Black tie dress for 65yo dm

[AwesomeBadger]

Hello,

I’m looking for help finding my dear Mum a dress for a black tie dinner she has to attend for work

Mum is a size 10/12 and has a lovely figure. She’d like a dress that is dark in colour and knee length not maxi.

She absolutely dreads shopping and is always concerned about looking like “mutton dressed as lamb” (her choice of words not mine!) so I was holding to find her some things online that she could try.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Bump

How about trying next, Monsoon, phase eight?

I know lots of 60s women & they wear cocktail dresses from those places.

What budget is it??

I bought a lovely dress from bravissimo that's almost full length (but can be taken up easily), wide straps so bra friendly and conservative, fits great (I'm 12/14 and a bit younger but had same feelings) otherwise I suggest booking a personal shopper at Debenhams, they really know their stock.

Budget is £250

Adriana Papell (John Lewis), Gina bacconi

phase eight, coast

Bombshell?

Littleblackdress.co.uk

Hobbs

Have you got a designer outlet near you?

Just an example

www.littleblackdress.co.uk/dresses/midi-dresses/gina-bacconi-silver-laverna-crepe-dress-with-beaded-cape

www.littleblackdress.co.uk/dresses/midi-dresses/gina-bacconi-harper-navy-blue-cold-shoulder-dress-with-beading

What kind of shape is she OP - apple, hourglass etc? Best bits and bits to hide?

Agree Phase Eight or John Lewis would be a good place to start (My nearly 70 yr old mum would find the Gina Bacconi ones a bit old for her though!! So depends on your mum’s style)

www.harveynichols.com/brand/adrianna-papell/

If she’s an hourglass then Bombshell London could be worth a look.

Not dark, not knee length but this is rather lovely.

I'm not at all impressed with the assumption that your mother should shuffle off to the department store. She has a perfectly decent budget for something glamorous in the sales.

www.jacques-vert.co.uk/jacquard-high-low-dress-60b055

I would look online at the John Lewis website.

Ralph Lauren also worth considering

The adriana pappell dresses look lovely!

Is knee length ok for black tie? I always thought it meant full evening dress but I'm no expert.

That aside, if it was me I would stalk Vivienne Westwood till the end of the sales and on the Outnet. Her draping and ruching are very kind to post menopausal bodies (she understands them). There are sometimes really good prices towards the end of January.

Or I might look for a really big, pouffy, midi length nipped in at the waist skirt. Ted Baker and Coast often have them and sometimes H&M too. (Yes I am serious - I'd resent paying a lot of money for a one-off occasion.) Team with a fitted top.

(Or have Coast gone into administration or did I dream that?)

I like the Jacques Vert that messy linked although personally I'd want sleevess.

Bombshell - yes a friend bought one of their cocktail dresses and looks bloody great in it.

Or palazzo trousers with a fitted top can look very glamorous (not sure if that would be too casual?).

And because I get cross when women compare themselves to cuts of meat, I would show her the Golden Globe pics where some of the young women look totally ridiculous but they're having a high old time and no-one gives a hoot.

YY Viv Westwood

Bombshell London

Thank you for excellent suggestions! We are sadly nowhere near an outlet but have had a look at several of the options.

Mum has fallen in love with some of the Bombshell dresses which is ace so a couple of them are en route now.

Thank you again for the suggestions, she really deserves to feel fabulous and I’m hopeful that she will (keep your fingers crossed for the red because she will look INCREDIBLE if she can just get past it being a brighter colour.)