Bryn Speak: The search (and everything else I ended up with)

(Flowers & cake from Neal's & my wedding)

Neal & I jetted off to Maryland for his cousin's wedding this past weekend. I had the hardest time finding a dress. The ceremony was scheduled for 6:30 pm. But I just found out a week before the wedding that it would be outside on a deck. Evening suggests formal. Outside suggests casual. Oh the dilemma. I went shopping the weekend before the wedding for six hours. Seem excessive? Well, maybe. In my defense the mall is ginormous. And I also tried on approximately 874 dresses. So that slowed me down.

My first stop was Macy's because I had some gift cards left over from ~~wedding gift returns~~ really nice people. What a strike out. I did mange to get a top from INC I fell in love with (picture not available) and an entire spring outfit courtesy of Lauren by Ralph Lauren. However, no dress for the wedding. Moving on.

L: Darey Short Sleeve*

R: Tessi Printed

My next stop was Gap because they have good sales. I wasn't expecting a dress for the wedding, but hey, sometimes magic happens. It didn't happen that day. But I did find a final sale summer dress for $14.97. Score! And moving on.

Textured bubble dress

Next I bee-lined for White House Black Market. Although I wasn't thrilled with the idea of wearing a black dress - does anyone else find that slightly depressing? Just me? - I've had good luck with their sales in the past. Unfortunately, their sale section was lacking. And I wasn't about to pay $300 for something they just got in. On to the next.

Banana Republic, how I love thee. I have had the best luck with their sales sections. Mind you, not every time I frequent the store. But enough times that it warrants a mention on this here blog. I collected at least 11 dresses to try on. And I'm not exaggerating. I scored this cute party dress (L) and this work dress (R). The party dress was not right for the wedding, but it was on sale with an extra 25% off in addition to the sale price. At this point I think I should mention that I haven't been shopping in about nine months.

L: Monogram crinkle crossover dress
R: V-neck sheath dress

After such great finds at Banana, I was hopeful as I approached AT Loft. Apparently Loft is in full summer mode. Ironic considering my shopping day included 45 degree temperatures, rain and high winds. There was nothing even remotely close to wedding attire. Highly disappointing.

Ann Taylor wasn't much better. I thought I might have luck with their bridesmaid dresses. But apparently you have to get all of those online. I didn't need a suit to wear to the wedding, thank you.

My last stop was Nordstrom. By this point I was exhausted and running on the almond pretzel I woofed down at least two hours earlier. I was trying to avoid Nordstrom all together because their prices are ridiculous. But with my resolve low, I was willing to negotiate. I picked no less than 14 dresses to try on and preceded to veto every single one of them.

So here I was, three dresses, a skirt and a shirt richer, but without the illusive 'wedding' dress. I had searched all my regular stores and I had to leave dress-less. I had three options:

1. Wear a bridesmaid dress I already had in my possession.

2. Go shopping. Again. BLEH!

3. Shop online and pay the expedited shipping fees.

I decided for option #2 & #3. I checked out my local Marshalls. I don't know why I bother with it anymore. It's a dump and always disappointing. Never again. Then I checked out The Limited, based on a recommendation from my coworker. When did the Limited become so great? I haven't been in one since High School because they used to suck. Well, not anymore. I came away with these two gems - one of which included a contender for the wedding (the one on the right).

L: Stripe 2-in-1 Chambray Dress

R: Draped Strapless Dress

For option #3 I scoured the internet: Ideeli, Gilt Groupe, Nordstrom.com, Macys.com. Nothing. Also, here's a tip, don't buy from Ideeli or Gilt in a pinch. They have to wait to ship things to you because it's coming from a designer. Usually it takes at least three weeks. Finally, I remembered Modcloth. I don't know how I overlooked it. And they do overnight shipping.** I found a dress I had actually tried on in Nordstrom. But Nordstrom didn't have my size. Thank you, Modcloth, for having my size.

So here were my contenders. Ironic that two are black, no? Also, the Limited dress is really pink, not red as it appears in the picture. Thank you, comments section on thelimited.com. Don't you love the comments section whenever shopping online for clothes? More on that in another post.

Left: Cotton Sateen Strapless with Ruching & Pockets

Middle: Draped Stapless Dress

Right: Style Seeker Dress by Max & Cleo

Drum roll please....I ended up with the Max & Cleo dress. I loved its simplicity, the bow detail and the length. I paired it was light grey chandelier earrings and these.

Rocket Dog Own it Pump

I ended up with an awesome outfit. There, I said it. It's probably going to make another debut for a fancy date night with Neal. In the mean time, I need to get my dress dry cleaned. I may or may not have gotten chocolate fondue on it at the reception.