I'm not a size 10.

Apparently if you want to buy a nice floral gown for a beach wedding, you have to be a size 10.  Or smaller. 

If you go to Bloomingdales, though, and are willing to spend $600 or more, you can be a size 12, because that's the largest size some designers will allow.  When I told the lady that I was a 12, 14, or 16, depending on the designer, she said, "Well, this designer only goes to a 12 and that won't fit you."

Really?

THEN she said, "What about this dress?"  And she pulled a navy blue, OLD grandmother of the bride dress off the rack on the other side of the aisle.

My response?  "I DID mention this was a beach wedding, right?  And I'm 50, not 85."  She hung that dress right back on the rack and didn't try to help me anymore.  (I think SHE was about 85!)

Now I'm not sensitive about my age or my size, truly, I'm not.  But it's completely unacceptable that I can't find a dress to wear that is floral, is not made of heavy textured satin, and doesn't cover me up from head to toe like I'm wearing a nun's habit.  I'm really not into letting it all hang out, but I was hoping for something bright and cheerful, maybe a bit tropical, and a little floaty...  Something along the lines of this dress (although I'm not a big fan of the one shoulder look)...

(Yes, we veered away from a short cocktail dress and most of the women are looking for fun, bright long dresses, so I thought I'd look, too.)

I went to Sax's Fifth Avenue, knowing full well that when you wear designer clothes, I could easily be in a higher size number than when I buy off the rack at Target and Walmart, or Dress Barn and Annie Sez.  The dress could be a size 52 if it looked good on me - you're looking at ME, not the size tag!  The very nice lady brought me about 8 dresses to try, in 14s and in 16s.  Dresses that she had to bring to me FROM THE STORAGE ROOM.  They don't keep dresses in those sizes on the racks!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  This is America!  The average size of a woman in the USofA is NOT 6.  And while I did find a sort of nice dress there, it was black and white and I'm just old-fashioned enough to not want to wear something that looks too white to a wedding...  And surprisingly, several of them looked quite nice but just weren't appropriate for the event.

So we went to Macy's and I tried on a couple of dresses that were, well, okay, but a little formal for a beach wedding.  Perhaps if the wedding was going to be in a banquet hall somewhere, they'd have been acceptable.  Actually, they'd have been great for that type of event.

But we're going to be barefoot on the beach, for crying out loud.  I don't want to wear satin or taffeta.  Especially satin or taffeta all the way up to my neck and on my arms and down to my ankles.

My sister-in-law found a dress that she brought into the dressing room for me to try on, and I did.

And I bought it.  Even though it was short.  I can easily wear it with gold flat sandals that I already own, and it's more than appropriate, with a cream background with gold and bronze and sort of a muddy brown print...  Sounds a bit dull, I know, but it looks cute on!  Here's what it looks like:



(Truly, in real life, it's much less white, and much more cream - I think it's my yellow-ish walls that make it look so white-ish.)  It's much more shapely when it's on me!!  To top it all off, it was $101.40, on sale, and I had a $50 gift card, so - do the math - it cost me $51.40.  And it comes with a matching scarf, too.  LOVE it, and it's appropriate; IF I can't find a long dress I'm wearing this one.  (My SIL and my niece loved it on me, and hubby said I looked pretty in it, too - SOLD!!!)

Anyway, just got back from the shower - will post some bridal shower photos later...  Gotta start dinner...