Seeking: A simple dress for a busty bride

Hey there,

I'm trying to find a somewhat non-traditional dress for my Sept 2013 wedding.  I'm in my mid-thirties, short, curvy and busty - size 10-14 depending on how fit I am, 5'4" and 36G. Hourglass. I have a budget of about $1000, though I could be flexible for the right dress. Mostly I'm less interested in a specific "look" than just feeling beautiful and comfortable in my own skin.

Aesthetically, I'm drawn to pieces that are simple and architectural, often with one standout feature. Though it wouldn't work on my figure, that Roksanda Ilincic is the kind of thing I really like, as is this one that one of your readers posted recently. I also LOVE the Wren Goddess for Stone Fox [pictured above], but it's out of my price range.

In general, clean lines without fuss look better on me, and I have no interest in trying to look like a 22 year old (which too many dresses I've tried on make me feel like).

I live in Portland, OR, and have so far visited The English Dept and Sarah Seven, but their floaty pieces look terrible on my body. I also ordered this Badgley Mischka, but it was a much peachier color than the photo. The one dress I've tried on so far that I'm considering is the J Crew Corrina (I know, I know, J Crew) - great price, it has SOME style, and it suits me pretty well.

But I'm not committed yet. So now my plan of attack is to order a bunch of dresses from online, and also to visit some stores in NYC this December.

I know that mostly, I need to go try more stuff on, but I'm hoping you and your readers can help direct me in that process. What I'd really like to see are 1) dress suggestions 2) suggestions of brick and mortar places in PDX in particular to try on dresses that might fit the bill, and 3) more pictures of short and curvy brides/ladies in unconventional evening/party dresses to inspire me/give me ideas (so many of the curvy brides in unconventional dresses I see are wearing 50s dresses and that's not me).

Thanks in advance for helping me through this tender process that involves far too much polyester and feeling like a sausage/muffin, 
(you can just leave off my name - I couldn't face coming up with a witty sign-off that involved the idea of "curves")

*****

Ackkkkkk. Not only are the simple, non-traditional wedding dresses (often) more expensive, THEY COME IN THE TINIEST SIZES.

What's a cool girl with boobs to do??

HALPS INTERNETS WE NEED YOUR HALPS.

well hello there, sparkly sparkles

Cleopatra's Ring by Lauren Wolf NEW! at Catbird



I mean, I did have to get that toilet brush off the top of the blog, gorg as it may be.

who's laughing NOW? (my adventures in toilet-brush shopping)

A couple of weeks ago,* as I meandered down the aisles of the Container Store, I tweeted that I was "really having trouble pulling the trigger on a toilet brush."

Everyone laughed at me. They told me I was overthinking it. They told me to go to Ikea. They told me "NO ONE LOOKS BEHIND THE TOILET."

I meant to go to Ikea. I really did. But WHO WANTS TO GO TO IKEA? Just to get a toilet brush??

I considered this quirky number..... But for $55? I couldn't pull the trigger. Then I moved on to this sleeker idea for $49. But you really would want the matching plunger. For $53? Even I couldn't pay $53 for a plunger.

And then cevd posted a link to MY DREAM TOILET BRUSH. Galvanized metal holder, oiled beachwood handle, made in Germany. $34!

Who's laughing now?? is all I'm saying.

______________________________

*Okay, six weeks ago. And yes, we have been without a toilet brush for 6+ weeks. Try not to think about it.

Where should we go on our MEXICAN HONEYMOON?

hi esb,

please help! with all of the wedding planning going on, the last thing on my list is trying to find our honeymoon location. i imagine relaxing on a beach while still having some culture and places to check out (no sandals resorts!).

i'm burnt out from doing countless hours of research online for the perfect honeymoon in mexico (preferably in/near the baja california sur area as we'll be flying from california). any advice for hotels/places to check out so that i can narrow down this insane amount of possibility?

thank you for any help that you can give!

*****

My lady Jamie recently went on a fabulous trip to Mexico (which, naturally, was fabulously documented), so I figured I'd just ask her to tell us about it....

