Dudley is getting married in a few weeks. Mr. Chili is going to be Dudley’s best man and wearing a tuxedo goes along with that honor. What that means for me is that I get to dress up – I can’t pull just any old thing out of my closet and expect to look nice on the arm of my handsome, tuxedoed husband. Besides, I get so few occasions to really dress up that I’m taking this for all it’s worth.
I’ve got a good news / bad news thing going on in the hunt for something suitable, however. The good news is that it’s almost prom season, so there are actually formal dresses out in my local stores; normally, finding anything fancier than a business suit is a big deal in these here parts. The bad news is that it’s almost prom season, and it seems that all the formal dresses are full length, sleeveless/strapless and either fantastically colored or wildly frothy.
I’m thirty eight years old. I don’t do wildly frothy. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure I ever did.
There are some lovely dresses out there that don’t fit into the teeny-bopper prom gown set but, almost without exception, these dresses are all black. Now, I KNOW that the etiquette for weddings has evolved over the course of the last twenty or so years, and that a lot of people now feel that it’s perfectly acceptable to wear black to a wedding. The problem that I have with this, though, is that the bride has a problem with this.
I have an absolutely GORGEOUS gown in my closet – a Jessica McClintock – which is a black, tea-length gown with spaghetti straps that end in kicky little bows at my shoulder blades and which has just the slightest hint of come-and-get-me red tulle peeking out from under the hem. When I described this dress to the bride, I could almost hear her nose wrinkle. Because I like her, I’m leaving that dress at home and foraging out into the wilds for something more suitable.
So far, though? Precious little has revealed itself to me. I tried on a pretty, floor-length green number, but it didn’t meet spousal approval. Neither did a brown and black tea-length dress that didn’t quite meet the prettiness standards. I’ve found a light-blue-with-black-detail dress that I like but don’t love. I really want to love the dress I wear to this wedding, so I’m keeping the tags on the blue number and continuing my search.
A little luck wished my way would not go unappreciated.
Would love to have you post a picture of you in the Red & Black dress, with matching handbag of course.
And the one you finally settle on, if we can find it!
I see nothing wrong with wearing a little black dress to the wedding. Bride’s probably afraid of getting out-done at her own wedding. I would really struggle to wear anything but black. Had my niece out dress shopping for Confirmation yesterday…do you have a Dillards? Not a horrible selection – though there was a rampant section of…what’d you call it? Wildly frothy?
Saw one girl try on what was esentially a bridal gown. Stark white and way frothy. Her boyfriend was there with her and he just stood there, hands in his pockets and said “yeah, it’s nice.” I almost choked from trying not to laugh.
It is such a mistake to bring men along, ladies, when you go shopping for yourselves. I’ve worked at a jewelry store for five years now, and I can guarantee you that the guy doesn’t care, so asking him “what do you think” is a waste of time. He doesn’t care, he knows you don’t care about his opinion and that if you like ityou’re going to ignore what he says anyway, so why subject yourself and him to the agony? Just pick out what you like and, if you can afford it, buy it, and let the guy stay at home or hang out with his buddies, or whatever he wants to do other than have to mumble “yeah, it’s nice.”
Yeah, but if spousal approval is important, and it seems to be, go someplace that has a few things to offer and maybe put one or two aside for Husband to give his yea or nay.
Barring that, although we don’t live anywhere crazy cosmopolitan, there are a few ginormous malls around with such stores as Lord and Taylor… Let me know if you need some girlfriend support…
I am sending positive vibes for you. Let me know if you want to come down here to see what this area has to offer.
Also, have you tried looking online?
Have you tried Cold Water Creek? Nice selection, and their online Outlet has some great deals. And if I remember correctly, there is an actual outlet storefront in Kittery.
Good luck!
I actually DO listen to the guy’s opinion. Frankly, I’ve had better luck getting guys to figure out my wardrobe than girls a lot of the time. Although there are quirks, like the dude who felt like 2 bright colors next to each other was eye-searing.
I have to say that my husband’s eye for what looks good on me in invaluable – for the really important outfits, I wouldn’t shop without him.
Where’s your next shopping destination?
I think formal weddings, actually any wedding which costs more than the price of a trip to the courthouse, are a waste of time, effort, and, mostly, money. I know, I know, it’s the big “princess” day for the bride and all, but think what the young couple (in most cases) could do with the money–for that matter, think what the bride’s parents could do with it!
That said, I certainly ain’t handing out advice about attire!