Wedding a la Mode

I have recently been informed that Mark and I are invited to his cousin’s wedding in Boston. It is coming up rather quickly in mid June, and I have heard from various members of his family that it will no doubt be a totally swank affair. Mark is somewhat bewildered by the prospect of monkey suits and fancy hotels and dancing in front of his extended family without falling on his face, but I am absolutely excited. I can pull off swank. I can pull off glam. I know which fork to use and when. I am always aware of which direction my pinkies are pointing. No problem.

Of course, part of my excitement stems from a newfound justification for a shopping spree. I love to shop. When I find myself with extra money or a special occasion for which I must dress, I can’t stay away from the local shopping mall. Of course it doesn’t help that I live about five minutes away. My closet is well stocked, but I just don’t have anything new enough. I know intellectually that it doesn’t matter, as most of these people have never met me and have absolutely no grounds to say “didn’t she wear that dress to the last party?” But I know. So therefore I will shop.

I have been scouring the internets for the past week or so, looking for just the perfect combination of dress, shoes and bag. The hard part is that I’ve also been trying to keep the whole endeavor under $1500.

The worst of it is over, really, as I have found the cutest darn evening bag ever for just over $100. Usually bags are my downfall, the bane of my checkbook, the item on which I spend the most for any given outfit. But not this time. I chose a satin Coach convertible mini bag with rhinestones on the buckle. It’s not an expensive bag to begin with, and I got a really good deal on eBay. My only worry is that I will go all out on the rest of the outfit then decide I don’t like how the less-expensive bag looks with the dress and shoes, and find myself having a vintage Gucci quilted satin chain bag FedExed the week of the wedding.

This is my life. I’m really never satisfied, you know.

The next most important thing is the shoes. At least for me, dresses are easy. I can find a dozen dresses per store that look good, dresses that have the ability to flatter and command attention when I enter a room. Where most people match the shoes to the dress, my usual plan of attack is to get the shoes first and find the dress to match them.

I think I have found the perfect shoes. They are Louboutin Prive peep-toe sling-backs, which are pretty standard as Louboutins go. But the best part about them, the thing that totally makes me drool over them, is the cool black glitter with which they are covered. They are fun and formal all at once, which is what I want.

If I wanted pure sophistication, I would just throw on my 120mm satin Decolletes (which match the bag I just bought perfectly, by the way). I wear the Decolletes to power meetings at work – they are much more of a simple and refined style. But I think I really need the fun element to come across, as I don’t plan on hiding all the colorful tattoos on my back and shoulders. This is not a production planning conference, this is a party, damn it! My personality and individuality must shine through, as I’m sure I won’t even get to talk to 90% of the people there, though they will all sit and quietly judge me.

The peep-toe Prives are by rights a very versatile style, but I’m sort of thinking that the ideal dress for the evening will be flirty a-line with a plunging back. This will tap into the retro potential of the shoes . . . and cause me to think longingly of a vintage Gucci bag even more than I already am.

I still have time to fall in love with the Coach I have, though.

And I still have time for dress shopping.