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!

Try Banana Republic too OP. Good work dresses that would flatter your figure, and if you sign up for their emails, they have lots of discounts.

Ooh, People Tree looks promising - what about this teal one?

Is lace all over, like this Kaliko dress a bit last season (or last last last season)?

I just seriously love the shape of the original dress! Slash neck and full length sleeves, pretty print in blues and super flattering, I think it's so nice. You lot are weird.

MN always want to truss people up in Lindybop type dresses, but OP has a lovely figure and can wear pretty much anything. Doesn't mean she has to iyswim - much classier to cover up I think. It doesn't always have to be low cut pencil dresses for work!

I'm pretty stylish I think and I wear quite demure dresses for work like the one in the OP, with great hair, slim figure, high heels and subtle jewellery. Anything else feels and looks try hard on me. I like Laura Ashley for pretty prints and nice shape dresses.

Polkadots - is it just me or does the one you linked to this one have buttons which look like nipples?!

See Miu Miu dresses for an example of the kind of look I mean -

This although I'm not a fan of the ruched 1940s shoulders

More Miu Miu

Erdem

Styling a bit wacky but imagine it worn simply

And I wouldn't wear snazzy accessories or add a cardigan - a dress like that speaks for itself

Ballroom - pretty dresses, but not sure the high neck does me any favours (although I take people's point about my bra). I think you and rooty are maybe the kind of people who can pull anything off and rock any dress, but I am still gonna bow to the majority view!

step away from the Boden.....

I think you could dress it up but the length is all wrong. The problem with this dress is the length, pattern and high neckline. If werent for all three, you could probably get away with it but tbh, it does nothing for you. You look quite literally like a different person in the other dress. Wow..what a figure. You look fantastic.
I would go with a few shift dresses. Loads around. Hate lindybop dresses. i have no idea why they have such a following. I cannot stand that look.

Oh and that beige dress, which looks so good on you, would be fabulous with a heel. [ Not sure if you just slung them on] Anway goodluck.

I think a lot of the Boden prints and styles look like what my 82 year old mother would call "old lady dresses". To wear them "ironically" you would have to be about 15. They are just plain ageing on anyone else. I'm afraid this fits into the "old lady dress" category - the print, the neckline and the length. Oh and the belt. The patterned Jigsaw dress that someone linked to was much nicer.

I think you should try the Jigsaw one, Wigeon. You're a size 10: it's really not going to make your belly look big.

Re the original dress - Have you tried taking the belt off, rolling/pushing the sleeves up and trying it on with a pair of heels? Maybe putting a really sharply cut blazer over it?

I'm coming round to the original dress now. But, I don't think it suits you OP. I'm not sure if you have short hair or you've just got it up out of the way, but it would look much better on someone with longer darker hair. And maybe shortened a little
Oh, and I don't like those lindybop dresses either, agree that they look like fancy dress and just cringe at anything called a "wiggle dress".

I really like the OP dress too! I don't buy Boden stuff but I would wear that dress - heels, big ring, red
Lips (mantrap, soap and glory)

#savethedress

Push your sleeves up, add chunky accessories on wrists and neck and wear heels - there is always hope!

I don't love the dress but agree it can be saved, it would look better as a casual occasion dress, maybe eith a biker jacket on top to lessen the frump potential (though I know lots on here don't like biker jackets)

Also agree I don't get the lindybop love on here, can't imagine anyone wearing them irl unless for a themed party or similar

Don't send it back #savethedress.

Hem it up a few inches, light tan waist belt, black opaques, black jacket, black pointy heels of some kind.

It is really HARD i think to be 35 and dressing appropriately for a managerial position in work. In my work the 20somethings all looked like about to go to catwalk show/fancy dress party, and the 40somethings all wore overly washed and faded bode wrap dresses (other stylish 40somethings here - i know that's not what all 40 somethings do but it was like A LAW at my old company, bleurgh). Whistles dresses and others were all a bit too short and sexy. The number of times I have just prayed for whistles to make hemlines just two inches longer and wondered who the fuck is wearing them! Too expensive for the young uns and too short for everyone else!

You need to look smart and demure and like you could walk into a board room at any time, thus think that dress is fine. Short red nails, red lips, bang.

NB you have cracking figure, tres jalouse.

It's not flattering the way you're wearing it, I think it could look good with a chunky belt with a big silver clasp, and pulled up a bit.

If the neckline was straighter across it would be much better.

I think it would look better if you took it somewhere to have the sleeves and skirt shortened.

The dress in the OP looks much better on you than it would on me, Wigeon!

You could try a padded bra with it and a wide, black belt, and a black jacket over. The jacket and belt could be a bit shiny. Pair with patent shoes. However is it really worth it? Probably not!

I do like the Lindy bop wiggle dress and your other suggestion in the same post is lovely.

I don't mind it if it was styled well but I think it is too big for you

Love all the alterations suggestions - so basically, if it was a completely different dress, it would look GREAT! Although I take the point about the accessorising making an outfit. Afraid the damage is done - it's going back #DressSchmess

Knittingbat - yes, hard to look like you are in charge, but not look like you are 50, but look stylish, but not look like you are 20, but look smart for serious meetings, but also young and fresh despite the greys appearing.

I'd buy it from you if I had a job to wear it to!! Currently expecting baby to make an appearance so out of action for a bit.

I wouldn't accessorise the dress barely at all - it's so ageing and try hard and not fashionable or confident to always add a snazzy belt, a cardi, coloured tights or whatever. I think over-accessorising is the Brits' number one styling mistake. People watching on the tube, I always notice how many women have an interesting coat, an unusual colour handbag, a different colour skirt and tights and shoes, and their hair styled, and colourful makeup and a snazzy scarf to top it all off. Just no need! That dress for example stands on its own. Simple hair, black heels and red nails and lips - that's all it needs to keep the dress the focal point.

I think Remus' styling tips are as far as I'd go with it, but I think it would increase any frump factor to faff with it too much. Simple = almost always better, and pattern generally stands on its own for me, I hate feeling overdone.

Shortening the sleeves would be such a mistake - it's so rare to find full length sleeves, it's gorgeous.

#savethedress I am investing too much energy in this thread