Dress Update (Are you tired yet? I am.)

Ok, so here's the dress update. And I think it actually might be final, unless I find something amazing on sale at the Lake Forest Ann Taylor when I do returns tomorrow.

You remember my post on the 3 Nordstrom dresses... They each had some very good points, but none of them were "the one." Then there was the Banana Republic dress that I ordered. Oh, how I had high hopes for this one. Fortunately, it arrived in the mail on Monday so that I could make alternate plans. How did it look on me? Oh honeys, it was bad...it was so bad...it's been a while since I actually looked that bad in a dress. One word for you...hideous. I didn't even bother to take a picture - I just wanted to get that dress off asap...before my self-esteem suffered any more. (hehehe)

That's not to say it's a bad dress - it's actually quite cute. It was a little short (but that's always manageable with the right shoe). No, the real fault is in the cut at the shoulders. Somehow I had muffin-top at my armpits. I don't pretend to be a sample-size, but somehow this dress created fat. From the online pics, I thought it was a fairly straight shoulder, but it cuts way in on me. And with my rectangular body shape and my wide shoulders...recipe for disaster. This is the single most unflattering cut there is on my upper body. However, if you have a pear shape (dina, summerilla, etc), definitely go try this on because it is adorable. And, at $132, plus the Gap/BR/ON 30% off right, now - wow - that gets it down to $92!!

So...what did I end up getting? Well, I went to Tysons yesterday to return all 3 dresses. I hit up just about every store there (except the department stores as I just did not have time). I did squeeze in lunch with hubby so that was a nice treat. I actually purchased 2 dresses - 1 from Ann Taylor and 1 from Talbots (that would need to be shortened). Both are going back because I swung by Montgomery Mall on the way home to do some J Crew returns and popped into their Ann Taylor while I was there. And then I found it....the dress.

Dress by Taylor at Ann Taylor, on sale for $99.99, plus 40% off, so final price was $60. First of all check out the amazing swirly ruffles around the neckline. Talk about framing the face...


The dress is actually a heavy knit, but the cut & the detailed neckline definitely kick it up - and it will be dressed up with accessories as well.


Let's talk about the cut - definitely form-fitting. My sister will be proud. (and dina - can you see my waist?) Requires a wee bit of shapewear for the midsection, but the Assets by Spanx line at Target will do - nothing too heavy duty. And I'm not even wearing any in this picture, so IRL, it will only look better. I also see versatility in this dress. It will work for the wedding. But I also may wear it to our work holiday party with my charcoal gray 3/4 sleeve fitted turtleneck tee from the Gap with tights and boots. And I can also just wear with sandals in the summer.

Can you tell I have a splitting headache and want to go back to bed in this pic? Yeah, me too. I am starting to see a new correlation between my headaches & migraines and atmospheric pressure. It could be the Halloween sugar, too, though...

Back to the accessories topic. (And this is why I don't Twitter - like I could actually limit myself to 140 characters - ask my friends & family - I really am this scattered in person.) First of all, I'll be wearing my hair up - in a ponytail (dressy ponytail, I swear...mental note, master the dressy pony before Saturday...) And with the neckline, I don't want to do a necklace, so I'm thinking significant earrings and major bracelets on 1 arm. I don't think a statement cocktail ring is going to cut it this time.

Idea 1 - heirloom flora earrings with something like the duchess stone bracelet in dusty blossom, with the garden pearl bracelet in clementine and a bracelet similar to the crystal symphony? I think I'll check F21 for bracelets as well.

Idea 2 - large gold hoops (Dina hoops, natch), with gold & crystal bracelets - like the crystal shapes bracelet, twisted crystal necklace wrapped 5 times, etc.

Any other ideas?


So off to mall tomorrow to return at AT & Talbots. (Here's the Talbots dress I had purchased, by the way - it is so gorgeous in person, just about 2-3" too long, and it's 3 times the price of this one, so back to the store it goes...) And that would be Lake Forest, since it does have both AT & Talb.

And here's a dress only pic so I can grab it for Polyvore (because it's not like some of us are even capable of getting dressed without PV, right?):