What dress type?

[Mum23plusC]

I'm looking for some advice please. I'm late 50s and going to a wedding at the end of April. I'm desperately unhappy with the state of my body and it's making me dread the date. I have 40G bust, my tummy sticks out (to me) further than my bust. I have back rolls and chunky arms. I also have very pale/pastey skin (I'm not selling myself very much am I)?! I would say size 18 due to my bust. Are there any flattering dress styles for this whatever "shape" I am. Even curve models go in at the waist!! Waistlines seem to define the spread of my bottom half even more. I am trying to lose weight but it keeps finding me, and I never used to be like this.

I feel your pain - you've just described my body shape! I've been buying a lot of bravissimo/pepperberry dresses from Vinted lately, they seem to flatter me more than others I've found.

Mostly casual dresses but a few smarter ones in there, and there's so cheap they're worth a punt.

Good luck!

Ah I am so sorry, don't be so down on yourself, you have worth as a human being. You're going to a joyful occasion and you need to feel comfortable and appropriate. You must have some things you like about yourself, try and highlight those and no-one else will notice anything else.

I speak as a menopausal pale ginger with a C-section pouch that is going nowhere. Personally I don't do fake tan, I just look mucky and orange so I have learned to embrace the pale. No-one has expired in revulsion at my gingerness or pallor.

Would you be comfortable in separates or a dress? What do you wear everyday and can you find a more elevated version, e.g. silk or sequins or velvet rather than jersey? Or something in a block colour but with interesting accessories instead? Usually the recommendations are for v Neck or scoop neck empire line dresses with angel or flutter sleeves but you may feel that they make you look pregnant.

You don’t give a budget - but there’s a

Nobody’s Child dress

that has been recommended here multiple times and appears to suit every body type.

I’ve also seen that particular shape recreated at numerous price points by different brands - if you say how much you want to spend it shouldn’t be too hard to find you something.

I don't know about "flattering" but the Klements Dusk dresses are very dramatic. It's the dress itself which is the attention grabber. I'm a 14 but wear size S and XS.

I have the fuschia silk and the blue cotton and they get compliments everywhere- including from 3 American ladies in Venice who stopped me in St Mark's Square to say they'd seen me earlier in the blue dress and loved it.

Klements
Klements blue Dusk dress

I agree the Klements dresses would be wonderful for a wedding.

For something slightly less whimsical but still striking there’s this:

East dress

If you’re amongst those wary of black at a wedding I’d say Gather and See is worth continued browsing as they stock a good and evolving range of dresses in all sizes.

But we don’t know if you want to spend £50 or £500, so …

The East dress is lovely. Their stuff is so much more interesting than when they had real shops.

Thank you all for your responses, gratefully received. I will look at all those recommended sites.

This Joannie damask dress has had a few mentions. It's less whimsical and a lot cheaper than Klements. The red or green would be prefect. The Celia Birtwell range is fab too.

Joannie Damask
Joannie Celia Birtwell
Joannie Diamond print