'Dress to impress' dresscode - help!!

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I have been invited to a work dinner dance with the above dress code and am in a panic! Am a jeans kind of girl and don't know where to start!! Am thinking dress but don't know what sort. Can any experts out there help? I am mid forties size ten, small chest ! Am thinking sleeves would prob be good given my age!

What a daft dress code! How on earth is one supposed to know WTF it mean?

Anyway, I'm not an expert, but, how about something like this?

Mrs L - that dress is just the thing! But (as with so many I have seen) just too short for me. If I was 10 years younger .... then maybe. Was wondering about this www.whistles.co.uk/fcp/product/whistlesanna-lace-shoulder-jersey-dres/903000061079 or this www.whistles.co.uk/fcp/product/whistlesselma-leopard-jersey-bodycon/903000061042 with some heels and a nice clutch. Classy - or too boring??

Love that second dress! It'll be long on you though - the model is about 20cm taller...

Mango dress would probably fall just above (or on) the knee on you. The leopard dress is brilliant though.

Hmmm do mango sizes come up small, do you know? Am so tempted by the whistles leopard skin too ... It will probably sell out while I'm deliberating!!

God, don't you hate cryptic dress codes? Thus one means, "don't turn up in your jeans and a fleece". Truthfully, I thought the two Whistles dresses were a bit of a yawn. You're only in your mid-forties, and you're slim. I can't believe that your arms are in great need of disguise. Why not go for something with more of a wow factor? Check out Hobbs' posh frocks or Karen Millen. On ipad so can't do links to suggestions!

Any opinions on this uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_1,mon_1.2/4531270122

I don't love it. Velvet says 1980s sloane ranger to me! You can do better.

Yeah finance I think I agree with you lol!! Panicking now

I would have thought you need something a bit more eyecatching and fabulous, so people go 'wow' when they see you. I suppose if they're used to seeing you in jeans any boring old black shift will do. But I'd take 'dress to impress' to mean glitz and colour. Try Debenhams dresses. How about...

www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_103020118403_-1

If you're feeling brave about the arms:

www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_008010138921_-1

or
www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_008010126886_-1

or a bit simpler again:

www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_36194+094567019_-1

Ok last one for tonight - better? Or too day time? www.atterleyroad.com/beate-animal-print-dress-4.html

It's nice, but yes, it is quite daytime. Could be dressed up with fierce shoes & jewels though? You'd have to go for v high heels and a very fashion-y look to carry it off at night.

The first two Debo's dresses in MM Canny's post are fab.

Any views on this www.wallis.co.uk/en/wluk/product/dresses-265974/party-dresses-2380370/black-stud-shoulder-dress-2259126?refinements=Size%7b1%7d~%5b10%5d&bi=21&ps=20 or this?www.wallis.co.uk/en/wluk/product/clothing-265973/dresses-265991/party-dresses-2379430/teal-diamante-fit-and-flare-dress-2365381?refinements=category~%5b1441009%7c209222%5d&bi=21&ps=20

Studded shoulder dress: yawn. Teal dress: cute, would be more pretty than sexy/glam.