I thought about that when I went shopping, and one of the options could be shortened to cocktail length. That alone could sway me towards it since I don’t go to many black tie events requiring long dresses. However, my S is getting married to a wonderful woman and if that requires me to buy a one and done dress for the wedding, so be it.
I am never going to wear this dress again. If I bought a dress I might wear again, it would probably be a casual sundress as even casual dresses are worn very rarely.
I own only very casual clothes anymore. I am never invited to anything I would need dressy clothes for.
I, as the MOB feel that my dress should be dressier than I would wear as a wedding guest. So I wouldn’t wear it to another wedding.
I don’t wear dresses all that often these days, so that was the reason I asked. I do wear dresses when I do presentations, go out to some nice meals, sometimes theater. I rarely wear for opera–too cold there.
I can see buying a “one and done” for a special event. I’ve never changed the length of any of my dresses, so have no experience but for the right style that could be an option if the hemming was reasonable and outfit still looked good with altered length.
Just musing out loud.
I have not found that to be the case. I generally wear a 2P. I ordered the Calvin Klein in a 2 regular. It fit, except for the extra gazillion inches on the bottom. Also, I have some 2 regular short dresses that are just fine on me – slightly above the knee, as opposed to the mid-thigh they show on the 5’ 10" models.
That’s great. I usually have to go down a size when I switch from a petite to a non petite size.
For me, when I wear anything in a petite, the waist is high (higher than my natural waist) and if it’s a top, it tends to be shorter than I prefer. The length is about right for dresses, around knee-length.
My size in petite is about the same as for “regular” sizes. The “higher end” brands tend to have smaller size numbers than I’m used to and more generous cut. In most brands, I’m about a 10. In the “high end” brands, I’m about a 4.
I’m high waisted…so petite sizes are perfect for me. I get the same size as a regular size…just order petite. The petite is cut a bit smaller on top…I think…which is perfect for me.
Re: a one off dress. The one I wear to my DD’s wedding…I just can’t imagine I’ll be wearing it anywhere else. But so far, I have THREE dresses which might work…so you never know.
@thumper1: Maybe you can be one of those Mom-zillas who changes dresses every hour or so!
Well…I probably WILL be changing shoes every couple of hours…assuming I find any I like!
Bumping this up because I have begun the search in earnest. I found two pricey dresses at my favorite boutique, but my husband likes neither (even without seeing the price tag) so I am back in the hunt. Though I need to feel good in the dress, I’m not willing to spend big money if he doesn’t like the way I look. I have ordered this dress because I tried it on in a size too small and a size too big (all the store had) and know that if it fits, it would be fine. It was on sale, and I feel like having a back-up right now is important since I have not had much luck.
It has to fit perfectly though because it will be difficult to tailor with the cotton lace. I wear heels, so I don’t think the length will be an issue. My best friend is coming with me to hit all the major NYC department stores (Lord & Taylor, Saks, Bloomingdales, and maybe Bergdorf Goodman or Barney’s) next week, so I’m hoping there will be more to report.
@runnersmom I tried that dress on myself. It didn’t work for me…at all. But then, I already have two nice navy dresses floor length in my closet.
I’m now looking for a pink but not pale pink, or a lavender. I saw one dress yesterday and it was great but was WAY too pale a color for me. It was only $82 and was gorgeous.
I then saw another I liked that was $420. I didn’t even look to see if they had it in my size!
I have a year to find a dress.
Good luck on your shopping trip! Send picture links!!
Following this thread with interest…D’s wedding is May 2018. It’s in CA with an outdoor ceremony and then indoor/outdoor reception. It could be cool and a bit foggy since it’s near the coast. Or, it could be quite warm.
I can’t get over the feeling that large amounts of lace or beading at a wedding should be on the bride. As pretty as many of the lace overlay dresses may be…it just seems like they’d be competition with the bride’s dress. I’m referring to those particular dresses which clearly shout out LACE, not the ones with a bit on the bodice or bottom.
Am I the only one who feels this way? Maybe I just need to get over it.
