Another wedding guest one - middle aged with tum and big boobs.

[DingyHall2026]

Hoping for some flattering ideas from MN style gurus.

I'm going to my niece's wedding late May, UK (home counties).

Please find me some options to wear! Ideally under £80 but can stretch to £200 for the right dreas.

I'm 5ft 5, mid 40s, size 14 - smaller on bottom half with good legs but def size 14 waist, and 32-34J chest. I don't mind showing legs or cleavage, poss not both! Need to wear a bra obv so nothing difficult to dress re sleeves etc, and I'm not mad on my upper arms so would ideally have these covered. I think I'm a typical apple shape.

I get hot easily and burn easily so helping both of these good please! Obv no idea what weather will be like. Happy to get a couple of items if necessary, eg layers.

I am open on colours and patterns. I generally suit and wear jewel tones (shoulder length wavy mid brown hair with dyed auburn in it, pale skin blue eyes) and would never wear beige or camel tones, also hate wearing any pink. I prefer slightly edgy prints and designs eg animal and geometric rather than pretty or floral, I'd love to find something I can wear again! Probably not plain colours but feel free to try and persuade me.

I definitely don't want a Bombshell dress, and nothing toooo weddingy. I'd rather be a bit too casual in something I'll wear again than uber dressed up in something which will hang in my wardrobe for ever.

I've got various bags / will use DP's rucksack! And not sure on shoes yet so feel free to add some ideas, but I'm fairly comfortable finding these myself

Huge thanks! I've always wanted to do one of these myself after seeing ideas for other people.

This midi-dress any good?

One hundred Stars

https://onehundredstars.co.uk/collections/dresses?srsltid=AfmBOopS4ufJxdOcLO4dwKqv2pW-Zk1o0_XjRSCVAhB8WK40LlhfNbWG

Have you had a look at Joe Brown’s?
https://www.joebrowns.co.uk/isobella-mirror-trim-dress-wf302?___store=GBP&glCountry=GB&of&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=retargeting&utm_campaign=JBL+%7C+Retargeting+%7C+Advantage++Shopping&utm_content=ad+%7C+Sales+%7C+DPA+%7C+Full+Feed+%7C+SS26+Main+%7C+22/01/26&ad_format=dpa&audience=existing_customer&utm_id=6383762523231_v2_s05_e7605&utm_term=6383762523231&fbclid=IwdGRjcARLr7ZleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQAAAZMojUhH3NydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7gIi6HDXiZ9hKHVzO16wUKVlISdu4WiPSIraaj4kVynPO9ezzpyQDxRB0Vcw_aem_Wv66RRoOSv24hyVsrKIq7g

Slinky doesn't always have to mean tight-fitting. It can be used in the alluring sense - which was my meaning, as it could be unbuttoned to be quite revealing in the bodice or skirt, or both ...

The OP has said that the wedding is in late May in south England, & has a budget ideally under £80 - but possibly £200.

She has also said that she:

• doesn't mind showing some leg or cleavage, but needs to wear a bra;
• gets hot & burns easily (which sounds like she'd prefer lightweight, loose-ish & pref natural fabrics);
• likes jewel tones (no beige/camel/pink);
• prefers slightly edgier animal/geometric/peacock/paisley prints (rather than pretty/floral or plains);
• some ruffles or a split skirt would be ok;
• would love to find something that can be worn again;
• doesn't want anything toooo wedding-y;
• would rather be a bit too casual in something she'd wear again, than dressed up in something that will hang in her wardrobe for ever.

So I've suggested some dresses on the casual side, but which could easily be dressed up with some more glamorous accessories. I've been to lots of fairly relaxed weddings where some women were wearing what I'd consider fairly casual dresses (more casual than I would wear), but with big dramatic earrings/necklaces & fabulous heels & clutch.

The OP has liked two dresses on the thread so far, both of which I would consider to be on the more conservative & informal/reserved side (as shown), which gives an indication of her taste.

Though ironically, both the dresses she's liked best are floral ...

(And maybe she wants to wear whatever dress she chooses for regular visits to summer farm shops afterwards ...?!!!)

Ok. Apologies for being rude

Exactly who I was going to recommend. Next have them often in the sale as well!

