OK, so this is a COMPLETELY silly, girly question, and I am so not a silly girly, girl, but I am feeling a little at a loss, so here it goes...

I am off to a party Saturday night. It is for my husband's best friend who has been made a partner in the financial consulting company where they both work. Mainly it will be people who work with my husband. It is being held at a large local brewery -- but in a banquet room with dinner.

What do I wear?!!!

I have lost 28 pounds -- I am sitting between a size 10 and a size 8. I have a bit more to go, but I am feeling pretty darn good about the way I look these days. The problem is that the last time I was this thin I was 28 -- now I'm 37. Can I still get away with a flirty little dress? Should I go for slacks and a nice shirt? It is a casual party -- but I am not going to wear jeans unless I can get really cool ones with maybe a great little top. I just don't know! My legs are pretty smoking at this point (If I do say so myself...), but I DO NOT want to look like I'm trying too hard. Help!

I think a flirty little dress sounds perfect. Make sure to have a wrap, or jacket handy just in case.

"Casual" and "business" never really means the same thing as my sort of casual (ie dumpy jeans & a t-shirt) so I always rule out jeans even when they say casual.

Flirty little dress! Flirty little dress!

If it were me, I'd wear a simple sleeveless or short sleeved dress, and a cute jacket or cardigan that goes with. That way, if the party seems more casual, I can take the cardigan off to "dress-down" the look. If people are more buttoned up (say if a lot of the people your husband works with are there in suit-like attire, because for them it is a business-ish event), you can leave the cardigan on and look nice/more businesslike. I always do this sort of layering when I'm not sure how to dress. I usually also bring two necklaces - pearls (in case it is more formal) and something funky/statement (for more casual events).

Just don't go too short on the dress. Skirts falling more than several inches above the knee can be hard to pull off and can push the limits of professional. But an inch or so above the knee? Heck yes!

Rock it and have fun.

Go for the flirty little dress! You deserve to look your absolute best!

You've worked hard for a body you could put in the little dress! Go for it!

Flirty dress!!!!

I'd find something that hits just above the knee. I'm 40 and that's the length I wear most of my skirts - even professionally to client meetings. It's short enough to be a little flirty, but not so short that you look ... well ... trampy!

I'd go with something like this:
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/...ze1=&color=grm

Or this:
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/...ze1=&color=pur

Or this:
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/...ze1=&color=bmu

Any one of them with a cute little sweater to pull over your shoulder and a pair of cute sandals with a little heel.

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Flirty dress and a shoe with a kitten heel.

Another vote for the flirty dress!

Thanks everybody! I really liked all of the Anthropologie dresses -- I hadn't even thought to go there to look. I am going out tomorrow and getting a little dress. Why not? I DID work hard so why not make use of all that hard work!

ETA - Photo, those dresses are cuuuuuuute!

I loooooove Anthropologie. One of my big big big NSV moments was when I could walk into their store and actually fit into something. It was a t-shirt in a large size ... but I could actually wear and buy something from Anthropologie!!!!



Now my goal is to look good in one of their super-cute sundresses by next summer.

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I did it! I actually ended up buying a little, very dark chocloate brown dress -- same exact color as my hair almost -- that hits just above my knee. I got it at the Limited. It has 3/4 length sleeves and a little tie back that shows off my new waistline. I would attach a link, but it is not up on their website -- it must have been from last year or something as I got it at a great sale's price. I already own a cute little black and brown blazer that can go over it --to dress it up if need be -- and great shoes that match.

Again, thanks everybody. Having a significant change in the way I look has thrown me a little for a loop when it comes to things like clothes. I have spent a long time as a pregant and or nursing mom so I wear a lot of T-Shirts and Jeans...

Whooo hooo!

Have fun at the party!

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You look 28 so I'd say you can dress like it.

Your new dress sounds so adorable! I just bought a flirty little chocolate brown dress as well. I can't wait to fit into it.

Have a wonderful time at the party. Tell us how everyone liked the dress!

Thanks for the compliment.

OK, so here is the update. The dress was a huge success! Good advice everyone. I got at least five compliments on the way I looked. Some woman I've never met asked me for my hair dresser's name. It was really, really fun and satisfying in a completely shallow way!

My husband told me, as we were getting ready for bed, that I was the most gorgeous woman in the room. He joked that no one even came in a close second. Of course, he would have told me the same thing before I lost the weight because he loves me, but this time when he said it, there was something in his eyes that I have not seen burn quite that hot in a while. This time when he said it, he didn't just mean it -- he MEANT it. It was great.