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Original poster

DRESSES- what on earth is going on this season?

275 replies

IslandsInTheSunshine · 15/10/2023 08:42

So, I decided to wean myself off boring trousers and tops and try to wear more dresses over the winter.

What can I find in shops and online? Next to nothing.

Everything looks like it's designed for giants (I could fit 2 of me into most of the floaty offerings.) And VERY long even for me as an average 5 4". There are some knitted dresses around but they are shapeless and huge.

Or the fabric is thin and more suitable for summer.

My go-to in the past has been Boden (sorry folks.)
But this season it's all garish prints (again) or black/ navy and either super-clingy or with low V necks, etc etc etc. And the knitted dresses are £130 (okay- you can get a 20% discount but still....)

I'd spend up to £90-ish for something nice (I work from home so don't need formal stuff).

OP posts:
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HeadNorth · 15/10/2023 13:13

redribbonrose · 15/10/2023 13:02

Corduroy pinafore?

As an older, smaller woman, I fear that in a pinafore I would look like a child from the back and a horrifying wizened child ghost from the front. See also dungarees Grin

Cello60 · 15/10/2023 13:17

OMG! The blouses on The Seamstress of Bloomsbury website!

bronkie · 15/10/2023 13:19

HeadNorth · 15/10/2023 13:13

As an older, smaller woman, I fear that in a pinafore I would look like a child from the back and a horrifying wizened child ghost from the front. See also dungarees Grin

Show quote history

😂

joan12 · 15/10/2023 13:23

I have had to stop myself buying all the dresses on Vinted. I'm 5'6 and thin so also swamped by much of what's available. But recently I've bought dresses from Mint Velvet, Comptoir des cotonniers, Hobbes, Jigsaw and have one by Agnes b and one by Brora in my favourites, all on Vinted.

No1MumPendant · 15/10/2023 13:23

I do quite like some (a couple) of the dresses on the Oliver Bonas website. Same for Hobbs, but I tend to get Hobbs dresses from Vinted for workwear and not looking to pay even sale price for them.

Sezane - huge meh. I can barely see the difference in styles between Sezane and many other high street stores. Maybe the quality is better? And possibly better for shorter women.

No1MumPendant · 15/10/2023 13:25

Also - the autumn obsession with cord…just not sure about it at all. A cord dress sounds uncomfortable and unforgiving and a bit children’s TV school presenter of the 1980s.

WeAreBorg · 15/10/2023 13:28

This is not helpful, or it might be helpful. I usually always wear dresses but they all look terrible now. I’ve just been wearing midi skirts with nice silk, cashmere or merino tops, or tailored trousers with similar.

I feel like we’ll gravitate back to dresses when the time is right

littlestrawberryhat · 15/10/2023 13:34

Found a fab printed jersey dress from Mistral last week which was reminiscent of the good days of Boden. Might be worth a try?

Rewindthefilm · 15/10/2023 13:35

I buy my stuff off Vinted at the moment as I hate clothes shopping! I look for Scamp and Dude, Sugarhill and Hush for dresses that can be dressed up or down. I was trying to get away from dresses but don’t suit skinny jeans and everything else out there at the moment looks so oversized and shapeless! I was into the skate trend in the late 90s/ early 00s but would like to think I’ve a while to go yet before considering that vintage style..!

Lentilweaver · 15/10/2023 13:51

@WeAreBorg would love some links to skirts under £100. I am tallish and slim-ish but with a large menopausal tummy.

43ontherocksporfavor · 15/10/2023 13:51

I wear thin thermal bodies underneath the thinner dresses. Some are polo necked for chillier weather.

theduchessofspork · 15/10/2023 13:52

WhatWillIWear · 15/10/2023 08:50

The people wearing all the totally wondrous dresses around at the moment definitely aren’t buying them from Boden …

Edited

Rather than be bitchy, why not share your wisdom?

NatashaDancing · 15/10/2023 13:55

43ontherocksporfavor · 15/10/2023 13:51

I wear thin thermal bodies underneath the thinner dresses. Some are polo necked for chillier weather.

Same here, although thin thermal long sleeved vests. M&S do brilliant ones. I buy them much smaller than my dress size so they don't add bulk under a dress. It means cotton dresses in dark colours can be worn pretty much all year.

43ontherocksporfavor · 15/10/2023 13:57

https://sisterjane.com/collections/dresses Just looked this up as mentioned by a pp and not heard of them.
Had to zoom in as thought they were children’s dresses! Don’t think I could carry them off at work.😂

Dresses

Explore our women’s dresses for all occasions, from everyday wear to party—whimsical eccentricity with a distinctive signature style.

https://sisterjane.com/collections/dresses

43ontherocksporfavor · 15/10/2023 13:59

Seriously?

DRESSES- what on earth is going on this season?
Lentilweaver · 15/10/2023 14:00

@43ontherocksporfavor That was me and I was kind of taking the piss!😂They are not to my taste, either. But it's a useful barometer.

43ontherocksporfavor · 15/10/2023 14:01

Oh right! That pic looks like one of my Dc dressing up in mum’s dress and shoes😆

GeeEss · 15/10/2023 14:05

Totally agree! Nothing there for us to buy

StormzyintheSW · 15/10/2023 14:07

I was at Falmouth Uni yesterday and the general consensus is that Sea Salt is wildly inconsistent and the younguns have been ordering from M&S

43ontherocksporfavor · 15/10/2023 14:11

I love dresses as easier to think of one piece. Not quite in my boots yet and still mainly wearing wide leg trousers.

IDoNotMoisturise · 15/10/2023 14:13

Just had a total nightmare , spent 4 days looking for a dress for a funeral next week, cannot find anything suitable at all.

I am 5ft 3 and most of them are either way too long or too short and suitable for teenagers. I am quite fussy, no low necks, no high necks, I have a large belly so need to hide that, but my legs and bum are good.

Ordered one in the sale from Sosandar but its going to have to go back, I look like a sack of spuds in it, its shapeless and has a frill at the bottom, I am not a frilly type of person. 😁

and Next, would it kill you to put the length measurements on the page please? I have wasted hours looking🙄 we are not all 5ft 10🙁

IDoNotMoisturise · 15/10/2023 14:14

oh and M&S let me down, I ordered a perfect dress and the day it was supposed to come they just cancelled the order as no stock! Took over 2 days to tell me that, so more wasted time

Porridgeislife · 15/10/2023 14:20

I have bought a couple of dresses from Hobbs this season. You’ve got to look carefully to sift out the mother of the bride, corporate awards dinner and middle aged accountant styles but I’m really happy with the dresses I’ve bought for winter workwear.

I also love really high quality polyester and am happy to pay for it. My sibling is a pattern cutter and recommends it over cheap cotton any day of the week.