Please help me find an amazing outfit

[DoesThisLookRight]

I have to go to an event next month and Exdh and his wife who was the OW will be there. Lots of his friends too. I haven’t seen any of them for years and I’m looking really rough at the moment. I have to go to this thing alone and I’m getting so stressed at the thought of seeing them.

Please help me find an amazing outfit. It’s a daytime book launch which is happening at a local art college. I don’t wear heels, I normally wear fairly hippyish clothes. Any ideas on what sort of shops I should look in?

What is the dress code for the event? What sort of an outfit are you looking for?

There’s no dress code but they tend to be smart casual affairs. It’s an arty bunch of people so generally lots of floaty dresses and scarves. I’d ideally like something that looks quite casual, probably a long sleeved but shortish dress. I’ve got good legs but everything else is a bit of a disaster.

Dorothy Perkins do some nice dresses at a reasonable price too. I particularly like the Billie and blossom dresses.

Budget colour material sleeves short or long

The most effective way of dealing with this will be to look happy, relaxed and confident. Appreciate that will be easier if you are happy with how you look but above all else. smile your way through it.
Not best person to advise on what to wear but make sure it's something you feel comfortable in. The most stunning outfit that you don't feel right in will have the opposite affect

Size?
Colours?
Budget?
Shops you like?

Monsoon have some lovely dresses, maybe look for something you will want to wear again
uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_1.95/6449896151

Budget not too much of an issue. I’m size 10-12. I haven’t bought any new clothes for myself in the last 6 years as I’ve been really ill and it’s been the last thing on my mind tbh. But I’ve had my hair did, I’ve finally got back to my previous size and I’m feeling human again for the first time in forever.

What about a bit of Viv? I've linked this one but there's lots of other options. I quite often find ones on Ebay too.

At first I was thinking Monsoon, Gudrun Sjoden, or perhaps Seasalt who have some good dresses at the moment, including some rather smart black/grey ones. However...have you looked at Cos? Some really interesting and flattering clothes, and you could add a gorgeous scarf and jewellery. Jo Edwards has stunning scarves
www.joedwardsretail.co.uk/ and the Royal Academy and the V&A have some great jewellery online...pieces that are unusual and beautiful...might be worth a look?
Good luck with your search!

Might something like this work?

And if you can stretch to a Viv, yes! Although it seems to be harder to find and not as many available as previously.

Ooh I love that VW dress! If I wore that with casualish shoes it wouldn’t look too dressy either. The JL dress is nice but something I’d normally wear - I’m a big fan of loose tunic dresses. I think now I’ve finally got round to being a decent size again I’d like to wear something slightly more fitted:

Have a look at Whistles and All Saints for fitted dresses.

I always find that getting a blow dry makes me feel glamorous

All Saints have some lovely dresses.

Thanks so much for all advice. I’d like to be mature enough to not be bothered about it but I’m not. I think it’s mostly the fact that I have to be there and I will be the only person from my company there so no one I can hide behind. A blow dry is a very good plan too.