973beachbum
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,501
|
Post by 973beachbum on Oct 16, 2013 15:18:20 GMT -5
Thirty years old is old enough to call it vintage and everyone will suddenly love it.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,076
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 16, 2013 15:18:27 GMT -5
That dress is way too frumpy to be wearing to the type of event you're describing, Athena.
And just because it "looks nice" doesn't mean it shouldn't be in the donation pile. A 30 yeard old dress is way out of date style wise. Plus you should change as you age. Just because you can fit into a 30 year old dress it doesn't mean it'll achieve the same affect it did 30 years ago.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 15:18:27 GMT -5
I may have dressed up as one of them once or twice in my life. me too.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 15:19:19 GMT -5
. And just because it "looks nice" doesn't mean it shouldn't be in the donation pile. Why do you hate poor people?
|
|
Waffle
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 12, 2011 11:31:54 GMT -5
Posts: 4,391
|
Post by Waffle on Oct 16, 2013 15:22:29 GMT -5
Athena,
I'm very glad you decided to go with the rent the runway option. I hope you find something marvelous and have a wonderful time. (Don't you dare cheap out on us and pull that LBD back out of the closet).
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,076
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 16, 2013 15:22:32 GMT -5
Athena, read this. This blog was really useful to me when I was rebuilding my wardrobe after having Gwen. I still read it. www.insideoutstyleblog.com/
|
|
imawino
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 22:58:16 GMT -5
Posts: 5,370
|
Post by imawino on Oct 16, 2013 15:24:03 GMT -5
OK, there it is in my avatar- no blue eye shadow, no big hair. The scarf at the waist is relatively new, BTW. I think I look pretty nice. I'm not saying you don't look nice. The dress looks perfectly inoffensive (although I reserve the right to change my opinion, since the image is tiny and I cannot really tell much about it). But I think in your life as a fit, financially secure, professional woman you should shoot for more fabulous than inoffensive. What is the harm in updating your evening wear wardrobe? A couple of great go-to dresses will not break your bank and will hopefully make you feel really beautiful and confident when you wear them. I get the sense that you really don't want to update your wardrobe just so you can say "I haven't purchased a dress in 30 years" and it doesn't seem like the best reason.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 15:25:53 GMT -5
I think Athena has a fantastic body and should show it off in something that isn't shaped like a potato sack.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 15:27:33 GMT -5
|
|
Miss Tequila
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 10:13:45 GMT -5
Posts: 20,602
|
Post by Miss Tequila on Oct 16, 2013 15:29:27 GMT -5
OK, there it is in my avatar- no blue eye shadow, no big hair. The scarf at the waist is relatively new, BTW. I think I look pretty nice. I'm not saying you don't look nice. The dress looks perfectly inoffensive (although I reserve the right to change my opinion, since the image is tiny and I cannot really tell much about it). But I think in your life as a fit, financially secure, professional woman you should shoot for more fabulous than inoffensive. What is the harm in updating your evening wear wardrobe? A couple of great go-to dresses will not break your bank and will hopefully make you feel really beautiful and confident when you wear them. I get the sense that you really don't want to update your wardrobe just so you can say "I haven't purchased a dress in 30 years" and it doesn't seem like the best reason. The picture is VERY small...while the dress is black, it is not what I think of when I think of LBD.
