Dress Help Please?

Jacqu79

Right, this might sound totally ridiculous, but I'm rubbish when it comes to knowing what type of clothes suit my figure. I'm rubbish when it comes to fashion full stop actually.:o

Anyway, I've been invited to my boyfriend's cousin's wedding on Friday. I haven't met this side of his family, and there's a possibility that his ex-girlfriend is going to be there too:o, so I want to look my best so that I can enjoy myself and not feel self concious all night.

The problem is, I don't know where to start.

I'm a size 16/18 with a large, saggy tummy that I really would love to hide as much as poss! Can anyone point me in the right direction dress wise please?

I'm only 30, but feel frumpy as hell most of the time and would really like to change this, and think this wedding could be the starting point for me.

I also have a hairdressers appointment booked for Friday as I haven't had my hair cut in over 2 years:eek: and just feel it's time I got my act together and start making an effort as the way I look really gets me down.

Oh yeah, and I should stress that I'm a student, so don't have wads of cash to spend, but have saved up a wee bit to buy something to wear.:j

Thanks very much for reading this long rambling post.:o:D

HappyLottie

Have a look in Monsoon (although they can be a bit pricey)- they have some lovely floaty dresses that are flattering for 'larger' sizes. Wallis have some lovely things too and they are a bit cheaper- they have some lovely tunic style dresses which could be worn over leggings/ trousers and would hide your stomach.
I know other people on here say about underwear and the 'waspie' style waist trimmers- never tried them myself but they might be worth looking into if it would boost your confidence.
Also have you thought about trying the personal shopper services in shops like Debenhams- you could then get an idea of what might suit you.

Overall though Jacqu- believe in yourself- I'm sure you look lovely and with regards the ex- your boyfriend dumped her for a reason

Good luck with the shopping

Jacqu79

HappyLottie wrote: »

Have a look in Monsoon (although they can be a bit pricey)- they have some lovely floaty dresses that are flattering for 'larger' sizes. Wallis have some lovely things too and they are a bit cheaper- they have some lovely tunic style dresses which could be worn over leggings/ trousers and would hide your stomach.
I know other people on here say about underwear and the 'waspie' style waist trimmers- never tried them myself but they might be worth looking into if it would boost your confidence.
Also have you thought about trying the personal shopper services in shops like Debenhams- you could then get an idea of what might suit you.

Overall though Jacqu- believe in yourself- I'm sure you look lovely and with regards the ex- your boyfriend dumped her for a reason

Good luck with the shopping

Thanks very much. That was a lovely post.

I haven't tried Monsoon or Wallis,but will pop in tomorrow and have a wee look.

I really fancy the idea of the personal shopper in Debenhams, but I'd feel bad if I didn't buy any of the stuff they'd picked for me after they'd taken the time to go and look for it.:o

iceicebaby

Hiya

I'm around the same size as you! If its a dress you're after, try a soft wrap around style this is very flattering for the more curvy lady. The way the material kind of folds (if that makes sense) across the stomach minimises it rather than draw attention to it as you would think.

NBirdy

It sounds like we have similar figures, and given the choice I'd much prefer a pair of smart well-cut trousers with a posh top, and maybe a jacket. Does it have to be a dress? I just know I'd be trying to suck my belly in all day in a dress

My hips/bottom are slimmer than my wobbly tum (2 kids :rolleyes:) so I like trousers that skim that area, with a floaty-type top to disguise my stomach. People can only see the outline of the slimmer bit so assume the rest of me is the same

You might find you get more wear out of separates too?

Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll look fab. Be confident! Have a great time.

scotsgirl_3

I'm a little smaller now however I was this size for a long time and found that empire line dresses which fitted under my bust then floated over my problematic tummy were very flattering. These are especially good if you have a good bust. If your tummy is a particular worry then maybe consider a neckline which attracts attention (not tarty lol) but a nice v-neck or scoop neck, or possibly a bold necklace to draw attention away from the area you dislike. The higher power spanx are also fantastic for smoothing out under dresses and mean you don't have to worry about VPL or bumps where knickers start, especially if the fabric is floatier.

Couple of links below which might be nice shape wise just to give an idea. If you have time, you could try a few shapes then look for something similar on ebay, there is normally a lot available for coast and monsoon which tend to be little worn and very mse.

http://www.monsoon.co.uk/invt/65204375
http://www.monsoon.co.uk/invt/55019302
http://www.coast-stores.com/ENSEMBLE-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2224674080

Jacqu79

Hiya,

I've been out looking for dresses the past few days and haven't seen anything. I'm panicking now!:eek:

iceicebaby wrote: »

Hiya

I'm around the same size as you! If its a dress you're after, try a soft wrap around style this is very flattering for the more curvy lady. The way the material kind of folds (if that makes sense) across the stomach minimises it rather than draw attention to it as you would think.