Here is what you do: Book a flight into Puerto Vallarta (right out of Tijuana, if you happen to be in San Diego, and wanting to save some pennies), and a stay at Casa Ninamu. Johann, the proprietor, will arrange for you to be picked up at the airport in PV, and driven to Sayulita.

No need to rent a car, you can walk into town, or, if you are feeling lazy, drive the golf cart up the winding dirt road. Once there you should, in no particular order:

-nap on one of the two private beach cabanas
-nap on your own hammock, the only thing separating your living room from your infinity pool
-spend loads of time in your infinity pool
-have the estate's staff* cook you lunch
-have the estate's staff cook you breakfast
-have the estate's staff cook you dinner
-have the estate's staff cook you dinner, again
-have the estate's staff cook you pizza at your own outdoor pizza oven
-if you really want to eat out, sayulita cafe is there for you
-you also have your own kitchen. but why bother?
-take in the impeccable interior design
-enjoy the sound of the rain hitting the awning over your living room, as the light filters through the thatching (are you inside or outside? it is so wonderfully confusing)
-join johann and his wife (one of the world's leading fashion photographers) for cocktails at sunset on their INSANE indoor/outdoor living room/pool/deck (i don't even know what to call it) area while their three tow-headed boys politely play hide and seek nearby and their horse-sized mastiff snoozes on the floor below you
-nap on your roof top bed
-stop being such shut-ins and explore the adorable little cobble stones hippie surfer expat town that is sayulita

-have burritos at burrito revolution
-take the kayak out for a go, it's just sitting there on the beach
-go for a horseback ride, from your front door
-picnic on the crazy expansive and private lawn just steps from your house
-release baby sea turtles smaller than the palm of your hand into the ocean
-take photos at playa de los muertos before sunset, then take a moonlit dip in the calm waters of the magical adjacent beach
-what, you don't want to nap and eat all day? jungle tours. surfing. boat charters. fishing. yoga. but don't waste your time researching it ahead of time. the estate's staff can set you up with everything. 

*the staff is awesome and is there to help you as little or as much as you like. if it is privacy you desire, they will NOT disturb.

(Photos by Jamie Street, also known as 1/2 of Rad + In Love)
______________________________

p.s. I've also got readers requesting guides to São Paulo, Bermuda, Buenos Aires and PARIS. Who wants to write a guest post?

bachelorette weekends: wtf

I would just like to know when bachelorette parties went from being one day to several. It's not a party--it's a Weekend. Seriously, what is the history of this trend? When did it start? Will it stop? Am I a sourpuss for thinking that a dinner and some bar hopping is the appropriate amount of celebration for one's remaining single-ladyness but that an entire weekend of carousing is a bit much to ask? Especially when people are travelling for the shindig? Whatever happened to the bachelorette party after the rehearsal dinner? I am perplexed.

-bad bridesmaid?

*****

It's not that you're a bad bridesmaid, it's just that you're not very much FUN.

Image via Myan Duong via Jesse Breshears -- anyone know who took it? When I do the reverse image search, all I get is a kajillion links to "white girl wasted."

really i'm more into this.

Over your strapless wedding dress? Killah.

UNABURKE at Not Just A Label via Natasha Storm Figueroa Husted via Thrifted & Modern

speaking of sequins + cardigans.....

Erin Fetherston wanted you to know (okay, Erin Fetherston's PR PERSON wanted you to know) that these silk/cashmere babies are on sale.

Do we like them? I can't decide.

Blog of the Week(ish): Wear This To That.

Hey pygmy goat,

wear this pair of Miu Miu glitter booties

to that outlet mall.

is the kind of steller content you'll find on Wear This To That.*

Happy Tuesday!

______________________________

*The blog is one week old, and i'm sure its creators will have a book deal in about five minutes. (VANESSA, YOU ARE ON. IT.)

Okay, Smartypantses: What does one wear over THIS dress?

