Please help me develop a casual wardrobe???

[JANEITEPatrickNormanMcHennesy]

Hi.

Am pretty good at doing work clothes and okay at doing going out clothes but I really struggle with what to wear to go out for a coffee, a mooch around the shops, lunch with friends etc.

Please give me ideas for what a 5' 2" size 12 curvy brunette might wear for weekends etc.

I tend to stick a pair of jeans on but tbh they don't really suit me.

Oh and no leggings or tunics please. I have a tummy and norks - and a short waist.

Am I a hopeless case?

Oh pretty please.

24 replies saying that a Radley bag is horrible but nobody wants to talk to me?!

Bootleg trousers - black, dark colours
How nork-tastic are you ? Long tops which are 'empire-line' suit my short-waisted friend.

Nice pair of knee high boots.

Wrap-over tops with a lowish t shirt underneath.

i will!
to balance your figure either slightly flary(dark brown or black)jeans would suit you,or wide leg trousers.On top something fitted.
There is loads of lovely,long cardigans around(being a brunette,nice browns,dark greens and purples would suit you).Under that you can wear white shirt(fitted) and also a vest top(get few differnet colours,gap and topshop do good quality ones).
i love my convers(for real casual look),but if you want something smarter get kitten heel shoes or boots.
With that add nice glasses,big bag,chunky necklace or scarf,and matching bracelet.

I have two friends irl who are a similar shape to you. They look great in:

v-neck top (tee or similar)
boyfriend cardi pulled in with a wide belt
wide leg trousers
converse

or

wrap cardis worn over camisoles or scoop neck long sleeve tees (for when it's very cold)
boyfriend jeans (not bootcut but not flared either)
converse

a-line casual skirts (white stuff/fat face type stuff)
wrap cardi
cami
knee high boots

carry a big bag to balance out norkage - smaller bags will be lost on your figure.

ditto any jewellery - go for big and bold not a dainty "apology" for an necklace

if you want to go for a scarf, skinny scarves look great, regular pashmina ones not so good (unless worn with coat).

Lots of lovely ideas here, thank you. Links to pics of said ideas would be brilliant.

I have to wear dainty jewellery as I'm very small boned with tiny wrists, ankles, neck, back etc - tis just my norks that are big!

I don't think they're THAT big! 32E.

lol
shit,sorry dont know how to link,but just went on m&s site,they have some great stuff.

What colours do you like Janeite? I love a project, will do some searching once kids are in bed if you like.

Which of the suggested looks appeal/don't appeal so far (apart from chunky jewellery)? skirts? trousers? wrap cardis?

Do you have any boots? (there should be a giant MN S&B database of boot ownage... er... ownership)

Which are your fave shops for workwear/going out stuff?

Just to help hone my searching skills?

Sorry, random ? appeared at the end there. Imagine me speaking with Australian up-at-the-end-of-sentences inflection. Gah.

Although I am taller (5ft 9") I too ama norky size 12 with a bit of a tum. I am currently wearing:

this black vest top

With This grey cardigan

And Super skinnies

I wear black Uggs for a super comfortable day shopping or chilling, or my new favourite boots in the whole world for a girly lunch etc.

It's one of my staple casual outfits. I have embraced the tunic/long jumper/leggings/treggings look with a passion, though, so feel free to discount my ideas!

All appeal except chunky jewellery.

I like black, grey, burgundy, purple, deep reds and pinks on the whole. Brown suits me but I don't like it much.

I have brown knee high boots, black knee high riding style boots, burgundy knee high heeled boots, black flat pixie boots, black biker type boots (I like boots!).

I do suit wrap cardigans with a cami underneath, I love skirts, I like wide-legged trousers but they can swamp me.

Tea ready - back later to add more!

I am of a similar build to you, only taller and bigger [ahem]
Be careful with wrap over as you will need a vest top underneath. I find they tend to make me look bigger.
I wear boyfriend jeans, longer length tops to cover the expanse of belly that would be exposed with the low slung fit of these. And a fitted cardigan, even if it's too tight to do up nicely, as I never do it up. This is because if I buy for my boobs, I would buy about size 16 which massive everywhere else. I wear converse baseball boots, and dr martens when it is wet.
What I find bugs me is that alot of the tunic style dresses I like actually cut my boobs in half.
I agree with the big jewellery and scarves advise.

So what exactly are boyfriend jeans? I only have bootcut and tbh they look pretty rubbish, unless I wear heeled boots and a long cardigan with them.

Boyfriend jeans are jeans cut like men's jeans (so not bootcut or slim), more straight leg and quite baggy as it's meant to be like wearing your boyfriend's jeans (bleurgh).

I think these you would have to try on as they could swap you if too baggy. If you can do big belts, they do look good with a wide belt if they're not too low slung.

Just to give you an idea, here are some from ASOS that come in 30 in if that's about right for you?

I prefer these M&S wide leg ones

I have these;

boyfit

this

top

and I like this

outfit

I'm looking for some cowboy type of boots as well atm.

Skirts! My apologies, I'm not used to shopping for petite skirts and not sure where is good length-wise so some of these might be no good.

Not sure about the colour might be a bit boring

Nice colours for you I think - how do you feel about patterns? I would go plain top half and patterned skirts? (Seriously though, what would I know?)

Would look good with your brown boots?

Not sure this link will work and the model is a bit off-putting anyway

Lovely colour but a tad mumsy perhaps? Hard to tell without seeing it on.

Mmmmmmmm seriously like this one. Think that could be a good length for you.

This could be good too but phew, it's a bit pricey

I really wanted to find you a lovely cord skirt but this is the best I can find and it's not really a-line

This looks more like it, moleskin

Gah, dc2 is awake, might have to disappear for a bit...

Wow - thank you so much.

I love the two patterned White Stuff skirts. The Kew ones look too long tbh; generally things in Kew tend to swamp me.

I'm not yet convinced by boyfriend jeans, which I think would just make me look fat.

Patterned skirt and plain top is deffo a good look for me.

this kew one which I may have mentioned looks gorgeous is actually 2 inches shorter than the patterned WS ones you like. tis not patterned though

1-handed typing as 18 month old dc2 has joined me

Mmm don't like that one much: it looks like the sort of thing I used to wear with DMs and huge jumpers in 1988. Sorry! The colour is good though.

All the colours are good I thought

Cardigans? Where do you usually get knitwear? Saw some nice ones in Kew but if you know you don't get on with Kew sizing....

Knitwear - I have an on-going saga with finding nice knitwear. My latest was a long, grey, v necked grandad style one from Linea at House of Fraser. M&S is good on price and quality but the colours tend to be dire. Have a couple from Gap but the quality isn't as good as it used to be.

Thank you so much for your help btw.

WhiteStuff which have gorgeous winter colours. Have avoided their fitted shirts since the come up small in the nork dept. Am taller than your petite 5ft 3 but top heavy.

cardi
vest which I will wear with some grey slouch trews like trews
red knit
poncho
and this whole outfit