Outfit for mother of the groom

[SirChenjins]

Help me, oh wise, less than wise, and everything inbetween MNetters. I need an outfit for my son's wedding in the summer - thought I'd found one from Hobbs (navy Tess shirt dress) but it was a very odd fit and not as nice looking in RL as it is in the photos. I need something special that's suitable for a relaxed and informal wedding, but nothing too formal or dressy that makes me look like I'm trussed up like a chicken.

What I need:
Around £300-400
Petite - very important. I am five foot 1. I don't want to have to spend a fortune altering something that will look very different when altered. It's not just the length that has to be taken into account, it's shoulder width, sleeve length, waist position, torso length and neck line.
I'm 10/12 on top, 12/14 on the bottom.
Blonde hair, hazel eyes, so something that looks good with that

I don't want:
Anything Scandi-architect type thing - it's meant to be a happy occasion
Lots of frills and frou-frou
Anything maxi length or above the knee. Midi is best
Nothing too florally and floaty

Thanks

Do you have a John Lewis near you? I booked their free personal shopper service for my son's wedding. She was brilliant and brought me lots of choices with no pressure to buy. I also got my accessories for about your budget

I do, but JL don't seem to have much in the way of petite stuff - unless the personal shoppers can get petite stuff in for you to try on?

I'm the opposite - very tall! Maybe worth an email. I did fill in a short questionnaire about what I was looking for.

Thanks - I'll get in touch with them and see if they get in petite stuff to try on

Lots of petite occasion dresses on Coast.

Yes, looked at Coast, Hobbs, Phase Eight, etc - nothing's jumping out

Sorry that navy dress didn’t suit it really looked nice.

Phase eight have got some nice petite stuff in, I was having a browse
last night.

I’m 5ft 4 so usually have to buy regular and petite and try both to see which isn’t too long. This week I bought m and s trousers in petite a little too short, reordered in regular now too long 😳. I’m only after a pair of black trousers it should be easy.

I know @OneNewEagle I was really upset - it had far too much fabric on the top so it looked really voluminous. It was like a much bigger, regular size top attached to a petite size skirt.

I'll keep my eye on Phase Eight etc - they do petite really well

I think this is nice. But it might not be dressy enough for you. It’s not floral though. There’s a few others too but look more fitted formal so probably not ok.

https://www.forevernew.co.uk/callie-petite-ruched-midi-dress-301282?colour=morley-abstract

@SirChenjins I don’t know what’s going on with clothes and measurements at the moment. I’m between sizes normally 18 top 12-14 bottom but usually I can get separates ok so trousers and jeans and some pretty looser tops to fit. Currently everything i am buying I’m returning and having to try some tops in a 20.

people will recommend vinted but I tried that last autumn and all the clothes I bought were terrible. Some arrived dirty even, some had been sewn up visible stitching. It was to replace items of mine I love that had worn out ….. my old ones in the bin were better. So I’d not suggest that at all.

https://www.karenmillen.com/categories/womens-petite-dresses?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=%7Bcampaign%7D&utm_adgroup=%7Badgroup%7D&utm_term=&utm_device=c&utm_content=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21835295161&gbraid=0AAAAACo7BY-8Y2ZY7aHIEH73YNxK1tgOa&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqeDMBhDcARIsAJEbU9SnWWBO638-SaAvJBo0awl4hdka3gbR93LsjWEqyoq2HxGe59wEQUUaAs2rEALw_wcB&page=3

karen Millen? But there’s nothing jumping out at me I’m afraid that matches with what you are looking for.

Sizing is all a bit weird at the moment isn't it?! Trying to get really nice petite stuff is s total nightmare - hopefully better stuff will come out when the summer stock starts hitting the high street, but I feel like the choice is either things that look like satin nighties, floral chiffony dresses, or the very formal Veni Infantino outfits that would need to be altered massively and aren't really me.

I’m 5’3” and often need petite, I usually like Reiss, Hobbs that kind of thing but when I needed a dress for my step daughters wedding last year I went to a local shop that sells a whole range of different designer brands and the service is amazing. They offer an alterations service for shortening etc very reasonable. I can recommend if you’re anywhere in the East Midlands. It’s not cheap but I think you’d find something in your budget.

What about this one?
www.hobbs.com/product/barrett-dress/0126-5418-9045L00-PAPRIKA-MULTI.html#utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mkt_uk_lapse_prevention_freedeliveryresend_reac&utm_source=hobbslapseprevention&xnpe_tifc=xD_db.4N4uxj4DxlxDVXh9psafeWaeiWhFW9RfPDad85V.HXxFU1qfe6adScbdiArFBuxde.4.HlhIolhF1ZOFYT&cgid=clothing-dresses&is=true&sz=60&start=0&isSecondPage=false&pid=0126-5418-9045L00-PAPRIKA-MULTI&pos=1

Sadly not in the East Midlands, but I think I'll probably have to go down the alterations route and pay more.

@DiscoBeat I saw that one but I'm not too keen on the colour

It's a shame they don't do it in other colours!

It's a bit more than your budget but Shibumi might be worth a look. The coats, if you go subtle, are wearable again and again.

Is this too floral - https://www.next.co.uk/style/sv074845/v78694

@RosesAndHellebores I did look at the Sophia dress but the shape is wrong for me. I liked some of the coats but felt it was veering into too formal wedding wear.

@Iheartmysmart yes a little bit - and not so keen on the colour

Actually, floral would be OK, just as long as it's not St Michael floral iykwim

Something like this from The Pretty Dress Company?
https://www.theprettydresscompany.com/sale-c16/the-pretty-dress-company-hourglass-faux-wrap-pencil-dress-p202#attribute%5B1%5D=62

It’s a bit of a weird time of year at the moment. Seems to be the dregs of the autumn winter clothes with a smattering of summer bits here and there. And being petite makes it so much harder to find something nice. I’m only 5ft so large patterns swamp me, I hate ditsy prints, anything flouncy looks ridiculous as do high necklines and puffed sleeves. It’s time designers realised that just scaling down clothes doesn’t really work, they actually need to be designed for us small in stature folk.

Ooh I like that @Tinseltrauma - thank you!

Completely agree @Iheartmysmart - it's not just a case of chopping off a few inches, it's a total change of design that's needed to avoid us looking like we're wearing our mum's clothes from the dressing up box. And YY to overwhelming floral prints and flounces.