Hi ESB,

I'm struggling to find something to keep me warm with my dress. I'm getting married in LA (Santa Monica's Annenberg Community Beach House to be exact) early February 2013. I'm planning to wear this Nicole Miller dress. As you can see, half the fun is showing off the back.

That said, it's possible the weather could be finicky in early February. Though we'll be indoors for the most part, it would be great to find something I could throw on if it gets cold. Any ideas for great cardigans? I'm open to non-white (pink, gold...splash of color!) if it goes well with the dress. I'd love to stay under $300 too. Is this an impossible request?

If you have any great finds, I'd love to hear it! I'm a bit stumped.

Thanks!
- Should I Just Wear A Cardigan-Friendly Dress?

It's your Monday morning installment of DIY Gone Wrong

Perhaps people who endorse sequin-on-sequin shouldn't throw stones......

But I have to give this DIY Holiday Bulb Bouquet a big fat NO.


Srsly.

Just, no.

How-to photography by Brittany Watson Jepsen, model photo by Amanda Thomsen, dress from Vintage Bride.

Foggy, Twinkly, Half Moon Bay Wedding

Hi ESB, 

You may remember the gold dead stock barrettes from this post that I snapped up approximately 30 seconds after you posted them.... We got married this August in La Honda with 100 of our closest family and friends from all over the world. While I wouldn't say that wedding planning was remotely my favorite activity, the day itself was really great, despite a nice layer of fog from the coast. My cheeks ached the next day from smiling so much.

My husband and I both agree that two of the best decisions we made were hiring Christina Richards as our photographer and Elizabeth Clayton as our planner. Both were great to work with and made the day run smoothly, and I think Christina's pictures speak for themselves. 

I found my dress on the only day I went shopping on a whim at a sample sale at a local dress shop in Sacramento before we decided on the venue but I loved the dress so much I didn't worry about how it might fit. It was also everything I didn't think I wanted in a dress but ended up being perfect, especially once I had pockets added. I accessorized with Loeffler Randall Anja gold wedges,* the barrettes and an amazing ruby bead necklace I was given for my college graduation years ago (not exactly traditional, but I was pleased with how it all came together).

The food was awesome and the music got everyone on the dance floor without being too cheesy or too archaic. Our official first dance was to Sam Cooke's That's Where It's At, which was great, but the one I remember better was to Solsbury Hill later in the night.  

I find it hard to put much more into words about our wedding, it was amazing to have our loved ones there and have a great party but also felt so personal and meaningful which I suppose is a great way to feel at the end of it all.

I love it when you guys take my advice. (I mean, what did I tell you about Loeffler Randall being the official shoe of ESB??) But even more than that, I love how much fucking fun everyone is having at this wedding.

Also, I am a sucker for twinkly lights. ALL TWINKLY ALL THE TIME.

(Check out tons more of Christina's photos over on her blog)

Seeking: SEQUINS!

Dear ESB,

my reception dress is Sara Seven's Golden Lights - see pic.

I need help finding a matching cardigan, as the party is in december and i will be cold. looked everywhere for ivory/cream/sequin but no luck yet. your help is most appreciated...

thank you xoxo

*****

How bout GOLD OMBRE SEQUINS?

Too much??

Shop Topshop

Betrayed Bridesmaid Backing Out

Dear ESB,

I'm in a pickle. Here's the situation, my "friend" from high school is getting married next month and asked me to be her bridesmaid a while back. At the time I was financially in an okay place (I'm a University student...so basically I could afford to eat at the time) so I said yes. Since that time my life has drastically changed, I'm five states away, and broke. 

That being said, the bride and I were friends for about a year or so during high school...but NEVER close (i.e. we only hung out amongst other company) and after we graduated we didn't speak whatsoever, I actually didn't even hear from her until she was engaged and asked me to be a bridesmaid. On top of all of that, I was in her town last week for my grandfather's funeral and the bride plus some other friends of ours met up one night...first off she didn't even say hello to me when I arrived nor offer her condolences and secondly she and the 'maid of honor' didn't say ONE WORD to me they merely talked amongst themselves...and when I left there was a simple wave goodbye.

