Help Me Choose An Appropriate Dress!

tneah

tneah

Cathlete
First, congrats to all of you who got in today!:7

I have a problem, sorta. We are invited to a dear friends wedding at the end of June in Fort Lauderdale, FL. So its gonna be hot and humid.
I need to buy two dresses, one for the rehearsal dinner, one for the actual wedding which is late afternoon, running into the evening and more "formal".

I have a freaky body, my chest is 34DDD, waist is 26 inches, hips are 36 inches...making dresses impossible to find unless they are made of jersey material. So what do I do? I usually never have a problem with clothing, I love clothes, but not sure which direction to go here.
Any ideas? Oh, and those babydoll type, empire waist dresses just make me look 6 months pregnant because they sorta "hang" off my chest in a very unflattering way. Oh, and because of the chest size, I can turn a perfectly nice dress into a "hoochie mama" dress just like that! Ick.

Thanks guys, I'll take any suggestions at this point!:) Oh by the way, I am 41.
 
Sounds like you are going to need to enlist the help of a good seamstress. Find a dress you like in a size that fits your largest dimension - in this case, your chest. Then take it to a seamstress and have everything below the chest area altered to fit you. It shouldn't be very expensive to have this done, and will be well worth it! :) Good luck!
 
I agree on the seamstress idea. THey are very reasonably priced, usually, and it is worth it!!!

Wow, you have a 26 inch waist!!! I would loooooove a 26 inch waist!!!
 
Tneah,

Your body sounds like its kicking!!!!!! You should put a positive
spin and have a blast looking for a dress you feel great in!

Keep us posted!!

Suzanne
 
I'm larger busted too and have a terrible time finding dresses!! I typically just go for cute separates, if you can find a really flattering top and skirt I think that would be dressy enough! When my best friend got married, her MIL made our bridesmaid dresses as separates and they fit everyone really well!!

Happy shopping!
 
Yeah, so you know the deal with the boobs huh?:eek: Its tough to find flattering dresses, and yep, the seamstress is always a must for me whenever I buy jackets or anything.Thanks you guys, will keep you posted if I find something, might resort to seperates!
 
I think you should consider separates. You can then buy two different sizes and have only the top altered as needed. V neck tops (not too low) might be becoming, with a fitted (but not tight) top. You can choose your favorite style skirt. You may be able to get a different top and keep the skirt the same for the two different events. You might even add a shawl or see through jacket for the wedding.
 
Oh yeah, Boston Proper does have some cute dresses!:) I am still online looking before I go hit the stores, this is the one time I have to go and actually try on the dress...yuk.
 
tneah, I know exactly what you mean. Although my chest is not as large as yours, mine requires me to buy a size larger than my shoulders need. All of my tops are knit. I don't know about you, but I have never owned a "dress" in my life. I always buy separates, and I usually buy a smaller size for the bottom and larger size for the top. There are lots of dressy, beautiful separates out there. And of course, as others have suggested, don't hesitate to use a tailor.

BTW: If you ever need a really dressy dress, Alfred Sung sells separates that look like dresses in a large variety of sizes and shapes. True, you have to go to a "bridesmaid" gown store to buy them, but they are SOOOO figure-flattering because you get to choose the top and the bottom that suit your figure best. I wish all clothes were made that way.
 
Oh, I know the deal!!!! I'm about a 34DD now (but used to be a 42DDD+!!) and it's hard enough to find decent bras, let alone a dress!!! :eek: Good luck finding something flattering, I'm sure with your figure you will! :)
 
Hum, Alfred Sung? I have heard the name before, will check that out.

Holy crap! You were extremely large chested! I find my best bras BTW on figleaves.com. You can shop by bra size...and they have a huge range of sizes and styles.

Yes, I have a very hard time, my shoulders are wider too, so with the large chest and shoulders and muscular arms, I find skinny straps to look silly, I tend to favor the halter style..more flattering. I have a fairly small waist and really no hips, but big thighs, oh dear. Maybe I will just wear my workout clothes, which fit me perfectly all the time!;)
 
Oh, I hear ya!!! Yeah, I was also about 70# heavier then!! ;-)

I'm the same way, I have a terrible time finding shirts unless they're a more *athletic* fit. Maybe we need to start our own clothing line??? ;-) I agree that halter styles are usually more flattering.

Ok, and we need pics of you when you finally do find the perfect dress!
 
SHOP BY BRA SIZE??? I'm off to check it out!

ETA: Oh, I thought you meant they sold clothes by bra size. Darn. Good idea though. Let's start our own line.
 
what about these??

Not sure if this would be too casual looking for the rehearsal or not..it would 'cover' the girls more than some halters.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2971647...Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014190&P=1

I also like this:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2946897...Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014190&P=1

And a few that could work for the wedding...?

Not sure this would cover you enough??
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2962710...Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014190&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2962974...Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014190&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2918088...Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014190&P=2


I LOVE Nordstrom! :) Probably more help than you were looking for but had fun looking at them!!!!
 
We have the same taste!:) I looked at that Calvin Klein one, is the color wrong though for a wedding? I know the bride is the only one in white, this dress is close, but not exactly white right?

And I loved the Muse brand one, the orange jersey with the abstract print? Very cute, I need to make a trip to Nordy's today! Thanks so much for all your help.:)
 
Not that this helps Tneah, but those are waaay cute, Jen! Makes me actually want to go out and buy a dress! :)
 
I thought about the color with the Calvin Klein one too but I think it's far enough from white that it would be okay. Plus it'll look even darker when next to a white dress, you know??

Yeah, that Muse one is adorable! It would show off your arms, shoulders, and back too!! I got a BCBGMAXAZRIA dress from Nordstrom 3 years ago that is a halter (teal & brown) & I've worn it to a few events & LOVE it. Actually think there's a pic of it in my picture trail.

Oh, this is cute too & would fit a summer rehearsal dinner well!!! I have a thing for halter style dresses for some reason.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2963072...331~6014132&SourceID=&SlotID=1&origin=related

Dana- Thanks! I know, almost makes me want to buy a dress too & I'm one to order EVERYTHING on-line & send back what I don't like!
 
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