Help me understand why this looks wrong

[GraceMarks]

I'm hoping the MN style mavens can help me find a summer dress that suits me because I'm clearly struggling by myself!

I've seen lots of these midi shirt dresses in the shops and decided to try one on this afternoon. But it just doesn't look right and I can't put my finger on why. Is it too wide across the shoulders? Too tight on my tummy? The wrong length? Please try to ignore the socks

I'm quite annoyed because it was lovely and comfortable and I could imagine it being really cool on a hot day. I really liked the pattern too.

I would expect to see that dress being worn by someone a few decades past 40. There are nicer dresses out there!

OP, where is the dress from? Is it reasonably priced?

Dropped shoulders are very unflattering if you have relatively broad shoulders

The belt cuts you in half and sorry, but I find the style dowdy.

Llongy it was £24.99 in H&M. It's interesting to see that most people think it looks granny-ish, considering it comes from quite a "young" shop. Is this one of those things where only very young people can get away with it and everyone else just looks frumpy?

You’ve got it in one! If you are 17 and like a gazelle then you can get away with anything really!

It's for a 70 year old Hyacinth Bucket type!

Not your age demographic OP.

Dropped shoulders are very in and seem to be on almost everything in the shops right now but they are super unflattering whatever the sleeve length - unless you have narrow shoulders.

Tbh the model on the H&M website is barely making this dress work either. And if it's not working for a model then it won't work for us mortals.

Weirdly shirt dresses are one of the very few items that I think only suit hourglass shapes. The tie belt is there to define, and if it isn’t your narrowest part, it won’t look balanced.

They should also never be buttoned fully up but should have a V.

I agree with pp about it being dowdy! My mum would wear it and she is 75, I am in my 40s and would definitely not

Nice pattern but style is 🤮

I think it's the kind of dress that a willowy tall person could get away with but does not flatter the majority of us with more regular body proportions. Don't think it's the kind of dress that flatters a larger bust either if I'm being totally honest.
You would really suit a wrap dress OP, something with a V neck would look so much better on you.

H&M are like that though. I bought a nice dress last summer that had a liberty print. When I tried it on at home I realised that I looked like my mum circa 1974 (in her 40s and rather overweight). Not a good look.

I have it to a 15 year old (5”9 and skinny as a rake) and it looked very chic indeed.

Sorry it's very matronly. You could do a million times better.

How old are you? I think it looks fine for your figure .. it's all about the styling and I can't see your hair or face or shoes etc so 🤷‍♀️

And are you in your 40s and rather overweight LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD?

Do people really go around when they're out and about running errands look at strangers and think 'Dear me, that woman looks so dowdy? For those who do, perhaps you should give links to other options that you think might work 'a million times better'. I'd be more inclined to think someone looks cool, comfortable and smart.

Wrong dress for your body shape. You need to be fairly tall narrow and flat chested for them not to look like a housecoat. And I say this bitterly as I am none of those things.
I think you either need to go a bit shorter if you want looseness or more ruched/draped and fitted if you prefer past the knee.

Its just shapeless, really unflattering.

This is a better shape. Don’t know about the pattern ...

OP I'm the same age as you, this dress is awful, sorry, so many more flattering things out there

You could do to have the belt tied across the back. It is cutting you in half and makes you appear shorter, also dress too long.
With larger bust a v neck button up with cap sleeves and belt that ties at the back only (so you double it back on itself if you see what I mean) and a smaller pattern or self coloured. And just below or on the knee.
Not white or cream.

I'm not keen on these dresses. I think you have to be very young and cool to pull them off, otherwise they just end up looking frumpy. I think you'd suit something with a scope neck and more fitted up top.

It’s an old lady dress, it’ll work on young slips of things with no boobs but shit on the rest of us.

It’s not you, it’s the dress that’s hideous and aging. My Gran would have been 100 this year and it’s the kind of dress we had to order from specialist catalogues for her. It’s very “square” and unflattering. I don’t think the shirt dress works for everyone and most people I’ve seen pull it off have quite a willowy androgynous shape. I’m an hourglass too and can’t pull off most shirt dresses. The Boden one up thread would be my best bet.

Forgiven is right, went to check out Megan Markle in white shirt dress - indeed it’s the dress doesn’t flatter anyone..

man must be a size 6 and the dress doesn’t do anything for her