Sales Assistant: Oh, that dress looks terrible on anyone who's bigger than an A cup... (moan alert!)

[lovecat]

So why the hell make and sell it in larger sizes?

Ooh, it makes me mad!

I thought I'd found the perfect dress for BIL's wedding - it's being held in a barn, we've been told to dress UP (it's Essex) and yes, they are having a barn dance before the more usual DJ, so I need something glam that I can move in - I already have shoes/jacket/bag to match the pink, it looked absolutely gorgeous on the hanger, looked lovely from the back and from the tum down in front, but the top!

It didn't fit in a 10 when I tried it on over my bra, the bottom half was too loose in a 12, I took the bra off (as I doubted I'd be able to wear one with it given the shape) and could then do up the 10, but it squashed me flatter than flat and looked terrible... Tried the 12 on again with no bra and it looked awful too.

So I asked the lovely friendly sales person what sort of bra if any she'd recommend to go with the dress as it just wasn't working as it was, and that's what she said!

This dress goes up to a size 18... surely whoever made/designed the thing doesn't expect bigger sizes to be flat-chested??

Soooo annoying! I suppose I could buy the 12 and have it altered, but I baulk at the idea of paying nearly £200 on something that then needs to be changed in order to fit!

Okay, rant over, back to the drawing board for a dress suitable for both a flash wedding and a barn dance.... anyone point me in the right direction?

If you're going to be leaping around at a barn dance you certainly want some support up top!

my sister is big and probably not much more than an aa. she'd look nice in that dress, i shall point it out to her.

anyway, what size are you in the chest area?

i think it is horrid

so maybe you have had a lucky escape

this?

spotty

It's a lovely dress but you'll have to wave it goodbye if it doesn't do anything for you.

As for the sales assistant, sounds like she needs a bit of Mary Portas training. Shouldn't she have been finding you dresses that WOULD suit your figure?

yes good point. don't buy anything from coast lovecat. £160 too!

i like the spotty one fishie linked to. looks v. flattering. i think coast has gone abit wierd.

Doesn't sound right for a dress to only fit an a cup. Monsoon have some lovely dresses

but monsoon tend to be for pear shape which lovecat doesn't sound. i can never fit me bosom into their frocks.

so you have a jacket/shoes/bag in hot pink?

then how about this one?
or this? Phase Eight is v good this summer

This from Laura Ashley is a bit of a different direction but could still work

what shape is the jacket?

Ooh, thanks for all that! Some nice things there... I do like that Tropics dress from Phase 8, MrsB - there's a branch round the corner from my work so I'll pop in next week and have a look.

The Laura Ashley is not something I'd normally look at, but tbh since I've lost weight I've had to totally reassess what does & doesn't suit me, so if I get the chance to go up West I'll have a shufti as I like the colours.

EVERYTHING in my wardrobe at the moment is black or white, I'd really like to inject some colour and wear something a bit different...(the pink accessories are from a few years back!)

Sorry, I should've been a bit more specific about my shape, shouldn't I?

I'm 5'5, a 10 on my hips (and if I buy anything high-waisted I'm a 10 there too as I have a long body and a high, thickish waist), a 12 on my top half, (depending on the shop), 36C chest that has long seen better days and needs a bit lot of support (hence my looking at halternecks rather than strapless - in the past they've helped hoick me up a bit!). Not much of a waist, definitely more a top-heavy apple than a pear!

I've actually booked a personal shopper in JL for my birthday (not til July, tho!) to try and get some new ideas as to what I can wear (am used to buying v-necks for norkage that no longer exists and tunic tops to cover wobbly belly, so am a bit lost now it's all gone!)

Yes, fishie , I find Monsoon a bit rubbish for dresses for my shape, I can only ever get separates in there!

Mrs B, The jacket is lightweight, round- collared, straight-edged and long sleeved, waist-length. Makes it sound awful, doesn't it? I may not actually wear it to the do, it was just the happy co-incidence of it matching thar dress!

try empire line, i am similar shape and it is v flattering.

Lucky escape if you ask me - that dress is horrible

I really don't like Coast

You need to try a shop like bravissimo they have some lovely clothes to flatter curves so skinny on the waste but bigger on the boobs. They also come in 3 degrees of curvy so you can choose the one that best fits your bust size, I'm a size 1 with f cup boobs so I know this problem all too well. Check out www.bravissimo.com. Hope that helps.

Why are you angry about a dress, Anna? It looks a lot better on the hanger than it does in that link, but still....

CD, I hated them too but they've opened up a shop near my work and seeing their stuff in real life they're not half so hideous as they first appear, iykwim. Am a complete novice at frock-purchasing, first I was horsey, then I had a baby, then I was fat, so I've lived in jodhs/fleeces/baggy t's/jeans for the last 10 years and prior to that always wore separates anyway... I'm beginning to think it's beyond me!

I'm only a C cup, Jessiesmummy, would Bravissimo cater for me?

lovecat are you 100% sure of your bra size? I only ask as I thought I was a 34C/D.

When I went to Bravissimo the saleswoman did think that the 34D I was wearing was perhaps a little large. In the end though she decided I was a 32DD and turns out she was right. So may be worth double checking with a reputable bra shop as it could make a big difference.

p.s. I did actually love that original dress. I don't wear dresses but might start doing so if I keep reading these type of threads!

Agree - dress would look hideous on anyone busty. Satiny material and big norks - car crash-age!

Should do try a 1o curvy it should fit ok. Although you may find that if your a size 1o you may be a slightly different bra size anyway. I used to be a bra fitter and if your wearing around a 34c and your a size 1o chances are you'd be better with a 32d.