Dress #2! It looks so good on you, perfect for a summer wedding and I bet will be versatile. Love it!

YES to that royal blue!!!

Royal blue for the win!

Are you also going to try the Anthro Avian Kimono one?

Zibbets, I tried that one and it already went back -- I didn't even bother taking pics. The cut is not easy to wear at all. Even the SA said that she hasn't seen it work for anyone yet. It's very low cut in the neckline, for one thing. Maybe for someone with a straighter figure or smaller bust/longer torso?

The scuba fabric doesn't bother me -- in fact, my two existing patterned summer "dressy" sheaths (including my default floral I've worn to every wedding and even for the last three years) are scuba-type fabrics. It works so well for me because of the little bit of stretch. It's not a heavy fabric. If I were going to an August wedding in MD or anywhere in the south, with all the heat PLUS humidity, I might think again, but I think I'd be fine in this in London.

Yes to #2! And what Deborah said.

Love it, I see beautiful Janet in a lovely dress

Thumbs up!

Looks like you are sorted, Janet! Of course, I love those fabulous shoes as well. On to accessories. A clutch? Statement ring(s). Does your car paint ring work? I love Angie's suggestion of a redo on the bold hair stripe. It would be an alternative to the UK penchant for fascinators, though a hat could be fun!

Second dress shows The Queen of You!:-)

(ETA: cage heels (and maybe a bluish strake in the hair, as per Angie said) add some edge to the embroidered ladylike dress, if you were worried for a too classic look! Yeay!!!)

Oh yes! I like this on you much more.

Love the Tadashi. I think this is the one.

The Tadashi is gorgeous!

I absolutely love the Tadashi Shoji on you! You look wonderful in that color, it fits like a dream, it's appropriate but not boring... Keep it!

The TS is great on you. I can't quite figure out what exactly makes it look so awesome when it's the same length as the one that needed a couple more inches. The fabric sounds like it will work if your weight does shift a little between now and then.
Sorry to hear about the SAD and the anniversary. I deal with both of those too--anniversary is April. Tea, yoga, whatever you use, slow down a little to take good care of yourself!

Just chiming in to say I love your style and have copied a few things from your posts. That second blue dress looks amazing.

Thanks, everyone! And thanks, fashiontern. Early November is hard. Mom passed away after weeks in the ICU on life support in mid November 2008, and now this time of year always makes me have all the feels. It’s helping now that I’m having a little getaway with my husband — we’ve been apart so much this year, which is not always easy. Thank you for the good wishes.

The first fits well, but agreeing with others about the second fitting much better and looking more you. Beautiful colour and cut.

Stock photos can be so deceiving, and it goes both ways—items that appear fab online might be entirely different IRL, or vice-versa. I recently popped into Rag & Bone and saw many items that interested me IRL that I would’ve quickly passed over online.

What are in-store options like for you in your area? Occasion dress shopping can be mind-numbing, but it looks like you have a good candidate so early in the game.

GF, in-store options in my immediate area (15 min drive) are minimal and generally too conservative for my taste. But DC and Baltimore (30-45 min away) have many more options. Just requires a little time and planning.

If the TS is half as good IRL as it looks on screen, it's a winner. My question is - if you buy now, won't you be tempted to wear it a few times before next summer, and then want something else instead?

Of course, it's never a bad thing to have a dress this good on hand, but I honestly can't imagine planning an outfit this far in advance...

Liz, I don’t have a lot of wearing opportunities for things like this, but if I did, chances are that it would be maybe one wear before the wedding, which would still put this dress in much less-worn status compared to my old floral one, which my husband might be getting sick of seeing. I’m not worried at all about wearing this out before August if this is my final choice.

I’m also kind of waiting to see what my sister (mother of the bride) will be wearing. Just to see if we’re all kind of on the same page. But so far, to my eye, and consisting what I know of the event details (and my niece’s dress), this dress hits the right note of dressiness — not too embellished or sparkly or OTT. Simple yet interesting and flattering.

Very late to the party but so glad that you have rejected #1 and #2 is amazing. Perfect colour, length and fit. I love scuba dresses because they are so comfortable. So thrilled that you have found an amazing dress so quickly and that it fits in with the wedding colours. Love the Rockstuds too - it just shows that it is wise to have at least one pair of stunning dressy shoes that go with everything.