Posh lunch at a very posh place. What do I wear?

[allwineismine]

My inlaws are taking us for a very posh lunch to a very posh restaurant next week. What the hell should I wear? I know what I would wear for an evening meal, but for lunch? Sounds pathetic but my inlaws can be quite scary and I don't go out much, so completely out of touch.
I can't be too dressy, I have a hospital appointment just before.
I'm prepared to buy something new, I am size 18 possibly 20 big boobs, apple shape, good legs, budget-as low as possible.
TIA

When I was younger I would go for a little black dress, as it can go from a relatively informal to a more formal occasion fairly easily. Maybe dress up with jewellery for the lunch, sparkly earrings or such?

I don't wear so much black these days as navy suits my skin better now.

I am not sure about scuba fabric but this is only £15?

swing dress

quite elegant, simple and forgiving of the tum

Very posh lunch in a posh place means a beautiful blouse, pearls, perfect blow dry and immaculate daytime make up.
You can wear anything on the bottom half but I'd steer clear of jeans.

Is it London or out of town? London you could wear jeans. I'm fairly regular at smart London restaurants for lunch - not Michelin but say, Pollen St Social, Roka, Brassiere Chavot, The Woolsey type places and often wear good silk blouse, well fitted jeans, heels that match tonally with the blouse and a jacket (leather biker, blazer, fur - whatever).

Sometimes have a blow dry, but I can do my own well.

We're a forgiving bunch - anything would go really!

It's not London, I'm in Scotland. It's really a birthday meal for OH, so I think I should dress up a bit. It's the jeans part that I was unsure about. I do have a few really lovely tops but due to eating too many biscuits I can't fit into most of my nicer bottoms.
I like it the dress idea too. Might purchase.

Ah, sorry! Not so sure about your lovely part of the world!

I think I'll go for a dress, DP's mother (we're not married, I call them in laws for easiness of things) will find a reason for criticism anyway

I think I'd go for the kind of dress hercomesthesun linked to- simple and elegant. The loose drapey kind wouldn't look too try-hard for daytime, especially if you go for an overall matte effect rather than shiny or sparkly. plus no tight waist means you can have pudding

'we're a forgiving bunch'

HOW patronising!

If it was lunch at a golf club and a regular golfer said 'we're a forgiving bunch' it wouldn't be patronising. Theres no difference. You're looking for problems where there aren't any brenda.

Wear a younger version of what your MIL will wear if you want to be 'safe'. However, you could even ring her up and ask what she will be wearing as you have never been to this place.

If it was a posh (not Michelin star but close) restaurant round our town (local business people, landed gentry) then jeans would be fine as a would a cocktail dress. Its a modern London way of dressing that has even reached the provinces now.

There is a bloke parks his Bentley around town, wears jeans all day and yet is a millionaire. He does it because he can.

Which restaurant is it, OP? How posh are we talking?

I can confirm that jeans have reached the provinces.

In my extremely limited and probably never-to-be-repeated experience, really posh restaurants don't give a tuppeny toss what you wear.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking! Nice jeans, nice top, heels and you're good to go.

For a very traditionally smart place (Claridges) I would possibly opt for the dress option. Generally the Chanel type Jacket, silk shirt, best jeans and glossy blow-dry is the sort of direction I would head in for a celebratory lunch. Go for a look that you feel comfortable with op, otherwise you will just feel awkward and out of place.

Yes, I thought so too, Brenda . I wonder if Single is the official spokesman for the entire London social scene?

Well, since you ask...!

I don't think restaurants anywhere much care as long as you're dressed and paying...but I'm assuming the OP was more worried about her MIL?

To please the in-laws, I'd wear an elegant on-the-knee long sleeved dress (or short sleeved with cardi) with tights and mid-height heels, simple jewellery, make sure hair, brows and nails are looking good, and wear make up.

Not sure how posh or old your MIL is, but black at lunch time is generally not considered appropriate by the older generation - an LBD is for cocktails/dinner.

I'd just wear something I liked and be confident in it though - but then I never managed to impress my ex MIL no matter how hard I tried and my lovely MIL wouldn't care what I wore.

The provinces!! How absolutely ghastly!!

MIL is actually really young (think early fifties), she's really DP's stepmother. We have a bit of a rocky relationship because she thinks I had something to do with DP's marriage falling apart. I didn't. I didn't even know him then, we met just before his divorce was finalised.
She is sadly one of these women who always look great. I'm usually messy, covered in paint/porridge/chocolate/whatever else and chasing after DS. This time I want to look decent. I found a lovely wine colour dress (in my own wardrobe), heels and I can do my own hair and make up.

Oh, I wish I had a posh lunch to go to... For this sort of thing I'd wear a shift dress and heels, and get a blow-dry if I could. I'd go with smart jeans if I was meeting a younger crowd, I think.

I am excited about it, I really am. We don't go out much, money is a bit tight and we have no one to watch DS. And I want it to be perfect for DP

It'll be great. (Especially if ILs are paying?) Doll yourself up and order the most expensive thing on the menu. Enjoy!