I am off to the main Lord and Taylor on 5th Avenue this afternoon as my office is closing early and I need a new dress to wear for my great-niece’s upcoming wedding this summer. As they are orthodox I cannot be too exposed in front and I must have my shoulders covered so that leaves out a lot of dresses that I have seen online.
There is a very nice Tadashi Shoji dress that I’ve seen online at both Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom websites, one is in ivory and other in pale blue. It is short and fits my needs but I don’t think that either color is what I am looking for. I was thinking maybe navy, burgundy or grey as opposed to another black dress. I saw a few that would work online but those were all in the $700 range and not looking to spend that much money.
The above gown is really lovely by the way.
@bookmama22, please report back on the L&T selection. The suburban store (where I found the lace dress) was very heavily stocked with prom-type dresses and very little for this 61y/o MOG. @dietz199, I would probably shy away from a more delicate lace (this one is pretty substantial) and have in fact, considered the bride’s dress in my thinking. I’ve seen it and it’s very simple, with no lace or beading. The beauty is all in the fabric and the draping (and the bride!), so I will in no way feel that I am usurping the “bridal-style.” My biggest issue is that I don’t want jersey and many of the dresses I’ve considered are heavy. Given that the wedding is Labor Day weekend and, weather permitting, the ceremony and cocktail party will be outdoors, I don’t want something that feels, to me, so heavy.
OP here. I have gone round and round trying to find a dress. I ended up deciding against the one I had posted originally. I liked it but I didn’t love it. There were a couple others that I also felt the same way about. Here is the dress that I think I am going to order tomorrow (in navy, not the red that is shown). It is WAY more expensive than what I had planned to spend, but honestly I could say the same thing about almost every line item in the wedding budget. I just decided that I want to feel good about what I’m wearing and this is truly a once in a lifetime event.
http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Special-Occasion-Dresses/9038
I am not a very creative or imaginative person - I can’t hold up a paint chip against an off-white wall and imagine what the room will look like in eggplant. So it is a little hard for me to imagine how this dress that I tried on in a size 14 in red is going to look like in the navy size 0 they will order for me. But since I really liked it a lot more than anything else I have seen, I think I am going to take the plunge and order tomorrow. And I am paying dearly for my procrastination and ambivalence in this whole MOB dress search - in addition to the expensive dress, I’m going to have to pay a $30 rush fee to get it in time for the end of July wedding. (I know, the $30 is in the noise level as far as the wedding budget goes, but it is annoying!)
I suspect I will be in the same boat if I don’t find something soon. The dress I posted above is in the “like don’t love” category, but so were the 2 uber expensive options I’ve discarded. I really want to feel good in whatever I choose, but eventually I know I’ll have to just buy/order something.
C3: I like the dress and think navy is a great color. If you like it, go for it. I found that once I knew what I was going to wear for D’s wedding, I was much less stressed.
I couldn’t agree more with you both about feeling good in something. It’s odd, because I never buy something unless I do feel good in it, but I’m finding that I just don’t feel good in most long dresses! There’s the problem!!
I have two dresses in my house right now that I’ve bought but don’t love, and two more are on their way to me. I want to fall in love, though.
Our wedding is a year away…I have dresses I absolutely could wear…and like. But if I find something better in the next year,I’ll get it.
I will say, I was VERY underwhelmed with the dresses I saw at Lord and Taylor, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. I’ve been to a couple of bridal shops…and hated everything I saw there (except a very expensive dress I would have needed to custom order,and I didn’t like it THAT much. I don’t think I’ll be going to any more bridal shops!
The spring styles THIS year are just not calling to me. Maybe there will be something I like more next season…or something.
^agree. The styles and colors this year have been underwhelming (and frustrating), exception being navy dresses. Loved navy…but that’s what bridal party wearing.
I have a dress that the bride and her attendants approve of, but I’m not wowed by it…and I’m betting it will look deathly in pictures. But at this point (80 days out), I’ve O.D.'d on shopping and I’m moving on. I’m happy with the dresses I’ve found for the rehearsal dinner and morning after brunch, so 2 out of 3…