A Diamond in the Rough: Finding a Special Occasion Dress

Written By REWATECHNO

Has anyone been invited to a wedding or special event recently? Usually the first thing we do is check our own closets. If you’re Paulina you might have a stunning gown left over from 15 years ago that you still fit into. If you’re like most of us that gown either doesn’t exist or we don’t fit into it. Or god forbid we want something new!

Now what do we do?

For most it’s a trip to Nordstrom. There are a few issues with that. Firstly, most buyers (not just Nordstrom) did not anticipate this sudden sharp influx of weddings and did not buy accordingly. Secondly, garment factories and textile mills were just one area of the retail machine that was shut down during the pandemic. There is a LACK of product available. Thirdly, the dresses at Nordstrom tend to be polyester in the $100 range or silk chiffon in the $2500 range. This is a problem. I’ve come across a few scenarios recently which are great case studies.

Case study #1: My daughter Chloe needed a dress for a wedding in Southern California this summer. She tried the $85 dress at Nordstrom (bad fit). She tried ordering a dress online from Norma Kamali (not a perfect fit but kudos for a millennial discovering the Norma Kamali website) and finally ended up ordering a dress from Revolve that was a solid “A” and she went with it. She got “lucky” with 3 tries.

Case study #2: Client needs a dress for a “backyard semi-formal” wedding in 9 days (separate blog post for that theme coming up!). Trip to Nordstrom nets nothing. Trip to local boutique nets 1 solid dress but the hitch is I’d be sewing her into it on the morning of the backyard wedding (not ideal). I find 4 outfits on Halston.com yet they don’t give me a choice to expedite AND they don’t have a phone number…..grrrrr. At least 5 other online stores later, it turns out Macy’s (!) has 5 to choose from. Now we just hope they actually ship them.

So here’s to hoping life will get easier for all of us on the special occasion shopping front, the good news is that love is in the air :)

For more information on Lisa’s wardrobe consuting/shopping services: www.vianstudios.com

Trying on cocktail dresses at Visette

Gowns!

Visette Boutique, Seattle. FULL of beautiful dresses

Vintage dresses always a fun place to look, this is from Lisa’s archive (sold)

Leather bags by Brooklyn based designer Tracey Tanner at Les Amis in Seattle, WA. A must have for any special occasion.

 
 
 
REWATECHNO

REWA TECHNO provides web, mobile, and software development solutions ranging from analytics and consulting to delivery and launch. We react as a technical partner for enterprises and startups, taking responsibility for product development. Our experts deliver market-driven solutions and ensure a smooth and efficient workflow.

https://www.rewatechno.com
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