25 May 2008

Dress Stress

More on the dress... So, I originally wanted a very non-traditional 1940's Hollywood style dress (similar to Guilty Secret) and when I tried these dresses on they looked great -- but they were not comfortable. So, I had to rethink, do I really want to be uncomfortable for 6 hours? On the next wedding dress try I brought my mom with me, and she talked me into trying on more "traditional" dresses, but ones that still had my sense of style. I was surprised at how many were out there! I eventually fell in love with just about every Maggie Sottero dress I tried on; I think I designed for her in another life. I finally decided on the Maggie Sottero "Colby" dress, it is strapless with some sworovoski beading detail at the bust, slightly ruched at the side, with a long flowing double layered skirt and a corset back. What makes this dress so great is that I can move in it, and similar to the earlier dresses I was looking at, there is no need for a fancy underwear set (I really hate "wedding" underwear -- it is just too much)-- I can get away with just wearing a cute thong and nothing else. Great!

So, then it was time to get measured and order the dress; this is where all of my dress stress comes in. According to the Maggie Sottero sizing chart my bust and hips fit the size 6 dress, but my waist fit the size 8 dress. The ladies at the bridal shop all insisted that I order the size 8 dress (I tried on a size 12 in the store, as they did not have any samples in smaller sizes). Their reasoning was that it is easier to alter a dress from big to small than the other way around. I asked them to leave the room so I could confer with my peeps. First, when they measure you they put two fingers underneath the measuring tape, adding an inch to the "real" measurement. Second, the back of the dress is a corset! In a bold step we decided that I could lose an inch or two around my waist if need be, but there was no way I was going to buy the larger dress and guarantee that I would have to pay at least another $200 (most likely more) for alterations.

So, I ordered the size 6. I have not lost any weight (as I don't really feel I need to), and I have not done any sit-ups to get my waist smaller (as I am lazy). My dress is in and I get to try on MY dress for the first time next weekend, and I am starting to stress. All of the "what ifs" are starting to get to me. Seriously, if it doesn't fit what do I do? The bridal shop made me sign a document stating that I would not hold them liable if the dress does not fit because I did not take their advice. Is there a way to get my waist smaller without loosing weight between now and and August 9th? How do I do that with my complete lack of self-discipline? Okay, I know, I should wait until I try the dress on before freaking out, but all of this is going through my head and I can't stop it. The next fear -- that the added fingers in the measuring tape actually make the size 6 dress too big for me, and now I still have to get it altered anyway! Ugh. In all of my dress trying-on experience I never once got to try on a wedding dress that actually fit me, so it was all just measurments and guesswork. Okay, venting done. Sorry. Hopefully my next post will be the wonderful and positive experience of getting my dress.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh sweetie.....this is going to work out. it will work out for the exact reason you mentioned. Bc your dress is a corset, there are no worries here about it being to small! NONE! i can't recall where i read it but the corset gowns can be adjusted up or down 2 sizes...that leaves you a 4 size margin of error...you will be fine!

i must admit, with several months to go i stress over my dress a lot but since i have a corset back one of the things i do NOT stress over is whether or not it will fit. I'm a big girl, so i'm more worried about the back of the dress pinching my flesh in an unsightly manner or my ginormous rack not having the support it needs bc my dress is too low to wear any suitable bra. but i'm not worried about it fitting...and you needn't worry about it fitting either.

(i did the same thing...my chest and hips said one size smaller than my waist by exactly an inch and i ordered the size for my boobs and hips. i have no will power either and have been sitting around on my dumpling instead of acting like i have a dress to look good in....ugh....)

btw: glad to see that ticker up...i've been wondering when your wedding is for the longest, lol.....*wink*

Cate Subrosa said...

Oh lady, I'm sorry to hear you've been stressing about this.

You're so right about them sticking a couple of fingers under the tape measure to make you have to pay for alterations. It's ridiculous!

I can't give any advice except to try your best to relax and think about other things until the weekend. I'm *positive* it will all work out fine in the end.

P.S. I love how you described my dress. I never saw it like that but I love it!

Anonymous said...

There is a long time between now and August, I wouldn't worry about it. If you get in a bind, though, check in with Vaguely Urban about the cabbage poop diet. Even if it doesn't work, it's great blogging material!

Anonymous said...

re: my cheap aisle runner....

i saw some aisle runners that were $50...those were for 100 feet. maybe mine was so much cheaper bc i only needed 50 feet? and don't forget the 50% markdown.

also, i'm in the Southeast and it seems to me that many things cost less here over all than on the west coast.

when i showed my goodies to my mom i told her about how some people have their monograms places on the aisle runner to jazz it up. she thought it was a poor idea....but i like the idea of putting something on it.....have you ran across any templates for that?

Anonymous said...

hey girl....you know whats missing? the post on your fitting!!!

i hope that the delay is bc you are our skipping around in a field of daisies and now upset about you dress.....

hmmm.....

thinking of you....