short, should be just fine on you if your not so tall though.

THe phase8 dress is maybe still a bit weddingy and the print is very, erm, yesh, not sure it'd be appreciated outside the UK.

this maybe

Phase Eight dresses often come up long. It's viscose too, so may be a bit sweat-inducing. :)

Too worky or could it be okay with bright wedges and a cropped blazer or cardigan?

Love this but you will probably think it's too casual. It is silk though and a bargain

this will look great with flatforms or swedish has-beens and a little leather or denim jacket

I have this and it is realy comfy and really great on I wear with wedges, little levis jacket and a navy raffia bag]]

this with a white linen shirt over, flatforms and a natural coloured bag...too casual?

like how this is styled, this is what I would go for. Unfussy, can accessorise the shit out of it will look great with heels, flats, converse

That green Reiss one is gorgeous.

The Warehouse 'tile' dress and the splashy green Reiss one are lovely - if that 'natural' style suits you.
If you like a more tailored, 'classic but slightly girly' style, this is a really flattering, fitted shape (comes in navy as well but white shows the shape better in the picture). You could add a blazer/cardi/denim and flat sandals to make it more bbq-apt and less worky.
This sheath dress comes in a few colours as well.

Doesn't really show in the pic, but the first one is broderie anglaise.

The only one that really stands out to me is the Reiss dress.

this is pretty
this?
sensing a theme?