Need a beautiful dress

[Treviarpelli]

I have a few special occasions coming up (graduation, wedding christening etc) all with different people so I figure I could splash out a bit (up to £400) on a beautiful dress.
trouble, I’m not sure where to look anymore.
I hate the websites like Debenhams or Asos with a million different choices as I get bored of scrolling.
I’m 57, size 12 quite short, big boobs and I like pattern and colour - any suggestions please?

And more ...

Yet more on The Outnet.

And the last few I thought might fit the bill.

OP, I don't know whether your taste veers towards the more casual or formal ends of event dressing. Or whether you want something from an unusual label, or that liking it (wherever it's from) is more important. Or whether you like maxis or midis, loose or fitted.

These are at the more casual/quirky end of event dressing, compared to LK Bennett etc above, but I think they're rather lovely. And easily formalised depending on accessories.

https://nrbyclothing.com/products/monique-silk-poppy-print-v-neck-dress-blue-stone
https://nrbyclothing.com/products/margie-silk-poppy-print-silk-dress-ivory

Some more from NRBY that are silk & bright & dramatic, but floaty rather than fitted.

Some lovely choices @EleanorMc67 .
In my mind I can live a life that would justify owning all the silk NRBY dresses and a few others, too, some Farm Rio for sure. In real life, not so much. But I love seeing them! 😍

@Treviarpelli though, hasn't come back to give any feedback or clarification on anything.

Agree that I'd usually wear different styles to these occasions BUT I am obsessed with the Fit + Flare Midi Dress mentioned here!

For my style, and if I had a good excuse like you, I'd splurge on this. It'd work across occasions, be easy to wear, and would also work for more casual things so I'd get lots of use out of it.

www.meandem.com/fringe-detail-fit-and-flare-midi-dress-rose-petal-red

It's a lovely simple dress (despite the Nora Batty ankles!). Tweed though, so a bit heavy for summer events? The colour is a lovely warm red.

Two of them are from the collaboration that Tracy Boyd did with NRBY. Have you seen the previous collection? Even lovelier, IMO. I love her work, including her interiors. And she's married to Adrian Wright from The Human League ...!!

https://www.traceyboyd.com/lookbook/boyd-nrby-collaboration

(Model is the lovely Cecilia Chancellor, who was everywhere in the 90s.)

Lovely suggestions on here, but depending on how short the OP is they may not translate well in the alterations which requires shortening length, waist position, sleeve length, shoulder width and neckline. As a shortarse I'm beyond frustrated by the limited choice of petite clothing for women, so watching this thread with interest.

If you're an 8-10, @TemporarilyCantDoMyself , one of the silk dresses, plus a black & gold blouse from the first collection, are currently on Vinted ...

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8361811201-ashlyn-silk-orchid-print-dress

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7970944415-nrby-small-silky-gold-and-black-beautiful-shirt

@EleanorMc67 if I were an 8-10, about forty years younger, and did a few posher things - yes!
As it is I'm a 14-16, age 70, and spend much of my time at the moment up a ladder painting our new house, or gardening our new garden. In a most disreputable looking pair of track suit bottoms that were briefly DH's. 😂
I have scrubbed up to go to the movies this afternoon, but not NRBY silk level scrubbed up.
I do, though, adore looking at nice dresses and if I had an event worthy of it I wouldn't hesitate to treat myself to NRBY silk or Farm Rio funky. I promise! 😍

More beautiful NRBY silk prints on eBay too, @TemporarilyCantDoMyself - in both small (8-10) & medium (12-14).

Find somewhere to wear them!!

https://ebay.us/m/cz4adA
https://ebay.us/m/SGseCI
https://ebay.us/m/1h6W7E
https://ebay.us/m/4NM8dY
https://ebay.us/m/W1AGte

Ah, cross posted with more temptation in too small a size then - sorry!! It's lovely to admire & dream though ...

There have been a few threads on the topic of late? I think the usual names crop up though, but there were a couple new to me I seem to remember (don't know why, as I am the opposite!).

I think less fitted dresses are easier to alter if need be. Like the NRBY ones. But then they have to be worn as full maxi not midi, otherwise the pattern might be truncated.

Also, I have previously offended someone who was 5' 3" by recommending dresses from a petite clothing line ... because they said they weren't short!!

Hence why I asked the OP her actual height & if she generally needs to get clothing from petite ranges.

Have you tried JJ's house online?
They have some pretty dresses for all occasions, just use the filter box to change the search. 💕

https://www.jjshouse.com/uk/collection/wedding-guest-dresses?hs_id=447&_skw=wedding+guest+dresses

The entire site screams flammable petroleum byproducts to me ...!!!

😆
My wedding dress is from JJ's house and it's still fabulous and deffo not on fire
😆 🔥 🙏

I think it's London based as well?

Glad you got a lovely dress from it, I just wish more natural fabrics were used. That applies to most places though.

It's a Chinese firm (though I think has an office/shop here?).

Yes - and you kindly commented on one of mine 😊 Petite isn't just about chopping inches of the length, it's a whole redesign of the dress (or whatever), so it really impacts the look of the outfit. You're right that less fitted are easier to alter, but only to an extent - eg the waist and hips hit at a different point, the neckline can be far too low, the shoulders too wide, the armholes too big, the sleeves too long.

Five foot three is technically the upper end pf petite - but it's still very much petite. Unless you're planning on wearing four inch heels I suppose - in which case, good luck and may the gods be on the side of your ankles!

Oh it's not me that's 5' 3", it was another poster - I'm 5' 9-10"!!! And used to have the opposite problem when younger with clothes not being long enough for me. Not so often these days.

Though when I wore heels often in the past, I did love wearing quite high heels - especially platforms - as I was then towering over the men in totally male-dominated work meetings!! It gave me a psychological lift!! 😁

Get away with your 5 foot 10 you - I'm not jealous at all!!! If I was that height I'd do exactly the same as you and would enjoy every moment of my towering height. Instead I spend my day staring up people's nostrils, which is no fun.

https://hopeandivy.co.uk/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=23629450022&utm_content=194695561420&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23629450022&gbraid=0AAAAApn8qNtCv3PtvSgxa4Del5AQjGlcm&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsdnNBhC4ARIsAA_3hegH0MYUtP1oRvDdjYSfYjzCPclZ62j5YMbVFKygmp5xCCZmIkSZliUaAnpEEALw_wcB Hope & Ivy do beautiful dresses, some specifically in petite line as well. I was quite surprised how reasonable their embellished & embroidered range can be. At their price point you could buy a few different ones for different occasions