- Blue, black, yellow and white graphic print dress – Macy’s
- Blue scarf masquerading as a pashmina – Old Navy
- Pearls – birthday gift from Chelsie
- Black ankle strap shoes – Naturalizer
Excuse the tired eyes and mangled hair – I took these photos after a day spent arguing heartily debating over how best to represent 4.5 billion years of time in an exhibit, and I’m a wee bit on the tired side. I wouldn’t even have taken photos today, but I promised my mum images of the dress I’m thinking of wearing to my friend’s wedding and, trust me, you don’t mess with mama. The summer o’ grounding for riding my bike (once, just once!) without wearing my helmet taught me that lesson.
Honestly, I really dislike dressing for weddings. There are so many variations on the theme! Outdoor, indoor, the “outdoors is indoors” of conservatories, cocktail, semi-formal, black tie, the list goes on and on. Because the rest of my life is much less fancy, I never wear dresses I get for weddings any other time, and I always seem to end up in a situation where the dress that worked perfectly last time is now too big/small/short/long/casual/fancy/purple (yes, I was once told a dress would be too purple and clash with the bride’s color scheme) and I have to start all over. My one coup was last year when there were three weddings in three weeks and I wore the same dress each time – take that, weddings!
So, this is the dress I’m thinking of wearing to my friend’s wedding. Originally I had another dress in mind (this, only in red), but it doesn’t fit me as well as it did when I bought it and I really don’t feel like wearing a girdle (don’t believe the hype in calling them “shapewear;”they’re all girdles). So I found this dress (for $19.00 down from $90.00!) and am thinking it might be a suitable alternative.
The fabric is a lovely, soft, stretchy, crepe-y material that will pack wonderfully with no wrinkles. It’s also a pattern, which I’ve been trying to incorporate into my closet more. The wide shoulders and high back = Katie gets to wear a regular bra and not have to repeat the duck tape incident of 2004 (score!), and the length is just right. It’s probably technically more of a day dress, and the wedding is evening cocktail (whatever that means), but I think the scarf and pearls dress it up. And, the circle shape of the pearls mimics the circle print of the dress. See what I did there? Eh? Eh? I can be fashion-y.*
The one thing I’m not sure of are the shoes. I bought these shoes when I was a bridesmaid and was told I must wear close-toe black shoes, and I quite like them. They have a 40′s feel, and I like how my legs look in ankle straps, but I’m not sure if they “go.” I have a pair of black high-heeled sandals that might work…
Any thoughts? Does the dress work? Do the shoes go? Do you like dressing for weddings? Do you have a go-to ensemble? Do you know why Two and a Half Men is still on the air? Or why there are so many books at my library about outsiders “finding themselves” while living in Amish communities?
That’s my “thinking about Amish culture as a cheap literary device (I’m looking at you, Karen Harper, Carol Duerksen, Beth Wiseman, Barbara Cameron, Beverly Lewis, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Wanda E. Brunstetter, Hilary Manton Lodge and Dale Cramer) face.”
*That’s so a lie. My mom thought up the whole “pearls and circles” thing. I’m pretty sure I just looked at it all and went, “ooo, pretty!”
P.S. I just realized it looks like I didn’t buckle my shoes properly. And that’s because I didn’t.
Love the dress, and I do think the shoes go! What I’m not sure about is the scarf. It could just be my monitor, but from here the blue looks quite bright, and not quite the same as the more muted blue in the dress. Also, it look like the scarf is one of those lightweight, crinkly jobs and to me both of those things speak a little less formal, not more. If that’s the case, I actually feel like the texture (and maybe even the bright color) of the scarf may be dressing down the whole ensemble? I know you have a million scarves – maybe there’s another, in a richer fabric/texture and slightly less vibrant color, that would also look good? The blue scarf looks great for day, but to me “evening cocktail” leans much more toward the formal side of things.
I actually love dressing for weddings, but it does annoy me that my beautiful cocktail dresses don’t see much use outside of them. I’m actually constantly looking for ways to dress down a fancy dress.
The blue of the scarf is in the dress, but because the graphic pattern is small it doesn’t pop as much as it would with a larger print. And the crinkly job is more a reflection of my aversion to ironing than the scarf, but I see your point.