She bought my dress (however was given 20K from parents) and jewelry but I'm really not feeling like putting myself in a hard place to support someone who obviously doesn't give two shits about me! 

Morally I feel kind of bad....should I?

-Betrayed Bridesmaid

*****

You know what, ladypants? Sometimes you have to put yourself first.

Back out gracefully and don't give that b*tch another thought.


YAY flag via Kate @ Wit + Delight via Tina Roth Eisenberg -- does anyone know who took the photo? I did find a couple of DIY's here and here.

Trying to be a diplomatic bride

Dear ESB, 

I'm unsure as to what my role is in "encouraging" and "supporting" my FH. We've been together for a long time (7 years) and are pretty relaxed and trusting with each other. When we finally decided to get married, I was under the assumption that we would continue communicating to our family the way we had always been. He talks to his family and makes decisions around his family, and I talk to my family and make decisions about my family. Specifically about who is invited and being realistic about maybe some rocky relationships. We decided to split it- his family will have 40 slots and my family will have 40 slots. Very diplomatic in my view. 

Now, this doesn't mean that I'm not friendly with his family- I am, but I never knew that weddings bring out the worst in people- often times... your family. My future MIL has been hounding me about who we are inviting from his side. I keep telling her that is something that FH will ultimately decide and she should discuss the matter with him. I thought I handled the matter pretty well, and my FH knows that this will be a touchy subject so I think he's prepped. 

But then came the bridal party question. Who will be in the bridal party? 

We have been together for so long, and have so many friends that have seen us through different points in our lives that we have approached the bridal party in the same way that we approached the guest list - equal number, and autonomy- I will pick my group and he will pick his. Now I'm sorry if I go back and forth in timeline, but it helps to explain this situation. FH was in the military and deployed several times to several hot zones- hence he's pretty close to his military friends. He also has a brother that he's friendly with, and they're.... "close," but if FH has an emotional problem, he's not going to call him. And he has a best friend that he's very close to, who I have grown close to over the years too. He is that close that we wouldn't consider a wedding without him. 

FH has made a decision for a bridal party of 3, but has not picked the best man. Future MIL has been demanding that I influence FH's decision to making his brother his best man. I am honestly trying to be impartial, but I can't deny that I would feel more like the best man should be his best friend. He knows us as a couple, has grown with us... and frankly he's a better speaker (best man speech), more responsible (I know he won't lose the rings) and would be able to support FH better (for whatever FH would need support for). 

However, I know that it's traditional that if you have a brother you make it your brother, and the brother did make my FH best man at his wedding. I have been telling future MIL that it's not my call, and that it's something FH will have to decide and that I will support whatever decision makes him happy but she's pretty insistent that I speak to him.

I feel like a broken record, but I'm wondering if I should be more firm and tell her to back off. I have told FH about this, and he has spoken to her. He's actually been pretty clear with her that it's not my call and that he will make the decision and he's still thinking about it. But it's like it's going in one ear and out the other. 

I'm really trying to be inclusive with her, and keep her updated and involved (she has no daughters and she really wants to be involved in our lives) but if she's going to be this pushy over everything... I'd rather just give her the invitation, say "show up" and keep her as far away from the plans as possible. If FH wants to update her, then he can, but communication with me will be done. 

Or am I completely in the wrong? Should I be encouraging him to pick his brother? Something about that seems.... wrong, but I recognize that I could be biased. 

What do you think? 

Thanks, 
Trying to be a diplomatic bride

*****

a) you're right, this is not your decision to make, b) your FMIL needs to step the fuck off, and c) YOUR FH NEEDS TO FUCKING PICK SOMEONE ALREADY. or: pick no one. there's no reason he has to have a best man.


Teresa Oman by Jason Lee Parry for Human Being Journal via Fashion Gone Rogue

since you asked.....

This is my holiday "dress." (Center, coral.)

