Do people do clothes interventions as well as bra ones?

[IceBeing]

I have had the bra intervention already which was fantastic...I am just wondering if anyone wants to help me dress less like a penniless student and more like a grown up woman?

What I am currently wearing at work today:
jeans (possibly straight cut - I am a bit hazey on this)
burgundy long sleeved T-shirt/jumper (£8 from Sburys)
Regatta grey fleece type thing
flat black trainer/shoes with velcro (scummy looking)

I am actually a lecturer and often look substantially less well dressed than the students I am teaching...

I have reasonable financial means....I could buy nicer clothes if I new what the hell I should be getting.

NB: this is my very first foray into S&B and could easily be my last....

Having lurked on this thread earlier, I think your self-description skills are not up to your academic skills

You look lovely even in that light (if I can say that without sounding patronising) There's a lot of potential there; toned arms, slim midriff, legs to-be-discovered.

Have you looked on Pinterest yet? if so, link us to some looks that caught your eye; most things can be adapted to suit different figures.

You have a great figure and your hair is a lovely colour!!!

I am Surprised by the dress, it's a beautiful dramatic pattern and colours. If that's what you look and feel good in, no wonder you feel frumpy in fleece /t shirt /trainers.

I await your Pinterest board with interest.

Oops,just noticed you said you didn't like it rather than did!

I think a personal shopper would be a good idea - Debenhams have some good ones.
Personally I find it difficult to find clothes online, as they always look different in real life, although I think pintrest would be useful.
Could you spare a few hours to go round lots of shops just to see what sort of clothes you are drawn to. From what you have described I think you might like White Stuff. Lots of dresses & skirts you can wear with boots & cardi's, but you do have to try on as the sizes can vary a lot.

You look lovely and can wear anything! All you need to do is to decide what you like.

There are a lot of threads on here by people asking for help to find things that will make them look alright. you don't need that sort of help. you need to decide what you like, and have some fun with it.

If you don't like shopping, and can (temporarily) afford to, just order 5 things online, wildly different if you like, with the intention of keeping one at most. if you don't like any, send them all back. look out for free returns.

It's a gamble because it can be very hard to check quality, true colour and weight of fabric etc, online. but it doesn't matter if you are open to sending things back and just making a mental note such as "like that one, but in a different material" or something.

Once you get going, I think you should be brutal with yourself and physically dispose of things that don't look like how you want to look any more. Or they will call you, on cold early mornings when you are weak, and you will find yourself wearing them. that is why my thread above suggested garments to replace specific things.

I love this thread!

My name is MostlyCake and I (deep breath) wear fleeces....

You have a bloody amazing figure! I would love to take you shopping

I think you'd look good in an A-line skirt to the knee with a fitted top. A wrap dress would look good too. Go wide leg on the trousers to give you some balance. Don't forget accessories too they can pull it all together.

I know you're going to tell me you'll not contemplate this but I'm going to say it anyway
Have colour analysis done through House of Colour. It's £99 well spent. It will make you focus on what you want and ensure that everything you buy, you will have something to go with it. You get a wide range of colours and a swatch book so you can keep on track & eliminate too. Honestly it's worth it.

You have a great figure - well defined waist, slim, good legs. You hair is a beautiful colour. You would look fantastic in skirts and dresses. I think your lack of confidence over your appearance is holding you back needlessly.

Ok size 7 is not big for feet - really! I am size 7 and I'm still looking for shoes that elongate my feet as I fear they can look a bit too stubby in the wrong footwear, (I'm 5ft 8) heeled ankle boots tend to do this, I think they might be a good bet for you if you worry about foot length.

Secondly as someone with similar sized boobs, your most challenging area to dress is your top. To make things easier, you need to look out for the right neck line - slashed, scooped, v and cowl are good places to start.... High and round necks are your danger zone....they might work depending on the cut and you could break them up at the front with a scarf but be careful. You also need the top to be gently fitted...baggy tops will make you look bigger. Shirts might work but it's hard to get a shirt that fits around your bust and then nips in again. Pepperberry might be useful if you are struggling with fit! Some of their clothes are a bit frumpy but you may be able to get a few well fitted basics and ideas for what styles work with a big boobs.