Hmmm, it’s probably just me but I’m hesitant on this one… I feel that the lines and style are “ok” but that these are even more flattering and highlight your figure so much better:
First I LOVE the lines that this look gives:
PH of 7 : http://interrobangsanon.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/katie-daily-style-ph-of-7/ and yes I know a shredded tee-shirt isn’t what would be called suitable wedding garb, but the libes work fabulously here too:
Shredded Tshirt http://interrobangsanon.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/katie-daily-style-shredded-t-shirt/
And this one: Hot in topeka I can imagine that this would look not just great as it does here but even better with a soft, sheer calf length cardigan that flowed loosely around the dress (the colour of which suits you wonderfully) http://interrobangsanon.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/katie-daily-style-hot-in-topeka-and-a-new-scarf/
I do like the outfit you have on here, just wonder it’s it’s a “good” look or your “best” look…. maybe with a black or black sparkly scarf better than the blue one in the photo though, Shaye is right, the blue one doesn’t go so well here.
Just my 2 cents, and in the end going in something YOU like and feel comfortable in will mean you have a fabulous time… and that’s the point isn’t it ?!: )
I really like this dress and it’s all fine, but I have no idea what evening cocktail means! I love dressing for weddings, mainly because i love fascinators, and there really is no other time for them. I have three dresses i wear to weddings, I rotate and style them differently. Soon all my friends will be married and then there will be no more weddings for decades, so I’m not buying any more! But I’ve never been to a wedding with a dress code actually! Some of my friends went to one where the bride banned black, but that was it.
I like the pattern on the dress.
Duct tape incident was 2003, no?
I just wrote a post on Amish Fiction for work on Saturday, they are also called ‘Bonnet Books’. They are ALL the rage right now! My biggest irritation is that they are all series, and you can’t tell which order they have to be read in. In addition, the collection development librarian also has to make sure she keeps ordering the entire series – so many authors, so many release dates! They are one of the banes of my existence at work.
You’re right, it was 2003! Nice to know you keep track of my bosom adventures so closely.
I’m not sure if Mennonite in a Little Black Dress counts as a Bonnet Book, because none of the Mennonites I know wear bonnets or any other sort of Mennonite garb, but there was much eyerolling about that book at potluck last week.
You might also be interested to know that most Bonnet Books are not written by authors of the Amish persuasion. I mean, they are persuaded to write and research about Amish, they just aren’t – Amish.
My favorites are the ones written by writers who aren’t Amish about Amish characters who want to be writers. It’s very meta.
1. I’m with Shaye and kiwidutch on the shawl. Do you have something darker? How does the dress look without a shawl? What if you wore a pearl bracelet, or necklace-as-bracelet?
2. The shoes look a bit ‘daytime’ to me. Have you tried your black high-heeled sandals?
3. You’re right about shapewear and girdles. I think I PREFER girdles, since at least outrageous fifties underwear wasn’t pretending to be natural. You know?
4. Did you know there was a people-finding-themselves-in-Amish-communities FILM called “For Richer or Poorer?” Kirstie Alley, Tim Allen. I remember it being rotten. I used to live in Amish country, and I’m surprised the Amish let so many authors in to find themselves. Seems like they’d be annoying. The authors, not the Amish.
5. Could I persuade you to write a post about our hair care routine and discoveries?
4.
5.
We have a hair care routine? Step 1: Remove wig from wig stand…
I like this look, although to me, the best litmus test for getting gussied up for a schmancy wedding is dance-ability. Can you shimmy and jive to your heart’s content in this outfit and feel like yourself?
The more immediate question: can I shimmy and jive at all?
That dress is fabulous! It pretty much drives me crazy when wedding invitations don’t specify requested attire. I realize that etiquette rules are in many ways a thing of the past, but it’s so frustrating that most of the invitations that I’ve received in the past year make no indication of the formality of the event.
I don’t think anyone knows why Two and a Half Men is still on the air….
looks like a great wedding outfit to me, as long as the shoes are comfy. you look great while not as if you’re trying to upstage the bride (horrors!), nothing to fuss with or constricting parts (waist, etc.), nice shawl for changing temperature conditions…….you could do an updo for your hair, fancy barrette or flowers, sparklier/bigger jewelry (earrings or necklace) if you want to read fancier. but looks festive enough as is for me.
disclaimer: this opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it : )