Style me please! need a nice top/dress for a night out with friends?

[katsing]

I've been reading this board for a while and took some tips from it, now I need the big guns. I'm meeting some friends from abroad who I haven't seen for three years. We're going to a pub for a night out. Want to wear something stylish and not "mumsy" iyswim - and avoid going all black which I probably will do if I don't find anything.

I got myself a pair of jeans which fit well. Unfortunately am a size 14 on top (modest norkage) and 16 at the bottom which doesn't help at all with trying dresses. Also have a fat magnet in my belly, making me an apple shape.
One plus point is that I have good legs.
I'm brunette with green eyes.Sallow pale skin (NW20 in MAC foundation).
Big task I'm afraid
Thanks for any help.

Budget?

An A-line mini-dress would suit you, I think. Especially if it were cut empire-line style under the bust: would skim over your tummy and bottom, and also show off your lovely pins.

Green eyes - ooooohhhhh, I'm !!!

For instance...

This is nice too.

Do like the first one Penthesileia linked, if you are tallish they have the same one in a lovely purple colour. Or what about a tunic top
here
that's a bit gathered to hide everthing and give a nod towards the fashion of grecian pleats and gathers that are in at the moment. It would look nice with jeans or a short skirt to show off your legs and a nice jacket or coat and some a pendant necklace.

Midrange budget, I'd say, up to 100 pounds but not net-a-porter type prices! Love both of those - not sure about the length of the tunic, I'm 37 and can't do too short anymore!

The first dress I posted looks as if it is just-above-knee length. As samsonara says, they do it in purple which is lovely.

looks more purple here for some reason

It does look like a good length. Hope they have it in stock in the shop so I can try it on, if not I'll cross my fingers and order online.

These shoes are cute.

And depending on how you feel the dress looks, Boots do some nice tights in teal, which might go with the purple (I like purple dresses with teal tights, myself! ).

Boots sell coloured tights? I never knew! Things like this is why I love this board

Not a spectacularly wide range (at least, not in my local Boots), but in teal, purple, and pink. They're pretty good, and I've not managed to put a hole in them yet, which is a miracle!

Wonder whether they'd be able to withstand my son pinching them to see why mummy's legs are that colour

My DD's (9mo) fingernails are like razors too! Mostly it's my nose (which she likes to play with when bf-ing ) which suffers.

Aww