Well, my first cousin on my dad's side is getting married and it's going to be very posh. The invite says "Black Tie". Que my stress over what to wear!

I didn't expect to be shopping for new formal dresses at this point since nearly everyone in my family and friend's group is middle-aged at this point! The one dress I have that might work - a magenta silk gauze wrap number with a substantial ruffle 'round the neck and down the front - felt all wrong when I tried it, and is likely too plain for black tie since it's midi. Last time I wore it I had a very short pixie and the ruffles worked well. But now they feel too twee.

I have been thinking about what to wear to this event now since we got the save the date back in February. Now the invites arrive and it's black tie! Yikes! I've ordered and sent back a few things, browsed on The Real Real and Rent the Runway, etc., and there are many options but none really felt worth the cost. Plus I have to accommodate a full bust (32HH) which is so hard to shop for online when everything is so expensive and there are fees for return shipping.

Then I saw this dress on The Outnet. From reviews on Rent the Runway it seems like this designer typically runs larger in the bust overall. It's like PERFECT. I love it so much. But it's horribly expensive, even at a discount. In a moment of weakness due to stress over the situation I ordered it. I figured I'd only keep it if it fit perfectly. Of course it does. Haha.

In the end I've decided to keep it. I'm tired of stressing and want to feel nice. I've never really owned a GOWN before and I'm almost 45, so to hell with it. Even my wedding dress was a cream brocade knee length frock from Marc by Marc Jacobs.

I've got black dress sandals and I've ordered a black patent bag. I'll wear CZ necklace and earrings. Job done. I'm finally looking forward to the event. I'll have to find more fancy events to attend so I can wear my gown again. I wonder if it's too fancy for the Opera?

Edited to add shoes and accessories. I'm not quite sure if the shoes are still wearable for my fussy feet; I'll have to try them out and see.