I've been lusting after Raquel Allegra for three or four years now.... ever since I saw one of her tie-dyed dresses in the window at the old Mohawk General Store. (Which was on Mohawk, incidentally.) That dress used to torment me. It was so well lit, and so gorgeously ACID GREEN, I could see it from my car every time I drove by.

So you'd better believe I snatched this one up when I found it at Wasteland last week. NWT, people!!

Did I just turn into one of those assholes who brags about her resale finds? Oh well.


p.s. The model seems to be rocking it with some sort of leggins (not to be confused with "legginGs") but I think I'll go with jeans. That shit is SHEER.

Good Morning, Peoplefriends!

I will now be attempting to make quick-pickled radishes. Pretty, aren't they?

As I mentioned on Twitter, we're going to a super fun, halfway vegan, semi-glut free, verrrrrrrrrrrry hipster t-giving dinner, and I wanted to bring something a little unusual.

I found two recipes (1, 2) that look promising, but I can't decide whether to split the difference or make two separate batches....

I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.





Photo courtesy of She Simmers

Ye Olde Holiday Dress Roundup

Here are my favorite reader suggestions from here and here. Plus one I threw in just because.

Top row (left to right): Black Velvet Helga Dress by To Be Adored ($244), Alexander Wang Asymmetric Silk Dress ($305 down from $675), Alice + Olivia Colorblock Dress ($295), Cape Sleeve Wrap Dress from Erin Fetherston ($148 down from $295)

Bottom row (left to right): Long Dress from Mango ($100), Embellished Maxi Dress from Dorothy Perkins ($238), Nicole Miller Stretch Crepe Pleated Dress ($355), Asos Wiggle Dress ($74)


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that is enough commerce for this week. YEESH.

Stay tuned for my adventures in Thanksgiving pickling.

these puppies are ON SALE!

Get em Get em

(Thanks, Ms K!)

Might as well declare Loeffler Randall the official shoe of ESB.

am i crazy?

or: would this be an adorable wedding cardigan??

Mohawk General Store via anabela

Seeking: a dress for a MOTHEREFFING MASQUERADE BALL

Dear ESB,

My husband's company party is in a few weeks and represents a rare opportunity for me to get to play dress up (which is basically my favorite thing to do ever). It's formal attire (cocktail dress/gown for ladies, dark suit/tux for boys) and it's going to be a MOTHEREFFING MASQUERADE BALL which I'm sure only I am excited about.

And I just can't find a freaking dress that I like.

So here's the rub:

I'm about a size 12/14 and SUPER CURVY. (Hourglass, boobs for days, but my legs are like tree trunks). So I like dresses that are form fitting, floor length, and 3/4 length sleeve or long sleeves (I have to be able to wear a bra with it). And I'm hoping to keep it sub $300. Basically, if this Roberto Cavalli weren't a gajillion dollars.... 

I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Maybe something like this, but a little less Designing Women? 

Double points for anything in animal print. And I'm not opposed to a very pouffy skirt either.

I'm willing to accept the fact that my tastes run a little grandma-lives-in-Miami-and-hasn't-abandoned-the-80's-yet if it means I can find something I feel and look awesome in.

Oh and I have short, asymmetrical-ish hair and I wear big earrings with everything.

*****

You guys up for more shopping??

There are so many good suggestions over here, I figure I'll just squeeze you dry and then maybe put together a holiday dress roundup ;)


Photo at top by Mert & Marcus for Vogue Paris, October 2010

Seeking: a non-slutty red bustier.....

Hey ESB--

I'm in a good bind.

My boyfriend has this cunt of an ex-wife that I've never met.

I'll be meeting her for the first time at a really fancy holiday wine party on December 2nd, and there's no better time to "highlight our differences" than going all-out-holiday-sexy here.

She's got great girl-next-door qualities, and I've got great glamour-puss qualities, which I'd like to capitalize on for this event. I'd love to be so gorgeously sexy she pouts all evening. She was just such a twat and sore loser when I started dating him that I'd like to rub it in her face that he deserves and has better than the way she behaved.

