Driving me crazy, but I found a short tadashi dress, in the light blue, with a great bottom, at Nordstrums. I found it by typing the designers name, then short dresses. Really pretty and special
HALSTON HERITAGE Women’s Tulip Evening Gown on Amazon
(I do not know how to link–silly, I know).
Love the simplicity and colors available. Add a shawl or shrug for later in the evening…
I have been reading along here. I can envision what I want but when I found it on line it was vintage and not to be bought. I did find an emergency jacket today. I put it on with my fancy loose legged flowing pants and my tight silky tank and fancy wedges and showed H. He really liked it. I added my very nice pearls. It was on the clearance rack at Target for 19.99. I am going out to find it one size down tomorrow but even if I keep this it is something I would wear to a special occasion. It is a light burnt orange (not intense) loose embroidered gauzy open long top. I find I either do well with super cheap or super expensive. But am glad there is a back up in my closet as I search on for my vision.
H knows that the story is that I found it at Nordstrom’s Last Chance Rack for a whole lot of money :D.
A few years ago we had an open house reception for S and DIL and I ran out and found the perfect top
at TJ’s for $14.99 AFTER I had looked at shops for weeks.
@doschicos: Yes, I’ve looked at Dillard’s website. They’re on my list of possible places to order from (we don’t have them near where I live), but frankly everything they have looks to me like everything else.
@consolation: Yes, the wedding will be in CT. Fall colors like pumpkin/rust would be fine with me. Thanks for the links to Eileen Fisher but most of her stuff doesn’t work for me. I am very petite – generally a size 2P – and most of her stuff swallows me up, even in the PP sizes.
A local friend whose son got married a year and a half ago and who is also petite and tiny just told me about a few boutique-y places in the next town that I had never heard of, so I’ll be trying them in the next few days. And she also said to try Saks; even though they don’t carry petites anymore (grrrr --), in their NYC store they have an entire floor of gowns and some might work.
@mathmom: I did go to Anthropologie, but I wasn’t aware of Sundance, so thanks for that suggestion.
@VeryHappy, i’m not sure where in CT you are, but my favorite “fancy dress” boutique is The Elephant’s Trunk in Mt. Kisco. It’s where I bought the most flattering dress I’ve ever owned for my D’s Bat Mitzvah 15 years ago. I’ll be headed up there this week
I’m not sure I’d call it reasonable, but I didn’t spend “thousands” on my dress. If memory serves me, they had a range from very affordable to OMG, as they say. If nothing else, I’ll be using it to get ideas. Like you, I’d prefer not to be wearing something that looks typically MOG. Now, like I said, it’s been 15 years, but I really hate department stores.
I really love that Halston tulip dress in brown. Too bad it doesn’t come in petites, VeryHappy. You could wear that with a great silk shawl in the fall.
I really like this dress. (Look at the bodice close up. Shows off your arms, nice with a pashmina or silk shawl outdoors. Works better for “rustic chic” than all of those lace/beaded gowns, IMHO.
Having serious dress envy here…and wish I could fit into some of those dresses. It’s clear from the comments that y’all are going to look wonderful no matter which dress you choose.
I know, I need a dress too, more or less cocktail attire for my son’s commissioning ceremony and the event the evenng before. I need something that will work for both fancy cocktails and not so fancy BBQ immediately afterwards! At least I suspect that will end up being the plan. Son will be wearing his brand new dress white Navy uniform without medals. So fancy, but not black tie fancy.
Of course we might just head back to the hotel and change clothes, since the more I think about BBQ and that white uniform the worse idea that seems!
