School reunion - help me with outfit

[stinkingbishop]

35 years on. Will be spring time. Evening do in hotel with drinks and 80s playlist.

Desired response - "she's looking great....lovely but approachable" vs "blimey what happened to Stinking" or "she's tried waaaay too hard". I know I shouldn't care, more important to catch up with everyone...sue me for being human!

Size 10/12. 5ft 3. Strawberry blonde and freckles - suit blue/green. Early onset bingo wings so need upper arms covering. Max max max budget is £500 but would need to get serious wear out of that!

Inspire me please!

Would certainly be very 1980s - so pertinent to the playlist!

God that's gorgeous 😍

It’s a shame this one is over budget:

https://uk.dvf.com/products/abigail-silk-jersey-maxi-wrap-dress-in-dvf-50th-crossword-ivory

I always put way too much thinking and money into these things then others turn up in t shirt under a fleece, jeans and Skechers. You will definitely look great by the sounds.

Cigarette ankle grazers, flat loafers, white silk blouse, blazer.

Dressed down elegance which excudes a "I know I look amazing and I dont have to try"

Saw it done by a colleague at a thing she REALLY didnt want to go to (family do but similar dynamic) and she looked stunning. But because it was the absolute opposite of try hard it somehow looked more "Wow!" than the obviously more expensive outfits. The key thing is to look absolutely groomed. Perfect hair, nails and make up but again all understated.

To a reunion? which is basically a party.

That sounds very boring and more like stuff kept to wear in case a really important client or the CEO is turning up in the office. Or more topically you've been called to explain to the Scottish COVID enquiry why you've deleted all your WhatsApp messages.

I always struggle to stay focused on the topic when posters such as @IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle come out with things like ‘Or more topically you've been called to explain to the Scottish COVID enquiry why you've deleted all your WhatsApp messages’.

😜😜😜

(Serious topic of course, but humour helps!)

@IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle that made me chuckle 😀

Sorry all, busy work days...

Well, that all went a bit weird!!!! I'm only asking about frocks 😅

There are some really helpful ideas here, including brands I haven't heard of, so I shall have fun at the weekend trawling through. I asked to be inspired, and I am. Thank you 🙏

I'll let you know what I settle on in the end.

Let us know what you decide OP!

I just attended my school reunion after50 years. It was a small group of just 9 I wore a Joe browns jersey maxi dress. I felt great and we were all in such different things. It really didn’t matter what was wonderful was the friendships being reignited after such a long time apart. I hope you find something you like and feel comfortable in! Have a brilliant time!

Goodness - that must have been an enthralling gathering, @Greenly3.

@MuddlerInLaw it was totally fab! I’ve been very ill for 36 years housebound and bedbound so it was massive on so many levels . Thanks xx the wonderful bit is I am seeing a lot of the girls separately for lunch now. What I was amazed at was the way within a few minutes of talk we were back to being 15/16and talking about what we got up to! It was an all girls school so men were something to be admired🙈from afar!!😂

How wonderful for you!

I know how exciting it was to reconnect with just one old school friend after about 35 years. It was, as you say, so easy to pick up from when we were last together and to reforge a friendship of sorts.

If you're going DVF I love this and it's blue/green. Slightly over budget but reversible!

https://uk.dvf.com/products/phoenix-reversible-mesh-wrap-dress-2

Did I really just read that last sentence?

Do you have a challenging figure?

I love some of these dresses. I think I'd wear something like this https://www.broraonline.com/uk/silk-velvet-tiered-tunic-lake-dd8369km8381

Which I think looks lovely, very classy and not too 'try hard' (although I am northern so what do I know 😂)

I love the Brora romantic dress and if an evening do would be suitable.

that jigsaw gauze dress was also nice.

I went to a black tie uni reunion last year and went for a bombshell dress that I felt fab in. It was exactly the right choice and I had a great time. But I had actually wanted to go and I like the majority of my uni class mates and vaguely because of the small world nature of work knew what they were up to.

I'm not here to give anyone fashion advice but I was genuinely shocked my first night out that wasn't in Liverpool that women didn't all dress ridiculously extra.
The first time I saw a lass on a night out wearing a coat I just presumed she lived with a strict nana or something.

In my day of going out if you wore flats to the pub and didn't have a full on curly blow and smokey eye, even of a Tuesday, your heart just wasn't in it and your night would be shit.

I love the London fashion gets posted here or the lucy and yak clothes, no way I'd wear them because I'd be too self conscious but enjoy them on others.

Gosh, @Lwrenn - such sad rabbit holes of memory your name has sent me down this morning … Ms Scott herself, Isabella Blow, Alexander McQueen, Stella Tennant.

Wonder what they’d think of MN S&B …

@MuddlerInLaw ah she was iconic was L'wren. 💔

That era is the reason why people laugh at my S&B suggestions on MN …

But what if someone turned up with a Sharpie?

I'm not gonna post suggestions for a school reunion. I would wear a judges wig and gown or a doctor's scrubs and stethescope and then admit I was on minimum wage while pissed... haha.