The time has come again for me to ask you all to help dress me for a wedding that we'll be attending back home over Memorial Day weekend. You've done such a great job in the past, I just can't bring myself to get dressed anymore without your assistance!
A little background on the wedding. It is at night, it isn't really extraordinarily formal or casual and I'll be seeing a lot of people from my schooldays, so I think we can all agree that it's quite important in these cases to look as smashing as possible. I'll also need a dress to wear to the rehearsal dinner, so I'll probably go with the dress that comes in second place.
So, I have three options, and they're all very different styles and two of them will require alterations because women's sizing has just gone completely insane. Begin tangent: Ann Taylor Loft, seriously, what the hell is up with your sizing lately? I know that I'm not a large girl, but there is absolutely no reason that a size 2 should be practically falling off of my body. I'm not saying this to be all Braggy McBraggerson, because really, I'm incredibly irritated with the fact that I ordered a size that I actually worried might be a bit too small and am now going to have to pay additional money for a seamstress to make it fit. End tangent.
Anyway! I don't know how everyone goes about taking these gorgeous self portraits of themselves, because I took about six frillion pictures, and all I could come up with are these blurry hot messes. (Also, I have cropped my head out of the pictures due to the fact that I have neither showered nor applied makeup today, and no one should have to see that horror.) I hope that you can find some way to see beyond the completely crap photography, and vote for your favorite dress in the fancy little poll I have set up at the bottom of this post.
Dress #1: The Classic Look (ATL Black Chiffon Dress)
Please know that I don't typically stand this awkwardly, but I was attempting to pinch about two inches of material to give the illusion that this dress fits. I think the straps will have to be shortened a little bit as well so that I don't have a baggy bust. As fun as that is to say. Also, are the black shoes totally boring? I could also wear red heels, but I wasn't sure they'd really work with this style...
Dress #2: The Sexy Look (Red Stretch Silk Nicole Miller)
Hey, lookie there! It's the dress you all helped me decide to buy for the wedding that we ended up not attending last year! I love the dress, but the downside is that I don't know if I'll be able to eat anything without looking five months pregnant. Also, do you like how I'm channeling Lindsay Lohan in my pose here? I just need to throw up a peace sign and get a massive boob job, and you'd never be able to tell the dfference! (Do these shoes make it too whorish for a wedding?)
Dress #3: The Trendy Look (Pewter Satin with Sequin Detailing ATL)
Again, awkward stance due to the fact that I'm tugging back a wad of material so that the dress appears to fit. Love very much that this dress is supremely comfortable and I could eat at least three servings of dinner and two pieces of cake and you'd never be able to tell. Also, I like that the color is a little bit different. Did I mention that it was comfortable?
And with that, let the voting begin!!
It was the first one I went with, I love that look, you wear it well, but I scrolled down to 3 and fell absolutely in love. Can you fed-ex that dress to me whenever you feel the need to dispose of it. K
(I did vote, had to comment to)
Posted by: Abbie | May 15, 2008 at 02:28 AM
I love polls to death! I second everything Abbie said. Except the FedExing it to me due to the fact that it would never fit in a bazillion years. :) Have fun!
Posted by: simplypink | May 15, 2008 at 02:43 AM
You cannot loose on any of these! If you want to make people droll or be very jealous go with the red. You look fabulous in it, but I love all of them!
Posted by: Tipp | May 15, 2008 at 03:43 AM
Oh, I adore #2. It's amazing. #3 is my 2nd choice. ATL is not worth altering though, in my opinion. If I had your bod I'd wear #2 no question!
Posted by: janet | May 15, 2008 at 06:09 AM
Number 2 and 3 are both fab. I want to see those shoes in no. 2!
Posted by: slynnro | May 15, 2008 at 06:17 AM
This is so freaking hard! You look HOT in all three. I'm going to have to come back and vote tomorrow, though I'm leaning towards #3.
And would the shoes you're wearing with #2 go with #1? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to fashion, but I ask because it looks like the dress has some white in it.
Posted by: Girl, Dislocated | May 15, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Dress three for the wedding.
Dress two for the rehearsal dinner.
Just my $0.02
Posted by: Caro | May 15, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Man, I had a coupon for ATL good only for yesterday and I couldn't make it! Voted for #3 for the wedding--I like that the color is a little softer. #1 might be nice for the rehearsal dinner. Is that metallic in the center? Very classic air to it.
Speaking as a short girl who is also two different sizes top and bottom, I think a good tailor is invaluable.
Posted by: Kate P | May 15, 2008 at 03:40 PM
LOVE the 3rd dress. LOVE!
Posted by: Miriam | May 15, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Oooohhh the red one is nice :) I like #2, but the black is nice too especially if you got a trendy pair of colorful shoes perhaps?
gah! i like them all!! :)
Posted by: heidi | May 15, 2008 at 05:14 PM
I agree with Caro! And I'll fight Abbie for that silver dress!
