The back up plan

When in doubt, wear red. ~ Bill Blass

So this bank holiday I suffered the age-old problem that women face - a night out with the girls, a wardrobe of clothes but nothing to wear!

All the girls had their outfits planned (various versions of the LBD) and had bought something new to wear for the night.  I had my heart set on finding a dress but with limited choices available in Blackpool my search failed.  I am, what you would call a plus-size girl, not through choice, so finding a style that fits and is flattering can be a struggle. 

Having endometriosis has had an impact on my body shape; a resulting large stomach operation has meant that I have little muscle tone in my midriff section. So finding a good, tailored outfit to flatter my figure is a priority but is this what the shops offer?  Sadly no,  its really limited, you might find the perfect dress available in sizes 6 - 22 but as the sizes increase, so the style of the dress is altered beyond the initial design.  Why do most plus size dresses resemble sacks rather that include tailoring that can flatter or enhance aspects of a figure like a small waist?  Just because you are plus size doesn't mean you don't deserve to wear fashionable clothes.  I know that there are stores providing fashion for plus sizes including Evans but I still don't feel that you can still buy that perfect dress unless you are under size 16.

After a fruitless search of the shops I decided to use my 'fall-back' dress, a £16 bargain dress bought from Matalan around four years ago.  Its black with a lovely red and white flower print on it.  I've worn it in winter and summer, for weddings and parties . . . its served me well.  I've even loaned it to friends.  As the sun was forecast to be out for the day, I decided to wear black tights and treated myself to some red patent heels to brighten up the outfit - as Bill said when in doubt, wear red! Sadly I'm a bit disappointed with the survival rate of these shoes on the Blackpool street.  Fair enough at £25 from Dorothy Perkins, they were a quick and cheap fix to a wardrobe dilemma but they have been easily scratched and and are already marked. I do love high street shoes, and haven't had many problems with Dorothy Perkins shoes until now but wouldn't recommend these as a future purchase.  I love patent heels and have a few in my collection, even cheaper than this pair, that are in better condition.  Its made me realise that the quick option isn't always the cheaper option.  I need better willpower to save money that I would normally spend on high street and invest in more expensive shoes that have a better shelf life!