fashion advice please

[Bellenden Belle]

Okay - opinions please.

I have a lovely dress which I would like to wear out for dinner on Friday night.

But I will be up North and I am worried of being cold (and fear the Newcastle look).

I also have a lovely pair of strappy high heeled sandals.

I have never considered wearing tights and sandals before.... is this to be avoided at all costs? Are there tights available (stockings if you prefer) that I could get away with wearing.

Or should I do the standby look of dress over skinny jeans.

Tis not a date, but is with someone I regard to be part of the Fashion Police.

Advice?

(apologies for such girliness... really, I never put this much thought into things when I was married... *tuts at herself*

[mightyroar]

maybe some footless tights/leggings for a slightly dressier look than the old dress over skinny jeans?

http://www.mytights.com/mytights/findit/footless.html

[Bellenden Belle]

Yes, I thought about that too .... are people still doing that? Probably would wear flatter shoes in that case....

And many thanks Mighyroar for replying!

[bon3yard]

Just dont make the mistake of wearing your knickers on your head, people 'will' notice and they 'will' mock you even if they are a pair of ?90 FrostFrenchs'.

[snoozequeen1]

You are right to fear cold in Newcastle. I was there 3 weeks ago and had to go straight into J Lewis to buy scarf and gloves. Is about 4 degrees chillier.

Also your friend not only member of fashion police, have whole brigades, is an awful lot of loot about and social uppery in NE1- NE3 these days. Lovely houses, alas even more expensive than ED.

[wee quinnie]

Bellenden Belle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Yes, I thought about that too .... are people

> still doing that?

Since you will be in Newcastle - you will prob be fine. I am not knocking people from Newcastle before anyone pipes up.

[RosieH]

Not footless tights - leggings are officially over (you wouldn't know it from the high street, but that's the word from Vogue) also with a strappy shoe they'll crop you at the ankle, which unless you have the slimmest of shapely calf/ankle combos isn't a good look

tights with strappies is fine, as long as you look like you mean it. under no circumstances wear sheer tights (particularly ones with a seamless toe, giving you bizarrely webbed feet). have you considered coloured tights - they look decidedly deliberate (try Tabio on Neal Street)

[Bellenden Belle]

Ahhhh, when I mentioned the Newcastle look I was referring to those who go out in the middle of winter in summer dresses. Sorry ... hope that doesn't offend anyone from Newcastle (this is clearly my own personal reference) - similar examples can certainly be found in Leicester Square and suchlike.

I will actually be in Sheffield, followed by Manchester....a Northern tour no less...

RosieH - sound advice - I was considering sheer tights, but I think coloured tights might be the way to go... okay, it's a purple tulip style dress from Fenton Walsh - what colour tights then?

And thank you to everyone for their comments. Wee Quinne - It was indeed your own wedding outfit thread that inspired this one!

Edited because I have had a crazy thought! Just looked at the tabio website - how about knee high socks? Sparkly lilac ones.

http://tabio.com/uk/detail/?cate=1007&hinban=27342

Please tell me if it's very wrong....

[RosieH]

wrong, but so wrong it's right. channel the Japanese schoolgirl look - yay for frivolous hosiery - and I think SJP may have been sporting the look in SATC film so you'd be in good company

now what might also be wrong, but with a purple dress, have you considered turquoise tights? it's quite full on, but I sometimes sport with my purple dress (mine's a plummy purple - if yours is brighter it could be slightly assaulting on the eye). grey's a safer winner I think.

ooh, ooh, when i was little, I used to have a purple dress that I wore with mustard tights - looked fabulous (my god I was fashion forward) but definitely need amazing legs to wear mustard tights (sadly I can no longer get away with them)

[Bellenden Belle]

Ahhhh, well if it's good enough for SJP then it is definitely good enough for me (my dining companion has actually had to halt our telephone conversation when SJP appeared on Project Catwalk....)

Turquoise? Wow! That's incredibly brave and probably too much for me - it is quite a bright purple. But grey, or the pair of sparkly black ones on the website (looks like they are threaded with silver) could be perfect.

