Retail Therapy

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Hello everyone. My name is Miss Buttons, and I am a shop-aholic.

If I had my way, I would never repeat an outfit. I like trying new styles, and the satisfying feeling that you get when wearing a brand new piece of clothing is just the bees-knees (haha, see what I did there?). Seriously, they call it retail therapy for a REASON, people…

Now, I am a rational, sensible person when it comes to spending (at least, I like to think so). Although I love the latest fashions, almost every article of clothing I own has been found at a store like TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Hey, if I can get BCBG, Lilly Pulitzer, and designer jeans there, why should I pay triple the price? Case in point; I bought an amazing Calvin Klein dress at TJ Maxx (that I wore the night Mr. Buttons proposed, coincidentally); a few weeks later, I was walking through the mall, and there was the EXACT dress on a mannequin for full price…ummm you better believe I felt good!

***Sigh*** isn't it a cute dress??? And...at a mere $35, I am so much more excited about it than if I had paid $150!

Anyway, I think it is exciting to go through the racks and find the rare gems among what is usually a lot of…um…interesting pieces…

This all being said, I took a look back at my spending patterns over the past months (since we moved to Virginia), and I made an interesting discovery.

I have barely purchased a thing…in months.

No, for real…I’m not even joking! I purchased a pair of ballet flats because living in Virginia requires closed toed shoes, of which I have a VERY limited collection…but other than that? Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

In the past, I wouldn’t hesitate to treat myself to a new shirt, pair of shoes, or a dress if I happened to stumble upon it at a store. You have to treat yourself sometimes, right??? However, I’ve noticed that any and all purchases (other than the necessary groceries and other basics) have been wedding related. My hair flower, my cake topper, and my Save the Date’s have taken the place of my precious shoe budget. When I’m out shopping and I see something that I like, I start saying to myself, “nope…don’t do it…that is $30 you can spend on wedding things…”

This gets me thinking…am I the only one out there feeling the same way? Do you find yourself holding back on making purchases because the money could be put to “better” use? Are you also feeling guilty any time that you make a frivolous purchase in lieu of saving it for the wedding? Is anyone else out there anxiously awaiting the day when their shoe (or handbag, clothes, etc) budget is re-instated? What do you do to NOT go crazy in the meantime???

My feelings on “THE dress:” That loving feeling...

If you haven't been following along on my dress buying experience and you need to catch up…

Part 1: My inspiration, Part 2: I went shopping, and Part 3: I made up my mind

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So, you are aware at this point that I selected my wedding gown. What you may or may not have noticed was how I failed to describe my overwhelming feelings of joy and excitement at finding “THE dress.”

Oh…wait…that’s because I DIDN’T have those feelings.

I find it very interesting when I read over and over how girls find their dress and immediately know that they were meant to be together. And, it isn’t that I’m unhappy with my dress. Quite the contrary! I know that it is absolutely perfect for me; it will make me look spectacular on my wedding day, no doubt in my mind. But, where were the butterflies? The excited squeals? The tears? There was nothing…not even a titter. Overall, during my shopping experience, I never became excitable. My mother and I discussed the options at length, we tore apart the different features of the dresses that we had looked at, and I came to a decision in the end.

So, I wonder…what would it take for me to achieve that giddy, I’m going to jump up and down in glee feeling? Well, if I had to guess, it would probably appear if I were to don a gown WAY out of my price range. I pay attention to fashion, I love designers…it would be unreal to wear a Monique Lhuillier or a Vera Wang…a girl can dream! But hey, that is all it is…a dream. And I have reality to focus on.

And, you know what? Just because I didn’t have the feeling during the dress shopping experience, DOESN’T mean that I won’t get it later on. Just you wait, I’m going to turn into a blubbery wreck when I am completely put together…the hair, the makeup, the shoes…that’ll push me over the edge in the end. I’m just…on hold for the moment being.

I know I am not the first bride who has experienced this, and I certainly won’t be the last one. If you are worried about this happening to you as well, here is my piece of advice: don’t let it frustrate you. Everyone’s shopping experience is different, and just because you aren’t jumping around the dressing room, screaming at the top of your lungs, or turning into a puddle of happy tears over your dress does NOT mean that you will look any less spectacular on your wedding day. Of this I am certain.

