Personal stylist - autumn, winter and Xmas edition

[frillseeking]

I thought I'd do a Xmas edition of the styling threads I've done before for anyone who is interested 🎄👠

Thank you @frillseeking , I’ve never had a good look at Sezane but they do do some lovely jumpers and blouses. I like the ones you picked too. I’ll enjoy browsing tomorrow.

@Britneyfan that dress you linked is beautiful but that is a hefty price tag! Have you looked at any of their other dresses? They are normally around £300 so a bit more in your budget. But I also wanted to shout out Phase Eight as they have some stunning party wear options this year. I've attached some below. I like the pink sequin dress for full on glamour and love that it's in a colour (plus size options are often black which is disappointing.) I love the gold plisse dress (which is a dress version of the jumpsuit I've linked on the thread already) and the black velvet dress is a classic. The ruching and draping details are really elegant

Details

Hello - I love this thread!

if you have any ideas for me I’d be very grateful. Looking for a dress to wear to work ( smart casual - so not jeans but not suits) and then onto a date - I’m just dipping my toe into dating again after a divorce! So flattering but don’t too OTT if that makes sense!

Im 46, 5’3 ( just!) and a true hourglass but petite frame. Size 10-12. Small waist but 32G bust and big hips, slight tum after an operation. Can’t wear black etc as am blonde/green eyed ( guess I’d say English rose colouring) so need softer/deeper colours. Definitely tend to need a full skirt. Any ideas gratefully received! Prepared to spend a bit ( so up to around 150 maybe even a bit more for something right!).

@Britneyfan I also really like the Love and Roses collection at Next which is available to a size 22. Just a shame they don't show the styles on a variety of bodies

@BreakfastClub80 I also noticed M&S have some nice crew neck options in. A bit more festive but thought I'd share. Both look like a good weight

@pantsforteaagain if you go for navy as the dominant colour, i.e the coat, then you can add the black with the boots but you will soften up the overall look. Navy goes really well with camel, taupe tones, burgundy, grey and also with stronger colours such as red, forest green, mustard.

@Carepetburns something like this style from Other Stories would work well. A lot of the styles around at the moment are very pointy but these have a nice soft toe and a good heel height for every day and would work well with trousers and dresses

I'd love recommendations for comfy, circa 2 inch, heels for a Christmas party please. I don't like wearing heels, I wear them once a year for this party. They can't be kitten heels or stiletto as I get them caught in things. I'm in my 40s, a size 7 and tall, so not keen on flats as I feel frumpy... As much as hate wearing heels I do feel more elegant. I'd love something on trend but my priority is being able to wear them for a few years as I rarely go shoe shopping. Budget ideally would be £50 but would stretch to £70 for the right pair. Thanks so much!

@Smileytrees I had something like this in mind. These are 7cms so just a little over 2 inch but they have a sturdy block heel and would still look elegant for a party

Hello 👋 need advice please on couple of every day items. Size 12-14 right now. Early 30's. 36GG boobs and short 😭 feel like I want to wear a black bin bag and hide away tbh. Just trousers or couple of jumpers etc x.

Thank you so much OP! I am loving your suggestions which look like the kind of stuff I might wear- and some ideas to expand that. Great to hear jackets are coming back, my waist is in dire need of tailoring, either big/cut off/just anything other than baggy tops! Cami and jacket, with denim/leather skirt plus DM type boots is my current go to. Straight leg crops look great as well, and solve the what to do about jeans issue when you have a menopausal tummy which doesn't suit baggier types.

I've also seen a few knee high boots as well, any thoughts on that?

Thank you!

I need advice in general, if possible please. Yesterday I went through my wardrobe and got rid of about 70% of it - many of the items still had tags on. And the reason is because of my size I think. I’m currently a 22 with a large ‘B’ belly with a low tummy overhang. It’s doubtful my weight will ever change. I buy things because I think they’re ‘ok’ when really I never end up wearing them. Nothing ever fits right.

I see other people at larger sizes who look so good (I love Laura Adlington) but she still seems to have a look of youth whereas I’m heading for 50 and am perimenopausal. Is there hope for me?!

@frillseeking thanks for the colour ideas. I like that they mix it up a bit. I got stuck thinking navy and X.

@GeorgeMichaelWasHere I agree, she's worn some great outfits recently. I really liked the two I've attached. There's no reason why you couldn't wear these outfits, they are timeless and would look good at any age. I also like the way she recreates a look from Pinterest. I think the key is to wear things that you really love rather than things that are just ok as you're never going to feel confident or good in something you feel is 'passable' or will just do the job. Are there any outfits or trend that appeal to you that I could help you find?

Help please! Am 5 foot 1 . Am 60 . Am size 8 . I struggle with heels.
what on earth do i wear for c mas parties?!! Nights out? Best jeans ? Were to shop .. i donk know anymore.

I buy a lot of vintage .. but it is getting harder to find !
i like striking clothes.
i dress for joy .. but no idea how to shop anymore .
love toast but too long .

Ps dont like the look with the short dress in a rust shade at all .. too plain a look for me … i just showed it to show my height ! Thanks .

@Bigmousestrikesagain I was thinking a smart fit and flare style that you can wear to the office that will show off your figure. My first thought was green to compliment your eyes. I really like the last option for a date as I think it's got the wow factor without being too OTT. The other options are a bit safer but I think could still work. I also like this one from
Sosander. Good luck, I hope it goes well and yoh have a good time!

@Timetoaction have you tried Vinted? You can get some great pieces on there. I just had a v quick look and found a couple of cool dresses. Xmas party dressing doesn't have to mean sequins and frou frou. Something like this Kitri star dress would look great styled with tights and silver boots for example

@Timetoaction few more.. these might not be to your taste but just to show you can find some really good things on there!

Thanks so much for your time and advice @frillseeking . Could I ask where the last dress is from?

@frillseeking thank you for replying. I absolutely love those outfits on Laura and they are definitely something I’d go for but I never seem to be able to get away with skirts like that. Because of my tummy they never seem to hang right. Maybe I’ll give them a go though.

When I was slim, my style was Jennifer Aniston. Jeans & blazers, cargos & vests, then slinky dresses. I still do the jeans and blazer look when it’s cooler as I’m always hot due to menopause stuff.

I’d love to build a capsule wardrobe of decent quality stuff and to avoid the having to throw stuff out with tags on a year later! Finding clothes in my size that aren’t polyester is also quite a challenge too.

@Bigmousestrikesagain here's the link forever neww*