Opinions on two spring wedding guest dresses for an hourglass shape

[RockinCara]

Could you give me your opinions on these two dresses for a spring wedding. I know their colour scheme is champagne/brown, not that guests have to match.

im currently a small size 14. But I’ve just lost 5 stones and will hopefully have lost another stone by the wedding. The left hand dress is only available in a 22, the right hand one is available in a 14 or 12. I hope I will be a 12 by then. Both dresses are in the sale with a good amount off. Hourglass figure, can often look matronly/hippy in dresses that have a waistband or tied waist. Other suggestions welcome. I suit reds, yellows, browns and greens. I think I like the left side more.

Out of interest why wouldn’t you look at those brands?

Each to their own but they sell clothes which are not so much dated but have never been fashionable. They're mostly polyester and whilst I don't have hang ups about polyester (most jacquard is polyester, even brands like Erdem use it) there's polyester and polyester. Those dresses (with the exception of the right hand one in the second pic) are at the nylon end of the polyester scale. I really dislike the seeping through of the pattern showing at the back of the dipped hems.

Dipped hems are ok if the material is thick enough not to bleed through or the dress is lined.

I don't think any of them are dressed up because of the quality of the material. I'd go for a cotton Boden or Nobody's Child dress and dress it up with hair up, make up and jewellery and a big, hat.

Is it an Easter spring time of year church wedding? If so id try to find a lovely primrose yellow dress. There is a light yellow trouser suit in the sale on phase eight I noticed earlier today.

i would also be buying my outfit now if I was you as it’s nice to know it’s done.

Left one

Sorry I meant Hobbs

Left here too

https://www.hobbs.com/product/adalee-linen-jacket/0126-4957-9094L00-SOFT-YELLOW.html#cgid=sale-clothing-coats-and-jackets&sz=60&start=0&isSecondPage=false&pid=0126-4957-9094L00-SOFT-YELLOW&pos=10

This. You don’t even need to think about it now, unless you’re purely doing it to get a bargain.

Or there’s a yellow dress, just over £100 in the sale.

www.hobbs.com/product/heathfield-floral-dress/0126-5474-3525L00-CREAM-MULTI.html#cgid=clothing-dresses-yellow&sz=60&start=0&isSecondPage=false&pid=0126-5474-3525L00-CREAM-MULTI&pos=6

https://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/p/ik320

I’m 54 and a 14 and wouldn’t go for those dresses either. But depends on your style.

I love yellow. Love the yellow suit, but not sure if I want trousers, although I usually look better in trousers than a dress. I’m not sure about either yellow dress- I do like the first one, but tied waists always make me look matronly as my hips look bigger.

The wedding is the second week of March, so it could well be quite wintry.

I’m a similar age but an 18. But we all like different styles or suit different things. I think height makes a bit difference too as most things I really like don’t suit me at all once I try them on.

Also if some of us have been mums we lose our identity in those years, I’m still not sure what really suits me at all. I was a teen mum so no money for clothes at that age. Then uniforms or clothes for work or walking the dog. And now clothes for at home usually jeans and a top.

I have a similar problem. 90% of dresses I love never look right on me usually matronly. So I would get my outfit in early too.

I can understand why OP is looking at Jolie Moi as an hourglass. I’ve tried on many, many clothes from Boden and Hobbs (both suggested above) and the cut doesn’t work for me as an hourglass - either the waist is too loose or the bust, shoulders and hips too tight or the neckline too high. While Jolie Moi might not be the most fashionable, the cut and necklines work much better.

Yellow is totally now! Won’t be 2027! It will date. Pastel colours like a pale blue and pink will look better! And definitely last longer in terms of fashion. Head to toe yellow worked for Amal Clooney but it’s hard for everyone else!

Aqua one. Other is too close to white

But the OP has said she has no interest in following fashion? And she doesn't wear pastel pink or blue? She wants something in red, brown, yellow or green, as that's what she likes & suits?

(I wear green whether or not it's currently deemed "fashionable" or not. Ditto black/navy/deep blue/red/rust/burgundy. I will not be wearing polka dots, pale yellow or pastel blue at any point this year - or at any time. They don't suit me.

I do pick things each year that are, I suppose, "fashionable" - but only those pieces that fit in with my personal style. So - fabrics including lace, broderie anglaise, silk, cashmere & mohair & angora, & velvet; clothing items such as wide-leg trousers, pussybow blouses, indigo denim jeans, dramatic sleeves, full skirts, kaftans & kimonos; bling from huge costume jewellery, metallic bags & footwear; & styles that favour a bit of Goth, a bit of 30s, a bit of 70s - these & other things feature in some shape or form in my current wardrobe. As they have done to varying degrees for the last forty years or so!)

Is that a joke? Do you mean THIS dress is too close to white?

I'm beginning to think that a disproportionate number of posters on MN have untreated cataracts ...

OP - I get that you're not interested in fashion, just want to look nice in colours that you suit & in a style of dress that you like - but I think you can do much better!

I do think it's probably a bit unwise to look so early, as you don't know quite what size or shape you'll be in almost a year's time. The first two dresses you posted look quite cheap to me. Even with budget restrictions, there will be nicer, better quality dresses in higher-quality fabrics available to you.

You seem to like what I'd call a classic tea-dress shape? Have a look at the outlet section on the Ghost website? These ones are all in the sale. They include a few fine cord/velvet ones - which might well be more appropriate for a British wedding in early March!!! Even some of their full-price dresses come in at under £100.

None of these is what I'd call cutting-edge fashion. They're quite safe choices - but they'll be better cut & quality than the ones you posted. And they're all really well-reduced.

If the wedding happens to be on a warm day next March, then you can wear these with kitten heels & a light jacket. If it's chilly (more likely!) then I would probably wear knee-high kitten-heeled boots & a short fake fur jacket or velvet blazer.

https://www.ghost.co.uk/sale/dresses

I do like the cream & yellow dress posted by @OneNewEagle . This Ghost one is a similar shape - so I'm assuming you won't like the shape - but I think it's also rather pretty.

This Ghost one is full price at £99. It's a pretty fresh colour without being overly spring-like, as it could be worn with boots & a smart coat if it's bad weather on the day of the wedding.

The fabric of this is very wedding-guest-appropriate, OP, & it's a very nice shade of red. Also well reduced too!

https://www.fatface.com/style/su630514/f40763

I would wait until later in the year when all the summer occasions wear will go on sale and you will be more sure on the size.

I prefer the shape of the right one but agree a bit dull.

Oh just seen it’s the same but it’s the way she is standing haha! I don’t know, I would still wait until later int he summer.

I wasn’t suggesting yellow because it’s in fashion. I suggested it as it was one of the colours the OP suits. Plus it’s a spring wedding and I always think yellow looks nice at spring weddings and Easter time christenings. Also I had noticed the yellow dresses just the day before.