Help needed - what to wear for lunch in London.

[boozylucy]

Please help! Haven't been to London for years but I'm due to meet an old friend who I haven't seen for eons for lunch in London. He's chosen the Clermont Hotel near Charing Cross station. I have no idea what to wear and normally live in jeans and jumpers. My idea of smart casual is a jersey dress, thick tights and ankle boots but not sure this attire would fit the bill. The dress code seems to be smart casual/elegant. Please help I'm about as far as you can get from elegant and don't think I own anything that would fit the bill. For context I'm size a 16/18 and apple shaped [and over 70 if you think that is relevant in terms of choosing something suitable.] I don't want to spend a fortune but if anyone's had lunch at the Platform 7 restaurant please can you tell what would be suitable attire for this?. Thanks very much!

You’ll be absolutely fine in the outfit you’ve mentioned.

I’m sure you will be fine in a jersey dress, tights and boots, you would be surprised, hardly anyone dresses more than smart casual these days.

Oooh - is this an … assignation, @boozylucy??

Your jersey dress outfit will be perfectly fine for the venue. (But then, so would pretty much anything else.) The question is, how do you want to be dressed to meet your friend?

Thanks all for the reassurance I'll go with the proposed outfit then.. Ha! Ha! @MissPrismsMistake he's gay so purely platonic and definitely no clandestine carry ons. Known each other for 55 years - he's single but I'm happily married with DC and DGC. DH will enjoy the peace and quiet for a change I'm sure.

It’s lovely there and a jersey dress would look fab. It’s a mix of tourists and business people in that hotel. I often pop in there for coffee as they have a hidden Starbucks half way inside :)

London is very casual. What you have will be fine. Unless you want to dress up for fun( but you don't have to)