Wearing cos style stuff but in colour

[PhyllisWig]

Maybe not COS exactly but I want some jersey dresses which are more cos than boden. In plain colours but colours which aren't grey black or navy (green, purple, teal ideally. Red is fairly easy to fine this season).

I know COS do the odd bit of green but their stuff is too big for me (am little height wise). Baujken doesnt have much that would suit me either as I'm looking to skim not cling.

Have looked in most places I can think of on the high street and on line and this seems to be a fools errand so you lot are my last hope.

Like luke skywalker

I'm not Not Obi Wan Kenobi I'm afraid, I've just come to have a moan with you. Retailers (and designers too) seem to think we're incapable of appreciating both interesting shapes and colour and it pisses me right off.

Me and Em sometimes break away from black and navy e.g. this dress here although it's khaki so may not be your type of green. Or they have this one in bottle green - I would look a bugger in it but I think it's lovely. They're ££ but their sales are always good - the last dress I bought from them came down to about £40 although I had to hold my nerve.

The Christophe Lemaire for Uniqlo range is worth keeping an eye on. I think the last dresses were mainly knitted and it's all mostly sold out but I'm drumming my fingers for his next collection as he does seem to understand that colour and shape don't have to be imcompatible.

I do view you as my obi wan in any case!

I have looked at me & em and whilst that colour would be good for me, the shape isn't.

It does frustrate me that I look like death in black/navy/grey but colour for workwear seems to be restricted to the kind of dresses worn on the apprentice by 23 year olds with no c section stomach.

Don't get me started on trying to find a lbd that isn't black. A non work, dress up dress down plain quality dress but not in black. Impossible!

I'm probably not being super helpful for you OP but maybe for other posters as the sizing issues will be similar as with Cos, in so far everything comes up big and sizing starts at an S and goes up to XXL, but Cora Kemperman (Dutch) has been designing in a similar style for decades now, albeit with a bit more whimsy and colour. The prices appear high but it's mostly organic cotton, etc. so not entirely unreasonable and not designer prices either. A jersey cotton dress like pictured comes in at 60 euros which isn't frightening. The half wool, half acrylic knitted green tunic comes in at 90 euros. Unfortunately, shipping costs to the UK are high. It is quality stuff and lasts really well though.

Another nice Dutch brand is Vanilia although everything is also a bit greige at the moment. There are a couple of reds and blues in there.

lekkerkroketje, your username is making me very hungry

Another Dutch brand, Humanoid also has some nice pieces but it's more money.

The Scandis are also worth looking at, depends on the year what colour palette they choose but Filippa K always has good jersey dresses. Bruuns Bazaar, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Whyred, are probably worth taking a look at. The Bestseller brands (Only, Vila, etc.) will do them cheaper but the quality is disappointing IME.

I was just thinking about European brands. I've got a Filippa K dress in a lovely plum colour that I found a couple of years ago in TK Maxx. There are a few greens and burgundies on that link in between all the black and navy. It's ££ though unless you get lucky with Maxxingtons.

There's a time I would have said H&M but they've taken the acrylic highway and I can't see them ever getting off. What are Arket like for colour? I haven't checked them out lately.

Ha cross post with botemp

Masai might be worth a look. I have a couple of their viscose jersey dresses (in black mind you but they do colours). Well made and comfortable.

Thank you so much for these! Nothing quite right at the moment but some of them are spot in shape wise (vanila looks great) so will be worth keeping an eye on.

Am going to look at Arket now. I do keep an eye on finery too but again often a bit too long.

But great suggestions thank you.

If you like Vanilia's style it's probably also worth looking at LaDress. As the name suggests they focus on dresses, specifically jersey dresses and they have a few colours in there too. I'm almost embarrassed to say it now, but they're Dutch again, but shipping to the UK is free and first returns too (I assume this means per order not per customer to avoid countless exchanges with sizing issues).

Ohhhhhhh yes I do! And they have a couple of good blues too.

Thank you.

I was in Arket yesterday and have to report that the sizing is huge. Lots of really nice sweaters but the arms are all enormously long, I am 5'6" and not a problem I normally have. I didn't try any dresses, don't think they have a huge range. I bought some lovely flattering jeans though.

@Floisme, do you mind me asking what is the Filippa K sizing like in your experience? As in is it true to size?

IME Filippa K comes in a smidge small for a Scandi brand and is more in line with European sizing but it's not Zara small and it isn't roomy like COS either. Probably TTS then but high street stores are all over the place size wise these days so hard to say really but realistically an XL at Filippa K is a true UK14 or thereabouts.

I'd agree with it being slightly on the small side. I've only got the one dress (and it was TK Maxx so may not have made the grade for some reason) and it's a Small and I can only wear it if I've stayed off the cake. I'm normally 8-10 on the UK high street.

That's a shame (for me). Thanks for the reply anyhow.

@RubbishMantra, you could try Samsoe & Samsoe, they're a similar style to Filippa K but come in more Scandinavia sized.

Whilst I'm here, what's the verdict on Great Plains, supposed to be French Connection's older sister brand as I understand it but what's the quality like?

Not bought anything from Great Plains for a few years but from a casual browse in store I would say it's French Connection quality at a lower price point.