https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:44:23 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1402070 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:11:03 +0000 njw 1402070@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Then I think you should wear it; all that counts in the end is if you love the dress and it makes you feel happy.&nbsp; Good for you!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1402045 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:31:23 +0000 shedev 1402045@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Found the shapewear. I'll post pics tomorrow. </p> <p>Firecracker- I really like the first pair of Sole Society shoes. In my travels tomorrow I'll take a peak at shoes. Maybe I'll get lucky.</p> <p>Lynn67- I can cover most occasions with my closet. I'm not sure which kind of comfortable you mean, so I'll answer both. This dress feels like wearing pajamas. For mentally comfortable, I realize that I don't have a perfect body but I have pretty healthy body image. I have become a lot less comfortable with cleavage. This is mostly due to dudes staring down my top. Even ones young enough to be my children. Creepy. I do plan to wear some sort of hosiery. Bare leg just feel so casual to me. I'll also need warmth.</p> <p>Peri- It's true, we can't make everyone happy. Hopefully we can manage to make ourselves happy. Cleveland's main two looks are Boho and Bombshell. If I could find a local boutique that caters to my aesthetic, I'd be a regular.</p> <p>Una, IKWYM about the thinness of the top. I wear a thermal under it.</p> <p>njw- I do love the dress.</p> <p>suz- there's probably not time to take it for alterations before the event.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401911 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 16:46:44 +0000 Suz 1401911@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Your tree top (ha!) is amazing on you. Fab purchase.&nbsp;</p> <p>I really love the dress; it's gorgeous.&nbsp;&nbsp;But I&nbsp;would like to&nbsp;see this size&nbsp;with shapewear and/ or try the&nbsp;size up with an up top alteration, for a bit more fluidity. Sheath styles are so frustratingly hard to fit if you are not stick straight. And even then. But this feels like a fantastic blend of your own personal style and what's right for the occasion.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401889 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 16:02:26 +0000 njw 1401889@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It was interesting to read your dress shopping experiences as it was exactly what I found when I was the MOG...no middle ground, either a pagent or a retirement party look.&nbsp; </p> <p>I think the dress is fine but not fabulous and isn't that one thing we learn here?&nbsp; Don't settle, wait for something that "works" and that you love.</p> <p>I totally feel your frustration in this search, wish I could offer some options, hopefully others can. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401885 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 15:55:33 +0000 catgirl 1401885@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ugh, dress shopping is right up there with swimsuits.&nbsp; I would like to see this with something to smooth it out a bit, although I can see there's meant to be ruching.&nbsp; Love your tree outfit - I held off on it due to the thinness of the fabric but otherwise would have been a lemming! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401854 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 14:52:21 +0000 Peri 1401854@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hey, no matter what any of us wears on any given day, someone is not going to like it.&nbsp;</p> <p>And wow, do I know what you mean about turning invisible. I'm intimidated by Saks, but actually I think our local one goes out of the way to compensate for that image. I've found more friendly sales help there than most places...and usually they are standing around doing nothing cause so many people are intimidated by Saks.&nbsp;</p> <p>The main places I feel invisible are the oh so hip little boutiques that seem to cater to 20 year olds with trust funds. I can be the only one in there and still get ignored.&nbsp;And you would think those small independent businesses would be the ones to do anything to draw customers in. I've stopped going in any of them! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401849 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 14:46:14 +0000 jackiec 1401849@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am laughing with you at your story. I totally get it. I agree with the other comments so far. I really like that top in your WIW as well. Good suggestions by Firecracker too. Lets see it with some shapewear. I love HL. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401838 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 14:00:28 +0000 lyn67 1401838@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sorry for your not so good experiences trying to shop for a&nbsp;wedding guest dress. I can so relate, as it happened to me years ago, and it had burnt me deep so that since then&nbsp;I have made quite an effort and&nbsp;over the years&nbsp; I managed to&nbsp;built&nbsp;up&nbsp; a dressy/formal wear capsule&nbsp;which is all classic, flattering AND forgiving cuts with a little edge(color, cut or embelishment). </p> <p>The dress you decided on is&nbsp; a great cut, print&nbsp;and color, but seems a little snug over the hip-do you feel comfortable in it?&nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp;often size up in strechy dresses/skirts,&nbsp; for this very reason, but then of course&nbsp;I have to alter the top. It's an effort, but you are the&nbsp;one who knows it worth or not doing it for the occasion.