Can someone dress me please? I need to be a County Lady!

[seeker]

I am middle aged, short and wide. I am a jeans and sweatshirt woman for every day, and tending to the aging hippy when I dress up a little bit.

I need something to wear to be a sponsor's guest at a smartish horse show in early July. I need to be able to walk the course, be moderately comfortable all day, but not be completely out-classed by the Lord Lieutenant's wife and her friends.

Ideas?

Joules?

LOLOL

what horse show? Tweedy jacket, moleskin trousers - something like that...?

are you blagging?

What size clothes are you?

No, not blagging - been invited. Size 18/20. Not sure what's so funny. I think it needs more frock than tweeds. I think Joules is too sporty.

Think that answers all the questions so far!

Look for something hideous in hot pink, preferably floral and floaty. Ignore any semblance of what suits you and just channel Hyacinth Bucket.You'll fit right in.

Alternatively, something like this would be ok and not too minging. Wedges, if you're going to walk the course. A cardi. NO HAT -looks like you've tried to hard.

Would this do, do you think?

It's the Hyacinth Bucket style I'm worried about falling into! I do like the Coat dress - and I've got a black jacket that might look really nice with it.

Have you looked at Monsoon?

the coast dress is much nicer,seeks, and would seem to fit the (odd) bill

Gosh- doesn't seem at all odd to me- I must be even older and out of touch than I thought I was!

ok, maybe it's not odd. It is just unusual. And I don't know what a smartish horse show looks like and who goes there and who teh Lord Lieutenant is and what his wife will be like.

It all sounds eccentric and wonderful and awful all at the samre time

Seeker - look at Brora (sorry cant do links) they have some pretty liberty print dresses that would be perfect, I think

I wasn't bowled over by the liberty prints but this is nice. Quite pricey though.

oh yes I was going to suggest brora - they are pricey but I think someone mentioned a 20% discount code somewhere on here - do a search

Did have one thought about silk dresses - if there's a breeze you don't want to be cavorting round the course holding your hem so your knickers don't show.

As you already have a black jacket then what about this Fenn Wright Manson dress?

Wedges are a good idea as they give height but are easy to walk in and the heels won't get stuck in the grass/mud. Are these Dune wedges too high? What about this lower pair?

Be warned about that coast dress, it is cut very small - I tried it on the other day. I wonder if something different might be the order of the day: much less floaty but still v smart. A pair of good linen trousers (not really thin linen: Monsoon do a good pair in black or navy with three little buttons at the waist, a nice weight of linen); then a longish tunic style top, possibly even in a chinese style shape again in not too light a fabric, so you look really pulled together and not floaty away if windy on the day. Then if weather foul it will all look good under a mac, and you could always add some glamour with a necklace. The other advantage is there is no fuss about what to wear on your legs or feet as you can go for some comfortable ballerina pumps or a fun colour moccasin type shoe. Buy a new decent umbrella too and you will look brilliant. Not at all hyacinth ...

Just saw this dress in the Phase Eight sale...I tried it on earlier in the year, and loved it, but I had nowhere smart to go wearing it, so thought 'no'! It is very well cut, looks elegant, and the draping around the neck is very flattering. It looks very short on the model, but was definitely knee length on me...around 5'5".
link
Phase Eight do have lovely dresses...

Which horse event?

if it's wet underfoot you'll have to wear your wellies to walk the course anyway won't you?

nice dress madcap...