I've shit for online shopping. I was really hooked on the idea of a sensual green velvet dress (red hair, fair skin, hourglass shape), but couldn't find any I loved. I found a gorgeous vintage 50's, white tulle skirt in a thrift store here, but could only think to pair it with a red checked shirt or bright red cardigan, both of which go wonderfully casual, but maybe not exactly the end-result I'm hoping for. I thought about white skirt, red lipstick, and a non-slutty red bustier.....but does that even exist??

I want to make her seethe. I want to really step inside this holiday sex-kitten bombshell alter ego, and vamp it up to a T.

If you've seen any killa holiday outfits out there, I'd love some help.

Love,
Lady X

*****


SLOW DOWN THERE, LADYPANTS.

Stop trying to be such a glamour-puss sexy sensual sex-kitten.

If I were the ex-wife and I saw you decked out in some kind of red bustier Mrs. Claus pin-up outfit, I'd think, "Man, is she insecure."

The key in this situation (as in all situations) is not to look like you're trying too hard.




K, now who feels like shopping??

Why should TALL GIRLS get their own line of dresses? (Sponsored by Dream-ers)

I am ashamed to admit I never realized how hard you tall ladies have it.

You got harassed in the high school cafeteria? You shop in the men's section? You can't buy a floor-length dress off the rack?? I mean, it makes total sense. It just never occurred to me.

Enter Yanique, of Dream-ers (formerly Trendsetter Vintage):

So why the heck should tall girls get their own line of dresses? Well....(scratching my head).....why the hell not? Us tall girls have to raid the men’s section to find clothes that are long enough, especially in the arms and legs. But men don’t wear dresses. (Okay, men don’t usually wear dresses.) There are no dresses in the big and tall store that we sneak into while pretending to shop for our other half.

I vividly remember my early years in high school, walking my 6-foot self into the cafeteria, only to hear..... “would you please pull your shoes up....or push your pants down?” followed by a hysterical outburst. Those morons were so cruel, until I discovered that my gangly teenage legs looked fierce in a mini skirt, and that’s all I wore, rain or shine. That was my reality for too long.

OK, I say “was,” because many designers are starting to pay attention to the tall minority, but only a handful of them get it right. The majority of them make you want to run screaming back to the big and tall store, their clothes are just so ugly and so grandma. Tall girls can find hope at Zara and J.Crew for separates. But darn it, what about when you need to go to a black-tie affair, or what if you want to wear a non-conventional wedding dress, where do you go, besides to a specialty seamstress? I can’t be the only tall girl who wants to wear a floor length gown, or a dress with sleeves that are actually long enough. What about a jumpsuit that doesn’t instantly give you camel toe?

By now, you may think I am nothing more than a drama-queen, and while I’ve been labeled that many times over, I promise......no drama on this one.

I love this fashion business a bit too much, so I quit my long stint as a manager at Chanel in order to focus on designing a line that tall women can wear with pride. The DREAMERS line, as clichéd as it sounds, means tall girls no longer need to dream of dresses that fit. The core pieces in the line are my vintage-inspired lace dresses. 

Many unconventional brides have already discovered these, and are ordering them for their weddings. We also make limited-edition dresses, based on fabrics we buy only in limited quantities. My intention is to keep styles exclusive (an idea gleaned from selling vintage clothing for so long).

All the Trendsetter Vintage pieces are available “off the rack,” BUT, we strongly encourage each buyer to send us her measurements. We then customize the dress using those measurements, so the dress fits perfectly when it arrives. This means (and I know I’m cheating here) even if you are not a fellow tall girl, you can still wear one of our dresses. I have some of the best seamstresses in LA working with me, and our turnaround time is exceptionally fast. They love what they do, with the only occasional complaint being, “the dresses are too long, the patterns don’t fit on my table.”

Chances are, if you are a fellow tall girl reading this, I won’t have to twist your arm. Because your reality is mine. You know why the hell we tall girls need our own line of dresses.

(All dresses pictured are from Yanique's DREAMERS line, $150-300)

I'm so into this.

