The Dress Pt. 3

So, I realize it's been awhile since I actually updated this little series of my wedding dress shopping excursions. So although I know this isn't exactly the focus of this blog I still think it's important enough to warrant some attention. So with that out of the way, hopefully I will be able to complete these final few chapters fairly quickly. Without further ado, the second half of my David's Bridal experience.

This store ultimately wound up being the one I tried the most dresses on. Up next was another lovely Very Wang gown with a gorgeous crinkle chiffon and tulle skirt.

VW351178

 I had never really seen a fabric like this and it admittedly was very fetching. I absolutely adore the bodice of this dress. It was so unbelievably flattering and comfortable and made me feel just beautiful. The sweeping details on the skirt were also gorgeous as they were quite unique and reminded a lot of Disney's classic Cinderella's dress. Again we tried it with another belt just to give it a little pop of sparkle, but I know with something so wintery that the flowers weren't quite to my taste.

Sadly, this gown was just a tad above my comfortable price range. I know that had I fallen head over heels in love with it my sisters and mom would have helped me pay the difference. But since I was still on the fence, I was hesitant to take them up on such a generous offer. In the end, I think it was the crinkle chiffon that was both a bless and a curse. It was so unique and beautiful to touch, yet it was just different enough that it strayed too far from what I had always envisioned.

Don't know the style number :(

Next up with this little beauty. This was actually a gown chosen by my mother, which is why it might look a little different from the previous dresses. My mother and I have very different tastes, but I knew that I absolutely wanted to try on something that she specifically chose for me.

I was surprised at just how much I actually liked this dress. I was wary as it was covered in lace , had a lot of detail on the bodice and didn't have as full a skirt as I tended to prefer, but once I slipped it on I was pleasantly surprised. It was certainly a lot lighter than the other dresses I had tried on, and the sparkle and lace was way more elegant and classy than I had initially thought. What can I say, my Mom has good taste! And while this dress might not have been The One, I was pretty pleased to have tried it on.

VW351213 in gold/blush


I tried on a few more dresses, but my appointment was winding down and with nothing jumping out at me I decided to try on the original Vera Wang dress on just one last time. This time I opted for the second version of the dress in blush and gold. Slipping it on felt like magic as I was once again enveloped in folds of beautiful, soft tulle. The pink was an element I hadn't ever considered before and the whimsical bow sent my heart aflutter.

Still, as far as my entourage was considered, it was less than a winner. I wasn't ready to give up on it just yet. This had been the dress of my dreams the second I saw it online and I wasn't about to throw in the towel. I knew my dress shopping journey had just begun, so while I wasn't going to make a decision just yet, I wasn't ready to let go of it either.

So ended my very first wedding dress shopping trip. As I left the store, I was a finding myself wrestling way more emotions and confusion than I had anticipated. I knew exactly what I wanted and it wasn't particularly complicated, so why was I having such difficulty finding it? Was it supposed to be a super clear Aha! moment? Did it really matter if my family and friends disliked the dress if I loved it? Could I really opt for anything other than traditional white? Would I regret it later?

It was a lot to take in and I wasn't nearly as prepared as I thought I was. One might argue that for a dress I would only wear for one day, it needn't be such a huge obstacle. And yet I view it from the other side of the coin. Because I get to wear this dress for only one day, should it not be absolutely perfect? Even a cheap gown will more than likely run a pretty penny, so should I not invest in something I truly love on a day I intend to remember for the rest of my life? 

I left the shop with more questions than I did answers.

Part One: Introduction

Part Two: David's Bridal (1)

Part Four: Mafalda's Bridal

Part Five: Bay Area Bridal

The Dress Pt. 2

David's Bridal (1)

Although I had been intending to wait awhile between posts pertaining to me wedding dress shopping escapades, I have to admit the whole ordeal is still so fresh and exciting in my mind that it only makes sense to get it all out in the open now. While it may deviate slightly from my original Lolita-related intent, I find this is just such an important milestone in my life that it's difficult to really ignore it.

So while this little collection of posts might be a bit different than what I usually write about, perhaps that in turn is a good thing as it urges me to take that step forward in broadening my horizons and leaving reviews and examining other fashion outlets outside of strict Lolita.

Now, without further ado, I'd like to start with the first leg of my dress-shopping journey. The one, the only:

David's Bridal.

Yes. Just about every (American) bride knows of them, heard of them and perhaps even has an opinion on them. I've heard it all-from the amazing $99 deals on gorgeous gowns, to the shudder-inducing label as the 'Wal-Mart' of bridal stores. So I admit, this wasn't exactly my number one place to go shopping.

Still, fate has a funny way of turning our plans on our heads. While David's might not have been my top choice to go gown hunting, I was still chomping at the bit to go slip in some floofy white dresses. I had read numerous times online that the best time to go shopping was during the week instead of the weekend. Unfortunately, given how difficult it is for me to take time off work, that didn't seem entirely feasible, especially as I definitely wanted my mother, who also works, with me.

As it so turned out, my office closed down for about two weeks over Christmas and the new year, and I suddenly found myself with quite a few open workdays! I broached the topic to my mother about perhaps finding a day after the new year to make a dress shopping visit and she agreed. Lo' and behold, my little sister wanted to attend, and suggested we bring my cousin, whom we rarely see and would be down for the holiday, with us. Suddenly I found myself with an appointment at David's Bridal the day after Christmas!

Even though it wasn't top on my list of places to visit, I assumed it was a safe place to start. I could try on a few gowns, get an idea of what looked good on me, see some details up close, understand what was within my budget and most importantly, have a totally amazing day with my family. In the end, it turned out to be so much more.

Image from Google-but accurate!

