Help needed with extremely particular summer dress requirements.

[Hullygully]

Can anyone suggest where I might find summer dresses that are:

1. Extremely plain, verging on unnoticeable - no patterns, flounces, detailing, not too short, not too fitted (old).

1. Thin shoulder-strapped (hot weather)

1. Blue or thereabouts.

I am rubbish at shopping and clothes and desperate for help. Can't face another summer sweltering in shirts....

They are nice - but I really want v plain and simple and casual. I would feel odd and fraudulent in those.

haven't seen all the links, but has anyone mentioned ghost? v flattering but plain and beautifully cut

They have ducky, thanks, and it is v nice indeed. I can hardly find anything wrong with it at all.

See, summer dresses are A Problem. For pretty much everyone who is not young and slim. Especially strappy ones, because of the arms issue, and the bra strap issue, and the armpits issue. Which is where a bit of colour and or detailing comes in - to create a distraction.

TBH I dread summer. My uniform is slim or flared jeans, with Converse or flipflops, and a top to suit - ie one that does not swamp but does not cling to my jelly belly. So I wear that for as long as possible, and then if it is hot, I wear a denim skirt.

This thread has made me think about dresses again. I like those Monsoon maxi ones. Anything shorter tends not to be so comfortable.

oh good! I have a black dress from ghost, so simple and easy to wear but easily one of the most flattering things in my wardrobe

Jamie, I think you are right. But this is Greece, and it's way too hot for jeans or denim skirts.

Looking at those Monsoon dresses, IME, a v neck tends to look less frumpy on a lady of a certain age (so does a slash neck) Straight across ones look cute on younger women, or very slim, but they can look a bit mutton on forty somethings.

yes again, Jamie. Perhaps you should be my personal shopper.

That spotty Wallis one is gorgeous Mumsnut (see what I mean about a slash neck?). Comfortable and very classy. I love it.

Any good?

Too communist?

To be fair, I've only skimmed the thread, so will probably spend the rest of it linking to things you have already seen. Which you hate.

I think the problem here is that you are all thinking way too smart for little old me. Lower your expectations a thousandfold.

I have to go out now, but thanks for looking..

perhaps?

Re: colours. It's really hard to do, because it's down to the combo of hair, eyes and skin tone. I have black hair, so everyone thinks red looks good, but my skin is quite pink, so red looks terrible. Google Colour Me Beautiful. There's something about holding up different coloured scarves next to your face, and also, something about whether gold or silver suits you.

not too smart

www.lauraashley.com/Dresses/BIAS-CUT-LINEN-DRESS/invt/md802navyp

Positively my final effort!

I saw perfect, plain linen dresses in muji yesterday, they had navy or 'mushroom'.
Also- White company usually have one or two in navy that sound perfect for you.

Hully - look, you and I should go shopping together. We'd save a fortune as we'd talk each other out of everything. I am very very bad at buying clothes as I hate myself in everything.

But I have just ordered that Ghost dress in Mink. It's as plain as it could be but lovely (I hope).

Sometimes you just have to go for it.

Joe Browns?

oH! oH! oH!

E M E R G E N C Y ! ! ! !

20% off GHOST till Sunday. Enter TREAT at checkout.

Nooooo! I looked for discount codes all over t'internet last night and could find none.

Blue dress from Next - any good hully ?

dress" I know it's green, but it looks comfy

Ring them up, Orm! Say you'll send it back else ... (Works with Boden).

They sent me the code this morning, wouldn't you know.