Help me dress better!

[lemontreeeverystreet]

Hello I'm a 46 year old mum. For the last few years I've been a SAHP, working part time.
I wouldn't say I was ever into the height of fashion it I feel like I've totally lost my on what to wear! I feel awful in everything.
I have put on weight and have been trying to keep it off..
I currently weigh 72kg and I'm 5'6".
I feel massive !
My boobs are also big and well used by babies ! But that's a good thing and I'm proud what my body achieved.i just want to feel good in some new clothes...
All the mums on the school run seem to show up in heels and tight jeans that I would look awful in.

I'm in tshirts and long skirts that seem to make me look wider.
If I wear leggings and tshirt I feel awful in that too.

I was thinking maxi dress but where to start?
Help!

What about going more tailored? Good bra, knee length shirt, black boots, blazer?

Well ‘all the mums’ sound deeply unfashionable so you definitely don’t want to take any style cues from them.

5’6 and a bit over 11 stone doesn’t sound enormous - but it would help to know what dress size(s) you usually buy.

What’s the rationale for a maxi dress? It doesn’t sound terribly practical for everyday life but a nice one could look good layered over a thermal high necked top and under a gilet or jacket. But it’s more Sunday pub lunch than school run.

In general what do you need most of your clothes for? Work, domestic life, socialising??

And what sort of budget do you have in mind?

Two places you might find worth browsing.

1. For utility:
   Community Clothing
   All the ordinary clothes you could possibly need. Excellent quality so justify their cost.

2. For dressing up:
   Gather and See
   Wonderful selection of wearable, pretty clothes. Link is to dresses but have a look at the rest too.

Also seconding the requirement for newly fitted and supportive underpinnings.

I wear a Size 14, I used to be a Size 10.
Size 12 in some clothes... some.

I need clothes that are casual - that feel good! Make me look better than I do!
I need clothes for work
I need clothes for a nice summer holiday!

I currently wear tshirts and long skiirts.
I feel frumpy!
I have got a newly fitted bra.

Any help please 🫤

Ok, so a wide brief?

What d’you feel about the sites linked above?

I think one of the important things is to know what colours suit you. And then the cuts that suit you. I have big boobs and cannot wear high necklines that look great on my friend.

Good underwear also really helps.

For casual, I'd say at a size 14 and relatively tall, you should be looking at some new jeans to start with that you can wear with trainers or ankle boots. Around here, wide legged or straight legged are popular, often high waisted. Cargo style jeans are also popular and look great on a lot of women.

Then, with jeans, at this time of year I think it's all about the jumpers so that's up to you. With larger breasts, I'd avoid high round necked jumpers, but a boat neck, a v neck, a low round neck (cowl?) could all work.

I haven't actually noticed a lot of people wearing dresses/skirts currently but the few that are tend to be midi length worth with long boots.

I don' tknow what work you do or what's appropriate, but I find a lot of woman seem to be wearing mid length dresses/skirts, or straight leg/wide legged trousers with boots or with flat brogue style shoes. I've seen a few slimmer women wearing leggings with longer tunic style tops and boots but I think only a cetain kind of person can pull that off in the office - the one I've seen in particular is wearing £500 boots and silk tunic tops that probably cost the same! .

John Lewis do free personal shopping sessions with no pressure to buy anything afterwards. I did one and it was lots of fun! I genuinely felt no pressure to buy and got some lovely new clothes. I was feeling in the same position post-babies!