Help me find a dress please

[bogie]

Dp has just told me that his new work are having a very posh xmas do, he has to wear suit and tie and i want a dress or somthing v smart to wear i'm a size 14-16 and 5'5.
(and i never wear dresses so need help)
don't have alot of money so cheap if possiable

Well you are very young so could get away with shopping at new look or somewhere similiar. i would wear a dress if its a posh do, classy rarther than tarty if you know what I mean. Debenhams also do some nice evening wear, not too expensive. Go shopping and take a friend with you who will give you an honest opinion. Also a pair of black trousers with a sparkly top would be a good option then you could accessorize with jewelry.

It doesn't have a glamorous rep, but Dorothy Perkins does have a good range, covering a wide range of styles, and not too expensive.

Personally I think Monsoon do lovely frocks for all shapes and sizes, although hey aren't as cheap as Dotty Ps.

Thers always ebay, or some of the For Sale board here may have something suitable? Having said that, if you don't usually wear a dress, you may prefer to 'try before you buy' to make sure it suits.

Also, if it is a function where men are in suits (rather than black tie i.e dinner jackets) then wearing trousers for ladies is not 'forbidden'. To avoid feeling under dressed you should get some nice wide legged black trousers and wear with a lovely swanky/sparkly top and heels. Most women will prob wear a dress but if you really won't feel comfortable it may not be the right option.

am rubbish with ideas (hence I only clicked on here to see if there were any good ideas for me too!)

but just wanted to say bogie your ds is absolutely gorgeous!

New Look excellent for smart stuff on a budget. Lily Allen recently did a range of prom-style dresses there.

What are your best bits? Boobs/waist? Any parts of you you'd like to hide?

Where do you live?

I live in nottingham, best bits are my boobs and my arms.
(baffy thanks )

Hmm, I was going to recommend Ghost which, while a bit pricey, are pretty classic and will last you for years. There are shops in cambridge and Solihull, or you could have a look here

If you run out of options nearer the day, contact me. I have a sleeveless black ghost dress with a pea green and gold wrap. It's stretchy and looked fabulous on my 5 foot 5 curvy friend.

we have a gohast in house of fraiser near us but it is welllll out of my price range there stuff is lovley my friend always buys dresses from there

Sounds like strappy/strapless might work to show off boobs and arms. How about something like this?

Or this? Maybe a bit short if you're not used to wearing dresses? Or this has a bit more leg coverage, if that's what you'd prefer.

oooh...that looks nice!

Have a look at the New Look site. (Newlook.co.uk)
There is a smashing strapless dress on there for £25.

Go into site, then womenswear, then click on icons at bottom of page. 4th or 5th one along.

In purple or black. Another classic one.

Bogie,

Have you tried Zara or H and M? Both in Nottingham.

This is a pretty colour too.

jackie i need your help too

Rocky Horror party
all french maid outfits only suitable for bedroom

argh

too bright?

Another pretty colour.
more longer length
pretty beading.
I love this colour.

jackieno - I didn't know you could get a evening dress so cheap!

What about this :
www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B000WQ3X38/sr=1-1/qid=1195477513/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&node=63674031 &m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&keywords=&mnSBrand=core&size=9&rh=&page=
M&S £45 - is that too expensive ?
M&S have lots of dresses that are not too dear.

Jackie your good i'm loving some of them

CountessDracula - might have to come back to you later - am MNing at work, and really ought to get back to it. I suspect the french maid effect is mostly in the apron so you may need to buy a cheap french maid's outfit just to get that, then put something less bedroomy but still partyish underneath, iyswim. Will think about it...

yes but can't find one!¬
It needs to have the long ruffle bits that go up adn round neck

CD - something like this (warning - link probably not suitable for work, though not too rude, just saucy). From this site (warning applies again).

yuck yuck nooooooo