I'm rather excited at this combo! You're a star RosieH!

[RosieH]

we're going to need pictures you know - BB sparkling in the north - yay!

[buggie]

Don't know if this will be useful to know but I've got a lovely purple dress that I'm waiting for the autumn to wear again - I wear it with thick black tights and a fab pair of T-bar silver sparkly shoes - think their a size 4 if you wanted to borrow them!! x

[lozzyloz]

I think I'll go back to reading lost cat threads . . . .

[dulwichmum]

Darling Bellenden Belle,

Please do not go the mustard tights route. I saw a pretty young lady with perfect pins wearing a fluid fabric purple puff ball skirt today at London Bridge with a vile pair of mustard coloured tights. Her legs looked like a couple of bananas (GASP). One colleague of mine said that her legs resembled those of a comedy chicken (OHMYGOD!!!).

Get yourself a fabulous pedicure, try not to be too heavy handed with the St Tropez tan and remember sweetie - pride feels no pain.

Personally (as a lady of a certain age), I could not get away with the black opaque tights and silver T bar shoes, but they sound perfect!

[wee quinnie]

BB - why don't you post a picture of the dress and shoes ? C'mon, you know you want to!

I too, like the black opaque tights and silver t bar shoes.

[Bellenden Belle]

Ladies,

Decisions, decisions...

Buggie and Wee Quinnie - black opaque tights is what I have worn in the past with the dress... with a pair of lovly patent vintage shoes (my mother's from the 60s). Definitely a good option but since it is nearly June I hoped to look more summery...will look at the knee highs tomorrow and let you know...

Lozzyloz - come on, you're dying to give your real opinion surely...I'm sure men have firm opinions on women's legs...

[annaj]

Belle, I've come to this far too late to offer anything useful, but I'm sure you'll look marvellous whatever you wear. You've got a great eye for stylish and unusual clothes and always look well put together.

My younger sister always says "you can get away with wearing anything if you do it with enough confidence". Whatever you decide to wear remember that at I'm sure you'll pull it off with panache!

[James]

It's gotta be DLP.

(Dress, leggings, pumps).

Trust me.

[Bellenden Belle]

Ahhhh, James - I hear you, but I fear that is 2006/2007?

Do you have insider knowledge?

[lozzyloz]

No, I think James' advice is good. If you've got good pins show them off. Wear extra shear black dancer style leggings and perhaps be a little street bold with black socks and pumps ;-)

[SteveT]

The women I have known are always cold below 90 degrees F. I would recommend a trip to Blacks the outdoor shop. Newcastle is not only considerably cooler than se22 but it is also a very draughty city.

Some years ago I left london in shirt sleeves as it was hot and blue sky, got out at Newcastle jumped into a cab and said to the nearest outfitters so I could buy a padded jacket, it was soooooo much colder everyone was in hats coats and gloves, the outfitter was surprised to see me at 9am and asked me if I had forgotten to pack my overcoat.

[James]

Strictly speaking 'DLP' is supposed to be over - but then so are skinny jeans. And they still look great, as long as you choose the right colour and accessories. IMHO.

Not that I am a fashion guru or anything!

[Bellenden Belle]

Goodness SteveT.... I know I'm going up North, but surely it's not another country? The last time I was in Blacks I spent twenty minutes with my eyes glazing over as the sales assistant discussed (mainly with his inner walker, rather than me) the merits of double lined socks versus the new breed of walking socks. His enthusiasm was overwhelming... personally I was more interested in the Kendals mint cake I eyed up on the coutner.

James - I am loving the acronym DLP - definitely makes you sound like a fashion guru, lovin' it!

[James]

Get me! Watch out Gok Wan

[annaj]

Completely off topic and I'll probably get completely ridiculed for liking this, but did you see Gok Wan on "How To Look Good Naked" last night?

His subject was a woman who'd had breast cancer and had a mastectomy at only 31. She absolutely hated her body and found herself unrecognisable and ugly. He was wonderful; sensitive, empathic and yet direct in his communication with her. It was a joy to watch her gradually start to accept her body again.

I wept from start to finish.