Fancy Footwork (Dress Shopping)

Back in my college/sorority days, one of the most exciting times of the year was formal time. One time a year to get really dressed-up, not club or bar dressed-up, or even cocktail dressed-up but princess formal dressed-up. I remember buying a dress to be both really fun and really stressful... it had to be the perfect combination of sexy, classy, and flattering. Color choices and patterns were very important, as well as dress dance-ability... could you move in it? As Marine Corps Birthday Ball season is quickly approaching, some of my friends and I decided to choose today as our dress shopping day. Along with all of the other factors of picking out a dress, this year I had one more major element to factor in to my dress choosing... pregnancy.

Pregnancy makes picking out a dress very interesting. Considering the ball is on Oct 30, I have a little over a month of growth to consider. How much is my belly going to grow in that month? (5 to 6 months is quite a jump!) How much are my boobs going to grow? Is anywhere else going to grow? As well as, if I give it room to grow, what happens if I don't? Will I have time for alterations? How much is too much to alter? Added to the sexy, classy, and flattering combination and choosing a dress for the pregnant woman can lead to a stressful, although fun, day.

We started at David's Bridal and tried on a number of dresses. Most of these were of the empire-waisted variety... snugger up top and left to do whatever at the bottom. As I didn't feel any of them were "The Dress" but did like one, we continued our search. At Camille La Vie, I tried on my "yellow dress" that I'd found a few weeks ago, but it was quickly vitoed by my friends, and looking in the mirror I must admit, yellow does not fit the "flattering" part of the combination with an ever expanding... body unit. I continued my search, trying on empire-waists, stretchy fabrics, basically any variety that may work with "the bump." Finally, after a long hard search I found it, a very classy number in Navy blue with an illusion halter made of a stretchy material that can move with me and also a size up (just in case). It will probably need some alterations as the top is a bit loose, but it fits nicely besides that, is very comfortable, fits the dress searching criteria and will definitely serve it's purpose. It's not "The Dress," I still see that one as my royal blue one from my last formal (that I was definitely going to wear to my first USMC Ball... until I got pregnant) but it is beautiful and will look very nice next to my husband in his Blues.
That would be it, except in Navy Blue, from Camille La Vie.

While we're on the subject of dresses, let's take a minute to look back through my closet, of some of my favorite formal dresses.
First and foremost, my wedding dress. My perfect wedding dress, a big fancy princess dress. Yours may be different, but this was it for me.

My first Phi Mu formal. I tried to get a better picture of the actual dress, but facebook is being a ding dong tonight and that's the only pic I have of it anywhere else (maybe I shouldn't rely so much on one website). It went a little past my knees and had a pretty brooch and some rouching in the middle.


My second Phi Mu formal, a light purple Grecian inspired number (from CMart for $40!), that's my friend Shannon and me.

The "Little Black Dress" from a TKE (Fraternity) formal I attended. This is all the Phi Mus who attended that formal, I'm the 3rd one from the left.

And "The Dress," my royal blue halter gown that I wore to my last Phi Mu formal. This is one of my fave dresses (besides my prom dress which I don't have a picture uploaded of and my wedding gown, duh). This pic is me being a ham laying across my sorority sisters, I adore this dress and it WILL make a comeback. :o)

So there ya have it, a small collection of my formal gowns, not including cocktail dresses or anything pre-college. I love getting dressed up and the memories that come from the events of going down a dress-shopping memory lane!