I need help with a wedding outfit

[ameliameerkat]

I've seen you give such good advice to other people on here and now I need your help!

I'm going to a wedding in June and I have really quite bad varicose veins. The last time I went to a summer wedding was a few years ago and at that point I could get away with couple of inches below the knee skirts and tan tights, however since then the veins are worse and my legs are now always covered by trousers, leggings, or properly opaque tights.... So for this wedding I need a LONG dress (shortest it can be is a couple of inches above my ankle). I'm unsure about the whole maxi dress thing as I'm short (5foot4) and I'm worried they're a bit volumious and will make me look really short! But then straight dresses would have a split, and then I'd have to wear tights and that's what I'm trying to avoid in the first place! (Varicose veins suck )

So if anyone has any great ideas of long, not too volumious dresses suitable for a 30 year old, size 12, 5 foot 4 person to wear to a wedding I would be very grateful! Ideally to a max of £75 and not too high fashion (so I could wear it to future summer weddings in the years to come!). Thanks!

Definitely go for a maxi dress. What about

grey

purple

Tribal

totally over-budget but lovely

I should have perhaps mentioned that I have not insignificant boobs so it has to be a bra friendly dress!! Which rules out the grey one, and the Vix one (which is absolutely gorgeous!). I'm concerned about strappy dresses and I don't know if they're formal enough for weddings? I think this may be a hang up from living in Japan, when you just didn't bare your shoulders in anything but very casual situations.

Haven't tried links on here before so this may not work!!

How about this? I love it, but is it ok for a wedding do you think?
www.wallis.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=20551& storeId=12557&categoryId=183995&parentcategoryrn=140428&productId=1615404&langId=-1

I'm a complete newbie to buying long dresses. Have always avoided them before I'm not very tall!

Something more like this?

Its above budget but would that be better from a bra perspective?

warehouse

sleeves

Like this one

I think at 5'4 and with norkage issues, you should not be going for a maxi dress. A trouser suit would be much more flattering and saves you the problem of having to find something to wear over a dress too.

this ?

here

here

I quite like the embellished Warehouse one, and the butterfly Oasis one.

Janeite - I know I'm probably not going to look absolutely amazing in a maxi dress, but I don't know about the trouser suit thing either! I think I would feel more like I was going to a job interview or something. And all the summery type wedding suits I've seen before all seem to be colourful linen, and I have to get the suit from Edinburgh to Cumbria without getting it completely crushed!

I think I probably need to make the time and go and try some maxi dresses on and see how dreadful/short/fat I look

Are you me? I'm also 5' 4" size 12, aged 30 with significant boobs

I'd go for something like this:

www.goddiva.co.uk/Home/maxi-dresses/Embellished-Halter-Neck-Dress;jsessionid=0a0102591f43319e91cdebe 240dc93d5f4114084a127.e3eTa3aSaxmTe34Pa38Ta38Maxb0

The higher, almost empire line waist will help make the most of your perfectly sensible height and support your boobs.

I think you'll look great in a maxi dress- a trouser suit would be far less flattering IMO.

Something like this would be nice...

gorgeous but over the budget

Amber - I'm pretty sure I'm me and not you! That Goddiva dress is very pretty, but I'm not brave enough to go bra-less! Even if it does have built in bust cups.... Anyone ever tried them before? I'm just not sure they'd give my girls enough support!

Tethersend - you can't wear a bra with that ASOS dress . I always think I look huge in light colours as well! I concur with you on the trouser suit option though.

I think the overall problem I'm having here is that I'm having to buy outwith of my comfort zone and it's a bit daunting!

Of course you can wear a bra with that dress! A push up one would make the most of the-ahem- detail.

What size bra are you if you don't mind me asking?

hat size norks are you, if that's not too cheeky to ask? I am 5' 2, size 10-12 and a 32DD/E and I just know that any of the dresses linked to on here would look absolutely hideous on me. Then again, you have an extra two inches on me, so hopefully that will make a difference! I think the other problem is that most of them are very 'busy' patterns and should be avoided for that reason too.

Stick on bras. They are the future!

I bought a few from M&S.

Or, you could get a strapless basque to go underneath.

Lost a W there!

I wrote a post before and then my computer had a hissy fit and crashed on me

Quite like the Goddiva site. Got to dash off soon, but definitely going to have a browse on there later so thanks Amber for that!

Hmmmmm......stick on bras - hadn't considered them! Are they any good? I have enough trouble with strapless bras!

I'm a 34DD, fyi.

Got to dash now! Will be back later sometime.

Seriously, nowhere is selling long dresses at the moment! Today I went to New Look, DP, River Island, Wallis, Marks and Sparks, Monsoon (obviously had a few, but far too expensive!)and Next. Only about 4 long dresses in total! (discounting the ridiculously expensive Monsoon ones)

Tried this one on from M&S
www.marksandspencer.com/Per-Una-V-Neck-Abstract-Print/dp/B0034RNB7A?ie=UTF8&qid=1270485724&categoryN odeID=42967030&ref=sr127&page=3&node=43009030&sr=1-27&mnSBrand=core&rh=n%3A43009030
Which other than being a bit short, was quite nice really! I was impressed that I didn't look completely daft , so maybe I can wear long dresses after all.

i have very similar issues but would still choose to wear tights or even footless tights as a nod to summer, with a knee length dress - or use fake tan/concealer.

have you considered treatment? a few sessions of sclerotherapy could make a massive difference. Not cheap but worth it, IMO.

Goodnightmoon - thanks for thinking of me. Sometimes I feel like the only young person who hasn't had kids who's afflicted with these things!

It's not just the colour issue, it's the sticky out issue . They stick out enough that they're noticeable even when wearing leggings now

I am considering treatment-ish, but not until next year at the earliest (too much going on my life this year). I can't get treated on the NHS (as they're not 'medically' an issue yet) so will have to be private. Need to figure out how my BUPA stuff at work works and also sign up for it!

My friend had hers done on the NHS as she said how much they were upsetting her and affecting her life.