Posted by: Shani | May 15, 2008 at 06:00 PM
I voted for the red dress, but I would go with strappy gold sandals and fun gold jewelry :)
Posted by: Katie | May 15, 2008 at 06:15 PM
Love #2! It fits you spectacularly! But I think the shoes are too bulky/busy for it. I like Shani's suggestion of strappy gold sandals, maybe? Rehearsal dinner dress should be #3 - plenty of room for eating and sitting which I'm sure there will be a lot of.
Posted by: Julie | May 15, 2008 at 06:22 PM
How about I voted for the 3rd one (it's hot), but the 2nd one was a VERY close second? Seriously, if I could vote twice, I would. Anyway, I think both 2 and 3 are excellent choices, and NO, the shoes aren't too whorish for a wedding. Especially a wedding in the South in the summer.
P.S What's wrong with looking five months pregnant? It's quite a fetching look, I'll tell you now . . . ;-)
Posted by: LK | May 15, 2008 at 06:45 PM
I'm also with Caro, I guess, though I voted for 2.
That Jessica Rabbit dress is friggin hot and you should wear it at absolutely every opportunity. But I kind of agree that the pewter one is more weddingish. I guess if you wear Jessica for the rehearsal you can suck it in for a night and make your impression, then cut loose in comfort at the wedding.
Although, you'll be in more photos at the wedding and it never hurts to look smokin' when you're on the dance floor.
I also am not crazy about the #1, maybe just because it's a tent on you now. I wouldn't shorten the straps, lest you look frumpy. And maybe swap out the shoes to a strappy metallic sandal heel.
Posted by: TasterSpoon | May 15, 2008 at 07:11 PM
Well -- I think the internet is out to get me; I tried to vote for #3, but I was told that I had already voted! I know that I have black holes, but I don't think they go that far -- has anyone been pushing my buttons here?? Anyway, I also think you should go with the red for the rehearsal dinner and the pewter for the wedding. I'm trying to think back to being young and . . . . (TMI)
Posted by: The Incubator | May 15, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Hot DAMN on the red dress, and I hate you a little bit for looking so good in it. :-)However, I don't think even you could eat a morsel in it, so I'm voting for Choice #3, which is very unexpectedly sexy ... if that makes any sense.
If you do decide to wear the black dress, I'd definitely wear different color shoes.
Posted by: Fraulein N | May 15, 2008 at 08:39 PM
I also think it's a toss up between #2 and #3. For the red one, I would definitely tone down the shoes/jewelry to make it more wedding-appropriate.
The first one just doesn't look ... young enough? It's just plain and kinda boring. The shoes from pic #2 would liven it up, though. It's not bad, just not what to wear when you want to impress former classmates. :)
Posted by: Charise | May 15, 2008 at 08:42 PM
#2 for rehearsal (love those shoes!) and #3 for the wedding (lots of wiggle room for dancing and extra pieces of cake!).
Posted by: Ashley | May 15, 2008 at 10:13 PM
holy cow, that red dress is amazing. red is my all-time favorite color. to wear, to decorate with, to look at, etc, etc, etc.
and thanks for stopping by my blog :)
more cupcake pics this weekend!
Posted by: Amy | May 16, 2008 at 02:19 PM
Love love love #2 - especially those fantastic shoes! #3 is very very pretty and probably more wedding-appropriate, but #2 just looks so stunning on you!
Posted by: Caroline | May 16, 2008 at 03:01 PM
Wear the red dress to the rehearsal dinner and then save the pewter for the wedding. They are both hot dresses, and you look great in them. The black dress looks good on you, but it doesn't have the same wow factor of the other two.
Posted by: Amanda | May 16, 2008 at 03:17 PM
Dress 2 is awesome. I voted for it but am now leaning towards 3. They are both excellent. Either way, you will be a knockout!
Posted by: Shannon | May 16, 2008 at 05:45 PM
I picked the red one...but it looks like I was out voted.
No matter what one you pick...you'll be hott.
Posted by: Isabel | May 16, 2008 at 05:53 PM
#2 for rehearsal and #3 for the wedding. Comfort is important for getting your grove on...which I know is an important thing for us cousins. And, I am wearing a red shirt today AND 5 months pregnant....probably not the hot look you are going for, at least not for evening wear.
Posted by: Kendra | May 16, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Wear the sexy dress while you can! I bet you lost weight doing all that walking in Italy! you look hot!
Posted by: meg | May 16, 2008 at 10:28 PM
OMG they are all gorgeous. I'm so jealous. I like the black one for the wedding and the metallic one for the rehersal dinner. Really I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I have my brother's wedding Mem. Day too. Might have to stop by ATL today.
Posted by: Jessica | May 17, 2008 at 01:52 PM
You know what I totally forgot to mention? Call me old fashioned, but I don't like black dresses at weddings.
Posted by: TasterSpoon | May 19, 2008 at 10:31 PM
Girl- you are just way too cute. I'd totally hate you if I didn't love you. :-P
I'm glad you picked the pewter dress. You're going to look absolutely smashing.
We're going to the beach with Woody for the 3-day weekend. Can you imagine what that's going to be like? ;)
Posted by: RisibleGirlr | May 22, 2008 at 02:34 AM