Help! Parisian wedding.

[Xiaoxiong]

My DBro is getting married in Paris to wonderful and impossibly gorgeous French SIL. I love them both but they and all their friends are very image conscious. I always feel like a giant pale galumphing hippo when I am over there and unfortunately I can't hide this time. There is no way I won't stand out like a sore thumb among their slender tanned petite friends so I am thinking instead try to go very fashion forward (which they will all recognise and appreciate, SIL reads French Vogue cover to cover every month). Like some kind of mad jumpsuit or giant Villanelle pink tulle dress or something.

Unfortunately very fashion forward seems to be made for sample size people and I'm 5'6", 11st, short waist, big bust and wobbly belly but good legs and relatively good arms. Looking through fashion editorials for ideas has terrified me (like this - eek: www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2019/may/05/rainbow-warrior-bold-colours-for-spring)

Any suggestions? Budget up to £800 for the whole outfit.

My usual style is more along the lines of cigarette trousers, striped top, blazer and converse...

The navy dress is soooooo booooorrrring

I disagree, on OP it's not boring at all.

I've attended a lot of French weddings (DH is French) and a lot of the outfits would be "boring" by English wedding standards - the French are more classic/safe and don't do fussy prints and fascinators.

It's not boring, it's classic and well cut and fits you perfectly.

I think the blue dress looks chic and classic. If you team with bright shoes, bag and beautiful hair you'll look fabulous. The simplicity of the dress means you can really have some fun with the accessories!

It’s not boring, it’s classic and elegant and there is scope for sharpening it up with punchy accessories.

You will look fab, Xiao! Really, don’t start worrying now.

Definitely not boring. Looks gorgeous on too!

Placemarking to see what the VW dress looks like - count me as vote number 11!

Adverts for those vile Toast dresses keep cropping up in my sidebar!

Ok both the Bombshell and the VW dresses arrived at the same time. And here I was thinking I would drown in the Bombshell one, and wouldn't be able to squash into the VW. Whereas in fact they both fit but I don't like the Bombshell one much as the Phase 8 one, and the skirt is halfway down my shins. It's much more MOB I think.

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong with the VW but it's huge on top!!! And if I pull the back up to lie flat on my back, then the front hangs down almost under my boobs. It's all very odd and twisty seams on the sides and I can't even figure out how to walk in it since it's below my knees but also with big drapes of fabric. And if the front sits with any degree of modesty over my boobs, then there's this huge pouch of fabric in the back!added to that armholes that go down to my waist on both sides (whyyyyyyy). And also makes me look like I have a big belly from side, that's not my actual belly as I have shapewear on underneath, that's a big gather of fabric.

What do you all think? Am I missing something here!?

Ah that’s unfortunate, the VW just doesn’t sit right I agree.
The phase eight one is much more flattering on you.

VW dress looks bad. Sorry. It's definitely the dress not you.

Phase Eight is still the winner, by MILES.

And it's way cheaper so you have budget left for accessories... plus didn't you say there are other wedding events?!

Yes it's a shame! I do wonder who it's designed for though? I mean, I have pretty big boobs but you could have doubled mine and they would have still fit. But why the enormous arm holes then, anyone with boobs that big will have a big bra showing on the side!

I will go with the Phase Eight and probably go with a blow dry and vermillion orange accessories.

And yes, there are 2 days of events but the other things are more casual so I can wear my own clothes in a pinch.

I think I may keep the Bombshell HQ dress though. It is beautifully made and very comfortable, and covers my arms. DH and I are moving in September and there will be a LOT of entertaining where we're going so I think I could get good use of of it at events where the Phase 8 dress might be too formal, eg with espadrilles at a garden party.

Phase Eight wins (although Bombshell dress is nice, just not as nice). Now go and blow the budget on shoes or a bag (whichever you love most).

I think the navy dress is great on you. I think navy shoes with it, and colour blocking with shoes and fascinator/headband. I wouldn’t match accessories, it will look too matchy matchy. I’d go orange and pink instead.

Did you look at Temperley? That 2nd jumpsuit is 😲😍😍

That VW dress is odd! How annoying!

I think your instincts are spot on with the phase 8 dress. You look gorgeous in.

Now for accessories!.

Personally I wouldn't get orange accessories, but I dislike the colour in general.

Depends what colours you generally go for, but I would consider:
Pearl (the "pair it with" section on the website has some pearly earrings and I think the subtle shimmer of pearl would really lift the navy)
Coral
Fuschia (although I don't think I'd choose it for this occasion, it's not Parisian chic)

Ooh I know. Rose gold. Would look gorgeous with navy and very classy.

The VW dress reminds me of an old Project Runway episode where Michael Kors says that a dress looks like it was designed for a woman with a very large goitre on one leg.

I feared that may be the case when I saw the photo - I looked at it and thought nope, I’d never be brave enough to try that. I applaud your bravery!

How about some shoes like this ?

https://www.boden.co.uk/en-gb/adrianna-courts-happy/sty-a0403-yel?cat=C1S22_G11

Lots of colours

Nice shoes. Bright yellow would look good with navy, too.

Phase 8 with a FABULOUS necklace I think would be super elegant

Phase eight def the best of the lot, I agree... what a shame about the VW! Puts me quite off ever wanting one. The fit is very poor! But you did get a bigger size didn’t you? Perhaps the 12 would have been better. I thought big armholes only plagued cheaper brands 😡 but no they’re everywhere. Nobody wants them!

Love the blush Boden shoes, with a yellow clutch maybe or straw? Don’t go too matchy matchy I would caution.

Like this?

Bani no I didn't manage to intercept the parcel in time, that's the Italian equivalent of a UK 12 I've got on there. (Don't ask me why a brand so strongly associated with the UK is sized in Italian sizes...) The 14 would have completely swamped me I think! And yes why the massive arm holes?? Surely the only people who don't mind are those who probably aren't wearing a bra anyway and want to show off the side of their rib cage...

If I found the VW dress in a charity shop for £20 I might buy it on the basis that it does fit well round the waist, sew up the arm holes, take in the upper body and see what it looks like. Not for £795 though! So back it goes.

I love the idea of coral or rose gold accessories. I will see what I can find...