“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!

Alemais ... I find the majority of their prints too big & bright & overpowering for me (& I'm tall!), so personally I would probably stick to a top or skirt, not a dress.

On eBay, both of these dresses are something of an exception.

https://ebay.us/m/Aty3Ha
https://ebay.us/m/9m1s0p

I also like this skirt.
https://ebay.us/m/Wy89Ft

And this top.
https://ebay.us/m/OtGh4C

Both could be mixed with other pieces easily.

On Vinted, these Alemais ones.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8602030984-alemais-linen-shirt-dress-size-au-8uk8

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8600383276-alemais-100-linen-dress-u

Though the styles with puffed sleeves may be overpowering for you.

Ditto with the sleeves on this, though it is beautiful.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8573805531-alemais-midi-dress-8

Aside from those, Alemais looks like quite a tricky label for someone petite. I think some of the shapes, & the loud bright cartoon-ish prints, would visually swamp you.

Simone Rocha on Vinted - some good pieces, though you have to scroll past the pale pink tulle & ditsy florals.

I like this jersey & tulle dress (as it appeals to my inner teen Goth!).
https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8457999106-simone-rocha-tulle-dress

This looks exquisite, though possibly not your colour? Lingerie style, again!
https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7134340077-simone-rocha-dress

This silk skirt is lovely, & would go with lots of other things.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8459631137-simone-rocha-aw19-skirt

The silk skirt would be great with one of the chunky jumpers on a more casual occasion.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8607667296-simone-rocha-jumper-ps890

This is part of her range for H&M - it's wool & looks like a really classic
useful jacket? And much less expensive than her normal line ...

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/6376911596-simone-rocha-by-hm-blazer

A dinky little cardigan that would also go well with the black & red silk skirt.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7767898930-simone-rocha-cardigan

Other Simone Rocha pieces that I think are good special occasions outfits, some fancier than others. This is from her H&M collab - I loved it at the time.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8562983716-simone-rocha-x-hm-floral-dress-black-puff-sleeve

Great with heels & a neat or more oversized top.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/8450319968-simone-rocha-runway-ruffle-waist-trousers-ikram-goldman-provenance-xs

This dress, though, is what I would absolutely buy. It's a wardrobe classic.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/3829510259-simone-rochas-tapestry-black-dress-slip-uk-6

More images on eBay - where it's selling for a lot more!!!

https://ebay.us/m/TYUKgj

I also love this, but suspect lots of others may not ...!

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/5781211502-simone-rocha-size-8-skirt-and-top-worn-once-no-tags

This would be great with skirts or trousers - though I'd ditch the nipple covers (?!!!!) & wear a silk camisole instead ...

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7740965286-simone-rocha-x-hm-puff-sleeved-black-tulle-embellished-beaded-blouse-eu-34-uk-6-8

And so what? Style isn't about being a sheep and slavishly following the diktats of others.

Yes, of course I know absolutely why people go to luxury hotels in Milan.

What I don't know is what that ever had to do with this thread.

The op said in her title that she was going out for a birthday dinner in a luxury hotel. Had the location been the Maldives or Alaska or anywhere that fed into the choice of outfit, I am sure she would have mentioned. There was nothing to suggest that she felt the location was particularly relevant.

There followed a string of questions implying the op had not given enough info: Was it in Milan? Was it fell walking? Another pp said did op realise "she couldn't post the whole of vinted."

There are just too many people who come on these threads wanting to pick and prod and find fault.

All that was required was for people to post some ideas of nice outfits. It was an innocuous thread by an op who simply wanted outfit ideas, but she has been snapped at and grilled as though it was some kind of controversial thread. She was even told at one point she wasn't responding enough to the suggestions.

Some ops do start controversial or obviously goady or silly threads on purpose, but this was clearly someone perfectly innocently asking for outfit ideas. There really was no need for her to be hauled over coals.

Is it Grantley? How about something from
https://katyawildman.com

You are being quite abrupt and rude.You are not obliged to give advice on here.

It's OK, but I actually like Olivia Rubin's cardigans better. Who wouldn't like buttons shaped like fruit, or croissants 😋 they are cotton though rather than wool however.

So weird. Kinda creepily de-sexed.

Thank you for summing up how I feel. S&B was always a safe space for asking for advice and supporting others.

I am shocked at some of the nasty and irrelevant comments (posters are misplaced in their comments, this is not AIBU folks) and will think twice about posting again.

@EleanorMc67 kept me going and has really worked hard in helping me with new ideas, new labels, colours and styles. Thank you, you really need your own thread or SM pages.

@PippaToryFripp - not this time, but the most amazing hotel.

Yes. Some posters need to buy a punching bag and hang it up in their home!

@EleanorMc67 can you be my personal stylist please? 😁

It's the staying quiet part I sometimes find difficult! I do try not to react, but I'm afraid that particular post did annoy me in its apparent dismissal of mid-range High Street clothing & - by default - those women who shop there.

I do think it's helpful to ask questions though. Posters never give too much information - there's always something I want to ask! And @thedevilinablackdress did apologise - she was just trying to get more of a picture of what might be appropriate to suggest.

It is part of my job though - I'm a Landscape Architect now specialising in garden design. People think they may know what they want in their garden design/redesign - some do, but many are bewildered.

I have a basic list of questions I always ask before I start to draft ideas & plans, & I then add to those depending on the specifics of each client - eg if they have dogs, if they are away for large parts of the year, if they hate the colour yellow!! I even have a client I'm currently working with who has no sense of smell, so I don't have to think about, say, whether any roses I specify are highly scented!

So commenting on S&B threads has become a fun extension of that when I am distracted/can't sleep, as I love both style AND fashion. But I see the latter as something fast-moving & ever-changing, which I look at (in magazines/online/on people in the street/in shops etc) & will choose from in a considered way to fit in with & update my own personal style.

I ignore lots of it though. Fluorescents will never have a place in my wardrobe. Nor will leggings. Or anything that sits just above my knee. There are probably lots more ... And this year I will NOT be wearing polka dots or sky blue!!