|
|
michelyn8
Familiar Member
Joined: Jul 25, 2012 6:48:24 GMT -5
Posts: 926
|
Post by michelyn8 on Oct 16, 2013 15:31:44 GMT -5
If it were me, I'd spring for a new dress/outfit to wear. I bought a new dress for my sister's wedding, one for my 20th reunion, and a nice outfit for my aunt & uncle's 50th. Out of those three outfits, I have only had occasion to wear the skirt I purchased for the anniversary function. The top and the other two dresses are still in my closet and will most likely never be worn again since I no longer fit into the two dresses and the top is out of style. I just can't operate like that. For my 40th HS reunion I wore something I already owned and I was happy with the way I looked. (No, it WASN'T a business suit!) I absolutely did not want to wear something that screamed,"I went though 5 stores, tried on 20 dresses and spent $300 so I could impress everybody". If exterior appearances were that important, the ugly lime-green Ford Fiesta the rental car lady gave me in revenge for not upgrading to a convertible would have defeated that objective. Instead, I pointed it out to my classmates and made fun of it. I bought the LBD in 1983. Yes, I know when because it was when I attained full status in my professional society and it was a Big Thing. I wore it to the evening reception. The style is classic and I recently lost enough weight to fit into it quite nicely. To be honest, I'm not built that way either. I was raised to dress a certain way for certain occasions and that's what I do. So, if that means purchasing a new dress for a wedding, I do so. No way in hell I'll spend $300 for one though. I won't even spend $100 for one. I'm the lady you'll see combing sale and clearance racks looking for something appropriate that I like and think I'll be able to wear again someday.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 15:33:09 GMT -5
Are you me?
|
|
Cookies Galore
Senior Associate
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 18:08:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,891
|
Post by Cookies Galore on Oct 16, 2013 15:33:41 GMT -5
Athena, you have a lovely figure that is begging for something updated to rock! Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O. are classic style icons, that dress is very much outdated 80s. I'm glad you're going to rent the runway (fun!) but get yourself a little something as well! Shopping after a lot of weight loss has been a lot of fun for me. Get at it! I know a few women in their 50s and 60s who are ridiculously stylish. They inspire me. I want to be them when I grow up. Be that woman!
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,076
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 16, 2013 15:39:01 GMT -5
I absolutely did not want to wear something that screamed,"I went though 5 stores, tried on 20 dresses and spent $300 so I could impress everybody".
So you'll wear something that screams "I just emerged from my bomb shelter circa 1983. This LBD and yellow pantsuit is all I have left" instead?
You do realize there is a middle ground fashion wise don't you? Why the pride in not owning anything that was made in the 21st century? Why do you think it's better to send the message that you're stuck in a time warp?
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 10:27:21 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 15:48:03 GMT -5
I agree that what athena posted is not a LBD. I would rather eat cat food in my retirement years than show up at a formal wedding in a 30 year old dress.
Athena - you may want to set yourself up with a personal shopper at Nordstrom's or Macy's so you can update your style. 60 does not have to mean frumpy....and if you've got the body, you should showcase it to your best ability.
|
|
Miss Tequila
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 10:13:45 GMT -5
Posts: 20,602
|
Post by Miss Tequila on Oct 16, 2013 16:04:21 GMT -5
I absolutely did not want to wear something that screamed,"I went though 5 stores, tried on 20 dresses and spent $300 so I could impress everybody".
So you'll wear something that screams "I just emerged from my bomb shelter circa 1983. This LBD and yellow pantsuit is all I have left" instead? You do realize there is a middle ground fashion wise don't you? Why the pride in not owning anything that was made in the 21st century? Why do you think it's better to send the message that you're stuck in a time warp? LMAO on the bomb shelter!!!
|
|
NoNamePerson
Distinguished Associate
Is There Anybody OUT There?
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 17:03:17 GMT -5
Posts: 26,212
Location: WITNESS PROTECTION
|
Post by NoNamePerson on Oct 16, 2013 17:06:33 GMT -5
And black isn't all that flattering on some people.
|
|
Peace Of Mind
Senior Associate
[font color="#8f2520"]~ Drinks Well With Others ~[/font]
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:53:02 GMT -5
Posts: 15,554
Location: Paradise
|
Post by Peace Of Mind on Oct 16, 2013 17:28:44 GMT -5
OK, there it is in my avatar- no blue eye shadow, no big hair. The scarf at the waist is relatively new, BTW. I think I look pretty nice. If you are happy with how you look and feel comfortable then you are doing better than most other women there. So have a great time and don't worry about it any more. You look nice and you are happy about it which sounds like a recipe for a great time. Have fun at the wedding!
|
|
zibazinski
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 16:12:50 GMT -5
Posts: 47,910
|
Post by zibazinski on Oct 16, 2013 17:33:42 GMT -5
Good lord, I'm two years younger than you and wouldn't have worn that thirty years ago. You are not some frump, don't dress like one. This isn't a professional setting, it s a wedding! A JOYOUS occasion. Look joyous not like you stepped out of the board room or the 80's. rock the fact that you don't look like a crepe layered old lady!
