Help! Pls help me a find dress for Royal Garden Party in 3 weeks!

[ArtisanBaps]

Just sent this Boden Selina dress back as OK but a bit meh, so am now in despair.

I am 42 and size 12. Fave shops are Jaeger ( in the sale mind, I am not that minted ) Gap and Hobbs NW3.

The dress code is "formal afternoon dress" and if strappy it has to have straps that are at least an inch wide according to the instructions I have received. It will have to be around knee length to avoid exposing my 42 year old thighs

I intend to have some kind of hat thing as well.

Please help! < ingratiating smile>

Jaeger outlet have got 20% off everything this weekend. The dresses look mainly a bit wintery. How about this? Too off the wall?

www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Untold+Daisy+prom+dress/188074296,default,pd.html ?

www.lauraashley.com/uk/fashion/dresses/icat/dresses

Thanks, ladies of style!

justinepants Like that dress a lot, quite vintagey teadressy and I do indeed like off the wall stuff but it looks possibly a bit short for the ageing legs, plus, I already have two leopard print dresses from Jaeger ! A Black and Tan one and a blue and orange and grey one. Both are three quarter sleeves and a bit wintery - wore one to the races in early April.

pompom I like that thanks! will have a closer look - such an unusual vintagey colour and I do like green

Have you got shoes yet? Beware stilletos as they sink into the manicured lawn

Oh holy crap! Shoes!

I think tea with the queen justifies pushing the boat out a bit.

I like this

Otherwise Phase Eight does some pretty, smart summer dresses for a better price.

msAsprey thanks for the Laura Ashley tip, I like the cream one that comes up on the main page.

twinklestein love it! Don't know if purse can stretch to £345 even for Royalty though!

maybe?

mrs lettuce omg I love it! I would want one even if there was no party. Never heard of that PoppyLondon lot before.

many a lovely item to be found there, I'm afraid!

'Want' autocorrected to wasp then! Urgh, will there be wasps? < hijacks own thread>

Can't imagine the Queen putting up with wasps. What if there was a wasp-related stampede in the diplomatic tent and she got trampled?

Urgh wasps!

what sort of headgear do you have in mind?

I like Mrs Lettuces for its originality. Have been to Garden Party and popular styles you saw repeated on guests. Echo re stilettos. Enjoy.

Oh yes, stilettos are likely to be a disaster.

Ooh good point Bea, ideally I don't want to have same dress as everyone else, so the PoppyLondon one would certainly win on that front.

I have ordered this and this to see if they are any good, but really want a PoppyLondon one as well. Just because.

Also have my eye on this one from Coast but not sure if a bit evening-y. Opinions anyone?

Yes to the PoppyLondon dress. It's wonderful. And maybe some red, non-stiletto shoes?

I want these they would be lovely with the poppy dress!

OK off to look at Poppy dress again seeing as you all love it!!!

Stilettos are fine as long as you have solemates on the heels.

Ok, Solemates. Off to investigate. Thanks!

Mrs Lettuce re hat : some kind of 50s inspired small biscuit tin lid plus net thing.

like this?

A cocktail hat - something quite simple and let the dress do the talking?

Pillbox you mean, like Glaikit's or this

x post, also very nice.

Bee Simth does great hats.