Tea dress for Italian honeymoon

[TeaChocKitKat]

Im 45 and getting married in Italy in May. I'm 5ft tall and a curvy size 12/14 (days of being a size 8 are gone in spite of my best efforts to lose weight so feel quite self conscious about that). I'd like to get a couple of nice flattering dresses for while we are away. I find A line flattering so Im thinking of tea dresses. I'm blonde and have fair skin.
I dont want to spend too much, certainly less than £100 on each.
Any suggestions?

Oh the ever popular cliché of all Italians/ French/ Spanish are so much better dressed.

Aside from that why is looking like everyone else so desirable?

OP said "I dont want to spend too much, certainly less than £100 on each" - good luck getting a dress in Max Mara at a £100.

Surprised you've not been taken to task for the "discerning" comment yet! But I do agree completely ... I hope the Liberty dress suits the OP! Lots of original vintage Liberty ones online on eBay etc too - but more of a risk.

@TeaChocKitKat I'm thinking that you might mean more "fit & flare" than A-line, if you're searching online - as most tea dress styles are fitted at the waist then flare out? Shirt-waister styles with fullish/flared skirts may also suit?

I'm also presuming that you like soft/pastel colours with your pale, fair colouring, if you've ordered pale blue & pinkish-coral dresses so far?

In my experience, I'd be selective about fabric type. Cotton, silk, linen, viscose & often blends thereof, are all generally good choices in the heat (people on MN often complain about staining silk in hot weather - but I have never found that to be an issue - Mitchum antiperspirant!!).

I did start searching some petite ranges & was dismayed by some of the horrors out there - Karen Millen is a sea of (expensive!!) polyester ... very grim ... Seasalt prints are indeed frumpy as a few others have said, & I wasn't too impressed by Joe Brown or White Stuff either ... Lots are jersey too, which I think might be too heavy?

About 15 to 20 years ago Whistles used to do pure silk tea dress styles - they brought out different versions several years in a row. They were very 1930s-40s in look. I loved those dresses & had a few iterations! I did have a look & found these on Vinted. The waistline tended to be high on these dresses on me (I'm quite tall), so I think that they should sit at the normal spot on you. I would make lower offers on these if you like them - you could get some real bargains & they are excellent quality &, I think, quite timeless?? I would check measurements though - these are 12s & 14s but if they're bias-cut (like the third one) a 14 or even 16 would probably be better.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/6524423870-vintage-whistles-silk-dress (love the sleeves & print of this one!!)

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7288624055-whistles-silk-dress

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7788353434-whistles-silk-polka-dot-dress-navy-blue-uk-12-retro-classic-40s-50s-fit-flare

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8107121343-whistles-fitted-silk-tea-dress-pretty-design-with-button-detail-size-14

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/6718021074-whistles-100-silk-dress
(I had this one & loved it!! It was well above the knee on 5"8" me so I'm sure would be a perfect length on you.)

I also had this one, which I loved & wore with red wedge (espadrille maybe?) sandals & lipstick! It's a tea dress shape as it wraps at the waist & ties to the side, & then the skirt flares out.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7334398219-whistles-black-and-white-silk-wrap-dress-12

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7265811849-vintage-silk-whistles-dress-size-12

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7604789310-whistles-silk-dress-sz12
This one has a kind of tulip-shaped skirt which is lovely - quite 40s.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/5805557926-whistles-vintage-silk-dress

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/6892015652-floral-silk-tea-dress
I had this one too - it was beautiful, properly tea dress & much nicer than it looks in the photos!

Some on Monsoon, though they're a bit above budget & not part of a petite range. I don't think Monsoon is cut very long though, so might be worth trying some on?

This looks lovely, but seems to be viscose (fine) with a polyester lining (less so)? More of a dinner than day dress.

https://www.monsoon.co.uk/lilwen-floral-midi-tea-dress-blue-20004410003.html

Also Monsoon & while not a tea dress it has a floaty retro vibe & is unlined Ecovero viscose. Colour pretty for you, OP?

https://www.monsoon.co.uk/tashie-sun-print-bardot-midi-dress-blue-20009140034.html

The above is well within budget too - as is this one. Also not a tea dress - like the one above it's a bit more 70s, but cool & pretty?

https://www.monsoon.co.uk/isabelle-embroidered-square-neck-midi-dress-white-20008410002.html

This is a petite - comes in several prints, none of which I like bar this one, which could be good on you? Boden, viscose, in budget!

https://www.boden.com/products/women-rosie-godet-tea-dress-pink-rose-foliage-trail-d1020pnk

This Boden one? Comes in a few prints, which are ok (I'd prefer the stripe).

https://www.boden.com/products/women-natalia-jersey-tea-dress-rich-emerald-wildflower-d1374grn

Another Boden one, & like the others it comes in petite. More 70s than tea dress, but thought I'd throw it into the mix ...

https://www.boden.com/products/women-maya-embroidered-kimono-dress-rich-emerald-embroidered-d1216grn

Cotton poplin shirtwaister from Zara ...?? Would probably need altering - but it's very Gwyneth in The Talented Mr Ripley!

https://www.zara.com/uk/en/zw-collection-poplin-pleated-dress-p08605251.html

I bought a boden dress I loved last summer (wore in rome) and then saw it on sale on next website so snapped it up again.

there are some fab dresses out there at the moment

www.next.ie/en/style/su747223/h45296

Last time I went in (about a month ago) and tried stuff on it was. No real shape to the dresses. Simple round necklines. No shape or definition to the waist/bust. They mostly rely on materials with stretch to avoid tailoring. As a amateur seamstress I'd say they're very very simple, easy to cut shapes. Yes, lovely colours (although I find some of the patterns garish - but that's a me problem).

