Outfit help please

[Greengr]

Going to a house party for a big birthday, lovely venue with caterers, cocktails etc.
Ideally want a short dress for a short apple shaped size 16. Prefer dark colours, ideas welcome please.

A few ideas. V neck flowers from Matches Fashion. Black flowers from La Double J. Details on photos.

I'm not an apple, so googled some ideas:
Best Dresses for an Apple Shaped Body 2023 | Yours Clothing

Apple Body Shape: A Comprehensive Guide | the concept wardrobe

Some of the pics of dresses posted above don't look flattering at all- like a massive, shapeless amount of material! Maybe they do suit apple shapes though. Sorry- I really don't know.

Did the op say she has money to burn?
Dresses .... pretty ugly dresses up to over £600 ? The only relatively decent one is the Other Stories dress.
What's up with the sudden influx of posters recommending really expensive things?

Are you quite well, @Cantonet? Not sure why you would take such unreasonable and personal offence. The OP asked for ideas; she did not specify a budget. No one is about to frogmarch her to a shop and demand her credit card.

Amazingly - on a Style and Beauty board there will always be suggestions that do not meet your expectations … I’m sorry if you’re going through a difficult time that has removed your ability to cope with the Internet.

You didn't state a price . This would work wonders the embroidery grabs the attention and hides what's underneath it.
https://www.monsoon.co.uk/floral-and-bird-below-knee-dress-blue-54096732.html

I'm quite well thank you & really not going through a difficult time.
But I'm totally exasperated at the way S&B is heading. Realistically how many individuals have over £600 to burn on a dress? Even if it's an important occasion & yes even if you're ''upper middle class'' ( definition is earning over £100 000). Speaking as a family full of doctors, lawyers & a judge, none of us have that level of expendable income.
Maybe we're all in the wrong professions...

That Monsoon dress is absolutely beautiful!

But @Cantonet, your exasperation does not entitle you to school other posters on what they’re allowed to post. Surely you can see that? No one is obliged to check your family’s spending power before responding to a thread.

I absolutely hate about 95% of the suggestions across S&B. Sometimes I’m insufficiently reticent about that. But I would be crazy to imagine I could stop other people from posting.

It’s also the case - which may be surprising to you - that there’s a very strong contingent of posters who do actually enjoy expensive clothes. I know because I was on an incredibly rewarding thread that reached 1000 posts, just recently. Everyone on it managed to express their enthusiasms - without denigrating anyone else’s opinions.

That's really pretty, love cobalt blue as well as embroidery
Thank you

Thank you. Afraid I can't justify that budget for a dress.

For someone against ‘schooling other posters’ you’re doing quite a bit of it yourself

Sorry, for got to say the & others stories dress is very nice.

Well I love the green dahlia print dress @CountryCousin , so be assured that you're not completely pissing in the wind 😁

Now now ladies let's not squabble
Wish I hadn't asked😂🙈

Good lord. That bottom left green one from Matches is truly horrible imo.

Where do you normally shop @Greengr ? What sort of budget? Have you got shoes in mind? Are you wanting to wear tights or not?

Give us a budget and an idea of things you like dislike @Greengr and we can get back to finding frocks!

This is quite nice from Equipment at The Outnet. The Monsoon dress is beautiful.

It all depends on the weather. I could wear tights. Shoe wise ideally some moda in pelle sandals if not too cold. I have the attached, also leopard print ones in gold as well. Also long black and ankle boots as well as silver and animal print ankle boots. Shopping wise, all sorts of places- Karen Millen, & other stories, H & M, M & S, Oliver Bonas, Next, River Island, All Saints, Phase Eight. Been looking at some dresses on Religion clothing. Ideally if I could just loose a few stone it would be much easier🥴

Budget wise, ideally no more than £100, just had a new car!

Love this plain black All Saints one Could work with heeled ankle boots?

Mango have some nice wrap satin ones but the mini ones look very short. The midi ones look really nice imo.

OOh that's nice, also didn't think about mango
Pics of sandals I forgot to attach

What’s wrong with you?

S&B is far from somewhere where everyone recommends expensive things. I wish it were more like that. It seems you get flamed unless you say you’ve bought an outfit from Vinted/the supermarket and spent no more than £15.

Ridiculous.

I also love your contribution @CountryCousin

Ignore the frankly bizarre response from that other poster.

I'd imagine that for most people on here, £600 odd on a dress would be maybe a once in a lifetime event.

Based on the handbag thread where posters were showcasing their YSL, Gucci and Louis Vuitton collections, I HIGHLY doubt that.