Help me find a cocktail dress!!! Pleeeease...

[PigeonInTheLoft]

Xmas event at a fancy castle location
Dress code: cocktail dresses

What even is a cocktail dress? Is there any etiquette on the length of a cocktail dress? Should it have sleeves or not? Or is all that just bollocks now and really just means "naice dress"

I'm also a short arse at 5ft2" with a small bust at 32C, a boyish figure (not much of a waist or hips) and hideous nobbly knees I need to cover...I'm not easy to dress

Budget of no more than 150quid, but to spend max budget it'd have be a killer dress!

Please help, I'm having no luck whatsoever

I always thought it was knee length or there about rather than maxi which is black tie
But as long as it is an evening dress ( rather than a day dress) and is on the glam side then I think you will be good

Yeah, knee length or mid calf, up to you whether it's sleeveless, short-sleeved long sleeved. Shiny material or lace?
www.wallis.co.uk/en/wluk/product/jolie-moi-teal-cap-sleeve-lace-fit-and-flare-dress-8264064?geoip=noredirect&cmpid=ppc_pla_UK_ip&istCompanyId=4c3515cc-629b-47e0-898a-901121033505&istFeedId=94ae1e74-c1e1-44f6-a5f6-d335775335a8&istItemId=wlrwpiili&istBid=tzwt&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr9Lu3uyD5gIVSLDtCh3yqgomEAQYASABEgKaD_D_BwE!

I would say knee length rather than long, and silky/sparkly rather than plain.

John Lewis has a few in their Petite range
www.johnlewis.com/browse/women/womens-dresses/cocktail-dress/_/N-flwZ1yzpijv

How about something like this?

Well that didn't work - it was called "Lisa star sequin"

What about this ?
£60 small bust works well with this
Skims over waist and knees and floaty enough to move when you do or dance

https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod107011100010380205174355-1?pdpsku=9174347
How about this ?
There is a wine colour short sleeve version.

Or this ? https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod1070111000161252+2833211-1

Not long. Knee length or a bit longer - midi length.

White tie is strictly long. Black tie can be cocktail dress or long.

Adeline, Felicity or Josephine dresses by Hobbs work for this do. 25% off at the moment. Jaeger has several velvet dresses which are perfect too. Just order a few and return what you don’t want.

Ok took your advice, ordered a ton of dresses from various retailers in midi lengths. I found this green one!

It's not petite but I'm paying a seamstress neighbour to alter it for me, which is fine as the dress is less than 20quid

Only prob now though, is I dont know how to accessorise it.

What shoes, bag, jewellery, jacket etc?!

God I hate all this 'getting dressed up' shit, I'm so crap at it

Ohhh that is really lovely
Both pretty and festive without being over the top
It will be really different in what invariable ends up being a sea of black ! Good choice
I would do silver heels like the model has on , silver bag too
Where is that from ?

Agree, silver would be nice

Thanks @Pajamagirl it's a Little Mistress dress, bought from ASOS in the black fri sale for £19.50! I'm so pleased with it

Cool, will now start ordering silvery shoes!