Firstly, don't orange yourself up. Embrace the pale and try and enhance it if anything. Pale skin by candle light looks beautiful. Fake tan by candle light not so much.
What will you actually be doing in London? Going to very swanky bars or just going to nice bars together? Going somewhere actually super fancy, or just some where together?
Unless you are planning on clubbing, then people don't tend to dress over the top in London. It's not really practical with all the walking and tubes, etc. Plus it's cold and probably raining!!
What sort of budget are you thinking of when you say cheap options? Do you have one in mind?
I would go for the age old advice:
- Don't wear a dress or skirt unless it's stiff fabric, else it WILL get blown up all the time and you WILL spend the whole time trying to hold it down.
- Don't wear heels unless you are VERY confident that you can walk over cobbles, down ribbed stairways, and across grated floors in them
- Wear something that you feel comfortable in. It's such a cliché, but it's also a good starting point. Do you prefer trousers or skirts? Do you love your arms but hate your legs? Vice versa? Don't mind showing a bit of cleavage or prefer more modest necklines?
- What styles do you normally like? There's no point wearing something you would feel like a twat in!
- Try not to stress. This is such a lovely gesture from your DP you could probably go in your pj's and he would still be totally enamoured with you.
- Also, people in London aren't nearly as stylish as everyone seems to think!
- MOST IMPORTANTLY Wear something at least vaguely practical. There's no point looking like a model if you're freezing to death!
To start you off....
THIS TOP is very versatile (you need to wear a white or cream vest beneath it though), and would work very well with a skirt like THIS. The skirt is tight, but since the top is so loose it will balance out your shape. I'm a pear and it works for me!
THIS TOP would look great with some slim leg jeans in either grey or dark indigo, with a cream/navy cardigan. As a plus, you could easily wear this look with ankle boots and still look amazing. Just add a fake pearl necklace and earrings!
Don't forget that clothes are only part the look. Blow dry your hair (I just chuck my head upside down and randomly point the dryer around til it's done then brush through and it still seems to look good after!). Paint your nails the day before.