Did YOU get that feeling when you found your dress???

My feelings on “THE dress:” I make up my mind…

I suppose I should have started my dress-buying series with the caveat that the shopping experience happened months ago (in the summer, actually)…thank you to everyone who has offered advice/tips over the past few days though!

So…where did I leave off? If you are behind:

Part 1: My inspiration, Part 2: I went shopping

And in Part 3, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. I make up my darned mind!

After shopping around at a few other stores, my mom, grandma, and I headed in to CC’s Boutique in St. Petersburg for my appointment. I filled out my info card, and then my consultant, Monica, met with me to start the dress process (by the way, she was amazing!). She had me describe the details that I was looking for in my dress…I provided her with 5 key words: lace, strapless, sweetheart neckline, fitted. Then we began.

Monica explained that the first dress she brings out is the one she feels is the closest match to your ideal dress. Depending on how you react to the different aspects (too tight? Too sparkly? Too poofy?), she adjusts her dress selections from that point.

And…wouldn’t you know it…the dress I purchased was indeed the first one she brought me. But first, let me show you another dress that almost stole my heart, before the big reveal...

Obviously, we couldn’t stop at the first dress even though we loved it, so I spent an hour or so trying on various gowns, comparing each one to the first dress. I tried a beautiful organza gown in champagne by Pronovias, the Oleaje, that was a top contender for a while (actually, you may have seen it before, on a featured wedding on TheKnot! And, coincidentally, she got married at my venue…). Monica informed me that we could easily have the straps taken off as well...yay! The price was also great - at around $900, I would still be under my original $1000 budget.

Sadly, I wasn't allowed to take pictures of myself in the Pronovias gown, but trust me (and the pictures below)...it was gorgeous!

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But...in the end I kept going back to the James Clifford. It met all of my criteria; strapless, form fitting, the neckline, and the lace…perfection. No sparkle, no beading. Glorious. My grandma started to cry when I first put it on. My mom was sold on it, my grandma was sold on it...and then I flipped the price tag when Monica was out of the room, and felt a little sick. My beautiful lace dress was $500 over my budget. Crap.

Well, I'll make a long story short, but after a little hemming and hawing over the price...and some serious reasoning/justification in my head...I decided that I was willing to take the plunge. Throughout my session, none of the dresses were close to being as perfect on me as the J1820 (sheesh, sexy name huh?). Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

So, do you want to see it?

Well, the stock photos at least…for now…but I will say that the photos pale in comparison to this dress in real life…they just don’t do it a bit of justice whatsoever.

If you are Mr. Buttons, AVERT your eyes! Go away! And, if you don't want to see it, just don't scroll down!!!

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So…did you feel a sense of relief after you found your dress? Did you stick to your budget, or did you go over/under it?

My feelings on “THE dress,” part 2…we go shopping…

So…I had my dress inspiration. Next up, the shopping began!

The first shop we visited was Olga’s in Tampa. My mom and I were on our way to the mall, and we stopped in just to take a look. I tried on 3-4 dresses in that shop; and my favorite, hands down, was:

Harlow by Maggie Sottero

It had a sweetheart neckline, lace, and it was form fitting. My mom loved it. And, with a price tag in the $800’s, it was in my budget. But, it was the first place we’d stepped foot into; we felt like we needed to see more dresses before any decision was made! I wish I had a photo of myself in it; alas, one does not exist!

A few weeks later, my grandparents were in town, and my mother, grandma, and I went on an all-day shopping trip!

First stop…David’s Bridal.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t really like a single thing I tried on there. The consultant listened to me and brought out dresses that relatively fit my description, but there was just something about them that wasn’t hitting me. I didn’t take any pictures, because nothing was really striking me. Here are a few that I tried on:

All images from David’s Bridal

I would only consider this with the straps removed…I’m not a huge fan of spaghetti straps in general.

