Dress update!

In this dress search, I've had some issues.  Mainly, there are four choices out there:

1.  Slutty prom dress
2.  Trophy wife dress, lots of leopard, slits, and size 000
3.  Mother-of-the-bride
4.  Haute couture

The first three are not age or event appropriate.  The last is far too expensive for my budget, even with my tax return to help matters.

But, even though I've poked around a lot of options on the internet, as well as done some in store searching here, I hadn't gone to a place other than a department store.  So, this afternoon, with the event eleven days away, a friend and I went to Wrentham Outlets to check out BCBG, Karen Millen, and assorted other stores that may have more dresses in that sweet spot between too skanky and too mature for me. 

Karen Millen highlights

It's called the Boudoir dress, and while I thought I would look ridiculous, the draping is actually really well-done.  I have a consistent problem with the bottom matching the top of anything I wear, but even with that problem, this gown fit all right.  At $450, a bit steep, though.  And I wanted something with color!

My policy in stores is to tell whomever joins me, pick out whatever you want, I will try anything on...this gets me into things I would take one look at and grimace.  This dress on the rack looked like something vomited ruffles onto a bustier dress...but put it on, and wow.  The cascading ruffles are actually fitted to the curves of your body, creating a slight mermaid.  Whoever did the designing, bravo.  The top, though, same problem.  Tops just don't stay up on me.  And when you're going to pay $475 for a gown, and need to have it tailored and not just tailored, re-boned in the bodice, that just doesn't work.  But the shape was really pretty. 

BCBG.  I love this store.  I love the fit of their gowns.  I do not, however, love strapless.  Actually, even though the friend I went with adored some of their strapless gowns (especially one in Lisa Frank purple), I just can't deal with them.  While some may accuse me of hating my arms, it's more because I perpetually feel like they will fall down.  So, all I will do is pick at it all night, something cringe-worthy and decidedly non-classy.  I will not put myself in that situation.

I thought this would look horrid on me, but it looked...okay.  Still had the general top-falling-out problem. 

This dress in purple made me look a bit preggers.  It was also about eight inches too long with me in four inch heels, which would have been a bit of a pain to hem due to the drape.  But the color was gorgeous. 

So.  What to do, you ask?  Answer:  make one.  Or, have an awesome amazing friend help you make one.  She and another friend actually made me a dress this year for my birthday, and it's just such an appropriate dress for someone with my particular body eccentricities (don't hate, it sounds better than flaws).  Anyway, the dress they made is a shortened version of an Infinity Dress:

Origins are unknown, rumors fly, but Butter by Nadia sells a lot of these gowns in either jersey or satin.  They are quite easy to make in comparison to many other dresses out there, which is why ten days is still more than enough time.  Tomorrow is making patterns, Tuesday is buying fabric, Wednesday is cutting, and Sunday morning is sewing.  My friend has also made them several times before, and with that experience comes the glorious lack of troubleshooting---it's all been done before!

I'm loving the raspberry color.  But other suggestions are welcome---shoes are either silver or black, depending on what I feel like.  Any thoughts?