Day dress - I don't want to show my arms or my knees

[TwoInTheMourning]

and would prefer cotton or a non nasty material. Oh, plus I'm 44. Oh yes and I'm short and a little podgy at the moment, 1st overweight. Impossible, I know.

Or, for Apatite Maybe something from Hobbs?
93cm length from nape to hem

And this MANGO dress might come up longer on you.

Hen15: spot on! I'll get the Hobbs one (might have to keep it for the autumn looks warm) and I'll wait for the sales for the toast.

Two: thanks but I need a 14 at least to fit my boobs aka continental shelf in comfortably. Otherwise you were also coming up with great stuff I'd happily plonk money down for.

Thanks ladies I really appreciate it!

Pleased I found something
I tend to buy something when I see it regardless of season, you can bet your life I can never find what I want when I need it.

It really helps when the websites have the right kind of filter. I looked at HoF too as they let you search for dress length and sleeve length, I was hovering over the pictures to see if they were on a model and if she had her hand in a pocket

I wouldn't normally shop at M&Co but it was linked to on here earlier and I thought the site looked good, so I called in when I was in town and bought This which I wouldn't have looked at, but when I tried it on it gave me a really amazing shape - am a bit big on top and lots of things look a bit frumpy because of it e.g. tea dresses and floral prints. It's not a dress for a warm day because of the fabric but it hangs well and will be fine for popping out in the evening.

I like the Hobbs dress a lot too

I've posted this before

Sits pretty much on the knee. Or it did, before I washed it at 40 instead of 30...

On the basis that this has longer sleeves and two pockets. Would probably sit on the knee on someone shorter than the model and it comes in different colours
M&S work dress Looks much better in some photos than others

Try a midi/circle skirt with a t shirt?

Apatite new brand from Mango
dress

I was considering this dress but I saw in in RL today and it's awful
www.marksandspencer.com/textured-dropwaist-dress/p/p22292825?OmnitureToPDP=autograph+red+dress&ddkey=http:MSSearchResultsDisplayCmd

I have just seen the Yumi website whilst searching for a summer boucle jacket and I rather like this although the green seems to be sold out. I might order the navy to put away for autumn.

something like this?

That dress is beautiful emsyj but I do wonder if Yumi is more geared towards a younger market and the fit will be all wrong for the more ahem mature lady. If you do buy it would you please report back?

soaccidentprone I'm petite, okay, short. That dress would swamp me.

I haven't bought anything from there before, but I did once borrow a top from a friend that was a 'one size' tunic thing which she had used as a maternity top - I wore it at about 34 weeks and it fitted okay! I'm going to order it I think as I really want the coral boucle jacket in the sale too and it's worth a shot. Returns are free so it's worth a punt.

maybe this then?

For a party maybe, although the sleeves end on the wrong part of the arms

Phase 8!!
m.phase-eight.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/garment/dresses

Also fat face and Boden:
m.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Womens-Dresses/Day-Dresses/WH612/Womens-Casual-Jersey-Dress.html

Not an instant fix, but if you want cotton or linen - many of the abovementioned dresses are polyester mixes - what about finding a friendly dressmaker and a frock pattern that you really like?

Here is a pattern that is roughly along the lines of the Ralph Lauren you linked to - easy to make sleeves shorter. But the website has dozens of other patterns to choose from:
www.jaycotts.co.uk/products/v8766#.U6FZXHYTldg

How about these from & Other Stories:

Possibly not the right style: www.stories.com/gb/Ready-to-wear/Dresses/V-neck_Silk_Dress/582938-2569988.1

If you like neutral colours: www.stories.com/gb/Ready-to-wear/Dresses/Vika_Gazinskaya_Dress/582938-5135122.1

I think this should cover your knees if you are not model-tall: www.stories.com/gb/Ready-to-wear/Dresses/Shortsleeved_Fold_Dress/582938-2806287.1

Only small sizes left but so sleek and lovely: www.stories.com/gb/Ready-to-wear/Dresses/Viscose_midi_dress/582938-4079791.1

Simple but nice: www.stories.com/gb/Ready-to-wear/Dresses/Short-sleeved_viscose_dress/582938-2454933.1

Really gorgeous: www.stories.com/gb/Ready-to-wear/Dresses/Brushstroke_print_Mulberry_silk_dress/582938-1145700.1

Any possibilities in that lot?

This is the thread for me! I have the most dreadful upper arms and lumps on the insides of my knees, but elsewhere I am slim.

I agree that it is soooo difficult to find something flattering to wear in the summer. The White Company catalogue is so depressing: all those 6ft models with light tans and swishy hair, accompanied by beautiful children in Breton tops. I feel like a big pile of shit when I look at their stuff.

The Boden dresses fit the bill in some ways, but the patterns are awfully frumpy and are too distinctive. Skater dresses make the more mature look just plain stupid. Shift dresses make you look fat all over instead of just covering the bad bits.

I was just surfing around the M&S site and surprisingly there were a few possibilities but - unsurprisingly - all sold out in my size.

shirt dress

floral

fitted

another one

The Yumi dress I posted above arrived today! It's not quite how I expected it to be - I was imagining a very dark navy and a very heavy winter-weight ponte, but actually it's quite light and a medium navy, so very wearable as a summer dress. It's not skimpy over the bum etc, the skirt of it is quite full so fine for a pear shape. I'm going to wear it tomorrow with wedges and giant plastic summer beads. I think it would also be nice in autumn with tights and a cardigan for work.

Oh, meant to say - it also has pockets!

Photo please

www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/women/clothing/dresses-and-tunics/cotton-chambray-striped-dress_sailor.htm

Not sure if this link will work, I have the pheobe but they do others with sleeves too. And there's a sale on:)