So I'm going to this wedding in Vegas in just over a week, and I decided to forgo the dresses currently hanging in my closet in favour of something new and different. I headed to an uuber-trendy store. This is the kind of store that draws the hipsters in my neighbourhood; the kind of store that I enter sheepishly and with great intimidation, feeling that I am too old/frumpy/mommyish/plain/uncool to shop there. This store has tons of cute and trendy dresses, and I promised myself that I would try something different for a change, and at least
consider dresses that I would normally dismiss as Too Hip, Too Out There, or Not Really Me. This is a wedding in Vegas, after all, and it seems like the perfect excuse to push my personal style boundaries and bend my rules a bit.
The first thing I noticed is that most of the dresses at this store were very young and flirty, which is kind of what I was going for, but for some reason they also all seemed really
short. These days, it's pretty rare for me to wear dresses that fall much above the knee - I'm not really down with exposing my behind when I bend over.
I pulled several dresses off the rack to try on. Some were a little outside of my usual style box, and some were typical colours and/or styles for me. There was one dress, though, that I kept coming back to. On the hanger, it seemed too much for my simple tastes, and I almost didn't try it on, feeling a bit silly even taking it into the change room with me. But then I reminded myself that the point of this exercise was to push myself. One after another, I quickly eliminated all the other dresses - too tight, too loose, not dressy enough, totally unflattering, oh, and of course, too
short.
Finally, there was just one dress left. Yep, you guessed it; the almost-didn't-try-it-on-because-it's-really-not-me multi-coloured frilly dress. So I slipped it on, and lo and behold, I actually quite
liked it. Well, I
thought I liked it. But I still wasn't sure if it screamed "fun, flirty party girl" or "I'm a pinata, go ahead and whack me with a stick until I bust open and spew my candy-coated innards everywhere." So I hemmed and hawed, trying to make a decision, wishing that I had a girlfriend with me to offer an honest opinion. I thought maybe I would buy it, bring it home and get the Hubs' opinion, and then return it if he thought it was too much, but then I noticed a sign inside the door of the change room that read, "Choose wisely, all sales final." Ummm... pressure much?
Initially, I walked away, thinking I would show pictures taken on my iPhone to a girlfriend and the Hubs for a second and third opinion, but I couldn't stop thinking about that dress, and less than half an hour later I was back at the same store, trying it on again. I started asking random shoppers for their opinions - I was desperate! A few kind ladies who happened to be there when I came out of the change room wearing the dress convinced me that it was really cute and I should get it. So I did.
What do
you think? I can't return it, but I do have a backup, so please be honest.
Also, accessories. At the very least, I'll need shoes and a handbag, and I'm a bit stumped as to what colours be pairing with this dress. Oh, and would a fascinator would be over the top?
(I'm kidding. I think.) If you consider yourself a fashionista with impeccable taste, please leave me a comment here. I need your help!!!
