The dress before...
And after!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Disappointing, I know. Not much has changed (except the accessories and larger slit in front). And the After photo is blurry to boot. I've let you down!
But sometimes life is just one giant pile of disappointments. And the real let-down is that this Cinderella didn't go to the ball after all. Yep, no party. Zilch, zero, nada.
Whatever happened?! you ask.
Allow me to tell the tale...
It began when our upstairs neighbor's (we live in a condo) water heater broke at 2:00 am and flooded our dining room except Handsome and I didn't discover the flood until 8:00 am when we woke up and tried to feed the Caped Crusader breakfast; so then I had to call the restoration company who immediately came over to dry our walls with giant fans, heaters and tubes which then forced us to live in a hotel for 10 days (tab picked up by our insurance) to which our upstairs neighbor exclaimed that we were lucky to be in a hotel like it was some kind of planned vacation (yeah right, you try removing a four-year old from his routine where he freaks-out about monsters and needs the right kind of bed and the hotel bumps you from room to room including a one bedroom, one bathroom suite where the Caped Crusader insists on sleeping in the bed and Handsome and I are relegated to a lumpy pull-out sofa and forced to urinate in the kitchenette sink because Sleeping Beauty is a light sleeper and tantrums when woken up), and all the while I'm working eight hours a day calling restorers, dealing with insurance, making photocopies, and driving from the hotel to our condo to check out the progress and meet with professionals; and on the day of the party which I was very much looking forward to (especially the part where we drink because, man, I seriously needed a drink) I drove from the hotel to our condo four times collecting items and meeting with people and then drove the Caped Crusader during rush hour to his grandparents for an overnighter so Handsome and I could attend the event until everything came screeching to a halt.
I FORGOT THE CAPED CRUSADER'S ASTHMA MEDS.
And that's when I knew Handsome and I would never be attending said party because I still needed to pick up Handsome from his work, drive back to our condo and collect the forgotten dress shoes and jewelry, drive back to the hotel to shower and get ready, then scoop up the Caped Crusader's meds and drop them off at the grandparents (all during rush hour); so the end result was that, no, we didn't go to a party, instead we were stuck with a $500 deductible because our neighbor's insurance claimed that she wasn't negligent for the water damage done to our unit.
Let's tally the results:
Total Cost: $9
Thom Smith Atelier XXI dress: $9
Fur collar: free (closet shopping)
Earrings: free (mother's jewelry chest)
Outfit's MILF Potential (1-10; opinions vary): I emailed my friend, an employee of Metro who wears a beard and lots of polyester, a photo of the outfit. This was his reply:
Well, I'm going to give it a 6 which sounds terribly low, but I think it's ultimately a good thing, right? A MILF 10 would simply be unpractical for anyone wanting to get through their normal day without that pack-of-construction-workers-checking-you-out thing.
The sexy parts are the shorter sleeves and the slit with red pattern. The cool design elements are the shape and how it's gathered in the middle.
The MILF deduction points came from the rather stern look of the collar and the earrings go more toward the glam end of the spectrum (in combo with the collar), so the needle is farther from the MILF side of the gauge.
Overall, the outfit is glam--something to wear on the runway, to the opera, or Monte Carlo (in Monaco--not the burned-down discotheque).
4 comments:
Based on your past projects I was really looking forward to the outcome of this one, but I have to say I was rather disappointed...... but that's okay considering the traumatic +week you'd been having!
Now to the dress, I absolutely love the little peek-a-boo of hot red coming through. But the neckline really let the dress down! The furry collar made it look too boxy and shapeless. It would be nice with a v-neck or round neck cut out, and perhaps adorned with some subtles sequins or a nice necklace or choker would do the trick nicely. As it is now, I think it's too matronly...... How about another try?
Dear Anonymous,
I think you may be onto something with your v-neck idea... It would mirror the slit very well.
You know, I just might have to give this one another go. But it will be much later in the game. I've got piles of used clothes waiting for makeovers. Your V-neck suggestion is going to haunt me until I revisit this dress.
Thanks for your feedback. I always welcome it.
Maybe I'm the only one, but I like the collar you added. I'm not sure it's glam. For me, it's more early 60s Jackie O elegant. And I agree that the peek of red showing through the slit is a plus. Sort of coquettish. As for MILF points, I think there's a perverse charm to being a West Hills mama. You just need to add a string of pearls.
I actually really liked the dress and my first thought was it was first lady dress material. Although, you may want to get rid of the sleeves if you were to hand it over to Michelle. I am still in shock at your ordeal with the water damage. What a hellish week.
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