I haven't seen any wrap dresses, apart from one in New Look that was made from mega clingy material!:eek: Back out again tomorrow night though, so will keep looking!:D

NBirdy wrote: »

It sounds like we have similar figures, and given the choice I'd much prefer a pair of smart well-cut trousers with a posh top, and maybe a jacket. Does it have to be a dress? I just know I'd be trying to suck my belly in all day in a dress

My hips/bottom are slimmer than my wobbly tum (2 kids :rolleyes:) so I like trousers that skim that area, with a floaty-type top to disguise my stomach. People can only see the outline of the slimmer bit so assume the rest of me is the same

You might find you get more wear out of separates too?

Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll look fab. Be confident! Have a great time.

Thanks very much.:D

I just thought I'd wear a dress, as I don't wear them very often and I want to look a bit different to normal. I've got a nice pair of smart black trousers and a maroony coloured corset kind of top, so that's my back up if I don't find a dress.:cool:

scotsgirl wrote: »

I'm a little smaller now however I was this size for a long time and found that empire line dresses which fitted under my bust then floated over my problematic tummy were very flattering. These are especially good if you have a good bust. If your tummy is a particular worry then maybe consider a neckline which attracts attention (not tarty lol) but a nice v-neck or scoop neck, or possibly a bold necklace to draw attention away from the area you dislike. The higher power spanx are also fantastic for smoothing out under dresses and mean you don't have to worry about VPL or bumps where knickers start, especially if the fabric is floatier.

Couple of links below which might be nice shape wise just to give an idea. If you have time, you could try a few shapes then look for something similar on ebay, there is normally a lot available for coast and monsoon which tend to be little worn and very mse.

http://www.monsoon.co.uk/invt/65204375
http://www.monsoon.co.uk/invt/55019302
http://www.coast-stores.com/ENSEMBLE-DRESS/Dresses---view-all/coast/fcp-product/2224674080

Sadly I've left it too late for ebay, but will bear that in mind when looking for something for Christmas day.:money:

I really love the middle monsoon dress you posted, but it's a bit out of my price range.:o

I've had a wee look to see if I can see anyhting similar, and had no joy so far, but am going shopping again tomorrow night, so hopefully I'll find something then.

Thanks everyone for your helpful posts and kind words!;)

flutterbyuk25

I'm a similar size to you (18/20). I find Debenhams have great dresses for me. I agree with scotsgirl that empire line is the most flattering style for us. I have 4 dresses in various shades from the Collection department at Debenhams that look like this

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10001_66849_1139297_-1

I have bought them over past few years for xmas do's/weddings etc and find them flattering and most importantly comfy. They wash well too. They seem to bring new colours/details out each year for the same basic style of dress.

I also second the good sturdy underwear. I usually wear a plunge bra to boost my cleavage (to draw eyes away from tummy) and then big giant Spanx pants which suck me in and give a nice figure. They sell these in Debenhams too, or they have their own range which is slightly cheaper.

Personal shoppers don't expect everyone to buy, and you may be surprised at what they find for you!

HTH

x

Jacqu79

flutterbyuk25 wrote: »

I'm a similar size to you (18/20). I find Debenhams have great dresses for me. I agree with scotsgirl that empire line is the most flattering style for us. I have 4 dresses in various shades from the Collection department at Debenhams that look like this

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10001_66849_1139297_-1

I have bought them over past few years for xmas do's/weddings etc and find them flattering and most importantly comfy. They wash well too. They seem to bring new colours/details out each year for the same basic style of dress.

I also second the good sturdy underwear. I usually wear a plunge bra to boost my cleavage (to draw eyes away from tummy) and then big giant Spanx pants which suck me in and give a nice figure. They sell these in Debenhams too, or they have their own range which is slightly cheaper.

Personal shoppers don't expect everyone to buy, and you may be surprised at what they find for you!

HTH

x

Ohh I like that in green. Very nice!!!
Will add Debenhams to my place to visit tomorrow!:D
They've a few nice dresses on their site.
I thought about getting some spanx or something similar. I've ordered a few different types of spanx like shorts from ebay in the past, and they haven't been great tbh, am I better splashing out for the proper ones, and would I be able to try them on before buying?

Does anyone use the all in one body suit things? I quite fancy one of those, but not sure how effective they are and don't really have money to waste.

Marsh_Samphire

Take a look at M&S for undies, I've got these and they're amazing!

http://www.marksandspencer.com/Firm-Control-Magic-Thigh-Slimmer/dp/B001P4O91G?ie=UTF8&qid=1257284348&categoryNodeID=42967030&page=&node=43271030&sr=1-4&mnSBrand=core&rh=n:43271030

http://www.marksandspencer.com/Firm-Control-Smooth-Magic-Knickers/dp/B001RE3C3U?ie=UTF8&qid=1257284348&categoryNodeID=42967030&page=&node=43271030&sr=1-2&mnSBrand=core&rh=n:43271030

LotusFlower_3

You might fancy this dress and it's only a tenner! http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2053031