Formal Dress Update

OK. Despite having ordered the pattern and her loving the fabric (we went and saw it in the shop), we bought a dress yesterday!

This is how it happened.

After soaking our senses at the Eastern Silk shop the BA expressed concern that we might spend a lot of money on the fabric and dressmaker, only to find that she didn't like the dress. She had a point. Mind you, just being in that shop with all the amazing embroidered dupion, georgette and crepe-de-chine made my creative juices boil. I am still thinking of doing a shorter version of the same dress for her 17th birthday....

So it was onward to the next dress shop. Here she tried on this.

I thought it was lovely. They didn't have her size but she wouldn't even let me get as far as asking about it. It was 'too much the same as what everyone else will be wearing'. Oh the cross of having to be 'different'. I am afraid it's in her genes.

At the next two shops (quite uninspiring, some of the ugliest combinations of fabric and lace I have ever seen!) she didn't even try anything on and we ended up in a heated discussion over the relative merits of going with what suits you vs trying to be individual. She was starting to come down heavily in favour of a fitted fishtailed dress similar to the first one she'd tried on. I'm not even going to go into my thoughts on the matter.

We decided to go for lunch and rest our brains. Calling into a nearby bistro in a fashionable area of the eastern suburbs, we passed another shop with dresses in the window. It wasn't a shop I'd heard of before and it was off the main road so it was a complete coincidence. Had we not eaten at the bistro we would never have seen it. Of course you know where this is going don't you?

We came home with a dress. It was in the mid price range, is more of a fitted sheath (although soft enough to please me) and fits her like a glove. It's black, which the assistant reliably informs us is not the general trend. Many girls are buying gowns in shades like the one above: coffee, champagne, apricot. Anyway, it's done. For better or worse! :-)

As for photos.....not sure if we're going to let you see it just yet......after all , there is hair and makeup to consider :-D

But what do I know? She'll probably post it on facebook today!