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After my first completely pathetic attempt at dress shopping, I crawled back home in defeat and curled up with my magazines and computer.
Ok, so maybe it wasn’t that bad. But I did hit both in an attempt to get a clearer vision of what I wanted.
Before we were engaged, I never would have believed I had any clue as to what kind of dress I was looking for. I hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about it, really.
Most of my inspirations came from the wedding magazines I’d inherited from a dear friend, and which quickly became rainbow bibles of color-coded Post-It notes.
And it seemed like the only thing they had in common was that they had nothing in common.
Or did they?
Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you…
Getting to like you, Getting to hope you like me…
(Go on, you know you want to sing along. Bonus: you get to see a BIG dress!)
Dresses that caught my eye were things like:
Jesus Peiro
And it turned out there actually WERE some things that all these dresses had in common after all… three things, in fact. Eureka!
- They were all sparkle/sequin/bead/lace-less. (The crochet-type lace didn’t count.)
- They had a sleek, architectural feel to them.
- They all had a some (more often than not non-strapless) funky thing going on up top.
I don’t know why it took me so long to figure this one out, since, duh, looking at a photo of me, it becomes pretty obvious:
Everyone has one thing that they’re looking to camouflage when they’re dress shopping. Me? I’m naturally drawn to things that cover or at least create a sideshow distraction away from my “chicken bones” as Mama Sea Breeze calls them (she’s allowed; I got them from her), a.k.a. sticky-outty collarbones and breastbone. (Note to self: avoid halter dresses - they do not achieve the desired effect. And shadows. Shadows are baaaad.)
So with all this criteria in mind, and armed with shopping strategies and a new location to hit suggested by some great gals, I once again bravely set off on another dress expedition.
(To Be Continued…)
What was your absolute must-have dress detail? Do you also have a less-than-favorite body feature that you were trying to work around?
I really don’t have any must have details. I am a real fan of lace and will be looking at those dresses first, but I’m pretty wide open as far as styles. I LOVE the third and last dresses!
I just did my first dress shop. Talk about disheartening! What is up with all of this strapless business? I’m so not interested in that!
So that is my one big criteria– straps! I don’t care if they are just for show, I want them. I think they make a nicer frame for my face. I also want a dress that I don’t feel like I’m suffocating in. These materials are SO heavy that I was really hot and really uncomfortable in them. We’re getting married in July, so light is going to be key!
Hi Miss SB! I have exactly the same less-than-favorite body part as you–a bony chest! So far in my dress shopping attempts, I have found only TWO dresses with straps that I sorta like and that don’t call attention to aforementioned bony area. There is just so much strapless out there right now.
I haven’t found a dress I love yet….I’ll be very interested to see what you picked!
My collar bones stick out too - and they are actually my favorite feature! My must NOT have feature on a dress was any type of sparkle. Im just not a sparkle kind of girl 
Oh I love the King and I! And the Lela Rose dress!!!
Uhm, models would die for your so-called “chicken bones”!! The collar bone is in - so no worries about that, okay m’dear?
Otherwise, I love all the dresses you’ve featured above and I can’t wait to see what you picked out!
My biggest dress requirement is straps. My bra size is 38G, which means that anything strapless or low-backed is out - I *need* to be able to wear a bra!
i love that last dress. since i saw that kind of fringing on a friend’s dress this year i’ve been OBSESSED with that fringe/pleat thing. i’d so copy her. i think i told her that too.
and i do want something with a strap. i don’t mind strapless but every wedding i’ve been to featured a strapless dress. i want something different. i’d love a little cap sleeve action.
Anything with pleats, ruching or folds in the fabric. I’m with you, Miss SB, I’m all about minimal decorations on the dress, and making the fabric itself be the point(s) of interest on the gown.
@jcabc: Aw, you’re inspirational! I should try to love it too. I’m trying, I am…
@Miss Pomegranate: Really? That industry is so crazy. Well here’s hoping that the bony chest + booty bum combo becomes all the rage… then I’m laughin! 
@Tea: Yeah, the fringe rocks, eh? I have one friend who wore a non-strapless dress last year and she looked HOT. Loved it.
@MagPie518: I think we’re starting a revolution! Say tuned, I think you’ll like the dress I ended up with.
Wow, you are just starting to shop for a dress now or did you buy one already? I am starting to panick for you. Only 3 more months to go……..yikes!
@Tulips: Hee hee, no no! Thank you so much for panicking for me but it’s gonna be ok. I started shopping last November (I got engaged in October) so this is a recap for y’all, just in time to reveal the photos from my very first fitting last weekend.
No sparkles/sequins for me either! Pleats would be a must have, but I don’t think they go with my gown design. So sad. My fabric covered buttons down the back did the trick though.
I also wanted NO sequins NO beads NO lace. Just fabulous fabric, in a style that draped gorgeously and was fairly close fitting without being uncomfortably revealing. Luckily it wasn’t that hard to fine, despite that it seems 99% of the wedding dresses made don’t fit that description.
I initially went into my dress shopping with an idea that I’d come up with a few years ago that I should really have something strapless. Thankfully, my mother suggested that I try on things that I wouldn’t think to try on, and maybe even some that I didn’t like on the rack. This is how I found my wonderful halter. Thinking back, I can’t believe that I didn’t think of this before, all of my favorite tops and dresses were halters. Once that was figured out, the only thing left to figure out was *which* halter 
I have a very short torso, so I was obsessed with finding a dress with an asymetrical waistline that would help lengthen my upper half. I also wanted nothing to do with satin.
To fellow brides looking for a non-strapless dress:
Don’t rule out having a good seamstress create a little something up top if you find a strapless dress you otherwise love. =)
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Mrs. Sea Breeze, Vancouver/Dominican Republic Age in 2008 and Occupation: 30, Communications Manager Fiance's Age in 2008 and Occupation: 29, Experiential Marketing Director Engagement Date: October 6, 2007 Wedding Date: November, 2008 Blogging Since: July 17, 2008 Venue: Majestic Colonial Resort, Punta Cana About Me: Planning a destination wedding by the sea should be (oh no she di-in't…) a breeze (…*sigh* yep, she did) but when you've never been to the Caribbean, your powers of imagination are really put to the test. Luckily, I'm 90% resourceful, creative optimist (and kooky, neurotic practicalist-if-that's-a-word for the other ten). Other than writing about our week-long celebration of family, friends, laughter and love, I adore books, shoes and… you guessed it… long walks on the beach.
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