A"dress"ing Wants and Needs
A group from my church is holding a fundraising "PROM" (Propelling Revolutionaries On Missions) at the end of the month.
It's taken me weeks to personally heal from some relationship problems which almost prompted me to not go. That in itself is another story for another time.
I'm doing what I can to honor my commitments (that was addressed at church this weekend), and come to this event. This is in spite of being laid off a month ago. While I do get unemployment compensation from the state, it's not much, and I've lost my medical/dental/vision insurance because I'm not working (I was working through a temp agency).
It's all coming down to finding a nice dress. I've combed thrift and consignment shops all over my town (and even my hometown, just because I happened to be in the area last weekend), and I'm meeting with little success.
Also, some friends have offered to let me borrow a dress (free is good; I'll spring for drycleaning), but I've also had no success there either.
I've been searching for many weeks in advance, even when I thought I would not go. I'm too big for mainstream, yet too small for some "plus" sizes. If I was, say, size 6-10, I'd be in luck; many dresses are available for a bargain. But I fit somewhere in the 14-16 range (depending on the style and cut of the dress), a "common" and "average" size that gets snapped up quickly. And then what's left looks too "old person" or "mother of the bride."
(One dress I tried at one store it took ten to fifteen minutes to get out of; it was easier to get in to the dress than out of it!).
Another challenge in finding the dress is about modesty. Like most females, I have mammary gland-enhanced pectoral muscles. I am not ashamed of them. However, out of respect for the men around me, be they single or married, I do not want to expose even a little part of them, bare, to anyone.
Anymore, most dresses are low-cut enough that some cleavage or part of the breast may show. For instance, lately, there's a major trend in strapless dresses. I don't want that. Exposure of some female anatomy may be an acceptable style to the world, but I believe in a higher standard and don't want any dress that could be a "wardrobe malfunction" waiting to happen.
At this point in the game, it's too late to consider altering. That may take up to two weeks (which I don't have) and that would drive up the cost of the dress.
In summary, what I look for in the dress is:
1. It must fit, and allow proper movement without coming apart in any way (especially if I want to dance some).
2. It must be modest. I don't mind spaghetti straps, but no breast exposure or cleavage showing, whatsoever. Slightly above the knee is OK, depending on the style, but I'm hoping for a nice, long dress anyway.
3. It must be "age-appropriate" for a 30-something. No "mother of the bride" styles for me, thank you.
4. It must be a nice style and color (I prefer reds, blues, or purples, something that goes well with my eyes/hair/complexion).
5. Importantly, it needs to cost $20-$25 or less. There are dresses out there; I just need one that meets #1 to #4 above.
I am claiming "seek and ye shall find" here. With not having a job right now, I have plenty of time to dress hunt than I usually would have. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, but right now it's getting frustrating as the deadline ticks away.
It's taken me weeks to personally heal from some relationship problems which almost prompted me to not go. That in itself is another story for another time.
I'm doing what I can to honor my commitments (that was addressed at church this weekend), and come to this event. This is in spite of being laid off a month ago. While I do get unemployment compensation from the state, it's not much, and I've lost my medical/dental/vision insurance because I'm not working (I was working through a temp agency).
It's all coming down to finding a nice dress. I've combed thrift and consignment shops all over my town (and even my hometown, just because I happened to be in the area last weekend), and I'm meeting with little success.
Also, some friends have offered to let me borrow a dress (free is good; I'll spring for drycleaning), but I've also had no success there either.
I've been searching for many weeks in advance, even when I thought I would not go. I'm too big for mainstream, yet too small for some "plus" sizes. If I was, say, size 6-10, I'd be in luck; many dresses are available for a bargain. But I fit somewhere in the 14-16 range (depending on the style and cut of the dress), a "common" and "average" size that gets snapped up quickly. And then what's left looks too "old person" or "mother of the bride."
(One dress I tried at one store it took ten to fifteen minutes to get out of; it was easier to get in to the dress than out of it!).
Another challenge in finding the dress is about modesty. Like most females, I have mammary gland-enhanced pectoral muscles. I am not ashamed of them. However, out of respect for the men around me, be they single or married, I do not want to expose even a little part of them, bare, to anyone.
Anymore, most dresses are low-cut enough that some cleavage or part of the breast may show. For instance, lately, there's a major trend in strapless dresses. I don't want that. Exposure of some female anatomy may be an acceptable style to the world, but I believe in a higher standard and don't want any dress that could be a "wardrobe malfunction" waiting to happen.
At this point in the game, it's too late to consider altering. That may take up to two weeks (which I don't have) and that would drive up the cost of the dress.
In summary, what I look for in the dress is:
1. It must fit, and allow proper movement without coming apart in any way (especially if I want to dance some).
2. It must be modest. I don't mind spaghetti straps, but no breast exposure or cleavage showing, whatsoever. Slightly above the knee is OK, depending on the style, but I'm hoping for a nice, long dress anyway.
3. It must be "age-appropriate" for a 30-something. No "mother of the bride" styles for me, thank you.
4. It must be a nice style and color (I prefer reds, blues, or purples, something that goes well with my eyes/hair/complexion).
5. Importantly, it needs to cost $20-$25 or less. There are dresses out there; I just need one that meets #1 to #4 above.
I am claiming "seek and ye shall find" here. With not having a job right now, I have plenty of time to dress hunt than I usually would have. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, but right now it's getting frustrating as the deadline ticks away.