This was the one dress that I disliked the least in the bunch, but the price tag was over $1,000, and I knew I could find a more “designer” dress for the same amount of money. Yes, I’m a snob…I’ll admit it. *Hangs head in shame.* So, we moseyed on down the road...

Another stop on our shopping trip was The Dressing Room in St. Petersburg. The owner of the shop was hilarious. It is a small shop, and she locked the door as we walked in so we wouldn’t be disturbed. Pretty cool. Our trip to The Dressing Room was for one purpose; they had the Agadir dress from Cymbeline. If you need a refresher…

Cymbeline

I HAD to try it…(ignore the lack of boobs I have, and that the halter top neckline is spaced too far apart because the dress is too big!)...

And, what was the outcome? *Sigh* Ok…so I wanted to be in love with it. And it WAS gorgeous. The champagne lace was a great color against my skin. BUT, alas, my mom and I decided that it looked more like something you’d wear on the red carpet rather than your wedding day. Single tear.

I felt a little dejected, but then the owner suggested that I try on another dress from Cymbeline that I had overlooked at first. It didn’t completely meet my dress requirements, but I was willing to try it out! Here is the Colibrie:

They informed me that they could turn the neckline into a sweetheart for me if I desired. The skirt was just so…swishy and dreamy. I realllly liked it. What I didn’t like? The price tag was over $2,000. Gulp. I'd have to do some major reasoning with myself to justify that purchase.

So, without further ado we left the dress shop…I was starting to wonder if I’d ever get that magical “I FOUND THE DRESS” feeling that I was hoping for…

Did you shop at a lot of stores before you came across your dress? Did you find something that you loved, but was out of your price range?

My feelings on “THE dress:” my inspriation

Ahhhh, dress shopping. As little girls, we dream about the day that we can enter a bridal salon and try on beautiful dresses for our wedding day. It is supposed to be an amazing experience...and sheesh...we place such high expectations on it, don't we?

So...I wanted to delve into the story behind my dress buying experience...because...well, it wasn't the magical one I had imagined it to be. Let me explain...

For those of you who don’t know me or can’t tell from pictures, I am a small human being. I’m about 5’2”/5’3,” and I weigh just over 100 pounds. I’m “fun size.” I have a hard time shopping at a lot of stores; at some retailers their XS’s or 0’s are too big for me. So, when it came to dress shopping, I had a lot of things to keep in mind. I went into my dress search with a pretty distinct vision. I’d like to think that I know how to dress myself properly, and that when it came to shopping for dresses, I’d be no different.

I knew for certain that I had to stray away from dresses with “poof,” as they would completely swallow me alive. They aren’t my style anyway. Besides, I am confident about my body, so I did want to find a gown that showed off my figure!

Another thing I was sure of? Lace. There is just something so romantic about lace, and it is timeless. I just had to have a dress made of lace.

Finally, I knew that I wanted a sweetheart neckline if possible. I’m not ashamed to admit it; I am pretty much flat as a pancake up top…which I actually LIKE (gasp! What?!?! I know, who would think?). However, when it comes to clothing with strapless necklines, I start to look like a washboard when the top goes straight across. Not the most attractive thing you’ve ever seen.

So, what were my original dress inspirations? I sourced all of my favorite images from The Knot:

Raidis by Pronovias

I love the flowy nature of the dress…the babydoll shape would possibly be a good look on me.

Rocha by Monique Lhuillier

Sigh. Doesn’t need words.

Gwenyth by Renella De Fina Couture

This is one of the closest images to what I was going for in my overall look. Yum.

And then, I happened to come across Cymbeline, and I fell in love with some of the dresses…most notably Agadir…(both images are from their site)

The halter wasn’t what I originally wanted, but the dress was just so gorgeous…I wanted very very badly to at least try it on…

As for my budget? Honestly, I was trying to keep the dress itself around $1,000 or less. Did I succeed? Time will tell…

So…I had my inspiration (form fitting, lace, sweetheart neckline) and my price requirements…then it was on to the stores to make my dreams into reality!

What was your original dress inspiration? Did you stick to it, or end up with something completely different?