Cheekbones to die for ♥

 So the hunt is on to find a dress for the Zen xmas do on Saturday. After weeks of trying to drag Dave round the trafford centre I decided to be organised and go it alone. After all that was my main focus for passing my driving test. I’m very glad I did go on my own, as I visited five shops in total, a feat not normally achieved with testosterone clutching onto my handbag. First stop was a medioca store named ‘West One’. I would say it is on par with Jane Norman and not my normal choice for clothing. But the cheap ’silk’ dresses in the window last time I visted the T centre seemed to work in my head. This was not to be. Upon returning and trying on several garments I came to the conclusion that no matter how cheap they were, I simply could not go out in a lycra dress *shudders*. And so off I went riding the christmas themed escalator down to Zara, they always have pretty things. Expensive, but Dave was paying so…..:0D

After braving the harsh lighting and doing two laps it was apparent that what they did have had all been sold for the party period. Damm, I was starting to loose faith, this is easily done even for me when dressing rooms are boiling, staff want to go home and there are people everywhere. After a phone call to Dad I decided that maybe good ol’ faithful debs was the right place to go. After all they are a fierce competitor of the high st at xmas (especially in the sales ;)) So after avoiding the umpa-lumpa’s in the cosmetic aisle I proceeded to the labyrinth of designers merged together.

 Now I may be a fashion snob sometimes, but deb’s have some fantastic and eithical designer ranges. Star by Macdonald and Butterfly by Matthew Willamson make beautiful low end priced, high end range clothing. But they both use real fur in their high end ranges and so are a no go. Betty Jackson never fails to impress me but with her cut’s swinging towards to 60’s and 70’s no pretty frocks were found. To get away from the hoards I stumbled into the Princibles consession and found a loverly victoria number. I didn’t end up trying this on and I though it was maybe a little old for me, and heavy. But it was beautiful and half price.

Half price or neigh, it wasn’t meant to be.

 

And so I fluttered around, dodging miss sixty, topshop and morgan and picked up some dresses from Phase Eight and Coast. More expensive, grown up, seemed to fit the bill. The first dress I tried was a pink Phase Eight dress. On the hanger it was a colour I can wear, and seemed to be floaty and a bit hippie, a lightbulb lit in my head and it was prompty swung over the arm. I must say before I forget that whislt all this was going on I was brave and picked up all size 10’s. Now with my bust it is usually a 12 or even 14 I have to wear. West One’s item’s were all 10 with room! And so I thought I would try my luck with others. To my surprise they all fitted and zipped up no problem. Girl’s, I have done the impossible and before xmas, dropped a dress size, horar!

 Anyway back to the dresses, the first despite being smaller still seemed to be a bit frumpy and big, and so it was placed back on the hanger for a forty-something to fall in love with.

 Phase Eight Disaster.

The next dress was red, a seasonal colour and one for the blondes. It had a pretty criss cross at the back which was achieved by weaving the under material and the covering to end up texture. As well as texture this dress had shape and seemed to hold well. But with me beiing top heavy I still wasn’t sure, and with the sales assistants stressed out and dealing with an endless stream of woman dotting into the fitting rooms I was flying solo. Another thing I thought was that the hem would have to be taken up. I’m not one to praise my legs but adding inches to your hem adds inches to your age! So back to shops I went.

 Red Phase Eight dress or was it J by Jasper Conran? Either way it added years. The other two dresses are from coast and draped on the floor. No good in the Manchester weather when you’re a no list.

After a short visit to USC (I have a gift voucher to spend that’s gone missing actually) and not digging the 16-yr old street chic I could feel an overwhelming sense of failure and bought myself a double choc cookie. But wait…Princibles had a store, I had liked several of their items, I wondered if they would have something else. Jackpot. Christmas/Party dresses were on display all over the store, I was in heaven.  I found several art deco style dresses all together on a fixture and a silky purple dress. I took six into the changing room. Two were for good measure but didn’t make it off the hanger. One was glittering, and even thought it was longer it crossed over my bust and complmented my shape.

 Gold Art Deco dress.

Unsure I tried on the purple dress. I don’t own anything pruple so this was a risk. I do own an awful lot of silk though, my achilies heel. And low and behold, this dress was 100% silk It was a 40’s style flapper dress with a modern twist. It had two spagetti style straps which gave me confidence that I had some support and was mysterious boned. This meant that I looked super thin, and with it being a size smaller gave the impression of the frame that I don’t have but would love. A model’s. The colour is actually quite versatile, it can be accessorised with silver, gold, red or even green. Dave wants me to buy red shoes, but we’ll see. Oh yes, I bought the dress. And now I just need some shoes to go with it. But for the timebeing last night was enough. I picked up some sushi for tea and drove home. 15mins is not bad I must say, but then again I did drive 70mph all the way.

The Winner, Grazia Mag’s recommended princibles purple silk 40’s dress.

 

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