The last time I stepped foot inside of a David's Bridal was almost ten years ago when my cousin was searching for her dress. It was a quick appointment and I remember very little from it. So stepping inside the store was pretty awe-inspiring. I had booked the first appointment of the day and once the doors opened I was floored at how beautiful everything was. Wal-Mart this was most definitely not!

VW351213 in gold/champagne

The second we walked inside I instantly saw this beauty. I admit, I had already been stalking this gown on the David's Bridal website for some time and it was the one dress I absolutely knew I needed to try on that day. It was gorgeous! A Vera Wang design, it had the perfect touch of whimsy with the bow on the front (a design element I have yet to find on ANY other dress), an empire waist that nipped in at the tiniest part of my figure and layers upon layers of gorgeous soft tulle! It was everything I had ever wanted in a wedding gown!

Except it wasn't white.

Yes, for some reason, this dress is not available in white. I had seen this dress in a few photos before and had thought that with the right lighting the gold and champagne might not be very noticeable, and it's true. I certainly don't think the gold is too obvious in this photo, but did I really want to wear something that I would have be trying to disguise all day? Especially as I don't even like gold all that much?

It was pretty heart-breaking. But I refused to give it up. Even when my entire entourage agreed for one reason or another that it wasn't the dress for me, I ignored them. Despite the color, I felt like a pretty princess and I didn't want to take it off. Still, the appointment was just beginning and there were more dresses to be had. So up next, a beautiful gown in stark white...

MK3576

Ah, this dress was so lovely! A David's Bridal design, it too encompassed everything I had wanted-a ballgown, tulle, simple-and it was white! I have to admit, the second they put that veil on you it's almost impossible not to want to get married right then and there.

But something was missing. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but there was a quality, there was...it. The dress just didn't have it.

But not to fear! That's what a huge selection of sparkly belt, flowers and bows are for! My consultant (and four year old cousin) were quick to rush off and find me a multitude of options that could possible spruce it up a bit. That could hopefully add that touch of dazzle and give that dress it. And I have to admit, there were some very beautiful options.

It was beautiful! It was gorgeous! It had some sparkle now! Some personality! And gosh darn it, did this dress make my waist look good!

You know, from the front.

The side left something to be desired.

It was disappointing. My entire family adored this dress, and I couldn't understand why I didn't. It was everything I had described that I wanted, and yet when it just came down to it...it was boring. I felt like, if a random person was asked to describe a generic wedding dress, this would be it, and no amount of blingy belts could fix it.

But I admit I didn't want to give up on it all at once. After all, it was what I said I wanted. Still, this was only the second dress I had tried on, there were still plenty more to go!

Sadly, this post has already grown quite long, so I will be breaking up the second half of my David's Bridal trip into a second post. I hope so far my review and experience were enlightening!

Part One: Introduction

Part Three: David's Bridal (2)

Part Four: Mafalda's Bridal

Part Five: Bay Area Bridal

The Dress Pt. 1

Dress shopping.

Every Lolita on the planet has, or will, more than likely, do this at some point in their life. It's a scary step, taking the leap to buy that first staple of the gorgeous alternative fashion we've been pining after for weeks, months, and sometimes even years. But then we take that leap and it's done. We made it. Then there comes another dress. And another. And maybe a skirt thrown in here and there.We learn what work for our body shape, what colors look great on our skin tone and inevitably, through the passage of time, we'll be drawn to that one gorgeous dress in our closet and over again. It makes us feel powerful. Beautiful. It's the epitome of everything we've wanted in a dress.

But what if things were different? What if we could only buy one dress, and that was it? What if we had to know we were making the right decision, out of the thousands of options? What if we only had one chance?

It's pretty scary, but that's exactly what I had to do. Only it wasn't a Lolita dress I had to choose.

It was my wedding dress.

Alfred Angelo Disney Collection "Belle"

 I'm not going to lie. After I got engaged, I got bit by the dress-shopping bug HARD. Even though my wedding isn't for another year, I had to go shopping, and I mean right now. Honestly, can any Lolita really blame me? For years I have already been blissfully obsessing over poofy skirts and dresses dripping with lace and crystal jewelry. I knew what looked good on me, how I wanted to feel walking down that aisle and I was ready to go. Just grab my mom, sisters and bestie and we'd be off to drool over all the gorgeous gowns before I'd inevitably become struck by 'The One'. Psh. I'd have my dress in less than a day. It was that easy, right?

HA. HA. HA.

So young. So naive.

Don't get me wrong, I loved getting dressed up and seeing myself in the mirror for the first time in a huge, poofy white ballgown was a pretty enchanting moment. But I should have realized, for someone like me, who obsesses and agonizes and nit-picks every minute detail, this was not going to be a smooth ride.

So I'd like to share my journey. I know it all might seem a little self-indulgent (and I readily admit it), but not only do I love sharing into the wealth of information to other brides, I also feel like this dress-shopping excursion has also taught me a lot of lessons that can be applied to my daily wear wardrobe as well. After wearing on a dress literally worth thousands (and forever out of budget), I feel as though I've achieved a new perspective on clothing and what exactly goes into their creation. Additionally, I've also learned what exactly is and isn't  important to me when it comes to how I wish to present myself, even on one of the most important days of my life. 

I know there isn't any real comparison to all of the attention and detail that goes into a wedding day look, especially for the bride, but I like to think it's an experience worth learning from. It was a pretty anxiety-inducing couple of weeks, but absolutely well worth it all in the end! Next up, let's see those dresses!!

Part Two: David's Bridal (1)
Part Three: David's Bridal (2)
Part Four: Mafalda's Bridal
Part Five: Bay Area Bridal