I know more people with size 7 feet than with smaller, I reckon (I always wonder where they all were when I was at school and self conscious of my feet though . Mine are a 7 or 8, depending on shop. I also wear heeled ankle boots, although not higher than a couple of inches as I'm tall. Similar size boobs too, so I know what you mean about avoiding shirts. I second what Snowdon has said regarding neck lines. You have to b prepared to try a few on though to see what works for you. I tend to need quite closely fitted clothing over my waist/midriff area as otherwise I look large when I'm not.

Are you anywhere near a decent department store? A session with a personal shopper might really open your eyes to styles for you, and you won't be obliged to buy anything if it doesn't.

Now I have seen your great figure I think simple knitted and heavy jersey dresses could suit you really well.
Hobbs have some very classic items that would be good workwear and if you have a look at the outlet or sale prices are not too bad.

I'm a lecturer; you don't need to do much to dress up your current style. I'm booby and shirts with buttons look grim on me, so for starters I always wear a nice v-neck t-shirt or fine knit over a nice pair of dark blue jeans (no fades, minimal detailing). Over that I wear a jacket - leather is fine ;-) if you like the rock chick look - and either a scarf or a cheap statement necklace. I generally wear black leather shoes -- brogues, moccasins, ballet flats or 2-inch heels.

Voila! An update of your current look.

Argh so much to respond too!

hop which ones are A-line?

I once did the trinny/suzanna thing (my sister made me) and we got all our clothes out and decided which colours were good. After a lifetime of being told by my mother that red heads can't wear reds/oranges I discovered that these are actually really good colours for me....

So I think the best colours for me are black, dark purples, reds. My favourite colours are blue/green. Which may explain my complete aversion to clothes shopping. 'ohhh thats pretty' then 'looks shit on me' repeated about 1000 times.

I also think I favour floaty wispy things when I have curves (at least up top) that require fitted.

I have been overweight all my adult life and 18 months ago I was borderline obese. This doesn't help with the shopping confidence either. 6 months ago I briefly loved shopping because I looked better in basically anything than I could remember looking for a very very long time. Then I realised that I didn't really like the look of most of the things I had bought simply because I didn't look crap in them.

Then I piled on the weight again sighs

Well it's coming off again now and I have a conference to go to in mid-feb.

So my target from this intervention is to not get mistaken for a student at the conference (used to feel like a complement, now it really doesn't!)

mostly are you up for a fleece-ectomy also?

Fleece-ectomy :o

So, that dress you really liked - was it the shape you liked? Or the bright colours? Or the patterned-y-ness? Or something else?

I'd like to know what you teach as well, bet your lectures are ace.

You are allowed to keep your fleece for walking the dog, digging the garden or doing sports. That's all

ele I lecture physics...which is part of the problem....because shoddy as my current look is, it isn't at all out of place. In fact if I wear a skirt to work then people ask me what the occasion is etc. When I wore the dress people made some frankly slightly ridiculous and sexist comments.

So it is a fine line. Certainly power dressing is totally and utterly out.

Does this appeal at all? Or do you find it too stuffy for your workplace?

Or this which is less formal?

The second one is do-able...the first...no I think to business like.

this is nice and might suit your colouring

okay so can someone explain pinterest?

if I make an account will people be able to see my email address? or is it anonymous unless you use your name?

Ok. So what do you like about the second one?

Colours, shapes, detail?

That dress is lovely service, and would be casual-work appropriate with a pair of boots?

Its the jacket really. I think I like the idea of an indoor jacket that smartens up jeans and top.

French connection have some lovely blazers at the moment in the sale including ones that don't fasten with slightly short sleeves IYKWIM