It's a good friend's 50th birthday on Saturday night. I'm going to the party at her house with my new partner. Our first outing to a party and he'll be meeting some of the friends for the first time. My partner likes me to look good and I've finally been convinced that for my age and stage I'm still quite an attractive woman. (5 ft 6", size US 6, hour-glass/pear). I want him to be proud of me, I want to look appropriate but I have no idea what to wear. In my slovenly past I would go in any old thing and feel a bit of a mess.

My friend will be wearing a taffeta silk wrap around dress in blue. She described it to me as a party dress. I have too many drab LBDs but I don't like me in black and I want to wear a party dress too.

I thought of buying an investment Diane von Furstenburg wrap dress, hopefully in a warm print with pink in it. (Pink is my favourite colour). But that's pricey and I couldn't afford accessories. Or there's a thin grey silk flapper style dress in my local crafty shop and if I bought that I could probably invest in some beads/shoes/clutch too.

I'm not sure about mid-gray on a dark blonde.....but then I'm not sure about much.

Any ideas - especially from the UK ladies?