Serious help required - short, mousey haired Boden wearer is required to be "glamorous" for evening do

[Pennies]

DH's eye-wateringly rich boss is having his 40th in some central London location which is, oh so helpfully, not being revealed until the 11th hour and the dress code is glamorous.

Enter, stage right, Pennies. 5'3", slim build, shoulder length non descript (except mousey) hair, with an over reliance on Boden tops with inexpensive jeans.

What on earth should I wear to this thing?

I'm dreading it and I want an outfit so lovely that I can start to look forward to it IFKWIM.

Let's talk about money later. Style gurus, go for broke.

Well as you've witnessed first hand I don't do style, but will bump your thread whilst asking if you got my email the other week?

no idea on clothes. But if nothing else find somewhere equally eye wateringly expensive just beforehand and have a fabulous blow dry. Nothing you can do at home can match an expensive blow dry.

what shape are you?
and how old (ish)?
any bits yiou;d rather hide?
a slim 5'3' sounds easy to dress tbh

lbd? coast have some corkers - ob a small frame this could look very Audrey

you will need killer heels so if you are normally a Crocs type get practising

blow dry vital - book it now

(am busy tomorrow AM but will be on by lunchtime...)

Thanks for the bump CSWS - hope you're well!

Ooh thank you, Mrs B:
Shape = pear ish (8 on top, def 10 below)
Age = 35
Bits to hide = top of arms, also legs not my best feature! Have large calves and my ankles could do with being slimmer!

Bits I like: my back and my waist are good. Got small boobs though.

I'm autumnal in my colouring so will wear a LBD if I can get a good tan done before. I don't actually have a lbd so maybe now would be a good time to get one.

I love the link - gorgeously sexy - but cap sleeves sadly do me no favours. I like a lot of coast stuff. Love this but is perhaps too summery Also it's quite recognisable and I've been at wedding where people have been in the same dress from there which I'd prefer to avoid!

DH has now told me that he reckons the Beckhams will be there. Oh blardy great. He also said that whilst the code is glamorous, it's not black tie, so what on earth does that mean?

It just means the men have more scope to get dressed up without having to look like penguins!!!

oooh it is like cinderella, very exciting. this?

often when i see somethig (expensive) lovely in a magazine it is alberta di wotsit.

not black tie usually means short dresses not long, I think.

but aren't maxi dresses the very thing just now? and v good for pennies' little waist.

[haven't been to a smart event for a decade]

Hire a stunt double. Stay at home and eat chocolate.

Can you tell i've got a school 'Ball' to go to and just can't be bothered ...

maxi dresses on 5'3" verry dodgy imo

coast has several lbds with sleeves - add black opaques and heels and your ankles may look better than you imagined.
Or as you have a good back and are pert enough to go braless I noticed there's a cowl-back one...

If it all seems to high-streety have a look at DvF

OK been on net a porter and found these:

Phillip Lim

Chloe

Moschino, but can this be done with no norks?

D&G but perhaps not so good on a pear

MCQ

Now if we don't consider the prices what's the best option?

Are long dresses really a no-no for a) my height and b) this dress code? I've also got the school summer ball to go to and was hoping to double up with the dress and rather fancied myself in a Gown.

Sorry did the wrong link for the D&G one

i like the chloe one. sorry no idea pennies re the maxi dress. it does seem to fit the brief but how awful to be the only one in long. also mrsb makes good point re length, although 5'3" is not weeny

well unless the school ball is white tie I think any of those would be fine, and more use in the long run than a long dress.

would avoid the D&G one if peary
and would go so far as the say the Moschino one should only be done with small norks - big ones would make it look cheap.

Am dithering between Moschino and McQ, either would be lovely.

The chloe one is nice but looks baggy on the model and I do think I'd feel like I wanted to be wearing something that's a bit more structured. I do love the one you linked to but as ever Mrs B talks much sense WRT long dresses and short-arsed women like me!

I like the D&G one and think it would double up for a summer ball better than black. Don't think being pearish would be a problem as long as it fitted you properly - top on the 10 might be a bit gapey.

Also like Mrs B's cowl backed Coast number

I love the Marc Jacobs one but it's just not me really. I'm not a very floaty-light person.

I do really like that Derek Lam lbd - it very much needs to be seen in RL though.

Navy dress is utterly lush but the cap sleeves (as you mentioned) aren't ideal.

Found another Phillip Lim which if it's a kingfisher blue would be great with my colouring but is less versatile and also I'm not sure how it would look with my figure.

Where could I go to try these dresses on?

Browns?

or Harvey NIcks?

Am in love with the Marc Jacobs one, but agree that it's less 'you' than the others (sadly).

You know you will look divine in any of them, don't you?!

I think the Derek Lam or Moschino would be gorgeous.
I'm a shortie too (not got ickle boobs to go braless though - If I did I'd be in that Moschino one like a shot.) You can always get a wrap to disguise upper arms.

I like the kingfisher blue Philip Lim a lot and though expensive not as expensive as some. You need to start trying on. I imagine that Browns would be helpful as it's a smaller shop but have never dared set foot inside.