VB's dress on Mrs Burnham - horrible

[TheBlueKoala]

I'm not a fashion expert and I really don't care much for it but this was the most horrible dress I have ever seen. Even on a coathangar bodytype like VB herself it wouldn't look good but on an average body it's just hideous. That's 850 £ unwisely spent. She could and should have gotten a dress from M&S for 50£ and actually looked good.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/middle-class-mrs-burnham-dress/

It just seemed so insincere that's all of course there shouldn't be stony silence.

All of this is true. Plus, some people like talking about clothes.
It’s not unacceptable to think about what people wear, or what does and doesn’t look good.
Also, we are allowed to wonder whether someone’s choice of clothing was meant to convey any message - particularly if the person in question is the prime minister’s wife on his first day in office.

To hob nob and eat hob nobs maybe?

Which would make sense if she was in power. But it’s her husband who is pm. Not her, so scrutinise his suit, or raynors trousers, but she’s not in power, this is not the USA.

Not often in context of how much he travelled, she went to the occassional state event as said. She was hardly hanging on his coat tails

It’s fine t9 discuss her clothes, not rip apart her body.

shes a high earning woman, they are multi millionaires, she doesn’t need to dress in markies clothes and pretend she’s one of the masses, she isn’t , they are a very wealthy couple, it would be very trite of her to wear a cheap dress to make people happy

personally I thought she looked lovely. Appropriate to the occasion and weather, I don’t subscribe to the view women have to dress ti flatter their bodies, I subscribe to the view women should do that if they please, and wear what they please and other women shouldn’t see it as an opportunity to attack them.

whats curious is the posters doing it, the dresses posted are universally worse.

I dare say and avocado toast.😂

Thank you for replying to me. In answer to your query you presume wrong, I read and subcribe to various media outlets and follow a few podcasts This must have passed me as I guess the fashion choices of the spouses of public figures do not figure high in political commentary . Have you got any links? or maybe I can just google if i have a moment

This.

Whatever she would have worn would have been commented on.
She could have picked a dress by an up-and-coming British designer - a dress that actually suited her. I can't think of anything good to say about the dress other than the length was ok.

It managed to be ill-fitting, sack-like and too clingy.

If her role next to Andy was completely irrelevant, she wouldn't have been standing beside him during the introduction of the next Prime Minister. She may not hold elected office, but public appearances like this are part of how power, status and identity are presented. Having no formal political power is not the same as having no public significance. I don't usually accompany my husband when he starts a new job though I did once give him a lift and drop him off outside the office on his first day. As a couple they chose for her to be visibly present at this major public and political moment.

Of course people can and will comment on her outfit at this historical occasion. That doesn't have to and shouldn't descend into slurs about her body, age etc. but criticising the style, cost of the garment and choice of designer is completely fine.

VB herself has describes her dresses in terms of freedom, confidence, power, strength, and identity as most designer do. van Heel probably understands this better than many and is likely to ensure she has better media and style advice next time.

I don’t think she chose to be there, she looked pretty uncomfortable to me. It’s convention that an incoming PM is accompanied by their spouse. There would have been huge speculation if she hadn’t been there.

She was coerced?

No she did her duty. It was pretty obvious she wasn’t enjoying it. The only time she came to life was when she spoke to the people she knows.

I hope the poor woman does not go on X. Vile vitriol against her for daring to have a tummy at 56 and not wearing Spanx.

Well just make sure you wear your Spanx or WE'LL ALL NOTICE!

Yes, I was thinking this about wives having to take a day off to wave at everyone and made a mental note to never let DH seize the reins so I have to turn up as the appendage.

Then don't reference this lady wearing it - your title 'Mrs B in VB dress - horrible' is insinuating that particular lady looks horrible in that dress, rather than the dress itself is horrible. So actually all you have done is invited in a lot of nasty comments about how this particular lady looks in the dress rather than comments about the VB dress
How lovely to see a woman confident enough in her curvey shape to wear a dress she likes and clearly feels comfortable in. How refreshing. She looks lovely and I personally genuinely think it's a pretty dress in a lovely summery pastel blue.

Freedom? You can't move in her dresses lest a boob pops out over the top or beside your armpit. And as for strength, they look as though a puff of wind would whip them off you.

That was tin eared with reference to a woman who’s had a double mastectomy.

I wasn't actually referring to that dress: it had sleeves and was not one of the nightdress strappy designs VB so often does.

I am here sticking up for Marie-France so maybe don't look for negativity where there isn't any.

Also this is so profoundly personal - much more so than a choice of dress. Why would you even reference it directly?

True. It’s hard enough dressing for a body that’s natural, but once you’ve had a mastectomy all bets are off. I can’t get anything to hang straight as all the muscles around there, being fucked with, make your tummy stick out. A phenomena known as Buddha belly and nothing shifts it. Ask me how I know. Ugh.

Just leave the poor woman alone.

I hear you sister. Solidarity.

And oh so many have leapt in salivating at the thought of having a go at another woman.

I agree that she should wear what she wants, but I also think we should be able to discuss her clothes.
Personally I was disappointed that she chose to wear such an incredibly expensive dress as it made her completely unrelatable and that wasn’t how I had previously viewed her.