please help find me a graduation outfit!

[littlelamb]

I'm just about to dash off, but I need help finding an outfit for graduation, which would also do for job interviews and work afterwards. Have a bit of money to spend. I am size 14, wobbly hips and tummy but good boobs, so has to be cut to flatter. Hoping for maybe a nice dress, probably black, though anything goes as you can't really see it under graduation robes. I have no idea where to look and no real time either.
Thanks

We were told to were black skirt and white blouse for graduation. Boring!

wrap dress/foxy sandals?

Oh no, nothing like those guidelines. Anything smart is ok. Would hate that- I am at graduation, I don't want to look like I'm wearing my old school uniform!

wrap dresses on me show EVERYTHING I am trying to hide!

I agree with Sassy - wrap dresses always look great and flatter any shape, wear with a pair of sexy high sandals. DRess can be worn later for work or for going out and even over trews if you dear!

Im the same ll, but lots of people rate them for us curvy chicks.

Are youa 14 all over? Dresses hard to find for gals bigger on top than below (She says, speaking from bitter experience!)

Oh, just seen your post about wrap dresses! LOl.

What about a smart trouser suit with lovely glitzy top under?

Ooo just thought, patterened wrap dresses MUCH more flattering than plain ones.

have spent far too much time wearing academic dress so here are my personal tips (feel free to ignore at will!):

• wear trousers
  gowns come in all different lengths, but hire ones are normally either too short (hem of skirt peeks out) or too long (perfect hemline of skirt is obscured and little ankles stick out the bottom)

• wear a good colour
  you can guarantee your hood will be garish. Either find out in advance what colour it'll be and get something that matches/coordinates, or go for black to match the gown.

• wear something with buttons
  the hood usually has a loop at the front to put round one of your buttons to stop it slipping backwards and trying to strangle you - men have it easy as the neckband of the hood goes under a tie. Avoid necklaces for the same reason - the hood will strangle you with them.

• wear long sleeves
  gowns often have really freakish-length sleeves too, and I always find I look very odd with little bare wrists emerging from huge flapping sleeves

• keep track of your hood
  they have a dreadful habit of slipping off at the shoulders, making you look like weirdly risque dancer. Couple of pins may help. Some handy hints here

• keep tugging your gown forward by the front facing
  the back pleats are very heavy - combined with an off-the-shoulder hood this can get both messy and uncomfortable.

• take kirbigrips if you're going to wear your mortarboard

Generally I wear a black trouser suit with a white blouse as it ticks all the boxes, is comfortable, and doesn't clash too badly with my nasty yellow hood, but a black wrap dress could work too - in fact Debenhams did have a black one with white collar and cuffs at one point, which could look very smart and, as you say, be useful for work / job interviews later.

Congratulations and have a fantastic day!

Ooo great advice all round, thanks! Am off to look in town quickly now. Mrsbadger, my hood will be bright blue, so I thought black would be a good compromise. I hadn't thought of a trouser suit though, I would feel a proper grown up wearing one