&nbsp;&nbsp;Usually, wearing a snug dress like this&nbsp; with&nbsp;the right under-/shape-wear and a &nbsp;dressier shoe(say for ex. not stilettos, but chuncky heeled pumps) will make all the difference. A shorter and &nbsp;tailored (evening) jacket with the sleeves scrunched to elbow&nbsp;will also help. </p> <p>ETA: booties will work even better if worn with black sheers. And I like very much &nbsp;your&nbsp; wiw in nr. 3, love those mix media iops-for you and for me, too:-))</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401755 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 04:06:19 +0000 Firecracker (Sharan) 1401755@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Your story was a good read, and even better since it has a happy ending, with you finding a dress for the wedding. I thought the same thing as Kiwigal--the dress is not only great for the occasion but also looks like your style. I think with shapewear it will look even better. I think a little dressier shoe would be good, too, though I think you could make the booties work. (They could be your unique spin on the outfit.) But it's not out of the realm of possibility to find a shoe that is dressier and also has a little edgy vibe to it. And I like the ideas you've gotten for toppers. <br />Your tree top outfit is great! </p> <p>eta: I'm adding some shoe finds, for fun and some ideas.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401729 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 03:05:44 +0000 shedev 1401729@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you everyone for giving feedback. I just remembered that I bought shapewear to smooth out a skirt I wore some time ago. I'll try to dig it out and post new pics. I'm going to look for a blue topper on tues, I have 3 weeks until the wedding so I'll be super fortunate to find shoes. For comfort, I'd like a little lower heel. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401725 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:57:20 +0000 Jaime 1401725@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I like the dress. And your tree top WIW too. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401714 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:32:28 +0000 Staysfit 1401714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh you make me laugh! &nbsp;I can't tell you how many times I have felt perfectly invisible in a fancy store like Saks! &nbsp;My mother in law sets up an appointment with a sales associate whenever she goes there for that very reason. &nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401646 Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:49:11 +0000 Sal 1401646@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I like the dress and think it is a great blend of your style and the occasion. It does look a little clingy in the middle so I wonder if shapewear or a slip would help with that. &nbsp;It could also be the angle or the photo and may not be this way in real life!</p> <p>Love the colour, very cool.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401644 Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:47:48 +0000 Sharon 1401644@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The dress is really pretty - I like the draping across the front. I think I would prefer it with a more delicate shoe for a wedding, and likewise I would be reluctant to cover it up with a jacket that has a lot of volume. Maybe a wrap or a cropped jacket?&nbsp;<br />Have you had trouble with Saks before? LOL at your invisibility cure.<br />LOVE the tree top! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401643 Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:47:30 +0000 shedev 1401643@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can try a slip. It has some ruching at the waist. A bigger size wouldn't fit my top half. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401638 Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:36:55 +0000 columbine(erin) 1401638@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Can you try it over a slip, if not wearing one already? It seems to cling in the middle. Is there a different size to try? I do like the colors on you as well as the length. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wib--adventures-in-dressing-for-an-audience#post-1401622 Sun, 23 Nov 2014 22:53:04 +0000 shedev 1401622@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My nephew is getting married in December. It's very likely that no matter what I wear on any given day, someone is not going to like it. So I really dress to my own happiness. I realized that the things I usually love would make me feel odd. This is the rare occasion that dressing for an audience and dressing for my happiness are the same thing. </p> <p>So I set headed out to the mall for a dress to look for either a dress or a shirt to match the cobalt tube skirt ( same one that&nbsp;Janet has). No luck&nbsp;on my side of town where the stores are midrange. Thursday I headed across town to higher end stores. </p> <p>At the Rack, I saw a really cute dress. It was a deep red with black shadow flowers. It was a fit and flare, so it was too girly for me. I also don't think I'd feel grown up in it. Twenty something me would have loved it. It went back on the rack without a try on. </p> <p>The next stop was Nordies. I saw a lot of sequins and lace and nothing I wanted to wear. Saw a lot of very short or very bodycon on the way to Dilliards. The nice sales lady really tried to help, but the dresses were either prom or senior ladies who lunch. (if you happen to be a SLWL, I&nbsp;truly don't mean to offend) After my 3rd time passing the same&nbsp;dept, I left the store. No dress,&nbsp;but I did find a HEWI teal top to upgrade from a body con ON tee.</p> <p>After indulging in an order of cheese fries in the food court ( so unhealthy, but oh so good) I headed into Saks. I&nbsp;magically become invisible the moment I cross the threshold. Maybe Equipment cashmere is the cure for Saks invisibility. Or maybe its cancelled out when you pick up something expensive and start carrying it around. Found this Helmut Lang dress deeply discounted.</p> <p>So all this was a really long winded way of asking if you think this dress is good for a wedding. I'm thinking blue topper. Hedev likes the dress but doesn't love the booties. Dresses and booties are a poison eye thing for him though. I may wear a little shapewear to tame the tummy a bit.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Changing silhouette WIW. Bobeau tree top (work horse), Gap 1969 real straight (work workhorse) and Zigi girl booties (trying to increase their wears)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>