Tea at the Ritz... help please!

[Shockers]

I'm going for afternoon tea at the Ritz this weekend with a friend. I asked what the dress code would be and she thinks a dress and heeled shoes.

The thing is, I really don't like heels... or dresses. I don't mind tunic style dresses with boots, but I'm not a floaty dress kind of person.

Please could you help me find something to fit, which won't make me feel uncomfortable? I do have some long black boots which I think would be fine as they're smart and quite plain, with a more pointed, than rounded toe. I think they would look great with a drapey fine knit dress and some nice jewellery.

I've looked on the Ritz website and I'm fairly sure that this type of ensemble would be acceptable for afternoon tea in winter.

I like soft fabrics, I don't mind a subtle sparkle and I prefer not to have a fitted waist as I'm a bit apple-y in shape. I'm a size 12 and am 5'4" tall. My legs are toned, so with longer boots and tights, I think a dress that sits mid thigh would look ok.

I hope that's not too specific! I am open to suggestions, as long as the fabric is natural and soft.

TIA!

I've had some very nice knitted jersey dresses from Boden in past which have taken me to every sort of venue, smart to casual. The styles this year are too short for me but may be worth a look, specially as everything is 30% off at moment.

5 nothing, ds is over 6 ft he hasn't patted me on the head yet, but frequently comments that the only family member I am taller than is the cat

Anything here Shockers?
www.baukjen.com/uk/shop/baukjen/dresses

Or here?
www.wraplondon.co.uk/subcats/SMWDRSK/skirts-dresses.htm
Or here?
www.poetryfashion.co.uk/category-POEDS/dresses-skirts/index.htm

This brings back lovely memories of the time I stayed there. The staff were lovely. We had our evening meal in a restaurant all lit by chandeliers. It was very beautiful, very Louis XlVth. All golden and blue. We went to take a photograph and a member of staff asked us very politely not to do that, so who we might have been rubbing shoulders with goodness only knows.

The bedrooms were huge. The bed was easily 7 feet wide. It had a golden counter pane on it. We went to have a wander out and when we came back the bed had been turned down and the counter pane was in a box at the bottom of the bed. At either side of the bed on the floor was a linen cloth with a pair of slippers each.

There was a bottle of water on a table in the room, fruit with those lovely small bananas that I had never seen before and some chocolates. The room had lots of little antiques scattered about. It must be about 20 years ago now.
Wonder if it's changed. We didn't have a lot of time to enjoy its opulence. It was about 5 when we arrived. 8 when we had dinner. Breakfast in the morning, which was a sumptuous feast in itself and then it was time to leave.
What did surprise me that although everything was clean, it was not all pristine. In the light of day there was a certain...shabbiness about some of the furniture. Maybe because they were genuine antiques...I don't know.
It is a lovely memory, I joust wish I could have shared it with my second husband rather than the first. I just wore trousers with a smart top as I was more into trousers then.

Nice to see it hasn't gone up in price. One night was £400 then !

Hello again! We went on Friday. I wore a silk blouse and black trousers and felt just right. I don't believe a single person in there was remotely interested in my garb either!
My friend's husband had phoned in advance and ordered us a bottle of champagne; there was a choir singing Christmas carols, and the whole experience was just wonderful!
Thank you for contributing to this thread .

Dowser, I want to stay there now!

I like the wraplondon stuff, Pantsalive!

Yes I like Wrap stuff too, shockers.

Glad you enjoyed it OP - your outfit sounds just right and not too try hard.

Sorry , shockers, you are the OP of course!

My mum and I went some years ago.
I think as long as you avoid jeans/trainers, you can dress up as much or as little as you like.
What about a midi dress? I got a nice long sleeve floral one in Sara recently that could be worn with boots.

So glad you had a good time Shockers. It sounds wonderful and I'm glad you felt happy in what you wore.

I'd chose a drapy Jersey dress like with a bit of give to accommodate all that tea and cakes enjoy!

Oooh. Tell all. What food did you get. We're the staff still friendly but not overly familiar.

Flower displays? Fabulous?

It was so beautiful, all decked out for Christmas! There was a choir singing carols and they dimmed the lights, so all the silverware sparkled softly. We ate little finger sandwiches; my favourite was cream cheese, cucumber and mint, but they were all delicious, and delicate.

So many cakes!! The raspberry macaroons were, my friend proclaimed, the best she'd ever tasted! We drank champagne and rooibos tea. Afterwards, we had slabs of moist, gorgeous Christmas cake.

I went thinking that it was going to be stiff, and that I might feel uncomfortable (I'm more at home atop a mountain with a flask, as a rule), but the reality was such a luxurious experience, with all senses fully catered for, that I soon felt right at home!

The waiter was on the respectable side of cheeky!

Loved it .

Thanks to all who came on with suggestions and chat!

That tree was about 30' tall!

That's fabulous, and sounds delicious and delightful!

I think it's a true sign of class (for want of a better word) to make anyone feel at ease in certain surroundings, no matter who they are or what they're wearing!!.

Dowser it's still a bit worn, I was in a suite recently. Part of its charm I guess.

Doesn't that sound utterly fabulous and it looks so beautiful. Raspberry macaroons. Mmmm!
I think that's what impressed me with the staff, no one ever made you feel awkward.
I should explain that my trip was a competition win. An overnight stay at the ritz and after we checked out onto a show of our choice. I chose phantom of the opera which was fantastic. The philistine I was married to at the time fell asleep! I loved it.

Then onto Dover for an overnight stay and then the sea cat to Belgium for two nights....another competition win. That we managed to put together as we lived so far away.

Those were the days!