If I always wear jeans and a nice top...

[ElizabethVonArnim]

But actually no longer have any very nice tops, or nice jeans come to that, and I wouldn't mind wearing something else for a change, can anyone tell me what I could actually wear to go out in the evenings? I go out to restaurants, not to clubs.

I'm 47, 5'5", size 14, am relatively evenly distributed with biggish boobs, but not as good a waist as I would like.

I wear dresses for work, and I never know how to get the difference between work frocks and going out frocks.

Any ideas? I'd like to be quite a lot cooler than I am 😂

This would be night out appropriate. https://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/dresses/black-mark-making-shirred-wrap-mini-dress/p/874252909

you could elevate it with some bold tights and boots for the new season.

https://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/dresses/green-wave-print-lace-trim-mini-dress/p/874252739

https://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/knitwear/petite-black-stripe-ribbed-knit-mini-dress/p/872834909

I'd need black opaque tights and foxy ankle boots for the first 2, they are nice.
The stripy one wouldn't flatter anyone over about a size 8 imo.

I've got clumpy ankle boots - not docs, but similar. Would they work?
I like the first one but not the second.

The potential fly in the ointment is that I'm quite long waisted so any short waisted dresses make me look really quite fat. I'll give the dress a try, but I think it might tuck in under my boobs.

Budget?

We had a similar thread not long ago, and the conclusion was that jeans and a nice top is hopelessly outdated. So I am going to be wearing cords and a nice top! Or a corduroy dress from Cos/Brora/Lily and Em ( not decided yet). There's a cord thread which has lots of nice options.

I’m 54 and a similar size to you, I wear my leather leggings and a I have some nice blouses , I also have a lot of midi dresses too. I also wear long pleated skirts and I’m thinking of trying a blazer as my friend bought one and she looks fab in it.

I'm a very similar size with the added issue that I carry all my fat round my waist so anything tight fitting makes me look pregnant! I tend to go for floaty maxi dresses but really need some new ideas.

Lentilweaver I keep reading that! It's definitely a rut for me.

Budget-wise, I'm happy to spend a bit. Okay to shop in places like Reiss if really nice, but not snobby about New Look or H&M either.

I wear dresses for work, and I never know how to get the difference between work frocks and going out frocks.

Long before lockdown I stopped wearing very tailored Paddy Campbell, Jaeger type work dresses and moved towards Samantha Sung cotton shirt dresses and Edina Ronay silk tea dresses. They turned out quite quickly to be what I wore to go to restaurants, theatre etc as well as going to work.

I've still got those dresses but I'm a bit bored with them so they've been relegated to "at home" dresses. Going to work and going out dresses have been replaced with dresses that are more (and it's almost impossible not to sound pretentious but I can't think of another word) eccentric but I don't have separate "going to work" and "going to restaurants" wardrobes. Apart from some very , very casual dresses and some very, very formal dresses, all my dresses serve both purposes.

It's very difficult to give suggestions as "dresses to wear to go out in" is such a wide remit e.g I don't like any of the suggestions posted. You're best just searching websites you like.

I know! The problem is that I'm very vague about what I like and I was hoping that different interpretations from very different people might give me ideas I wouldn't find in the places I usually look.

I think I basically dress okay but it's all a bit dull and every time I go anywhere I have that moment of 'I hate everything!' like a teenager.

Ok.

I've mentioned all of these before. I'm not posting links because I'm being lazy but they are all easy to Google.

Palava
Batsheva
Klements
Casey Casey
Envoy of Belfast (shop)
Frontiers (Edinburgh shop)
Godiva (Edinburgh shop)
Biscuit (Edinburgh shop)
Meadows
Sideline
NRBY
L F Markey
Ganni
Stein Goya
Pink City Prints
YBD (Young British Designers)
Community Clothing
Day Dresses
Cabbages and Roses
Kate Barton
Gabrielle Parker
Oska Ischiko
Sister Jane

The shops mentioned all have an interesting selection of brands.

Excellent list!

Might just add

Alemais
Alexandra Golovanoff
Bite Studios
Co (not Cos)
Christian Wijnants
Colenimo
Justine Tabak
Loulou Studio
Margaret Howell
MaxMara
Raey @ Matches Fashion
Studio Nicholson
Zara

Baker’s dozen. Some might be purely for inspiration, or novelty, or findable pre-owned.

Forgot:

Rendez-vous

I think there's nothing wrong with the right jeans and the right top, it doesn't have to be dated. I'm enjoying wearing high waisted wide leg jeans just now, which can be dressed up or down. I'd search insta for a bit of inspiration. Wearsmymoney always has me reaching for my purse. Or my credit card anyway, I don't have a purse anymore!

Wow! Across NatashaDancing's and SurpriseSparDay's lists, I have heard of MaxMara and Zara. The rest are all new to me - settling in for an evening of googling. Thank you both very much.

I was away for work last week and needed something for a fairly informal drinks reception. I went to Zara, where I haven’t shopped for years and could have bought just about everything in there! I went for a cheap imitation silk shirt worn with black trousers and wedge heels. Felt about right compared with what other people were wearing.

I so struggle with this. I used to love getting dressed up to go out, but now I’m 49 my mini-dress with tights and big boots look feels too young for me, skinny jeans and a tarty nice top feels dated, and my daytime look of jeans and a tailored shirt feels too…daytimey.

I always end up in black wide trousers and a black and white stripy top with trainers. Every time.

I’m watching this thread very closely…

I've swapped jeans & a nice top for black wide leg trousers/metallic trainers or leather look leggings/boots with a silk shirt or similar. I've found some nice bits from Allsaints & mint velvet. Not ground breaking but I don't want to scream fashion victim either!

@LunaNorth I went out last week in something similar to this (actually one of their sleeveless dresses with a cobwebby jumper slung over) - but if I didn’t already have enough knitted dresses I’d want this for later in the season when it’s actually cold. Linking the black though I’d be more likely to wear the white.

https://louloustudio.fr/en/fall-winter-23/long-dress-esna/#/1-size-s/26-couleur_loulou-black

Obviously it depends on the nature of your going out. I guess it’s not ideal date wear. But I like really easy clothes at night. Usually with clumpy footwear unless it’s a really dressy event.

Another one here stuck in the jeans and nice top rut! I'm thinking of swooping them out for a Satin slip midi skirt and v neck fine knit jumper with ankle boots and a biker style jacket or midi dresses. I like the wide leg trouser style but can't wear heels.

I follow a lot Instagram accounts - clubfortyclare, rants in big pants, style by Clare Lopez and Lady of the Manor