Sorry, I forgot, this is MN. All Seasalt clothes are really frumpy, as are M&S, FatFace, White Stuff, Hobbs and Boden. I only ever shop in Cos and Sezane.

Exactly! My friends and I, who are all in our early 70s, shop at Seasalt, White stuff and Fatface. Our daughters would not been seen dead there!

I am adding my voice to the Boden suggestions. I think they are very good at tea dresses. I have a red one that I wore a lot in Pisa when I went with DH to a conference in May a couple of years ago, it felt very suitable, I felt glam and it got admiring glances in the street! They also pack/travel well. This one looks nice:
www.boden.com/products/women-rosie-godet-tea-dress-multi-oriental-paradise-d1020mul?_pos=1&_sid=48ce47287&_ss=r

Did you see this linen-blend Albaray one as well, @TeaChocKitKat ?

I know you're on a budget, but I wouldn't order things just because they're well-reduced? It's great when you get a bargain, but you should also really like them too? As no doubt you'll wear them again on sunny summer days here - & it would be nice to put them on & have your spirits lifted by memories of your honeymoon & wearing a dress that you felt fabulous in, not just ok ..?!

I do think you have plenty of time to wait until more spring/summer dresses appear in the shops. But also there are some great bargains out there in the sales, in terms of the higher quality you'll get for your money: So if you can kill two birds - fab dress and it's a bargain - that would be a very satisfying achievement!!

https://www.albaray.co.uk/products/blossom-print-linen-button-dress-ss25

I really like this linen/viscose blend Albaray one - but I'm assuming you don't much like brights or darks & like to stick to pastels/pale & interesting? Can you add brighter accessories/lipstick etc to ensure that you're pale & interesting, not washed out? They can just be a stronger pastel such as coral-pink, which would be good on you.

https://www.albaray.co.uk/products/linen-waisted-dress-ss25

Thanks. Yes , I don't want to look washed out. I'm not opposed to colour, in fact I'm thinking of getting a navy blue with white spots nobodys child dress - its also available in petite which im hoping would mean i don't have to get it taken up.

Oops - forgot the photo! I am strawberry blonde with fair skin & some freckles, & warm reds are really good with my colouring.

If, however, you're more of a cool blonde (which I suspect you are if blues & pinks suit you), then cooler cherry reds would be good if you'd consider brights? What about mauves/purplish-pinks?

I'd agree that they are very good at certain things. Sometimes they get stuck in a rut on prints & colours & sometimes they scream "I'm wearing Boden" (I'm not keen on my clothes screaming anything identifiable, especially if logos are involved ...!!).

But I would say that their cut is generally superior to quite a few comparable brands. And the quality is generally comparably high too.

Yes, if you can find fab dresses in petite, that will help.

I would definitely order a whole raft of dresses in petite - re your size, check their measurements re 12/14 & any comments below them on how true to size each garment is, as it will vary per dress as well as brand. Order from Boden, Nobody's Child & the other makes you like the look of, on your credit card if need be - as there are some really nice ones & it's always good to try on lots of dresses & compare all at the same time, rather than in dribs & drabs. It focuses the mind wonderfully!! Try the ones you're not sure of too - I am almost always surprised by some second choices in the flesh, so always order the "maybes" too for comparison.

Get a good & stylish friend to come over when they all arrive & pour her a glass of (chilled, crisp Italian white) wine, then try each dress on & agree on yes/no/maybe - whittle them into three piles & then look again at the maybes.

Make the process fun & easy - but don't pour any more wine until you've finished - for her or you!!! Once you've decided on your favourites, you can neck the rest ... 😁!!!

These Albaray ones also looked like possibles but were sold out in your size, @TeaChocKitKat - might be worth s

Posted half a message above!

These Albaray ones also looked like possibles but were sold out in your size, @TeaChocKitKat - might be worth signing up for notifications if they come in again?

https://www.albaray.co.uk/products/yellow-spot-midi-dress-ss25

https://www.albaray.co.uk/products/lila_botanical_dress_ss23 (my own favourite)

https://www.albaray.co.uk/products/painted_meadow_wrap_dress_ss23

https://www.albaray.co.uk/products/buttercup-pressed-floral-maxi-dress-ss24

Some Whistles sale dresses that are a midi length & fit & flare/shirtwaister - some of them also come in petite.

https://www.whistles.com/product/tiger-flame-midi-dress-40106.html

https://www.whistles.com/product/leopard-cotton-midi-dress-40115.html

https://www.whistles.com/product/bloom-floral-midi-dress-39771.html

https://www.whistles.com/product/feathered-tiger-midi-dress-39767.html

https://www.whistles.com/product/linear-leaf-midi-dress-38939.html