Dress found for work Christmas do - need help 'styling' please

[KittyB52]

I have this dress, which is really flattering on (apart from length, which I may get tweaked as I fear it is in the 'frump zone' for tinyshort me): www.closetlondon.com/closet-blue-jersey-tie-back-dress.html

I have a pair of oxblood shoes which I LOVE (but are not that comfy, so I only wear them on special occasions) - does oxblood go with this colour and if so, am I going to need 'nude' tights to go with them? I would be accessorising with chunky gold necklace and gold bangles.

Alternatively, I could get the same dress in this colour (which I also love): www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Closet+Jersey+Tie+Back+Dress/D557807,default,pd.html but then I am not sure the shoes would work, as might seem too 'matchy'. I don't wear black or silver, so am wondering what colour shoes would work if I don't wear the oxblood ones?

Oh, and work do consists of Christmas lunch, drinks and speeches lasting 4-5 hours, followed by more drinks, karaoke and 'dancing' at a wine bar.

I love that plum baby doll dress twinkle. I don't think it would work on me( I know it's not for me ;-). To get those pleats I think it's going to be a 'hard' polyester with no give in it. My body doesn't do well in that material. For a dress like that to work for me I would have to be stick thin and I'm not. The model looks lovely in it.

Op if you love the dress you've posted then wear it. Better to feel comfortable and relaxed in something you feel good in than like a fish out of water in something that's wearing you.

Do you have longish hair that you could pin up with a bling slide. I have a lovely clip I can wear on my ponytail for eg. Have you a sparkly necklace?

Purrito, I love what you've put with the dresses - are those looks on Polyvore? I may need the shoes - I didn't think about animal print.

My hair is just shoulder length and could be put up (although apparently I don't suit it). I wouldn't mind a bit if bling in my hair though.

I have a chunky gold 'rope' style necklace which is more shiny than sparkly, and some gold bangles.

Kitty, both looks are on Polyvore, here are the links:

www.polyvore.com/wine_dress1/set?id=182989119
www.polyvore.com/blue_dress1/set?id=182993110

When putting them together I didn't check prices or availability, but there should be plenty of other animal print shoes around at this time of the year. Not sure about your budget / shoe size / preferred heel height, but a quick google comes up with these (and loads of other options):

Miss KG
Dune
LK Bennett
Topshop
Zalando
Paper Dolls

Gold bangles and necklace (provided it works with the neckline and doesn't compete with your hair if left down) sound good to me. If necklace and bangles together are too much, I would lose the necklace, leave hair down and get a great blow dry.

Thank you! The bronze shoes are still available on Dorothy Perkins site, so I might have to order them. I think I 'spotted' (sorry) some leopard print shoes there too.

Necklace has gone back, as I think it's a bit too chunky and not 'blingy' enough. Will find something suitably sparkly.

Thank you all for your help.

Sooo...I have now managed to put myself off wearing the original dresses for the Christmas do, and I spotted this sparkly beauty in the sale: www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Jolie+Moi+Wrap+Front+Sequin+Dress/211625661,default,pd.html

I tried it on in the loos at lunchtime to show my colleagues and they both said it looked good and much more 'partyish' than the red dress.

However, it is massively out of my comfort zone. I plan to wear it with black opaques (really, really thick ones) and will be putting a pin or stitch in the bottom part of the wrap bit to stop it from becoming indecent (same might go for the top part too).

I would love this dress to have sleeves, but it doesn't and I can't imagine any shrug type thing that would go over the dress and not look odd. So, it's arms out time. I have a couple of weeks to get used to that (and to lift weights/try out fake tan).

I have shoes already, but I would like advice on jewellery. I'm thinking maybe a simple gold cuff bracelet and some plain gold earrings? The dress is so sparkly (the photo doesn't do it justice), any sparkly/fussy jewellery would be too much, even for Christmas.