Fabulous or hideous?

[VenusClapTrap]

I can’t decide if this is amazing or if I’m having a brain fart. I’m drawn to things that are a bit different; sometimes I get it right, sometimes very wrong, and look back at photos or catch myself in a mirror and recoil, wondering WTF I was thinking.

https://www.zara.com/uk/en/limited-edition-combined-printed-dress-p09141877.html?v1=484707644&v2=2420896

I’m no longer young nor thin. I fear I’d look like a giant gherkin with a bin liner tied round middle. Sigh. I should just scroll past this one, shouldn’t I?

That is a very striking dress, I can see why you are drawn to it. Age is IMO irrelevant but how tall are you OP? It looks like you need height to carry this off. You say no longer slim - the band round the dropped waist might not work if you have a tummy. On the other hand, it might hold it in. Needs to be tried on (with pics!)

I’m not tall - 5’3”, and I have the dreaded meno belly… but maybe I will try it on…

It’s eye catching, for sure! It’s dry clean only? I don’t think feathers could be washed.

Probably dry clean only, yes. But I find most party dresses are these days.

If that's what you think from the photo of the model then I'd steer clear. Might be worth a try on in store for a laugh though.

The dropped sparkly waistband thing looks a bit weird to me. I feel it would only look good on a very skinny tall person. The fabric and the feathered sleeves are really lovely though.

I think you need to be tall and thin to pull this off. I do like it. Very Elphaba!

It's certainly striking! I agree with the others though, it'll only work on someone tall and skinny.

Tall and willowy - yes

Short and… most definitely not willowy - no

Damn.

In which case, I’d say no.

This is a dress that screams tall slim women only need bother. I think any age could look good in it but only 5'8 and above size 10 and smaller. Also small busted women. However, would love to be proved wrong so if anyone has pics of themselves and are of a shorter or sturdier build I'd be keen to see.

Ad a fellow shortie with a meno tummy, I would avoid. I think the black band will make you look even shorter and draw attention to your middle. Agree with the other posters - lovely dress for the tall and willowy!

This. You need to be tall and skinny.

I am a curvy size 16 but have a flat stomach. I’d look absolutely ridiculous in that dress. Dropped waists are for skinny women I’m afraid!

Oh well at least most of you agree it’s nice, even if it’s not right for me! That’s something. I’m not losing it.

Yeah. I'm quite skinny (no flat stomach though!) but short so even then it would look weird. It's almost like they should just take that part off!

what kind of event were you considering it for OP?

I actually love it!

Agree it would be hard to wear though. I'm tall but an hourglass, so that dropped waist that seems so low it's basically around her bum would not work on me.

I'm not a fan. It doesn't even look good on the model and she'd make a bag for life with arm holes look good. It might be quite nice without the random shiny arse guard, with that it just looks like the duct tape creations I used to dress my poor long suffering Barbies in.

It’s a cracking dress, I love it, very Claudia W! The dropped waist could be ok with meno belly as the drop sash sits low. I do think it’s a tall persons piece but with heels, why not. Life’s too short not to wear beautiful clothes.

It's not bad, I was expecting a lot worse.

Some of the fashions Mumsnetters put up remind me of the emperors new clothes ...bloody ghastly, ridiculously expensive, yet some rave about them.

Claudia's diddy though! But I agree to some extent that she could pull something like this off in a gothic way. Clumpy black boots with a Disturbia vibe. That's how I'd wear it, for sure.
It's not a dress for anyone with a bust I don't think.

The dress itself is beautiful, but I can't imagine anyone looking good in it. Not even the model is looking good!

Love it. I usually hate the frumpy Lucy and Yak shite people post on here but this is lovely.

It’s stupendous (at least to look at) and exactly what I want from Zara.

Whether the quality lives up to the photos is a different matter.

Can’t even be bothered with the Only if you’re a six foot three fifteen year old brigade. I’m in my sixties and 5’3 and if I didn’t already have enough festive season clothes for a planned quiet Christmas, I’d be ordering it. Maybe it would fit, maybe it wouldn’t, but there’s no law against trying it on.