Love and Roses at Next have jewel colours, prints including animal. Browse and see what you think

https://www.next.co.uk/shop/gender-women-category-dresses/brand-loveroses?p=12#1547.3778076171875

Thanks so much for all the suggestions, the thread went quiet for a little bit and I thought it had died down, but no - lots and lots more for me to look at!!

Re casual vs not, it's interesting as I've seen plenty of things suggested on past threads which I liked and which other posters were adamant were far too casual. However in real life the weddings I've been to have always had plenty of women is very nice casual summer dresses. So it feels like there is a plurality of views on this.

I'm happy on this occasion with something I'd wear all summer long to parks, folk festivals, and yes farm shops! But I'll wear it for the first time when it's nicely ironed and new looking to the wedding.

I said home counties but not a posh one, and the niece and her/my whole family (and I'm sure all the attendees) are definitely more on the £80-from-John-Lewis-is-fancy side of things!

I think I've realised on this thread I really don't want a plain colour. I love prints too much.

It's nice and might suit me, but to me that's more a work dress. I'd happily pay £50 for it, but for £150 I want something more dramatic and interesting.

I quite like this but the model is so slim I can't imagine it with my rounder body! I think I'd look like a frumpy morticia addams, I have a fairly strict policy of no long sleeves as they're really unflattering

A flattering fit on the stomach is appealing but I cannot wear this much mint green! I think it'll wash me out and I'll spill something on it within 10 mins of arriving.
I'm sure you'll look lovely in it, enjoy your wedding 😊

Lots and lots of fab options on sale at Whistles! I recently bought a navy Whistles jumpsuit for work and it fits so nicely and is one of my favourite items, so this might work well.

I don't like florals and yet somehow all my favourites seem to be florals... I think it's the small dainty florals I don't like. Nice big dramatic almost abstract florals I apparently love

Going through these on the way to work in the drizzle so tricky to type and reply to everyone but I am looking at everything and really appreciate all ideas

Ooh now I really like some of these and would definitely wear them until they wore holes in the fabric! I love the shape of the Obi dress, it's similar to another dress I wear lots in summer which is ankle length brown - I always think I look like a giant chocolate bar in it but it has just enough shape from the tie that it tips into flattering rather than bulky on me.
I also love the red stork print.
Will peruse the site tonight on a screen bigger than my phone

Thanks for the apology - & apologies for the lecture!

(I personally would veer on the dressier side, so the dresses I suggested were my attempt at hitting the right spot for the OP from the info provided.)

This is why I always grill people on absolutely everything - including the type of wedding they think it might be!

What you plan to wear it for afterwards, & the likelihood that the wedding itself will be fairly casual (& not a cutting edge fashion frenzy!!) - all that is very relevant.

Big dramatic florals makes things a lot easier!

Whistles generally cut well, I think. Though some of the fabrics they use now I don't like the feel of, but that's not something you can gauge online. And seems to be the case with so many labels these days, as they try to cut costs ...

Funnily enough, I was going to suggest One Hundred Stars! But thought their shapes might be a bit toooo sack-like for a wedding (I like sacks, personally!!). I'd forgotten about their Obi style. I like both of the willow prints. You may need to order both sizes to try, as on another thread size 14 people said they could wear either S/M or M/L - but it depended on which dress style, & their pref for neater/looser clothing.

Also, if you like floaty kimono/kaftan dress styles with striking patterns, you might like some dresses by Raishma. They do silk dresses but they're very pricy. Others are, I think, viscose, which they say is light & floaty. Some great bargains in their sale. (I know you said no beige, but the sage green & mustard are the dominant colours & would look good with your colouring!)

https://raishma.co.uk/products/sophia-yellow-dress

The Raishma dresses at full price are at the top of your budget - & at the dressier end of casual.

If you err on the slightly dressier side, hopefully you'd avoid a guest like @Pryceosh1987 telling you that you look like a customer services office worker ... Not guaranteed though!

But who needs men to take down women, when we seem to do such a good job of it ourselves on S&B ...?!!!

https://raishma.co.uk/products/frankie-navy-dress
I like the 70s vibe of this.

This if you like reds/oranges? https://raishma.co.uk/products/michaela-dress

Too long in the sleeve? https://raishma.co.uk/products/kaitlyn-red-dress