Another wedding dilemma. How to style this dress.

[Nc9623]

I’ve name changed after some of the comments in another style and beauty thread. If this is also dated please let me know.

I already have this dress and want to wear it to a wedding later in the year. I’m shorter, bigger and older than the model! I’m 5ft4, in my 50s, size 18.

The top half looks ok as the colours suit me. I’m very pale with blue eyes. I don’t like the pleats or the fact the skirt lands mid lower leg so makes my bottom half look bigger than it is (I’m a 14 in trousers). So what length jacket or maybe accessories would help with this please? I was thinking different colour jacket may draw away from the pleats? I don’t own anything else pleated though so I’m not sure if that works?

When I wore it a few years ago it was to a different sort of event. I just tied my hair up, a little make up and some nice earrings.

https://www.debenhams.com/product/hot-squash-v-neck-floral-lace-dress_p-c4290317-f01e-4521-ab9b-fffaf91e673f?colour=Silver&size=12&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22661679340&gbraid=0AAAAABevdS7rBpK7jq11dXDkkWGiaBNmG&gclid=CjwKCAjwjtTNBhB0EiwAuswYhtC69u55LbvXaxZsoA0eBIKogDWm98duct9VJM6THfKKgCckHRXZkRoCv_4QAvD_BwE

I agree.

That’s dreadful. What a good idea to do this.

The blue Tu dress looks OK online, but the fabric is unpleasant. I ordered and returned it. Just as a casual dress though.

Considering I’m usually in me and em or Reiss, I will honestly say the tu dresses are fine, I’d not know they were tu, and as much as I don’t like the yellow one as I don’t like yellow clothes, I think with heels make up hair they could easily look good and I would pick one of those over the ops.

So you’ve body shamed me now because I’m a size 18. 😭 this thread has become really nasty and I have no idea why.

plus no it doesn’t look like that on me, I’m not a bigger version of the model I’m me. I’m shorter so the dress covers most of my leg and I’m a 14 in trousers. Even if I did how the exact same body shape how utterly insulting I’d never do that to anyone regardless of their clothes size.

maybe everyone needs to stop and think before they post on the thread. There’s lots of other ladies my size or bigger whom I’m sure are beautiful but probably a little lacking in confidence. It’s comments over the years about our size or the lack of clothes in our size in shops that causing the low self esteem.

I only wanted a little help, the nasty comments aren’t going to alter my weight or clothes size. Plus I used to be a lot smaller. and I lacked self confidence then as well as even when i was a 12-14 I was called awful names in my youth.

I don’t think there was any body shaming there, there is nothing shameful about showing it on a similar size body to see if it works, if she said something about being too fat to wear it or something would be shaming, but she’s not done that, not even close.

beinf able to see it on a similar size body is helpful for many people.

I’ve already worn it to something else when I bought it .so that was probably wrong as well.

I feel like burning it now if it’s so dreadful but in reality I will need to wear it a few more times as I cant afford a new outfit every time I leave the house.

As well as the wedding this year I was going to wear it to a special birthday meal in a months time. I feel like I can’t do that now either. So it seems I have nothing to wear for my OH”s birthday now. that wasn’t even on my radar as something I needed a new dress for as I was just going to wear this with a faux leather brown jacket (probably also not in fashion or stylish). I honestly thought that would be fine and I’d look slightly better than normal.

Ok I think you are reacting very badly, accusing people of being nasty, deciding you can’t wear it etc. you started the thread ans asked, saying you don’t know if it worked, you don’t like the bottom half and now are spiralling about not having any clothes to leave the house.

Maybe ask for the thread to be deleted. No one has been nasty to you or body shamed you.

Also when people keep going on about the price I don’t see how that’s even relevant. I already own it that means theres zero cost to me wearing it again.

Sorry @Wildgoat that’s not fair. There are lots of nasty comments in this thread and there’s no need for there to be any.

And no I don’t appreciate someone making the model ‘my size’. If I want to know what my size is like I can look in a mirror.

OP you could try it on with all your jackets, cardigans etc to see if you already have something suitable or it may help narrow down what length jacket would work.
I think it looks like a completely normal dress someone would wear as a wedding guest.

OP don’t let random strangers on the internet put you off. If this thread has shown anything it’s that we all have different tastes. Plenty of us liked the dress, some didn’t, and that’s fine. And I think there were a few posters just out to kick people because of where the dresses came from or how much they cost. Which is somewhere between amusing and sad - imagine spending your life judging people on labels. The expensive designers must be grinning all the way to the bank. They swallowed the pill!

