In search of a dress

I just got back from a few weeks of travel, and now I have an urgent shopping need. My brother is getting married in Hawaii in a few weeks, and I need a dress!

It's a beach wedding with ten guests. A low-key affair, but the bride would love it if we dress up a bit. I have two appropriate dresses but I should probably get a new one, because they've both been worn to so many weddings (including my other brother's wedding).

I'm going to hit a few stores today, but if any of you have ideas, please share! My goals are:

  • silk 
  • summery
  • grey, silver, or black+white pattern are ideal; color is possible
  • preference for avant garde or interesting over pretty, perhaps a loose shift shape.
Though for that last point - one of my other dresses is a simple silver linen Eileen Fisher sundress that is not at all avant garde, and I love it.

One option is in Finds below but I think the crewneck will make it less flattering on me.

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14 Comments

  • annagybe replied 8 years ago

    I know you don't do color. But honestly for an outdoor wedding on a beach in Hawaii, seriously consider a color. Especially with only 10 guests you'll be in lots of pictures. Patterns can be tricky.

    ETA BCBG is having a huge sale this weekend. Ton of wedding appropriate dresses.

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Yeah, color might be a great idea. There are a few Allsaints dresses with bold floral graphics on a black background that I considered. I'll take a look at BCBG - I've had a few great party dresses from there and actually there are always a lot of BCBG dresses at consignment stores, so maybe I should check that out too.

  • replied 8 years ago

    I love the HL dress. The pattern is reminiscent of water eddys or sand ripples, which says 'beach' to me. Because the crew neck is banded in a wider black, it might look more intentional as a feature. My only concern with this piece is the length seems very short, but maybe the model has really long legs. And you have the figure to carry off short.

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Luckily my legs are so short that it's rarely a problem. I think I'll order it to see it in person.

  • replied 8 years ago

    It's a fab dress at a great price--I'd love to see a post if you think it works. And I hear you on short legs: I have the same issue, though it can be helpful with dresses like this. Plus length isn't such an issue for a beach wedding.

  • annagybe replied 8 years ago

    You're not a goth, but I found these supremely amusing

    http://www.vice.com/read/beach-goth

    http://gothsinhotweather.blogspot.com/

  • Suz replied 8 years ago

    Check Club Monaco. There is a sale on summer stuff. 

    Here are a few. 

    Option 1 would show your shoulders to great advantage and the colour would be interesting with your hair. 

    Option 2 is sort of a wild card -- wondering if it might be cool with your hair. There is also a blush version I think. 

    Option 3 is black and not silk but would pack well and is a great looking dress. 

    But I also love that one you posted. 

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Thanks for the Club Monaco and BCBG suggestions! I found a handful of things I like there and at a few other stores - see my finds. Of course I fell in love with a very expensive BCBG dress (first find below, the one with lace shoulders)... probably more than I should spend, and I'm not sure it would look good on me, but it's zany in a way I like.
    http://www.bcbg.com/en/runway-.....runway+d...

  • Elly replied 8 years ago

    The double layer blue number is pretty great--- Eileen fisher makes a couple of asymmetric silk sheaths you might want to try. 

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    Yes, I've seen that blue one on a few YLF folks and it's magic.

  • Suz replied 8 years ago

    Love the blue one and the two CMs you picked. I hope you find something great! The good news is that it is a good time of year to be buying a summer dress if you can find your size. 

  • Greyscale replied 8 years ago

    So I found this Alexander Wang dress at Crossroads. It's a total departure - in particular, it's pink. It would look good on me normally, but I have a sunburn all over, right now, and I think I might be too pink for this dress. But I love it for some reason. It's different in a way that I like. I'll try to style it and show you all this week. (It was $65 - cheap but not nothing, so I should decide soon if I'm keeping it and return it if not.)

    I'm also sort of in love with this bold print Equipment dress, but it's not on sale...

  • Suz replied 8 years ago

    Those are both great. Can't wait to see #1. #2 is WOW. It would be amazing -- a sort of wry nod to Hawaiian print. Quite wearable afterwards, too. 

  • viva replied 8 years ago

    I really like that blue one from above -- feels perfect for the beach vibe and very wearable for nights out generally. The pink one you bought might work -- maybe the pink will actually offset the pink in your skin? But seriously, the Equipment dress? Gah. LOVE.

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