Matalan - any sizing/quality advice on a work dress?

[NorkilyChallenged]

Just found this at Matalan online, what do you think?

We don't have Matalan here so no idea about sizing and wonder if it would just look really cheap and rubbishy? Hard to tell from the photo exactly what length it is as well?

If anyone likes it, what would you wear under it

I think it looks fine. We have a Matalan not far from here and whilst some stuff looks a bit dodgy there are also lots of things which look fab

I would wear with either long sleeve tee or fine knit merino roll neck beneath.

I've seen the actual dress but it was on my way out on Sunday. Thinking about going back to try it on.
Quality looked fine, and it was to the knee I thought (longer if you're a shortarse like me).
Will go to try it on and report back if you like. Otherwise I'd say sizing is a bit stingy at Matalan.

I wear a similar dress from Next and I wear a cardigan, but that's me - I wear a cardi over anything I possibly can.

Tulpe - that's good to know, should be okay. Now I have an excuse to buy some new long-sleeve tops or roll necks, hurray!

Essie - that would be a huge help if you do try it on! I'm thinking I will size up then based on what you say.

Could you link to the similar Next one? I have this M&S one which I love, but haven't been brave enough to wear it to work yet as it is really fitted and I suddenly feel really lumpy...

And I don't really have anything to wear underneath yet... Thought the Matalan one might ease me in gently.

Ok, will see what I can do - may not be until the end of the week, tho.

The next dress is this one; the neckline didn't really work with long sleeve tops underneath (normally I would). And the ruching really detracts from lumpiness. (I, too am a sufferer!) But if you're tall, it might come up quite short. I'm 5'3.

p.s. M&S dress is lovely but belts like that don't suit me. Strange. I think it's to do with lumpiness.

Norkily - you are Camb aren't you? There is a Matalan in Bury St Edmunds, though depends what side of Cambs you are.

Yes, could try Bury if I can persuade DP to look after the girls at the weekend

That Next one is nice but might end up short (I'm about 5'6 though that's guesswork - how can a grown woman not know her own height for sure?)

What kind of cardi are you wearing over?

Am about to purchase undershirt things online but DP has decided we should go to bed early as DC been up in the night every night for 2 weeks....

Really plain round neck one. For the next dress, I need a shorter cardi (because of all the ruching. Next dress would be short on you.

I think the longer boyfriend cardis look dodgy with smart dresses. Maybe it's just me, but I think they look like you've grabbed someone else's cardi!

on the night waking - how old?

Long sleeved t-s - I've got them from Sainsbury's in the past. Good quality but cheap. Also Tesco.

The waking child is nearly 18 months. No idea why, hoping it's teeth as that might be over soon.

I have a couple of Tesco long sleeve tops but really not happy as they're a bit thick...

And... der der derrrrr, I wore my M&S dress today. Not happy with the white long-sleeved top under it, colour wrong and too thick. But I wore a cerise short plain cardi over and thought it looked good actually. Managed to forget about the lumpy bits.

Essie - you had a chance to look at the dress yet? I'd love to hear about it.

Saw this one on Peacocks website - looks interesting though it might be a bit cutesy in real life. There's a Peacocks in Bury too

ChasingSquirrels, you around? Whereabouts in Bury is Matalan? I am wondering about a trip there to see the new shopping centre but the Matalan must be out of town somewhere, do you know?

I've just come back from Matalan now!

Tried on the dress. I'm a small 10 normally (10 in Tesco, say; 10 in Next except sometimes an 8; 8 in M&S) , and 10 was fine, 12 was too big.

But...I didn't buy it. It was good fabric, hung well etc, and a good cut. The problem was that the pleats at the front made me look like an egg! The bit below the waistband sort of rounded out, and I don't round out there (well I do, but not as much as I seemed to in that dress!) Straight on it looked great, side view was wide!

HTH

Oh no Essie - egg-shaped is not a good look for me either! THough it might disguise my tum but then would it lead people to wonder if I was pregnant again? Thanks for letting me know.

Hm..... really unsure. Will have to persuade DP that a shopping trip for me (by myself, yay!) is in order this weekend.

You didn't happen to see this this while you were in there did you?

Matalan is out of town - Bury has 3 exits off the A14, coming from Cambridge you take the 3rd (Bury East). Take the 1st exit off the roundabout at the bottom of the sliproad, almost immediately come to a mini=roundabout, go straight ahead (Sainsbury is off to the right), come upto anoher mini-roundabout, go straight ahead. Carry on along the road and take the turn on the right just past the Shell garage, Matalan is on that corner - you can't miss it.

Excellent, CS, that's brilliant, thank you!!

Ah, I'm really looking forward to it now. Though it'll be mobbed on Saturday and I'll probably come away wihtout having tried anything on because I'm not used to shopping in real shops any more

go early.

we went over to Bury (to look at furniture, but was going to the Arc aswell) a couple of weeks ago, and the traffic/parking was so bad we didn't bother - just looked at furniture instead.

Gah, that's a pain! Can't go Sat morning as DP arsing about with his mates playing football... Hm. Maybe Sunday?

Could buy tons of stuff online but I know I'm too disorganised to ever return it so would end up spending a fortune on stuff that made me look egg-shaped or didn't fit

well getting to Matalan will be fine, it is just into town. Go later then I suppose - just not midday ish.