neebelung
05-27-2007, 10:03 AM
I was out and about in Jax Beach yesterday (waiting for the jeweler to call me to say my ring was ready to pick up), and I noticed a sign for one of the bridal shops I’d been wanting to check out.
Thinking “Oh, it’s Saturday afternoon, they’ll be super busy… I’ll just see if I can browse a bit…” I decided to check it out.
Luckily they weren’t very busy, and I sat down and chatted a bit with the ladies in the shop. I explained to them the sort of feel and theme we’re going for, and based on that, they selected two lines (both of which I’d looked at before, and liked) for me to peruse.
I marked a couple of gowns I liked, and showed them to the consultant. She gently cautioned me against pretty much everything I was looking at, because they “fit like lingerie.” At first I was rather miffed, thinking she merely wanted to sell me a more expensive dress. But she went so far as to point out that in some photos, you could see the model’s bellybutton. EEK! Point being, if you can see the lumps and bumps of the 20 year old, size zero model in those dresses, with professional lighting, photo editing, etc… then the lumps and bumps of a far-from-size-zero woman in her mid-30’s will be far more evident.
*sigh*
She asked if I wanted to try a few things on since I was there… I argued that I was unprepared, didn’t have the right bra on, etc… but she had plenty of “proper undergarments.” She pulled a few dresses that just weren’t “me.” I was disappointed, and didn’t want to try any of them on… but I remember reading in several of the magazines to go gown shopping with an open mind… that many times you’ll walk in with one set of expectations, and walk out with something totally different. So I gave in, and tried on the first dress.
I was so dead-set on simple, clean, flowy, wispy dresses… no beading, no lace (well, one had lace), no structure, just simplicity, and here I was trying on this very structured, full-skirted (well, A-line), strapless gown.
Let me just say…. There’s a REASON for all that structure, that intricate beading, the ruching and strategically placed seaming: because when you’re covered head-to-toe in white silk, it gives you definition and more importantly SHAPE. I had no idea what a difference those details could make. Each dress I would try on, she would point out – “Bust… waist…. Hips… women have these things, and (these details) make the most of them.” Seriously… I had no idea it was possible for me to look like I have a 22” waist, but the way some of these dresses are made, it was incredible…
(not to mention, all those pretty details make you feel.. well… like a BRIDE!)
And she chose very lightweight, sweep-train or chapel-train gowns, so they were still comfortable, I could still move around, sit, turn, etc… without feeling like I had an albatross strapped to my butt.
I was really pleased with the whole learning experience. And I’m glad I kept an open mind, and allowed her to really HELP me. She was realistic about my body size and shape, and really managed to select things that made the most of what I have.
So it’s back to the drawing board for me and my gown search. In reality, I don’t even need to ORDER my gown for about another 8-10 months. So she suggested just checking back every few weeks (since they get new stuff in all the time) and then around the first of next year, we’ll really try to start narrowing down choices.
OHHH… and about the veil…. Again, something I’d been kinda dead-set against. I just didn’t think I ‘needed’ a veil. That it was too formal. But again, she made a valid point in this regard:
“There are many occasions where you get to wear a great dress, and look fabulous… prom, parties, formal dinners… but there’s only one time you get to be “The Bride.” So why not LOOK like one.” She was right… before she clipped the little veil on (just a fingertip length, scalloped veil on a comb, tucked into the back of my hair), I was just a woman standing there in a great dress. And once she put the veil on, I was transformed into a BRIDE. Silly how something so simple can make such a huge impact.
Thinking “Oh, it’s Saturday afternoon, they’ll be super busy… I’ll just see if I can browse a bit…” I decided to check it out.
Luckily they weren’t very busy, and I sat down and chatted a bit with the ladies in the shop. I explained to them the sort of feel and theme we’re going for, and based on that, they selected two lines (both of which I’d looked at before, and liked) for me to peruse.
I marked a couple of gowns I liked, and showed them to the consultant. She gently cautioned me against pretty much everything I was looking at, because they “fit like lingerie.” At first I was rather miffed, thinking she merely wanted to sell me a more expensive dress. But she went so far as to point out that in some photos, you could see the model’s bellybutton. EEK! Point being, if you can see the lumps and bumps of the 20 year old, size zero model in those dresses, with professional lighting, photo editing, etc… then the lumps and bumps of a far-from-size-zero woman in her mid-30’s will be far more evident.
*sigh*
She asked if I wanted to try a few things on since I was there… I argued that I was unprepared, didn’t have the right bra on, etc… but she had plenty of “proper undergarments.” She pulled a few dresses that just weren’t “me.” I was disappointed, and didn’t want to try any of them on… but I remember reading in several of the magazines to go gown shopping with an open mind… that many times you’ll walk in with one set of expectations, and walk out with something totally different. So I gave in, and tried on the first dress.
I was so dead-set on simple, clean, flowy, wispy dresses… no beading, no lace (well, one had lace), no structure, just simplicity, and here I was trying on this very structured, full-skirted (well, A-line), strapless gown.
Let me just say…. There’s a REASON for all that structure, that intricate beading, the ruching and strategically placed seaming: because when you’re covered head-to-toe in white silk, it gives you definition and more importantly SHAPE. I had no idea what a difference those details could make. Each dress I would try on, she would point out – “Bust… waist…. Hips… women have these things, and (these details) make the most of them.” Seriously… I had no idea it was possible for me to look like I have a 22” waist, but the way some of these dresses are made, it was incredible…
(not to mention, all those pretty details make you feel.. well… like a BRIDE!)
And she chose very lightweight, sweep-train or chapel-train gowns, so they were still comfortable, I could still move around, sit, turn, etc… without feeling like I had an albatross strapped to my butt.
I was really pleased with the whole learning experience. And I’m glad I kept an open mind, and allowed her to really HELP me. She was realistic about my body size and shape, and really managed to select things that made the most of what I have.
So it’s back to the drawing board for me and my gown search. In reality, I don’t even need to ORDER my gown for about another 8-10 months. So she suggested just checking back every few weeks (since they get new stuff in all the time) and then around the first of next year, we’ll really try to start narrowing down choices.
OHHH… and about the veil…. Again, something I’d been kinda dead-set against. I just didn’t think I ‘needed’ a veil. That it was too formal. But again, she made a valid point in this regard:
“There are many occasions where you get to wear a great dress, and look fabulous… prom, parties, formal dinners… but there’s only one time you get to be “The Bride.” So why not LOOK like one.” She was right… before she clipped the little veil on (just a fingertip length, scalloped veil on a comb, tucked into the back of my hair), I was just a woman standing there in a great dress. And once she put the veil on, I was transformed into a BRIDE. Silly how something so simple can make such a huge impact.