New to dresses! Advice welcome!

[PonyLo]

I am interested in trying out dresses, they are generally comfy but often difficult to source in a plain, winter weight fabric that is also good quality.

I like navy, dark grey for winter and really don't like pattern at all!
Unfortunately most of the decent day dresses are patterned, tiered and thin.
If I find a solid colour dress in a cut that I like it is always evening wear or something I might wear to the theatre, grrr.
i also don't like shirt dresses, wooly jumper dresses or anything from Uniqlo

I am happy to have length tailored to preference but can't control sleeves. The sleeves must go under a coat easily. And they must also be at least wrist length.
Why is it so hard to find a plain, nicely cut dress in a good fabric that actually feels practical for winter?

I like this cord dress (pictured), but am confused by the sleeves. Maybe not great for daywear?
My lifestyle is working from home, going for coffee, shopping or occasional concerts. iI am quite boring.
I would love to be educated more on this topic, so any advice welcome.

I feel like everybody is going to be disappointed if there is no carping, mocking and cries of "ugh Amish". You don't mention your budget. I like the Fold for plain dresses without flounces and tiers, though of course ££££. But you may be able to find on Vestiaire. https://thefoldlondon.com/product/elwood-knitted-dress-plum-merino/

I love this.

Oh come on! You're always rubbishing other people's suggestions on threads - why do you expect everyone to respond politely to your suggestions when you see no issue with deriding others' choices as cheap/unsuitable/ugly/tacky?

Not ‘disappointed’ @Lentilweaver - I’d just like it all to stop. (Not suggesting my preferences should matter to anyone but me!)

In the absence of an office life I always forget The Fold exists - but they have so many things that would be perfect for either grown-up office Christmas do wear or unfussy wedding / guest outfits. I recall a couple of years ago a poster considering a pale pink wool dress for a wedding - I’ve always hoped she did wear it, as it would have looked incredibly cool.

I’m a big fan of investing in good quality linen dresses as they’re perfect for all seasons. In winter, I wear with a petticoat underneath and chunky boots. Sondeflor do beautiful ones, as does Linen Handmade Studio - they’re made to order so you can pick the colour and are great for layering. I like this one for example: https://linenhandmadestudio.com/2436-large_default/linen-shawl-collar-wrap-dress-marlena.jpg

My only comment would be beware the length, but it looks like you are going long anyway. I sit near a staircase at work and have seen so many dresses that you can see right up (not that I was especially looking I just look towards the stairs sometimes). I wonder how many of the wearers realise.

Thank you for all of the replies.

This escalated quickly I had forgotten the MN Amish/Gulag/Shapeless debates...there was once a huge thread in AIBU about them, made for some interesting reading!

I am in the middle really, I like some shape and can't stand high necks or frills, puffs, tiers and vast quantities of flapping fabric. Toast dresses tend to swamp me, and their colour palette really does me no favours (pale blonde).

I love White Co's soft elegance, but have had issues with their quality in the past. Everything is always so bloody long and I am average height at 5'5.

Toast never suffer such issues as most of their frocks might as well be made of tough tarpaulin. It does look pretty sturdy! I think I am their target audience unfortunately, but I so wish they made clothes like they used to 10 years ago. Brown, mustard and bright green (along with several other lurid primaries) just don't suit me at all.

I love Poetry but again, a bit on the large side for me. Wrap is nice but a bit too much trend detail this season.

Yes, I love classical music and don't get out to see performances anywhere near as much as I'd like these days. Maybe my ideal dress would be what a cellist would wear on her days off, lol.

I am not a fan of celtic & co, or M&S. I do prefer natural textiles but it depends.

Ah, just thought it worth mentioning, I am not prepared to spend over £180 or so on a dress. And for a day dress even less.
I'm just not sold on the concept of obscure designers palming people off with an unstructured cotton gown for £400. I also can't see any occasion where I would require a 4 foot wide, floor seeping column of cotton in winter, with necks so high and tight they might give one a goiter.

I am with you on much of what you have said. I too detest tiers and frills. This? It's viscose which may not be warm enough, but you can wear a thermal underneath. https://www.monsoon.co.uk/moira-button-midi-dress-green-64168007.html

Or this? https://www.monsoon.co.uk/scoop-neck-dress-with-lenzing-ecovero-red-54180683.html

That's a lovely scoop neck, thank you! I wish it was dark navy!

Just noticed there is a very similar navy cord dress at Toast, I think the neck is a bit lower though.

I do see this style as daywear or low key evening. My coat has very regular sleeves so would not like a bunched up feeling as would have to wear one in this weather.

It might have been helpful then to specify your budget at the start.

You posted a photo of a day dress costing £140 and got not unreasonable responses of dresses a bit more than that as well as a bit less.

£140 is a far cry from £499.
My preferred budget is probably apparent from the brands that I have linked to. I would hardly direct someone considering John Lewis cashmere to Johnston's of Elgin.

Oh dear …

I’m pretty sure I pointed out that the brands in the shops I linked might also be available pre-owned - as it’s apparent that a fair proportion of people do most of their shopping that way. (Some of my most treasured purchases come from pre-owned sites.) It does make a much wider range of clothes satisfyingly accessible.

I'm thinking about getting one of thesefrom Manners London

Hush have some nice pin cord dresses.

Often they will look quite short on the model, but will be just above the knee for women of average height. (I am 5’5”.)

This one,

www.aspiga.com/products/trinity-baby-cord-dress-midnight

https://www.theshirtcompany.com/collections/shirt-dresses/products/veronica-navy-cotton-button-down-shirt-dress

Love it in cream, dislike it in black

Scoop neck… but it’s marks https://www.marksandspencer.com/round-neck-ruched-midi-smock-dress/p/clp60608951?color=BLACK#intid=pid_pg1pip48g2r10c1

OT, your username is excellent. I enjoyed this.

https://www.metopera.org/discover/synopses/ariadne-auf-naxos/

I could not agree more. Currently shopping for a formal-ish but not wedding party level dress for family Christmas photos as well as a not overly dressy but definitely not casual dress for a Christmas-time work party that is NOT actually a Christmas party… and if a dress isn’t pure cotton, floral printed, and quite baggy, it’s lace and cocktail hour-cling.
(I’m sure being very pregnant isn’t helping my perspective, but I’ve felt like I’d look like I was cosplaying an 18th century dairymaid in a lot of what’s out there!

Have you thought of a skirt, OP? I don't like vast quantities of flapping fabric and leg-of-mutton sleeves either- make me look like a Soviet javelin thrower- and am looking at skirts with a fitted black or navy polo jumper. I think that look with a semi fitted top and volume below suits me better.