Saturday I headed out with my maid of honor and one of my bridesmaids to go to David’s Bridal.\u00a0 Considering I have about 3 months left, I should probably get on that whole “getting a dress” thing.\u00a0 I never thought I would be much of a white wedding dress person, but figured I might as try SOMETHING on, and if not, they had some really gorgeous looking bridesmaid dresses that came in every color under the sun.<\/p>\n
We got there and looked around gawking for a bit since they had apparently forgotten our reservation to have someone help us (though that’s probably the only negative thing we experienced), but then she directed us to the ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.funny-potato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/wedding-dress.jpg\")
right rack to look at and told me to pick at least 3 (I ended up with 5) to try on.\u00a0 Apparently wedding dresses are 2 sizes bigger, so I was looking in 12s, and the shoulders necessitated 14s in some cases.\u00a0 Glad I lost the hangup with what size things are – that could have really been a bummer to me back in the day.\u00a0 As long as I’m not venturing into plus sizes, everything is sunny with puffy clouds for me.<\/p>\n
First, you have to put on what they CALL a bra, but it’s really more of a bustier – I badly want one now to wear every day all the time, because my stomach has never looked so smooth – I <3 anything that flattens out my jiggly bits on my tummy.\u00a0 Then, you have to put on the petticoat, which continues the smoothing to about the knees, and then is a bunch of foofy meshy underskirt that makes everything at the bottom poof out all nicely.\u00a0 Then, you get yer dress on top of all that, get it zipped\/tied\/whatever, and finally, you emerge and stand on a pedastal with a bunch of mirrors so you can see every angle.<\/p>\n
I’m not going to lie.\u00a0 Every one of the dresses I tried on made me feel like a freaking princess.\u00a0 Sure, one showed too much sideboob and the strapless one made me feel a little ackward, but at no time did I feel like “ugh, this dress makes me look horrible, I can’t rock the white\/ivory\/cream”.\u00a0 It surprised me a lot.\u00a0 Sure, shedding a bunch of weight helped, but I still thought I’d get up there and look like a silly marshmallow.\u00a0 I also was totally against a veil, but once I put one on it was like I took another step into magical fairy land.\u00a0 I couldn’t stop the shit eating grin.\u00a0 Maybe this white wedding business isn’t just for the birds.\u00a0 Maybe, just maybe, this will be the one time in my life I rock something white and frilly and feel like a pretty pretty princess doing it.<\/p>\n
I guess it goes back to my childhood.\u00a0 I loved playing dress up to elicit a response.\u00a0 I’d put on the loudest clothes I had and give my parents a rock concert\/gymnastic show.\u00a0 I’d throw a refrigerator box on my head, cut out eyeholes, and rollerskate around my neighborhood and pretend I was a robot.\u00a0 Halloween was always a favorite holiday.\u00a0 I loved show costumes for dance or ice skating.\u00a0 There were different leotards for different moods in gymnastics.\u00a0 I would switch between hippie, goth, rocker, or whatever my mood was that day during high school (and the 40% discount working at Hot Topic made it all possible).\u00a0 I’d don the vinyl pants when I was feeling particularly saucy.\u00a0 I sort of lost the urge when I got heavy and got into my “elasticy-skirt and t-shirt\/tank top” uniform mode, but different skirts were definitely reserved for different moods even if they were very similar.<\/p>\n
Now, the “getting costumed” for the day urge is definitely back.\u00a0 I mean, most days it is simply a pair of pants and a shirt, but then there is pairing it with the right sweater\/jacket, what shoes to wear, what jewelry to wear, and how to do the ‘do.\u00a0 The random number generator has thrown a kink in the “mood wear”, but it’s also forced me to be creative or to get rid of things I don’t particularly like anymore.\u00a0 I’m about halfway through, and though I’ve been in a very black and red rut the last week, I definitely am excited to see what shirts I keep passing over that might be new favorites if I think about how to wear them in a different way.<\/p>\n
Then, there’s the going out – it’s fun to have another side of the closet reserved for special occasions again.\u00a0 I used to joke that people knew I was dressed up by the fact that I was wearing earrings in all 3 of my holes in each ear and eye makeup.\u00a0 But that’s actually pretty much the truth.\u00a0 I didn’t have a set of going out clothes anymore because – well, what I wore daily sufficed, and I didn’t go out all that much.\u00a0 Now, we are not the socialites of the century, but I can usually find an occasion at least once a month to put on something special that’s a little too short\/tight\/saucy to wear to work and get all gussied up.\u00a0 And I’m remembering that I really enjoy it.<\/p>\n
I’m sure it’s a mental thing, like when I put on my running skirt I feel faster, but I fully agree with the school of thought out there that your costume sets the mood.\u00a0 I know if I don’t feel like leaving the house but have plans, once I put on something fabulous, I’m usually ready to go.\u00a0 Conversely, if I leave the house in something I”m uncomfortable in or don’t like how it looks, I don’t usually have a great day.\u00a0 Any day I wear this shirt<\/a>, it’s a fucked up day.\u00a0 If I wear anything with my 5 inch silver platform shoes, I feel like I’m on anyone’s level.<\/p>\n So coming back to the dresses – even though I didn’t see myself in a foofy white dress, maybe it’s not that far of a stretch.\u00a0 Maybe, just maybe, I can allow myself to be that pretty pretty princess for a day.\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe it’s not any normal version of me, not the fierce girl sporting workout clothes, or the girl that normally shows up to work in slightly bohemian\/funny t-shirts and a coordinating hoodie because it’s about -12 degrees with the AC on in my office, or the usually overdressed one in something short and\/or revealing and black\/plaid\/sparkly\/bright to go out on the town.\u00a0 Maybe I can add this one to my costume closet and rock it.<\/p>\n