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.

This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

14 Comments

  • annagybe replied 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 years ago

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

  • Suz replied 9 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 9 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 9 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 9 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.

You need to be logged in to comment