Do I look frumpy in this dress? (with photos! )

[Wigeon]

Trying to find a nice patterned dress for office-based work. This dress (Boden via eBay) looked lovely in the catalogue picture, but worried the neckline isn't flattering, makes my boobs look odd, fit makes me look fatter than I am (8-10 on top and 10-11 on bum/hips), DH thinks the pattern is aging / dowdy (I'm 35).

Honest views required please!

Ooh it's horrible!!

You've got a great figure!

If you hadn't said 35, I'd assume you were in your 60's. Sorry. You have a great figure, show it off.

It's too big. Not flattering. Sorry ;-)

Hard to tell without seeing rest of you. With frumpy shoes, bad haircut and no make up - yikes!
But with fresh funky hair and make up and yummy shoes I think it could be really rather lovely

It's very hyacinth bucket IMO you have a lovely figure figure and the dress just looks like it's wearing you imo

I agree with supersuper it is all about how you accessorise that dress. I quite like it, but I would as I have it in a different colour. Mine is purple and sort of fuschia. I wear it with opaques and suede wedge heeled shoe boots and a statement necklace from noa noa. I am a slim, tall size 10/12. I am 44 and I have received a lot of compliments when I have worn mine. I do think it looks a little big on you and might look better taken in a smidge.

Agree with the majority that dress is not stylish - in fact, frumpy and you could do much better, particularly given the choice you must have in your size. Hobbs and L K Bennett would be my first places to check out.

Can I just say I get so tired of the continual ageist comments on this thread and others which assume that someone in their 50s or 60s or whatever and/or who is a granny would wear/like/suit such a dress - as if these descriptors were synonymous with 'frumpy'. I'm a mature grandma and would not buy or wear such a dowdy frock. Nor would my friends. Style isn't a factor of age.

Rant over. Good luck, OP.

It doesn't work. The print is frumpy and swamps your frame and something about the neckline combined with the darts is making your boobs look flat and your chest look concave. I actually can't think of any body type that this dress would suit. What a shame.

Polyhymnia I just want to say I agree with you about the ageist comments. I posted one saying the same.

It really annoys me when younger women here seem to think that in your late 50s or 60s ( or older) you wear these types of clothes. My stylish friends who are that age would not wear a dress like that- and neither would my 85+ mum!

Can we please banish this idea that after 55 or whatever you start dressing like a frump? Us women of that age tend to have more money to spend on ourselves than many younger mums, know what suits us, have kept our figures, and look a darn sight better than many 30-somethings.

Rant over.

I don't think that saying that you would assume from the dress that the OP was in their 60s implies that everyone in their 60s would wear such a dress. It would be frumpy on anyone. Can you see Helen Mirren in it? My mum's 77 she wouldn't be seen dead in it.

yes my mother shops where I do, when in London - Liberty and buys the same sort of labels. You / we don't have to drop out into frumpland.

I can't imagine the neckline on the dress would suit anyone.

I think the neckline is too high which makes your boobs look odd to you. It doesn't seem to do anything for your lovely shape and the pleats on it don't help and the pattern reminds me of curtains from the 70s. You look like you have a great figure and this just isn't going to show it.

I am similar shape and size to you. I've found Reiss to have a good choice for my shape. A bit spendy tho. Watch for the sale

And I've my eye on a few in &other stories atm.

But I mostly wear (if my legs are out) skirts/shirt/jumper or skirt/top/blazer these days. Easier to fit my bottom and top half separately. I like this one . Nice zips eh?

You can definitely do better than the Boden thing.

I don't dislike it, red lipstick, black pointy heels, great handbag...

Oh my god I think it's fantastically chic! It fits you brilliantly. The problem is with your bra.

Pair of pointed flats, red lip, hair pulled back. Parisienne. Amazing.

Lovely skirt, Lurking.

supersupersuper yes yes yes

SAVE THE DRESS

I can tell you have a nice figure but the dress is just not fitted enough.

Thank you for further hatred of the dress . Rootypig - I think you are in a minority of one, in liking it!

I agree with the comments about older women - my mum is 70, and while I dont want to dress like her, she certainly seldom looks frumpy - wears great colours, dresses herself to fit her figure (which is very different to mine) etc. But I suppose 'granny-like' is a shorthand for somthing, in the same way that 'mummy' is, even though we know there a many stylish people who are mothers. Not that thst makes the terms very nice if you are a stylist mum / granny.

Swedish - will look at Whistes, but think those necklines on the links you posted are just too high - think part of the problem is that if I wear high necklines - like the dress in my OP, my boobs just look odd. And just seen that Whistles do size 4 .

Remus - I like that Jigsaw one, but think the ruching round the tummy area might make my flat tummy (ie one of my good points) look podgy?

Lurking - &stories mostly seem quite boxy and really not sure they would flatter me. I do like the looks of Reiss but nothing leaping out in the Sale at the mo. Will keep an eye though.

I meant 'mumsy' not 'mummy'.

Re Lindybop, Remus - some of their dresses definitely looked like you might be going to a Grease-themed fancy dress party, but I do think the one I linked to looks like a normal person might wear it....?

I do agree with rootypig re your bra actually. It's not what you asked, I know, but I think you need better scaffolding to make the most of your very good figure.

I agree with the PP who said the Lindybop dress looked fancy dress. The Kaliko print would look frumpy IMO - the plain one is OK.

I do think you'd look great in Reiss.

YOU LOOK GREAT IN THIS DRESS. DO NOT RETURN THE DRESS. IT IS SO SO CHIC. ARE MY CAPITALS CONVINCING YOU?

Please remember that Kate Middleton, queen of corporate bland, loves Reiss. I used to love Reiss but on recent forays have concluded it's the second most overpriced shop after the bare faced cheek of Ted Baker.

Dammit I should have bolded my capitals

As for all this crap about older women and granny dressing. As far as the stereotype goes (and I agree that it is ageist and like most insulting stereotypes about older women, thoughtlessly invoked) but as far as it goes granny dressing is CHIC! flat shoes? midi skirts? pleats? high necks? The chicest women I know in their 20s and 30s dress this way. And some of the chicest women I know in their 70s and 80s do not dress this way. So it's all a bag of crap really

Looked at Cos dresses - their shapes just seem so...shapeless! Even the models looked like they had no figure at all! Not convinced.

Do like the idea of Reiss but everything sale seems to have a high neck / general wrong shape / dull colours at the mo.

Maybe I need a Bravissimo trip too... (they seem to get the thumbs up on the bra intervention threads. Having BF two children, my boobs have changed a lot over the years, now stopped BF and I think they have stabilised a bit, so might be a good chance to get refitted...).

yes! yes yes! keep the dress, go to Bravissimo. TAKE THE DRESS TO BRAVISSIMO. Hoik up bosom, then admire the wonderfulness of dress. Please.

I will now shamelessly continue my unsolicited advice by asking if you have a red lipstick?