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 10:27:21 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 17:35:36 GMT -5
I'd be self-conscious the entire time if I went to a fancy wedding and I wasn't dressed appropriately. I can do "different", but I can't do inappropriate for the occasion. My desire to march to my own beat has it's limits.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 10:27:21 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 18:51:30 GMT -5
Wow. I appreciate all the input, even the criticism tempered with a finely-tuned sense of humor, and I really am looking forward to renting something spectacular, but...
Have I wandered from YM to the Devil Wore Prada Board? What a bunch of fashion slaves. "Even if you think you look good in it, it doesn't matter. The neckline is SO last year. The heels on your shoes are dated. You need something in celadon/aubergine/putty/whatever pretty name the marketers gave this season's must-have colors even if it makes your appearance border on the bilious. Doesn't matter if your clothes are silk or cashmere. If they're old, throw 'em out. They can be recycled into rags or fobbed off on some woman who's too poor or clueless to care that they're out of date. And new ones don't cost that much- 14-year old girls in rickety buildings in Bangladesh work for peanuts. Throw yourself on the mercy of a personal shopper and tell her you don't know how to dress yourself." This is all punctuated by only occasional rational voices telling me to trust my instincts.
I know fashion slaves exist and there will be plenty at the wedding. I just didn't know how many were on this Board. I got where I am (I mean my general wonderful life, not my wardrobe) by following my instincts. Some of the biggest mistakes I've made have been after being badgered into going against them.
So, yes to the rented dress, no to personal shoppers, throwing out beautiful, well-made clothes just because they're old (I hope your husbands don't do that to you!), and wild shopping sprees.
I'll be sure to post a picture of myself in my borrowed finery!
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 19:00:55 GMT -5
I'm a fashion slave because I won't wear something 3o years old? I tend towards classic cuts, especially for bottoms in neutral colors, so they last several years. But waistlines change, leg width changes, and those small adjustments can date even the most classic clothes. Im big on comfort, but you can find good looking clothes that feel good. Looking good doesnt involve tugging on your hemlines, adjusting your neckline, tottering around on shoes that pinch, and picking wedgies. PI also recognize that even though something may be in style, it's not for me. I can't pull off skinny jeans, so I won't even try. And even though mustard yellow is the hot color, I look like death in it so I won't wear it.
|
|
Pants
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 27, 2010 19:26:44 GMT -5
Posts: 7,579
|
Post by Pants on Oct 16, 2013 19:02:32 GMT -5
Athena, I love you.
It's still time to get a new dress, and I can't wait to see you in rent-the-runway (founded by a friend-of-a-friend, actually!)
|
|
midjd
Administrator
Your Money Admin
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 14:09:23 GMT -5
Posts: 17,720
|
Post by midjd on Oct 16, 2013 19:10:28 GMT -5
It's been a few years since I watched "What Not to Wear," but IIRC most of the subjects/victims don't see a problem with their style and are goaded into participating by well-meaning family/friends. I think the consensus was that YOU looked fine - but the dress did not. And full agreement on YM is a rare enough event that it should be taken with the utmost seriousness!
