I BOUGHT MY DRESS!!
Kyle, Sweetheart, now would be a good time to go see what's on TV!
Below are pictures of thee dress, so unless you want to ruin the surprise (it's ruin'd) you'll go find something else to do.
Love you!!!
It was a very sneaky sneaky venture, accidentally though. I think I mentioned that I was going to go to a bridal salon in Chevy Chase, MD later this month for a Vera Wang trunk show; 10% off. 10% is better than nothing off. The dresses, any of the ones I was waffling between, were still going to be expensive, but at least almost $1000 less expensive. Well, on a whim, I went on Facebook (I'm rarely on facebook, someone has to message me or something to coax me to sign in... I hate that you have to enter your whole e-mail address!! Mine is long!!) and saw an update on the Facebook page of the salon, they were having a sample sale... 60%-90% off Vera Wang bridal, bridesmaids, and accessories. Excuse me what?? When did this happen?? I have missed so many sample sales because I don't check Facebook enough. Oh great, it's tomorrow... 2.5 hours away...
But, but... 60% off!! And for once I didn't find out the day after (I found out about a sample sale from a Vera Wang salon in New York literally the day after their sample sale, and I found out about Vera Wang's flagship's sample sale a few weeks after it took place).
I actually started getting really distracted and confused... It was decision time. I was looking to save $4000, but did I want a sample? Did I want the older season (you can't get new season samples until about a year after they come out)?
Here was my dilemma:
Erica, Spring 2011, not for sale as a sample, I would have to wait a few more weeks for the trunk show, only get 10% off, but get a brand new dress.
Even on this woman, who is presumably more curvy than the Vera Wang model, there is no shape to this dress even though there should be a nice curviness to it.
I looked back over the pictures Keri managed to sneak of me in the dress in New York and I can't get over how I look disproportionate in it! My shoulders look too wide and my hips look too narrow.
I seem to recall swearing off mermaid dresses from the start anyway. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought, this wedding is not about me showing off my curves, my entire family and his will be there, I want it to be romantic, pretty, and... I hate that band across the top. To ME, it makes my bust look even bigger... this is not a priority for me!!
Mia and Keri assure me I'm being nit-picky, but I disagree, I do not have the hips to pull off this dress.
Were you convinced by all of that? Because I'm only about 90% convinced that I'm convinced by all of it. There was one factor that was bugging me; the Erica is a phenomenal dress, and it is worth the money... for someone who has that much money laying around:
It was very flattering in the hind area :)
In an A-line, you don't see any rear ends, and the Erica as a mermaid does show her off nicely.
The skirt is also really great, it moved really beautifully. But there was another that moved just as beautifully and has just as wonderful a skirt!
Welcome back, Diana!
It's the perfect A-line without being too ballgown-like on the bottom. It has a modified sweetheart neckline which accomplishes the spectacular aim of flattering the chest without over-displaying or over-emphasizing it.
It has great ruching, it has a spectacular skirt. The fact that it flares at the hips instead of hugging them means that it flatters the waist.
Most importantly, it accomplishes my aim of being rustic, unfinished/raw, playful, and romantic, but still appropriate.
And it's still a Vera Wang but it cost me $4000 less!! However, I cannot ignore the fact that it is a well-loved sample that needs dry-cleaning (which I will have to take care of myself) and alterations (which I will have to take care of myself) and one tiny piece of organza needs re-attaching (which I will have to take care of myself).
Nonetheless, I couldn't deny what a smart purchase it was going to be. I threw my credit card on the counter and that was that! If this is wrong, then why does anyone have sample sales? Do I feel cheap buying a sample that's not as fresh as an original? Was I too hasty in buying a dress that, upon further inspection, looks a little more care-worn than I would like? Do I feel like I bought the dress only because I drove 2 and a half hours to the salon to get it? No, not at all, I have posed as many tough questions to myself as possible, and every one has led me to believe that I made the right choice. After a dry-clean, it's going to look a lot better, and it was only slightly too big for me, which is great because it means alterations are going to be really straightforward (easier to take in than to let out).
I then had to drag it out of the salon all the way to my car, drag it through my tiny narrow stairways and stuff it in our tiny spare bedroom where it's now just hanging from a door (I'm definitely posting a picture of that once I get it, it was hysterical, and pretty treacherous too)! I didn't fathom the fact that by buying a sample, I now have the dress, in my possession, just chillin' in my house, in my trust for the next 10.5 months!
Mom was happy for me that I made the decision, but still kind of on the fence about the Vera Wang dresses in general. I believe she still thinks they're a little too over-the-top. Kind of like, they're beautiful, but up on the wall, as a piece of fashion art, not on a body... as a wedding gown. I wrestled with the thing for awhile, I really wanted my mom to love it. But I had just had so many mediocre reactions in every other dress I tried on. I just couldn't bring myself to buy any other of the umpteen-billion dresses that I didn't love. I told her "You'll love the whole package." I think it will all go together perfectly.
I will always kind of look at the Erica as the one that got away, but the way I see it is not that it was the actual right dress, just that it was neck in neck with the Diana, and the Diana just had too many things going for it, significantly the price, and even more significantly; everyone who is still reading will attest to the fact that this is like my gagillionth rant about dresses. It was about time to make this damn decision and quit pussyfooting around, wasn't it?!
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