“I never ‘FEEL’ stylish. Please help me with an outfit for my birthday dinner in a luxury hotel. Vinted options a bonus. Thank you!

[BornIn]

Surprise birthday trip to celebrate my birthday, but what do I wear?

Olive colouring, 5ft 2, size 6 bottoms/8-10 top/dress. Don’t like ditsy or animal prints. Size 3.5/4 shoes.

I want to feel stylish.

Happy with cost effective Vinted.

A bit panicked, too much choice and hopeless at putting outfits together.

Heeeelp me please!

Lots of dresses cling in lots of wrong places on lots of people!

ETA I was thinking this when out at an event recently and looking about 👀

If you want to look current maybe a midi skirt and build the outfit from there? This article has half decent ideas

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a70343179/midi-skirt-outfit-ideas/

I always think you just can’t go wrong with a jumpsuit. Oliver Bonas do some fab ones

Agree with this, 100%. I'm a similar size and height to OP and I feel most stylish when I wear wide leg trousers, pointed toe shoes or boots, and a shirt or blouse +/- jumper. The Abercrombie Sloane trousers are my go-to, and they do various lengths. I'm a regular if I have a slight heel, short is slightly too short even with trainers.

OP do you have a fabulous bag and maybe a trench coat? With the above outfit, that is all you need to look chic and effortless.

She’s not going to be eating her dinner in a trench coat …

She's also probably not going to be teleporting to the dinner table.

which bit of the north??
chester, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle,Durham???
each place is very different

How about something like this from phase eight
Does come in petit
https://www.phase-eight.com/product/lucinda-floral-dress-222040000.html#navAjax=true&is=true&cgid=occasion&sz=60&start=0&isSecondPage=false&prefn1=styleType&prefv1=Cocktail&pid=222040000&pos=31

She might do both ... 😁

or this
https://www.phase-eight.com/product/bethany-floral-dress-10009510000.html#navAjax=true&imageType=model&is=true&sz=60&start=57&cgid=dresses&isSecondPage=false&prefn1=styleType&prefv1=Cocktail&pid=10009510000&pos=115

What shops do you shop at? Where would you like to shop but never have? How old are you? Do you know your style eg sporty glam casual. Who do you admire re looks eg film music tv stars? Favourite colours?

Can you post the vinted options links please?

Surely what you wear for dinner at a posh hotel would be broadly similar, whichever city it's in ...? And it might even be in the countryside ...

Street style might differ across cities, but I'd be thinking about what suits ME for a special occasion - not how my make-up & clothes should differ if the restaurant is in Liverpool not Durham?

OP - if you're olive colouring, do you like wearing red? This is full price on Whistles, in their petite range - but is a very versatile dress. And would easily allow for your slightly different top & bottom half sizing?

https://www.whistles.com/product/panel-linen-blend-dress-41126.html

I'm a big fan of Serena Bute for colour and loose fitting clothes. I have far too many of her shirts and pull on trousers.

I always buy in the sale though! However her stuff does come up on Vinted in small sizes quite often, so you may well have some luck.

This would no doubt suit your colouring, but I am so bored of polka dots already ...!!! https://www.whistles.com/product/polka-dot-print-midi-dress-40997.html

Somehing like this with lots of gold jewellery and trousers
amysaint.com/products/blouse-femme-croisee-elegante?variant=56978319966583&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23526848549&gbraid=0AAAABCx2Pxn8G8Oh83vve2P4RRQlHAuGC&gclid=CjwKCAjw7vzOBhBxEiwAc7WNr1lQL4Um8tA9GKvLR8lriDzfmc918kMqAhklA7dCwX1pYmr8yD-84BoCM2QQAvD_BwE

@EleanorMc67 a 5 star restaurant/ hotel is very casual in Manchester.
in Liverpool very glam
different places

one more go then will give up
https://www.tedbaker.com/en-gb/products/goana-bur-orange

Are you willing to say which hotel, as one of us may well have been there and can tell you the vibe of the place.

I've stayed in higher-end hotels in both cities over the years, & I'd say it depends more on the hotel than the city? A new boutique hotel aimed at moneyed younger people will generally be more casual but more "fashion-y", IMO - whereas more established hotels will be more dressy but generally not that high fashion, IYSWIM?

Whereas I think what people wear on the street in those two cities DOES fall more obviously into casual v dressed up.

It varies of course - but either way I'd dress for me, not to fit in with the other diners. Don't think I've made too many faux-pas over the years ...!

She's not running about on the moors 😂

I'm guessing @owlpassport was thinking the trench would be for the commute, not for at the table.

Depends on how much wine she drinks?!

OP, having said I'm bored of polka dots, this skirt & top combination is, I think, elegant - little white spots on black which are more timeless IMO.

https://www.whistles.com/product/mini-spot-fit-and-flare-skirt-41462.html