Help me find something nice please

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Going out to a 'very nice' restaurant in a few weeks. People will be dressed up, I think. Not London.

So - I'm looking possibly for one of the following:

• a dress / short but not clingy / must have sleeves

• or - I've got a black satin midi skirt that I love but haven't really got a top to go with it / would need sleeves, lowish neck or possibly a wrap, relatively fitted, not very long in length and not needing to be tucked in, maybe a bit of ruching or something

or - a brilliant pair of flattering 'going out' jeans (I have no smart jeans) and a top to go with them

I suit black or dark colours like deep red or dark green / not averse to a bit of animal print or a subtle pattern.

I don't 'do' scratchy polyester. I'm short and a curvy 14.

Any ideas, please?

What about this?

Or this to give hubby a thrill

No! Scrap that. This far sexier Ooh la la

I also usually do a fine knit jumper, but can feel a bit funeral if just all black, especially when the skirt is long.

I don’t like those, sorry @Theos I really dislike that blue, and it would do me no favours. M&S blouse looks nice enough (I have a couple similar that I’ve worn to death) but their stuff is usually that awful scratchy polyester these days.

I do quite like the shape of the second blue one. Thanks!

What about Me & Em?

www.meandem.com/geo-lace-flower-shift-dress-slip-black

Thanks, @Rina66 That's gorgeous but I can't justify that much right now. I 'may' have made a couple of very expensive sales purchases last week!

@Rina66 That dress is beautiful 😍 I'm v tempted now but I'm supposed to be good now

Ah, you're welcome @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie and totally understand, it is expensive but I just thought it was so beautiful and timeless. I admire your resolve to budget and only buy from retailers whose ethics you believe in - I'm far too weak in the face of pretty things, they definitely see me coming!

’weak in the face of pretty things’ 😂 I am too, I need to get off the style and beauty boards!

Must admit it's getting easier and easier to avoid Boden, as it's all so awful now!

The shape/length of that Me&Em dress is ideal. Now I need to find a cheaper version!

I want that dress too. But I do have a lace dress, and half a dozen short black dresses…but not that one!

I've just seen this on the COS site Remus, not much cheaper though!

😂

Thanks both!

I’m afraid the Cos one would be a disaster on me. I’m really short waisted and belts like that make my waist and boobs blend into one big blob!

I’m going to have a trying on session on Saturday and will report back.

You really aren't selling yourself here Remus! Get a sausage skin on, gotta smooth it up, flatten it down and get to that party.

That's odd. I replied to this and it's disappeared.

Sausage skin thing will definitely be on! I'm definitely blobby now and can accept that but Some Dresses Are Less Blobby Than Others and the Cos one would make me look like a short, black, shiny, round slug.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie I love your way with words. You do make me smile.

@MistyRock That’s very kind of you. 😂🤪

Reporting back -

The Ted Baker and Reiss sales were awful. Lots of polyester, mostly in size 6. Nothing at all that I could even try on.

Nothing in Cos - everything too long and sizing all over the place.

The Whistles dress that I linked to earlier is really lovely - gorgeous colour and very nice fabric, but it comes up HUGE and even in the small the sleeves were enormous and ridiculously long. For somebody tall with long arms, I'd seriously recommend checking it out though.

This velvet number is nice, although not at all what I was looking for), but about a foot too long. I really like the neckline.

All of the other dresses in Whistles were that horrible scratchy polyester.

This Whistles top was shocking quality. Came up huge (I needed the small) and was so thin that you could see my black bra through it. Arms again stupidly overlong, but very short in length (the latter works for me, b ut I don't imagine many people would have such long arms but such short waists as this top seems to require).

Hobbs was awful - not a single thing I'd be seen dead or alive in.

Nothing jumped out at me in AllSaints, although I often like the patterns in there.

Arket was rubbish. I like the shape of this but hate the colour and the sleeves are too long/stupid.

Back to the drawing board!

I have found this in shops lately. Everything is oversized and the arms are made for orangutans. I’m quite small and even size 6 is too big which is ridiculous as I’m more like an 8/10. I’ve taken to buying stuff second hand when they used to size things that worked for me.

Ps your feedback was very useful!

Thanks, @TrianglePlayer The sleeves thing really is annoying. And stuff is such awful quality, even in the expensive shops.

I bought this dress in M & S just as a day/casual night out dress. It's basically a cheap attempt at the Whistles style. Looks quite nice with black tights and heeled boots.

I was looking at the Saint and Sophia sale earlier- there were some nice things.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie - I like that M&S dress!