'Dress to impress' for someone short, fat and not good at dressing up?

[TwentyOneGuns]

Our work do is very posh this year and I'm determined to look good - I nearly cried when I saw the pics of last year's do, I looked so awful :(

Trouble is I'm shortish (5'2), fattish (14 - 16), booby (36FF) and far more comfortable in jeans and Converse. I feel ridiculous in what I think of as grown up proper evening clothes - the sort of thing that's in the shops which screams 'office party' is really not me.

I had high hopes for Collectif which I saw mentioned on here the other week - I like a slightly vintagey, bit different sort of look (without appearing to be in fancy dress which I think many clothes of that type can do) but the dress I ordered (Regina bengaline), although beautiful, is too unflattering round the middle. I had visions of looking like Christina Hendricks in Mad Men but in fact I look like me when I was pregnant :(

I might try the above with some serious shape wear and cross the going to the loo bridge when I come to it, but failing that can anyone suggest anywhere else to try?

Have you tried Pepperberry at Bravissimo? They're good for norms and curves.

Norks not norms

there's a great dress in Peacocks at the moment, which i am getting tomorrow, it is really generous in the upper body. My bust is smaller than yours but my body shape is similar and I am 5ft3.

here, i am getting it in a 14 in purple, but it is lovely in black ( which i would normally go for but mine is for a wedding)

here

it looks so good on, and the length is good for my chubby knees.

I find Pepperberry a bit frumpy usually but actually some of the dresses on there are OK.

That purple one is pretty but too fitted for me I think and I'm not fond of lace. Glad you've got something you feel so good in though :)