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Please help me find a dress for my lovely mum

68 replies

Dressstressed · 13/07/2026 17:56

She’d like a summer dress that’s perhaps empire line, with short sleeves, and comes below the knee. She’s only 5’1” so anything designed to sit on the knee will be below on her..
She suits purples, pinks, white, some blues, maybe some reds if not orangey. Definitely not dark green, dark yellow, orange, grey or anything drab as it just drains her colouring. She likes pretty, floral, possibly pastel, but can get away with bolder shades too.

She has short grey hair, is 87 but doesn’t look it and dresses young rather than “old lady” style. She is not blessed of bosom and wouldn’t want a belt. She’s slim and petite all over really.

Everything I’ve looked at so far looks drab and dreary and tent like if it’s got sleeves. Or the prints are too big and would swamp her.

She has to wear trainers due to mobility issues and wears white, sparky Skechers.

Budget of no more than £80.

Any suggestion much appreciated!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
Newmeagain · 14/07/2026 00:57

OneNewEagle · 13/07/2026 22:07

Seasalt petite range.
cotton traders.

have you tried any local garden centres? Most of mine have quite a few bits of clothes in that would be ok.

Garden centre? Why, just why….

ManyColourfulClothes · 14/07/2026 01:37

It sounds like a 'winter' colour palette? Berry red, icy light pink and blue and lilac, white, black, navy, cobalt?

French Connection has several, including this:

https://www.frenchconnection.com/collections/womens-dresses/products/cambria-cotton-anglaise-mini-dress-linen-white-navy

EleanorMc67 · 14/07/2026 04:19

ManyColourfulClothes · 14/07/2026 01:37

It sounds like a 'winter' colour palette? Berry red, icy light pink and blue and lilac, white, black, navy, cobalt?

French Connection has several, including this:

https://www.frenchconnection.com/collections/womens-dresses/products/cambria-cotton-anglaise-mini-dress-linen-white-navy

A puff-sleeved, scalloped mini dress with a very low sweetheart neckline that exposes the model's boobs & three inches of cleavage - for an 87-year-old woman? I think that particular dress is far too "little girl" in style for most women over the age of about 30!

And I am all for wearing what you want at any age - but I think that would look a bit daft ...

Please help me find a dress for my lovely mum
Please help me find a dress for my lovely mum
EleanorMc67 · 14/07/2026 04:25

I think the Boden one suggested by @TheGirlattheBack & the Seasalt ones suggested by @TheCurious0range & a few others would be potentially good options. Lots of nice colours, come in petite (important) & they're simple & classic & easily styled.

PhaedraTwo · 14/07/2026 04:49

The first Roman one is a horror but the other 2 and the M & S one are very pretty and the prices would allow 2 in budget. There might be other possibilities on M & S. Best suggestions by a long way.

Dressstressed · 14/07/2026 06:59

Thank you all. The first post is the kind of thing that suits her well but it’s too long and an occasion dress, plus it’s not cotton. If she had a nice event to go to I’d be recommending that one for sure. It’s her colours and she’d look
great in it.

I might see if she would wear a light cardigan over a dress to do away with sleeves as there’s far more choice without sleeves. Some of the sleeves are weird.

OP posts:
StylishAndBeautiful · 14/07/2026 09:39

Newmeagain · 14/07/2026 00:57

Garden centre? Why, just why….

Because they'd probably be more suitable than some of the suggestions.

OneNewEagle · 14/07/2026 12:09

StylishAndBeautiful · 14/07/2026 09:39

Because they'd probably be more suitable than some of the suggestions.

Because I’ve seen some in mine that would match what the OP is after plus why not?. Why does it matter where you buy your clothes?

StylishAndBeautiful · 14/07/2026 13:56

OneNewEagle · 14/07/2026 12:09

Because I’ve seen some in mine that would match what the OP is after plus why not?. Why does it matter where you buy your clothes?

Quite. If I like it, I like it. The last time I went to a garden centre they had some pretty sandals.

I remember a colleague in her 40s saying she liked Oasis dresses and a colleague of about the same age saying 'But it's for girls!'

Dressstressed · 14/07/2026 17:22

The local garden centre sells Klass clothing. She went today and said it was dreadful. I did warn her after looking online at the polyester monstrosities on offer but she was out at the garden centre with my sister so had a look anyway.

OP posts:
mrssmiling · 14/07/2026 17:55

Aspiga has very pretty cotton dresses…and they seem to have a few at the moment which could be within budget - I think they offer 10% on a first order.

scorchedgreenery · 14/07/2026 18:03

This is 100% cotton jersey, very comfortable, washes and dries well with no need to iron. Lots of colours, there’s a petite version. I buy a new colour every year for the hot days.
https://www.seasaltcornwall.com/chapelle-organic-cotton-midi-length-aline-dress

hahabahbag · 14/07/2026 18:07

Seasalt is a good choice because mostly they are cotton, different lengths available and many capped sleeves. Round neck will suit based on what you wrote

Sunflower101 · 14/07/2026 19:12

My mum has just bought a lovely dress from David Nieper, cotton, made in uk. A little over your budget but looks lovely on her and she is 85

KnickerlessParsons · 14/07/2026 19:13

Has she tried Sea Salt?

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 14/07/2026 19:22

Try Mint Velvet, jigsaw and whistles sale. They’ll probably be synthetic though.

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