I'm having a chain moment.

Chain chain chain chain chain.

Vertigo Necklace, Silver Ombre Plankton Bracelet + Ombre Fountain Earrings from Melbourne Metal Collective

cushion stuffing (for brains)

I just spotted this photo from Miss Moss in my google reader and thought, "Into The Gloss did one of those beauty-secrets features with a HUNDRED YEAR OLD WOMAN? RAD."

Miss Moss.

Into The Gloss.



I am spending too much time on the internets.


Anyhoo. These photos of Gisèle d’Ailly van Waterschoot van der Gracht (publisher/painter/long-liver and long-name-haver) and her Amsterdam apartment are lovely, even if there's no eye cream involved.

Photos by Jordi Huisman for FvF via Miss Moss

Dear ESB: Should I spend 5K on this dress?

I’m hoping that you will be able to help me out on this search. After trying on about 50 dresses and hating the way I look in almost all of them (big tush, hate poof, hate satin, no bows, no tulle) – I found this dress that I can’t stop thinking about. The photo is of me, because I can’t find this dress on the interwebs yet, and please excuse my bra peeking out.

I’d buy it tomorrow – but with tax/alterations/etc it’s around $4500. My incredible mother (who, along with my father, offered to pay for half of our wedding) wants to buy my dress for me as a present – and I just can’t ask her to spend almost $5K on this.

Again, there are no runway front-on photos, apparently it’s “too new” or something for Marchesa (me, jeans and t-shirt loving girl, in Marchesa, really?) but it is light, and flowy with a natural waist and very little embellishment, and the draping of the material, down the length of the dress makes me feel tall and that my huge butt is not quite as overwhelming – and also makes me feel really special and pretty and lovely. (It seems so simple, natural waist, sweetheart neck, romantic and light - but I'm just not seeing it out there!)

Do I just keep looking? Please help!

Thanks a million,
notgoodatshopping

*****

Marchesa Schmarchesa. You look great in that dress, but I damn sure wouldn't spend $4500 on it.

How bout this Liz Dye (for $1200)?

Silk shantung and English TULLE!!!

shooz.

I'm pinning my favorite reader suggestions over here.

Just fyiz.

Accessorize Me

Dear ESB,

I'm the girl who commented on this post, bought the aaamazing Mara Hoffman dress, and then disappointingly really did not like it on! But, as luck will have it I then found my dress whilst helping my mother look for a dress.

I'm getting married in London next summer. We are having a wedding ceremony in a Georgian space, which is now all white and quite minimalist, followed by a big party in a pub. We suspect as the pub will close at one am, that we will have to head over to our regular late night spot (which also happens to be where we met) which is as close as London can come to a dive bar, and is open until 4am. I'm hoping this will give you a feel for what we've planned.

I'll be wearing this dress, and I thought I was wearing these shoes: 

I'm stuck for ideas on necklace/bracelet/earrings etc. I love long earrings, big necklaces and I never wear bracelets. My engagement ring is yellow gold with a cognac diamond. Although I know what I like, I'm kind of terrible at accessorising and I always over or under-do it. Can you and your committed commenters help?

Finally, I'm not certain about the shoes - although I'm a heels kind of a girl, I know I won't be able to dance the night away in these so I'm looking for something a bit lower to change into. My budget is probably £600 (maybe $800ish) as I know I'll wear them again, along with the dress. I think I want something that won't look too far from the original shoes, but I'm open to ideas and opinions! I liked these but I'm worried that they are a totally different look...

Ahh I don't know. What do you think?

Thanks!
With shoes, without accessories.

*****

I think those shoes are FUGLY. Both pairs. (Okay, maybe the Louboutins aren't fugly, exactly. They look like fancy lady lawyer pumps.)

If you've got $800 to spend, why not go Lanvin?

These snakeskin pumps are just the thing to set off your dress.

And then do something like these dangly chain earrings from Macha.

(If they're anything like my Russian chain ring, they are SEE-LAMMIN in person.)