Go wear your dress!

Thank you.

I see some nasty comments about tu clothes but none aimed at you

do you feel maybe you’re a little sensitive about your size? Because there is no need to be,

For what it's worth, I think the dress is fine. But only if you can style it with items you already have. I would dig it out and try it on with different jackets/cardigans from among those you already own.

Try different shoes/heel heights as that can make a huge difference to the look of the skirt.

If you're still worried the skirt doesn't suit you I can't see a way of getting round that - if you have to buy a long jacket specifically to go with the dress you may as well get a different dress that you are 100% happy with as it is unlikely the jacket would pair with much else (shoes are different - if you conclude you have the right clothes but just need some new shoes to pull it together then get the shoes as you'll likely wear them again).

OP, I think if you'd come on and said you loved it, and felt great in it and were looking for some shoes to go with it you might have had some different responses.

As is, you said you don't like the skirt bit, questioned if you could cover it up with a jacket, and wondered it it was dated, some people said yes, some said it's lovely. Don't take it to heart, no need to burn it, if you want to wear it then do so.

Sleep on it. Plenty of time til Autumn.

OP the dress is lovely. It’s very pretty and the main thing is you like how it looks and feel comfortable in it. It’s literally ALL that matters. I can’t believe anyone would be looking at you thinking ‘wow that dress is so dated’. And if they did that, then sod them! I wouldn’t have a clue what’s dated and what isn’t and would suggest most people are the same.

The dress looks like it’s for a special occasion which suits a wedding. True style is about feeling confident in what you are wearing, and I hope you do.

Some of the other dresses posted are horrible in comparison. That’s nothing to do with them being supermarket dresses. They just look shapeless.

Please wear your dress and be confident in it. Having said all that, I have no clue how you would style it!

Do you have a plain coloured wrap type midi skirt? Because you like the top, it could be tweaked with something over the skirt? I do that quite often just to change things up with old dresses

@Nc9623 I have no suggestions of how to style it I’m afraid, but I think you sound lovely and I hope you find something suitable to wear with it and have a fantastic time at the wedding! Don’t let complete strangers get you down 💐

The dress is lovely. And if you are the same poster who posted the dress with the flowers and sash, that was lovely too. I don't think it matters whether something fits in with current fashion, what does dated mean anyway, I think some of the current trends look dreadful, but then I see people in all different types of clothes and they all look good. I'm sure you will look great whatever you pick and this dress looks lovely to me

@Nc9623
My wedding outfit thread went down equally poorly despite lots of lovely helpful people there were some comments in very poor taste
I am very aware that fashion is very subjective and glad we all have different tastes
I dress to suit my body shape and get many genuine comments in real life - even with my details blurred out I am unlikely to post a photo of me wearing anything unless I attained my dream figure

I’ve no idea why people have to be nasty.

the thing is we are all different body shapes and heights. In my case at least half of all dresses or outfits I see and like would never fit me or suit me. So I try to do the best I can with the clothes that do fit.

I have just gone and seen your thread, you are a similar shape to me I think. I’m 5ft4 and 18 in dresses. It can be really hard to find outfits that suit.

And with the bit about compliments I agree. I have zero self confidence but I do get compliments. This dress in particular a few people said I looked nice when we went to this works thing that I bought it for originally. After this thread I think they were either being polite or lying 😞

You said you were thinking of shortening the dress. Several posters, including me, said the dress looked terrible on the model because it was too short. The proportions are wrong for the model and that shortening is not the way to go.

We don't know how it looks on you. We've only seen the model and it's too short on her.

I do that and I also make dresses into skirts or tops or add new belts.

The first suggestion was someone suggesting a seamstress. I did not say about shortening it. That wasn’t something I had not even considered as I’ve never used a seamstress before.

If the dress was deemed satisfactory I asked for suggestions for jackets or something that might help or accessories. I wasn’t sure what that’s why I asked for help. As well as saying the skirt was pleated which it isn’t as another poster explained.

Anyway I’m considering everything and all the comments right now.

I’m on a low budget currently so I still think my best bet is to wear the dress, especially as the colour suits me, also it doesn’t crease and we have to travel. I’m trying to make the most of all the clothes I own so I don’t need lots of new things this year. It’s also to take some of the pressure off of my OH as if he realised any of this at all he would do some extra overtime to pay for a lovely new outfit for me. I don’t want him having to do that as he works long enough hours already.