Help me find a dress for my 50th birthday party

[Thiswayorthatway]

I’m 50 in a few weeks time and we’re having an open house/garden bbq for friends and family. All quite casual and relaxed. I want to wear something special/different, but am struggling to find anything I like. Thinking of a dress or jumpsuit, suitable with flat sandals or adidas gazelles. I like Oliver Bonas and Joanie, happy with bold colours and prints. Not a dedicated follower of trends, but I wear a lot of wide leg styles at the moment. I’m 5’ 7 and 70kg, size 12 but a bit of a tummy. Don’t want to be sleeveless, but I have good legs, though rather white as I’m pale/freckly. Budget perhaps up to £200 for the right thing.

Thank in advance!

Have a look at Free People or Farm Rio for something a bit different- Farm Rio is borderline budget wise but you may get lucky in the sale section, or their website offers 15% off your first order.

Sezane also worth a look although nothing is particularly jumping out at me, the Farm Rio ones look more special.

Honestly? Try SHEIN! I just ordered three dresses for a formal occasion. Between £5-£7.20p each. Two out of the three perfect. One for £50 form Next, being returned x

Farm Rio is a good suggestion. Or alternatively

Essential Antwerp

has lots of colourful and relaxed things. And a sale on at the moment.

With £200 I would be avidly searching for an early

Alemais

sale somewhere. It’s stocked by Net a Porter and other multi-brand stores in the UK.

Try Anthropology www.anthropologie.com/en-gb/search?page=2&q=dresses&sayt=true

Also the Stine Goya archive sale

Thanks for the suggestions so far but most are way above budget (and Shein is a definite no). Style wise I am not that confident about what suits me.

Oliver Bonas often has good jumpsuits/dresses .I just had a look and saw at less 4 dresses I would wear but it depends what you like.Their denim jumpsuits are great too. Probably not dressy enough for your 50th but I just bought the Levis iconic jumpsuit which I love : wide legged, long sleeved, light soft denim and can be dressed up and down.
Edited to add more information.

How about these from Zara?

www.zara.com/uk/en/striped-embroidered-midi-dress-p03295889.html?v1=445874991&v2=2420896

https://www.zara.com/uk/en/embroidered-belted-shirt-dress-p02157047.html?v1=431436919&v2=2420896

How about Nobodys Child

this red jumpsuit looks fab

I was looking up where Jo Whiley gets her clothes and Feather and Stitch came up. Would something like this appeal?

Farm Rio Tropical cameo romper - off white

Some of the dresses on there are gorgeous, but around £300.

I wore a Monsoon dress for mine,they've got 25% off right now too! https://www.monsoon.co.uk/jasmine-kimono-midi-dress-orange-20003000163.html

Rixo have got some lovely things at the moment?

@Thiswayorthatway no idea re: what to wear but you could book a John Lewis personal shopper and it might throw up some things you haven’t thought of? But if they don’t get it right on first attempt be brutally honest with them.

I also have a big birthday this year. My last birthday with a 0 was dreadful but I was determined this one would be better but things are stacking up against me.

We don’t have any or many friends in couples and our individual friends don’t all know each other and worried no one will turn up or people will arrive an hour early and double book and stay for 10 minutes (DH’s live too far away so they wouldn’t come) and my family are anti social and have form for saying they will come and either deciding against it last minute or would stay for 10 minutes and leave (so I would be left feeling sad and wondering why I had bothered) we can’t have a BBQ for reasons I won’t go into. I am not bothered about any presents it would just be nice to have a celebration. When it hot our garden is boiling hot until about 4 or 5 (too hot then the sun disappears except for a tiny strip at the top of the garden.

But a few questions. 1) are you having it on your actual birthday or near it. 2) how many have you invited, 3) how did you invite by phone, text, whatsapp or inviting face to face, 4) did you ask them to confirm either way so you have an idea of how many to cater for or whether to call it off 5) do you have a plan B if its wet 6) what sorts of food are you having and or are you doing all the catering/serving drinks and any top tips (I feel I would either be sat there on my own with a neighbour or mobbed and DH isn’t well enough to do very much to help 7) did you specify what time to arrive or say afternoon, evening or anytime etc? 8) are you asking people to bring a dish to eat, a bottle or camping type chair or are you providing everything? TIA

It’s the day after my actual birthday. I asked people to confirm and some mention now that they are looking forward to it. About 50 including kids, we have street food caterers and only ask guests for drinks/snacks. Locals are bringing extra garden tables & chairs. DC are young teenagers and helping out, DH a great host. If it rains we have a gazebo and it will be a squeeze but doable inside (we had 30 inside for DH’s 50th). Probably forgotten something though!

@Thiswayorthatway that sounds absolutely lovely I am so jealous.

DH isn’t well enough to do a BBQ and we just have a tiny camping one. I am also menopausal so get in a hot sweaty mess just thinking about it. My DC are slightly older than yours but would get bored after 5 minutes of being helpful if they managed that and would be on phones or disappear upstairs. Also I would spend the week before desperately trying to keep the house tidy with my adult DC suddenly deciding to cook a fry up or something smelly without tidying up afterwards during or just before any guests arrive. Have you asked guests to arrive at a particular time or after a particular time?

We have a lot going on near my birthday otherwise I would have liked to have gone away for it. One of my good friends is away and gets back the day after my birthday so not sure if she could come, another couple of friends are flaky and agree then double book themselves frequently and cancel last minute or come for a very short time. So I can’t see it working for me.

I thought about booking a restaurant for about 12 or 14 of us max and us paying but again don’t know if people would agree to it and not turn up or cancel the night before and my family are the same.

The party would have to be in my back garden so we couldn’t get a catering van but could perhaps get a cocktails van to park outside or something.

Still need something to wear!!

Aspiga?

https://www.aspiga.com/products/short-purdie-organic-cotton-ric-rac-dobby-dress

Can you give some more pointers OP?

Any you like from what’s been suggested, even if over budget? Or any more details like what sort of fabric, length, how smart?

https://www.neverfullydressed.com/products/azura-palms-mesh-tilly-dress

https://www.neverfullydressed.com/products/pink-safari-thea-maxi-dress

https://www.forevernew.co.uk/jacqueline-puff-sleeve-tiered-midi-295692?colour=italian-holiday

Closet London has done great stuff at good prices - mine was much admired
what about this https://closetlondon.com/closet-london-turquoise-v-back-midi-dress.html

Or this https://closetlondon.com/closet-london-tie-front-jumpsuit-1.html

Sorry don't want to derail the thread but exactly how long do you imagine a £5 dress will last? Shein are fast fashion at its absolute very worst. Couple of wears if that and its landfill.

Honestly, don’t.

Jumpsuit from Debenhams