& #WowOnWednesday
Dear friends. Today I'm sharing a mini haul of M&S dresses, plus a wild card. I'm looking for a dress to wear to a wedding in Devon next month. I've also got a few tips on choosing a "Mother of the bride or groom" outfit.
Regular readers will know I have a peculiar relationship with dresses. I have hardly any. I typically wear a dress once or twice in its season. For the upcoming wedding, I thought seriously about getting a trouser suit. But it might be very hot in July, so I decided to find a dress instead.
What I'm looking for in a dress:
- Solid colour/colour block OR a dot print. I mostly avoid other patterns and in particular, ditsy florals (these are very "old hat" I'm afraid, according to the FROW and John Lewis!);
- A dress with a waist: anything big, floaty or buffet sized makes me look huge;
- A fabric that's ideally sustainable, and no linen. Although I do iron things, I can't stand wearing something that creases after you've been sitting down
Finery London Collared Midi Waisted Dress, £89 (M&S)
Printed Midaxi V-Neck Waisted Dress, £69
This one is described as "white mix" but I saw it more as a citrus mix, which attracted me. The fit was a bit off, particularly from the back. If I had decided to keep it, I would have returned this one and sized up. The reviews now say it comes up small.
Satin Polka Dot Tie Midaxi Column Dress, £49.50
As seen in the top pic. This is a lovely dress, it doesn't crease and it looks fresh and contemporary. I thought it a little bit too long, and below I'm holding the hem up to see what it looked like a little shorter. I have since had it taken up by 4cms. The sandals are a few years old but have a 40s vibe.
The last dress is not from M&S but I'm including it as a wild card. It was bought over a year ago with the intention of wearing it to the wedding. It's from the Pretty Dress Company. This colour is no longer in stock. It's been in a storage box so is a bit creased (but not too bad, considering!).
I'm undecided about it. It's quite formal looking, so the type of dress I'm not likely to wear again. I tried selling it a few weeks ago but no takers. It still has its tags, so I wasn't prepared to drop the price below £50. It looks a bit staid to me. What do you think?
Tips for MOB/MOG Outfit
I have been a step MOB and MOG, and these are my learnings and recommendations.
- Your steer should be the bride or bridegroom themselves in terms of how they dress, and what their other guests are likely to wear. If they're a trendy couple with cool friends, I would avoid the type of dress that is sold at specialist bridal shops. They're usually a bit dated. You know the ones I mean. Pastel colours and lacy shrugs hiding the arms.
- Instead consider a trouser suit or jump suit. Bright colours are IN for both. No fascinator required! (Also very dated)
- If you're sure you want a dress, have a look at shops you wouldn't normally consider. I bought my step MOB dress from Lavish Alice. They have lots of different shapes and colours. You'll stand out far more in a solid colour than in any sort of floral print, and as the MOB, this is a good thing. Other places to consider: Rixo (the price is worth it if you're MOB), Phase 8, who are less staid than they used to be, and Monsoon, although you still have to wade through a lot of boho there.
- If you'd rather look a bit more traditional, a tailored dress in a solid colour will make you stand out, in a positive way. Bombshell HQ have some stunning dresses, as do The Pretty Dress Company and Diva Catwalk. You may need to consider Spanx or something similar because this type of dress can accentuate any unwary back fat. If you do, make sure you look for a hook and eye or press stud gusset, not the ones with the dreadful open gusset
- If you want something very distinctive and beautifully cut, with no risk of another guest wearing it, consider renting your dress, particularly if you know you will wear it once.
- When it comes to a bag, those very cute pearled or 3D floral evening bags are very tempting but will it carry what you need? Invariably your Plus One will want you to carry his glasses / wallet / inhaler / protein bar.
- If the bride is stipulating head wear, it doesn't have to be a fuddy duddy old fascinator or hat. Head bands are very "in."
Sharing this post with: Weekday Wear at Away from the Blue, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Rena at Fine Whatever, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Confident Twosday at I Do Declaire, Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Curated by Jennifer (Wednesdays), Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, Thursday Fashion Files at Doused in Pink, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle Senior Salon Pitstop at Esme Salon
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Whitstable Wedding (including my dress as stepmother of the bride)
Carol Middleton Wows in Pale Pink (including my dress as stepmother of the groom - lacy shrug alert!)
Bloggers / Vloggers: How Curious Are You?
It's time for the #WowOnWednesday link-up, where readers can find new blogs to read and bloggers/vloggers can find new followers! I feature the 3 favourites each Wednesday on Instagram, and my five or six top picks at the weekend on Twitter and Facebook.
Last Week's Favourites - Most Clicked
Be Brave, Lose the Beige from Sue at Women Living Well After 50
Martha's Vineyard Trip Part 2 from Jess at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
Half Marathon Recap and Training by Mireille of Chez Mireille
I think you kept the perfect dress. Although I liked the purple one too. Had a wedding yesterday! A lot of women were so underdressed, such a pity. I think the pink dress is beautiful but a bit too solid. And I don't mean one colour, but a bit too closed. Don't know how to explain it, lol, too little movement.
ReplyDeleteGreat dresses and you’ve made a good choice Gail. Thanks for hosting too xx Jacqui x
ReplyDelete