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 10:27:21 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 19:13:24 GMT -5
Athena did a nice dress traumatize you at some time? What is the hate on you have for fashion? No one is telling you to go buy a whole new wardrobe, just one modern dress up outfit. You seem to have some really harsh judgements of people that like to look their best and are encouraging you to do the same.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 10:27:21 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 19:14:34 GMT -5
Who bit me?!?!?
|
|
milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
|
Post by milee on Oct 16, 2013 19:41:34 GMT -5
OK, so maybe I don't have a very good understanding of some of the terms. When I hear LBD, around here that means something fitted, sleek, made from an evening type fabric (not necessarily sheer, but not knitted, jersey, twill, etc.), and well, little. Not that it necessarily is cut down-to-there and so short you can't sit, but is either "little" on the top or the bottom meaning that if it has longer sleeves it ends above the knee and if it is a little longer length is probably sleeveless or has delicate/decorative straps.
I'm probably mangling it, but I guess my concept of LBD is that it's chic and tastefully sexy. What is everybody else's description?
(Athena certainly has the body to look nice in most anything and the picture is indeed very tiny, but other than the blue scarf on the waist - to me that picture looks like something that I might see at a funeral, not a "LBD" which implies evening wear. But I'm not the most fashion savvy person, so that's why I'm asking.)
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 19:46:59 GMT -5
It's been a few years since I watched "What Not to Wear," but IIRC most of the subjects/victims don't see a problem with their style and are goaded into participating by well-meaning family/friends. I think the consensus was that YOU looked fine - but the dress did not. And full agreement on YM is a rare enough event that it should be taken with the utmost seriousness! About 5 years ago I took a good hard look at my wardrobe when I recognized some of my clothes as the "don't" clothes from WNTW. I thought I looked good too. I looked frumpy.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,617
|
Post by swamp on Oct 16, 2013 19:49:08 GMT -5
OK, so maybe I don't have a very good understanding of some of the terms. When I hear LBD, around here that means something fitted, sleek, made from an evening type fabric (not necessarily sheer, but not knitted, jersey, twill, etc.), and well, little. Not that it necessarily is cut down-to-there and so short you can't sit, but is either "little" on the top or the bottom meaning that if it has longer sleeves it ends above the knee and if it is a little longer length is probably sleeveless or has delicate/decorative straps. I'm probably mangling it, but I guess my concept of LBD is that it's chic and tastefully sexy. What is everybody else's description? (Athena certainly has the body to look nice in most anything and the picture is indeed very tiny, but other than the blue scarf on the waist - to me that picture looks like something that I might see at a funeral, not a "LBD" which implies evening wear. But I'm not the most fashion savvy person, so that's why I'm asking.) I have the same unserstanding. LBD is about knee length and fitted. Sleeveless, cap sleeve or shirtsleeve.
|
|
steph08
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 3, 2011 13:06:01 GMT -5
Posts: 5,504
Member is Online
|
Post by steph08 on Oct 16, 2013 19:51:02 GMT -5
I'm trying but I just can't get there. I don't see how something you wear to get respect at work is going to look appropriate for a society wedding. "Cut a little curvier" than a man's suit isn't enough. The suits women wear to these things are not work suits. They are suits especially designed for special events. They are made of richer, more festive materials and cut a lot curvier than men's suits. If it were me, I'd spring for a new dress/outfit to wear. I bought a new dress for my sister's wedding, one for my 20th reunion, and a nice outfit for my aunt & uncle's 50th. Out of those three outfits, I have only had occasion to wear the skirt I purchased for the anniversary function. The top and the other two dresses are still in my closet and will most likely never be worn again since I no longer fit into the two dresses and the top is out of style. When I think of someone wearing a suit to a dressy event, I think of something you'd have seen on Emily Gilmore. I think a suit is fine as an idea, but I would definately steer clear of anything that resembled work wear. The only other idea I can come up with if you're set on that option, is to maybe buy a really dressy top and wear that with the skirt of the suit, some strappy or at least dressy heels, and leave the jacket at home. Yes, an Emily Gilmore (grandma in Gilmore Girls) is exactly what I was thinking of. Like the white suit she wore for the vow renewal. But a plain work business suit would not be something I wore to a wedding, especially an evening, black tie optional wedding.
|
|