With a formal awards ceremony in the calendar, I turned to one of my favourite high street fashion brands to see if I could find the perfect dress without breaking the bank
Dressing for formal events such as weddings, graduations and evening ‘dos can be tricky – you want to meet the dress code yet still be fairly comfortable, and ideally don’t want to spend a fortune on an outfit you’re unlikely to wear very often.
And so when I was invited to a work awards ceremony and found myself with nothing to wear, I immediately clicked onto the Nobody’s Child website – a favourite of mine for pretty and flattering dresses for all occasions.
I bought five different styles to try on – including one with pockets and a £69 surprise hit – and the one I ended up wearing was a surprise last-minute addition to my basket; it was worth it though, as it received so many compliments from other guests that evening…
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Red Nova Midi Dress
£85 here
This colour was a real curveball for me, as I never wear red, and rarely stray from black, however I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I like this colour on me. The dress was super comfortable and gets bonus points for having pockets. I didn’t keep it in the end as I felt like it was more of an everyday dress than an evening one, but it has encouraged me to be a bit braver with colour.
If you’re looking for an alternative, New Look’s Red Puff Sleeve Midi Dress is £29.99.
Black Ruffle Tiered Cassidy Midi Dress
£89 here
This is the one that I thought would be my favourite it reminds me of an old favourite Reformation dress I own, but it actually didn’t suit me as much as I though when it was on; again, it was too casual for the occasion, and the waistband sat too high on me – under my bust rather than on my waist. It was very light and breezy for summer though, and again, loved the pockets!
New Look does another alternative to this here too, the Black Multiway Tiered Midi Dress, priced at £55.99.
Black Balloon Sleeve Zola Mini Dress
£99 here
Something slightly different from the others, but I really loved this one. I loved the flattering balloon sleeves, and how cute it looked with chunky heels. There were two reasons why I didn’t pick it, however: one, I thought the hem was a bit short for a work event, and two, I’d be getting ready by myself in a hotel room, and would have no one to tie up the bow on the back for me. This would be great for Christmas parties, though.
Topshop clean trapeze mini dress in black, £55, is a similar shape.
Black Tiered Clara Midi Dress
£69 here
I thought I would hate this one as I dislike anything that clings or skims the body, but this was a surprise hit. It’s way more flattering and slimming than I thought, plus you can wear a bra with it (unlike most of these other options), and it folds up very small in a suitcase (like this £39 Next dress). It was a close contender, pipped only to the post by…
Black Puff Sleeve Zora Midi Dress
£130 here
…the Zora dress, which was the one I wore, and which got me so many compliments. I loved the flattering shape, the statement sleeves and the little flash of skin from the slash neck and low back (you can probably still get away with wearing a bra though). Although more expensive than the others, I felt so comfortable in this, and know I’ll get loads of wear out of it.