Keep or return dress - dabs eyes

[MrsChrimbo]

I bought a dress. The reviews say it can be worn in a few different ways, and they always look more fancy in the pictures. Also, it’s not a very fancy shop.

Anyway, got it home and tried it on. It fits beautifully (could do with an extra 1cm round torso but it’s fine) and it is stunning. However, it’s fancier than I expected and I’m not going anywhere I can really wear it. I’ve a few Christmas things but they’re mainly pub etc. it’s also just a Christmas dress. It’s beautiful green velvet (I bought it before Princess Kate worn hers ;) I’ve a “do” in Feb, but will green velvet work post Christmas?

Keep, or return. I fear it may just languish in my wardrobe.

Wear it to the pub 🥂

It’s really beautiful

Another vote to keep - it’s lovely!

I’ve bought this exact dress too OP and having the same dilemma! I got it in the first week Boden released it when it sold out almost instantly and got it with a nice 25% off promo code too. It’s utterly beautiful, hangs so well and feels amazing but I don’t think I’ll get enough wears out of it. I really don’t want to send it back though because it’s very beautiful and the colour is so nice. Rare to get a forest gothic green like that in the flesh. It’s the kind of dress thats good for doing plotting and skullduggery in I think.

This. Accept that everyone else is underdressed.

It's absolutely beautiful as a winter outfit.

Wear it to the pub!

That’s actually really nice, and I usually dislike boden. I’d keep it, thay can be worn out to dinner etc.

velvet is making a huge resurgence now,it’s bang on trend, and not just for Xmas. Clearly not summer, but will do autumn, winter, and early spring when it’s still cold.

I think it would be fine to wear to the pub! Is the sash/bow detachable? removing that would dress it down instantly, as would wearing it would boots, tights and coat, etc. Who cares if your friends are in jeans? Perhaps some of them would like to dress up too and if they see you doing it they will as well!

You describe it so well. It is a bit goth and a beautiful green.

It does give me Scarlet O’Hara vibes too.

Keep it. Wear it to the pub. Put a body warmer over it and wear it to the school nativity play. Put a jumper over it and wear it literally anywhere.

Lovely dress! I love the buttons and the overall look. I would keep it!

I think the other comments are convincing me that it’s a keep! What about you OP? People are right in that it’s quite versatile and something that won’t date and remain classic-looking and safe. Also useful to have a nice warm pretty dress for parties and dinners and drinks in winter. It can be used for casual or dressed-up functions and you can wear it with so many boots/belts/types of jewellery. I might wear mine on Christmas Day!

Velvet is really popular at the moment and ever since Kate Middleton wore that dress last week, people are going nuts for green velvet even more. Looks like we lucked out! I think I’m keeping! :)

Keep it! It's a lovely dress that could be worn to any number of things in the autumn and winter, plus it's a classic style that won't age, so you can wear it for years.

The dress is gorgeous and yes you can wear it to the pub. It’s a timeless style so you can wear it again and again.

Only reservation is that you say it’s a bit tight, will you be uncomfortable or look a bit squashed in when sat down? Holding on to something that doesn’t quite fit is often a bad idea as you don’t reach for it or dither with it as it doesn’t look how you imagine in your head.

With dresses I’ve always just bought ones I love.

If you don’t have a suitable night out to wear it then you need to arrange one!

It’s a win/win. You get a beautiful dress and you get a bonus night out

I wouldn’t keep it, will just hang about being irritating in your wardrobe.

That is a nice dress. Depending what you do for a living I would be wearing that to the office/pub/dinner at friends or even just to do your shopping in.

It is a very versatile dress that I think if you sent it back at some point in the future you will be stood infront of your wardrobe and be thinking that you wish you had kept it because it would have been perfect for the occasion

I agree about the shape, for my figure, but I have dark hair and pale skin, and this is exactly the colour that would suit a cool winter tone.

Keep it but don’t wear it with court shoes - wear it with black boots to dress it down bit

This.
The buttons are fancier than everyday wear perhaps but so what🤷🏼‍♀️
You’ve found a dress you love, and is classy - enjoy!

To go off on a tangent (a talent of mine). Years ago I lost weight for my wedding and did some charity shopping. I struck lucky and found about 8 lovely dresses in one shop. These became my regular wear and it felt great to be wearing nicer things than normal) I try to make the most of nice clothes now and just wear them. It was easier in that instance as they’d only cost a few quid, so I wasn’t worried about keeping them good (as a child I’d have one good outfit that has to last). Money saving expert did a thing years ago about how we should actually be wearing out more expensive clothes a lot more than we do, in order to make them worth the money….

Hope you are keeping it OP! I have a few beautiful velvet dresses and use any excuse to wear them. Wore a green off the shoulder one to a restaurant last week, will wear a red one on Xmas day and a blue one on NYE - just going over to a friends to play board games and they will probably be in jeans but I don't care! Sometimes i put on one just to eat dinner in the house with my husband on a Friday night - we call it fancy date night

I wouldnt describe the dress as goth but the colour beautiful!!

Don't let the fact it's velvet put you off wearing it to the pub though. Velvet is for life. Not just for Christmas 😉

But it’s viscose velvet, not cotton velvet. It will very soon be limp and shiny.

It’s gorgeous - keep it and be stunning 💚 xx