Style gurus advice please - outfit for Scottish december wedding

[chickeninabox]

The Venue - country hotel by a scottish loch in December (bbrr)
Me - 5ft 6, still carrying post preggers weight, dark straight hair, green eyes.
Outfit Requirements - primarily has to be cheap as we are borassic, also I don't do frilly/floaty/flowery and am Not Keen on light colours (although prepared to be convinced).

Apart from usual family type guests, the typical guest profile will be 'fast approaching middle age trendy types with pots of money to spend on their clothes', so I have to look the part...

Am going out shortly, but will be back later to check for suggestions, if any...

ta ladies.

[Peridot30]

Which hotel is it?

I was at a 'posh' wedding this year at a very 'posh' hotel and wore a black and white spotty dress easy to accesorise. I Dont wear bright colours and thought these colours were classy - and knew i would wear it again.

[JackieNo]

What size are you?

[JackieNo]

If you're less than a size 14, this is in the sale? You'd have to try it on to see whether the empire line skimmed over the 'post-baby weight' or made you look pregnant again, though. Velvet, so nice and warm (but not great with baby sick on it). Just thought - is a dress OK, or are you BF still? Or maybe you need wide legged trousers with a glamorous wrap top?

[JackieNo]

Or for something a bit less black, how about this ? The gathering and the tie at the waist should disguise any tummy nicely? YOu'd need some sort of shawl/shrug maybe, to go with it?

[Tutter]

please advise re your body shape - essential, esp for dress recommendations

e.g. that last dress jackieno linked to = lovely, but on me would = hideous

[prettybird]

I wore a wrap dress from Principles, with a sort of green/back/taupe starburst pattern to my hiusband;s nephe's wedding recetnyl. It wasn't too expensive. It's a flattering style, so should be OK for post preggers' curves. I also got a green cardigan-cum-jacket with long sleeves and a "cuff" (the sort that overlap onto your hand), cropped, with a sort of ruff and a sungle button at the front (the ruff sort of carries on round from the collar all the way around. It is amazingly warm.

You could accessorize it "up" with nice jewellery (I got some of the Principles matching stuff). I also found some lovely green suede shoes with a wee gosgrain bow (low kitten heel) from M&S for only £35. Looked good with "cocoa" (or was it chocolate?) sheer tights.

Actually went to buy some kitten heel black boots, which they didn't have in my size - but it would look good with boots too. Was panicing about fooear when i couldn't find the boots - but was really pleased when I found the shoes!

[JackieNo]

(I know, tutter, difficult to second guess, isn't it - much easier if you can see someone)

[prettybird]

Found a link to the shoes here . They're also a more rounded toe, which makes them a bit more fashinable.

If you look closely, you'll see the ribbon sort fo ges all the way around (in and out).

[prettybird]

I can only find a likn to the dress in the Petite section of the Principles web site here , but it was also available in the "normal" sizes. It desn't look as good in the picutre as it does in real life: it is much more green and subtle at the same time. I got lots of compliments - both from strangers in the shop when I was trying it on, plus at the wedding.

The link to the cardi is also in the Petite section, but again, it was also available in the standard sizing. I bought them c. 1 month ago, so they may no longer be in sotck - but stores and/or the franchises may still have some.

It's not as glamorous an outfit as some have suggested - but at least it is practical in that you can wear it through the ceremony, plus photos outside and then on to the evening, plus it can be worn afterwards, both casually and for smarter functions (useful if you are broke)

[chickeninabox]

Sorry for delay in replying folks - last time I looked here there were no replies ! Thanks all for your recommendations. I should have said I am size 16/18 depending on shop. JackieNo I had dd over a year ago now but in my defence also had ds 2 years ago so plenty of wobblytum to shift yet. Your 2nd link was nice (can't see first) but not sure it would suit.

Prettybird, can't see your links either apart from the shoes - again, bows...hmmm...not sure about bows...

Tutter, I am sort of pear shaped, small-ish chest but wide back, decent legs, blimmin' bingo wings despite hauling a double buggy round on a daily basis. Gosh I sound awful !

Was thinking about trousers/top ensemble - dresses tend to be a bit hit and miss with me. Sigh - I am going to look like a frump...

btw it is on the banks of Loch Awe - can't remember name of hotel at the moment.

[prettybird]

If you go the Principles web site and go in to the Petite section. The cardigan is in the "tops" section, "Green mohair mix cardigan" and dress in the Petite section described as "Green prcint warp dress".

If you are up in Scotland/Glasgow, both Principle itself and John Lewsi had quite a few 16/18s in stock about two weeks ago. The dress has three quarter length sleeves, which covers up the "bingo wings". It would also show uff your legs.

I've also got quite broad back (but decent boobs - at least, dh thinks so ).

The bow on the shoe is honsetly not that large, but i can understand why you might not be sure. Any court shoe/zip up boot would look good with the dress - and still show off your legs.

This is the first wrap dress I have got myself and it really is amzingly flattering. Why not try a few wrap dresses (with sleeves!) and see how they look?

[chickeninabox]

ooo thanks prettybird - that dress is nice, plus the cardi as well. Do wrap dresses hide stomachs then ? They look as though they would just draw attention to them. Am near Brighton so may take a trip down there to look at something similar.

[prettybird]

Depends on whow big it is!. This one has a wee bit of gathering sort of across the front into the side seam, so it can disguise some stomach.

Plus the cut of it - drawing you attention elsewhere means you look at other things (provided you're not flat chested), then they'll look at the V and then at your legs!