I am obsessed with this dress, have been for years, I will never afford it - please help me find something like it I can...

[user23124]

https://pauw.com/en/products/a-lijn-jurk-11201301199a700
I have been obsessed with this dress since I saw a woman in the navy version at an event years ago. I accept I will never have the ££ for it. Is there anything I can do to get a dress like this but under £250?

You are all so talented at finding things! Thanks for any help :)

Love that dress. Elizabeth Murdoch looked fabulous.

@IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle THAT IS THE EXACT ONE I SAW!!!! Maybe it was you! If so you are fabulous and looked like a goddess and thanks for telling me where you got it and actually typing the website into my phone!!

@botemp that is so so kind!

www.eshakti.com/shop/overstock/Bow-tie-belt-satin-dress-CL0088111_OS_16

@MabelEstherAllen I think a trip to Vietnam/thailand is needed here! I got a green silk dress for £30 made to measure in Bangkok in 2008 and still wear it every Xmas day!!

Sounds daft op but is there anyway you could try this on? Sometimes what looks fantastic on someone else does not look fantastic on us at all. This might kill your yearning stone dead?

This dress was on BooHoo - I can't remember how long ago. It featured on several wedding guest threads. My phone has dated the photo 2023 but I think that's wrong. I think it was pre-Covid. I saved it because it's in the same ball park as the Pauw or Elizabeth Murdoch dresses.

@sandrapinchedmysandwich ahh so true - I saved for 2 years for a wide leather belt I lusted after - it made me look like a dominatrix - and NOT in a good way!

@allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld that’s a good due! Only the neckline is different.

Someone up thread pointed out that the original dress is mostly polyester, so fabric could be cheaper. That’s true in theory. I just think black, ottoman silk would be easier to actually find.

Haha 😂 Definitely try it then before you spend all that money. I am very curious now about the dominatrix belt though

If you know anyone US based, this is a bargain with the first customer code 100% silk version.

There is no way you will get that dress tailor made for under £250!

If the thick, stiff material is what you like about the dress I doubt you will find a substitute for under 250 either.

I think the Jasper Conran illustrated is more stylish than the one shown by OP, which seems to ask a lot of work of seaming and doesn't fit well on the chest, and has an uninteresting neckline.

OP it will be a cold day in hell before I spend £900 on a polyester dress

This was my first thought.

However, if you want the quality of silk which gives it that structural shape and cut, you won’t get much change out of £250 for fabric and dressmaker.

It’s a deceptively simple shape but I imagine the cut isn’t necessarily as simple as it looks. I’m reminded of the dress patterns made by Vogue patterns from Ralph Rucci’s designs

www.sewdirect.com/product/vogue-patterns-v1239/

Oops I see @IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle has confirmed it’s not a simple cut.

in terms of fabric, silk twill or silk tussore would be lovely, as long as the dress is fully interlined and also lined. And yes, horsehair in a reprise bottom hem would make the skirt stand out.

But it’s a hard style to wear as the sashed waist is not tailored into the waist - the tie belt seems to be doing all the work there. Be careful- this style can be unflattering …. (I prefer tailored defined waist which allows a full skirt but slim bodice)

What are the specific design features of the dress that you list after @user23124 ?

This fabric sounds like it would be really similar, but it’s 100% polyester so a bit less luxurious than the Pauw silk blend

thenewcrafthouse.com/products/navy-twill-backed-heavy-satin-1

That looks heavy but not stiff @Offcom , I think it might droop.

But it’s a hard style to wear as the sashed waist is not tailored into the waist - the tie belt seems to be doing all the work there. Be careful- this style can be unflattering …. (I prefer tailored defined waist which allows a full skirt but slim bodice)

I agree. I am apple shaped and if a dress has a built-in or shaped waist, it will give me a great shape but if it's a belt doing the shaping, I veer into sack of spuds territory. I've said it hefore but Meghan Markle has the same problem and she's presumably tiny (but also waist-less).

I guess if you have a decent waist though, it doesn't matter.

I thought it might work as the description says it’s got structure, but that store is great as they’ll send a video if you ask

@LittleBigHead I like the shape and the fabric - it looked so simple yet glamourous. I love Issey Miyake, Kemi Telford - things with great shapes.

I could make that. (I'm not offering!) but if I could it would be easy to find a dressmaker. And you might scrape in at £250 if the fabric is mostly polyester.

Is there a sewing group in your area, or a shop that sells fabric? Someone there might point you in the right direction.

This one is 70% silk and 30% linen! https://www.yolke.co.uk/products/the-love-dress

Though sold out in most sizes, wonder if they re-stock regularly if you enquire? I've also just found it on Vestiare in size 12 https://www.vestiairecollective.com/women-clothing/dresses/yolke/black-silk-yolke-dress-41823932.shtml

polyester is bad for the earth
and looks cheap

I want you to have your dream dress OP but nearly £900 for polyester is bananas. It would be so sweaty.
So console yourself with that and save up for a dressmaker I think.