Trip number 4 to the Chapel of Love at Mall of America

[ilovesparkles]

So I went with my BM again, my mom wanted to come but she couldn''t I am now super de-duper confused. My BM likes one style on me and my mom hates that style and likes the styles my BM does not like on me. My BM is quite a fashionista, my mom knows me better than anyone. Fiance pretty much likes all dresses on me, although this trip he sides with my BM. I am feeling really lost and confused about what styles look best on me. For reference, I am going to attach links to my previous shopping trips for those of you that have been following and trying to compare, I really, really appreciate it. I am beginning to get really lost!

First trip

Second Trip

Third Trip

 

[ilovesparkles]

I am looking for really honest, frank even, opinions. I am not going to give any hints to which dress I liked the best from this trip. I am wondering if any are willing to look at these and compare to previous shopping trips, and tell me not just which dresses look best on me, but which style you personally, and truthfully looks the best on me. I am completely lost.

ETA: #1

 

[ilovesparkles]

#1

 

[ilovesparkles]

#2

 

[ilovesparkles]

Detail on the front of the skirt #2

 

[ilovesparkles]

#2 I would have this altered into a sweatheart neckline kinda like this.

 

[ilovesparkles]

#2

 

[ilovesparkles]

#3

 

[ilovesparkles]

#3

 

[ilovesparkles]

#3

 

[ilovesparkles]

#3

 

[cocolaw]

you and your dress shopping!!!!!!!!! ok honest: i don''t like the first one in this shopping trip at all! i like the second one though! let me reference your other shopping trips and give you a favorite.

 

[ilovesparkles]

#4 This is the last picture, this dress did not look good from the back as the sample did not fit well, so just the front picture. This salon was tiny, hence so few dresses, but it was WONDERFUL! Probably the best experience I have had thus far!!! Two salons left in the cities that I want/must visit! Thank you again ahead of time!

 

[cocolaw]

oh wait i like 3 better than 2! i didnt see 3! so in this trip, my favs go 3 then 2, but not 1!

 

[iheartscience]

I like #4 the best of this batch by far. But my fave is still #4 from Rubenesque.

And now a totally unsolicited opinion: stop going to so many places and trying on so many dresses with so many people! You''re clearly driving yourself crazy! I would take a break from dress shopping and just think for a while.

 

[decodelighted]

My fave: #1 from Trip Three
2nd best: #1 from Trip Two
3rd best: #7 from Trip Three
4th best: #4 from Trip Four

Hope that helps!

 

[cocolaw]

yeah 4 is my fav here too, hands down! i like this one a lot!!! but my fav i think is davids bridal #1-they need to do something with the straps-they are not sitting right, but that is such a classic look! i love it on you!!

 

[ilovesparkles]

Thing2of2 - LOL that made me laugh. I thought people''s opinions were helping so I keep bringing the most opinionated people shopping with me. Perhaps next time I will bring some one who just takes pictures. My dad maybe? LMAO!

Thank you deco and cocolaw! I am heading to bed now, and maybe tomorrow I will decide Thing2of2 is right. Or perhaps I will make another appointment since I like to torture myself. Yeesh!

 

[princessplease]

ILS, here are my top 5:
1: #4 from trip #2
2: #1 from trip #2
3: #5 from trip #1
4: #2 from trip #1
5: #3 from trip #4


I had a hard time picking between #4 and #1 from trip 2. They both look SO pretty on you!

 

[jstarfireb]

I replied to all of your prior threads, so first let me re-state the ones I liked there:

Trip 1: 2, then 6
Trip 2: 8, then 1 and 5
Trip 3: 5, 6, and 7

And now for trip 4, I''m not really crazy about any of these, but I like 3 the best. 1 is a pretty style too, but I think the dress looks kind of poorly made (see how you can see the princess seams coming down the bodice and skirt?). I think you had better results with the first 3 trips.

I think a few general themes are:
1) Simpler is better (which as I recall you''re going for in order to incorporate the lace you bought).
2) Sweetheart necklines look better than straight across on you.
3) I like some sort of strap on you, like a simple tank/cap sleeve or a halter. But strapless is also OK if it''s a sweetheart.
4) Corsets give you a great hourglass! But get a "real" corset with boning in the bodice and a nice thick lace-up tie, not a kind-of faux corset.

OK, hope that helps! If I were you I would take a break for a bit...there is such a thing as too much dress shopping! Think about what you really want in a wedding dress (train/no train, beading/simple, straps/strapless). Think about what your FI envisions you wearing on your wedding day if you get stuck...maybe even look through magazines with him. My guy''s stylistic preferences actually played a huge role in my own wedding dress choice.

 

[ilovesparkles]

PP - Thank you for going back through all of the threads, I appreciate it! You are always so helpful!!!

Jsatrfireb - Thank you so very much! Your detailed info about styles that suit me best is helpful. My mother would agree with you too! She is arguing that strapless cut me off at the chest causing a straight across line at the chest, enhancing vertical lines. Hence, I should wear one with straps, that elongates my figure because the dress flows from top to bottom. My BM argues I should wear a strapless because they make my figure more hourglass like. I never wanted a strapless, but then on my first trip, #2 looked just stunning. So I gave in and thought maybe I had to get one to look the very best in a gown. Perhaps I do need a break.


Thank you again ladies! Please keep any more opinions coming! I think perhaps I do need a small hiatus before going out again, and get a little bit more refined idea of what I want. It''s hard because sometimes, I just have to try on the dresses available in my size and I can''t be so picky about details. *Sigh*

 

[princessplease]

You''re welcome. I love the sweetheart back in that dress.

Have you tried Alfred Angelo gowns yet? Here is a link to their gowns, and there is a store finder. Link

They have some gorgeous dresses!!!

 

[purselover]

I really liked #1 from trip 2 the detailing was beautiful, and I think it was much more flattering to your figure than any other dress.

My 2nd favorite was dress #1 from trip 4 I think once they fix the straps it will be very flattering as well.

 

[decodelighted]

You can't discount how you *feel* in a dress. My concern is that you're getting too wrapped up in other people's opinions on too large a variety of dresses and don't have any opinion of your own.

It would probably be more helpful for you to really think about it ... think about how you felt in each dress ... and narrow the field to three that you'd be happiest with -- THEN ask folks again (if you even need to).

I had a nightmare custom dress thing happen -- where I ordered from a sample I couldn't try on & it turned out

-- then, the minute I tried on "the dress" at a store I just knew it was right. It felt right. It was kicky. It met all of my objectives. I didn't really CARE what other people thought at that point. Because I just KNEW.

People are different & maybe you're putting more emphasis on what others think & how flattering it is in photos etc .. but how you FEEL is that little tickle of recognition ... that gut instinct ... listen to it.


ETA: Oh, and when I tried on that nightmare dress ... I took my friend who is a fashion *designer* with me. She swore up & down it was "flattering" -- tried to talk me into proceeding with it (down the trail of hell). I *almost* listened to her & all the bridal shop personnel. But in my GUT GUT (chubby) GUT I just *felt* something was terribly wrong. When I saw the pictures I was HORRIFIED. I called out my friend and then she started to agree with me & see what I was *feeling*. I think we both cried all night long when we realized how awful it was & the next morning got up, went to David's and got a new dress. There. Just like that. Abandon expensive custom dress -- pick up off the rack special. Anything would have been better I swear. As it happened I LOVED the new dress & it worked perfectly with a little sweater I'd picked up to wear over the other dress. I still nursed some hurt feelings about not being able to *trust* my best friend & her expert eye -- when I was COUNTING on her expert opinion. But, ultimately we're all just human and make mistakes. I'm recounting this story because for me it was CRUCIAL to NOT listen to "everyone else". If I had - I would have looked like a lacy Stay Puft Marshmellow man from Ghostbusters. Even with a professional, highly paid, expert designer supervising my every move.

 

[Dannielle]

Out of the dresses you posted today my favourite is number #2.. actually, it is my favourite out of all the dresses you have posted

 

[ficklefaye]

i like dress #4 on this trip, you seem more comfortable in it as well from the way you carry yourself in this dress, good luck with all the dress shopping, went to ten places myself before i found mine

 

[rhbgirl24]

I really like number 2 on you from the first trip, number 1 on you from the second, I''m meh about all of trip 3.... and number 4 from this trip! That one you look happy in!!!

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 7/24/2009 8:00:06 AM
Author: ilovesparkles
Jsatrfireb - Thank you so very much! Your detailed info about styles that suit me best is helpful. My mother would agree with you too! She is arguing that strapless cut me off at the chest causing a straight across line at the chest, enhancing vertical lines. Hence, I should wear one with straps, that elongates my figure because the dress flows from top to bottom. My BM argues I should wear a strapless because they make my figure more hourglass like. I never wanted a strapless, but then on my first trip, #2 looked just stunning. So I gave in and thought maybe I had to get one to look the very best in a gown. Perhaps I do need a break.

No problem! I think the David''s Bridal one with the cap sleeves (#6 I think, but I didn''t go back and look this time) was a good style because of exactly what you say. It has the surplice waist that creates a great hourglass, a sweetheart neckline so it doesn''t cut you off with a straight line, AND cap sleeves that really flatter your decolletage.

I didn''t want strapless for myself either, but they ended up looking really nice on me. I ended up with a strapless dress that I altered to add a halter strap. Looking back on it, the advantage of that was that the bodice held itself up well - it was a corset with extensive boning, and it was designed to stay up with out a strap, but the halter helped stylistically to make it more "me."

And I second the suggestion to try Alfred Angelo next if none of these are the right one. Their dresses are gorgeous, relatively inexpensive, and better made than the ones at David''s. The styles are somewhat similar but a tad more classy (I think). I bought my dress at David''s, so nothing against them, but I probably would have gone with Alfred Angelo if I had more room in the budget. They have stores all over the country, but you may have to call them to see if they have plus-sized samples in the styles you like.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Okay, went back and compared all of them side by side!! Here are my thoughts...

#4 from trip 4 and #4 from trip 2 are in a close tie for me as THE BEST!!

I think you couldn''t go wrong with either of these and it would come back to how you *feel* in the dress as many others have said. I really, really love these 2 on you. Today''s #4 is very flattering and it hangs really well. Also, #4 from trip 2 I really loved on you. The beading is gorgeous and I loved the back - sweetheart, I think! The fit works really well on you...a lot of the others tend to "cut" up high and then bell out. This one, what is it called? dropped waist?, really works for you!! It just lays really well, too.

In a distant 3rd and 4th place are these:
#7 from trip 3 (I think I like this one slightly better with an ivory sash)
#2 from trip 1

 

[House Cat]

#1 from trip 2 is by far the most flattering, most beautiful gown that you have tried on IMO.


The strapless thing causing an issue isn''t happening in this gown. It is actually creating a very sleek line on you. The fabric has enough structure to flatter all of the right areas like your tiny waist and provide support for other areas (think boobs.)

If it were me, I would have stopped at that dress. It is elegant, beautiful, and makes you look absolutely stunning.