'I Do' to the Grammys

The 54th Annual Grammys were last night, and instead of watching the performances, I watched the red carpet and then the "Walking Dead" premier on AMC. Maybe because tomorrow is Valentine's Day, or because I spent Friday night drinking sparkling pink wine and watching "Say Yes to the Dress," but I noticed a lot of dresses that I wouldn't mind wearing down the aisle.  I have never wanted a traditional wedding dress, so all the glitz, sparkle, and whimsy of the red carpet really got my juices going.

I am also not into white dresses. My mother did not wear a white-white dress, and neither did her mother.   Actually, my Grannie Annie wore a very smart pale blue skirt suit in her wedding pictures.  If you haven't noticed, I am extremely pale, so white is not the best color on me. I would wear anyone of these dresses for my wedding, of course with the right styling and location.  Do you hear the bells?

My 2 top picks are Katy Perry in Ellie Saab and Miranda Lambert in a Pavoni Gown.

Katy Perry in Ellie Saab

I love this pastel blue color and the amazing cut of the dress.  The back is not so deep, but deep enough to give a little sex appeal. The large boat-neck and belt are also amazingly flattering.  A dress with so much adornment can sometimes add bulk, but this look is flawless.  This blue color would also bring out my eyes, although I think I would skip the matching blue hair on my wedding day.

Miranda Lambert in Pavoni

I saw this dress and could not take my eyes off of it.  If the underpart of the dress were in white, it would probably look like a traditional wedding dress, but I love the nude color! The sheer top with the embellishment around the V is so flattering and I love the sparkle of the dress. It's your wedding, why not shine?

Greek Goddesses:

Kelly Rowland in Alberta Ferretti

Ms. Rowland looks beautiful in this pastel sheer column number by Alberta Ferreti. The ruching at the waist is so flattering. I love the sheer appliques on top, it gives it a special touch. This look is long, lean, and beautiful!

Paris Hilton in Basil Soda

I would not describe myself as someone who likes Paris Hilton's fashion choices, and I have no idea why she was at the Grammys, but she looked extremely chic yesterday. I love the gold embellishment, although I would loose the gold belt and opt for a fabric sash. The wispy bottom is also very romantic.

Pastel:

Sasha Gradiva

I am not saying she is on the best dressed list by any-means.  However, if you can get passed her choice of "accessory" terminator arm gun thingy, then you will notice that she is wearing a beautiful pink wedding dress. I am normally not a fan of all the tucks designers are doing on skirts now, but I really like it on this dress because of the fabric. The bottom still looks floaty, and not like a down comforter.  The neckline and ruching are exactly what I am looking for to define my shape, and the pastel pink color would look great on me. I don't know, maybe my future husband would enjoy the gun arm as well. :)

Short and Sweet:

Malin Akerman in Cushnie et Ochs

If I were planning on eloping in Vegas, or being married by a judge in a courthouse, I would wear the above dress with great sparkly heels.  I realize that my bust would never fit in a dress like this, but it is pretty amazing.  The peplum is not overdone, and the cutouts add interest without losing any sophistication.  Imagine; a little chapel in Vegas, and then hitting an amazing buffet with friends and family, or going to a romantic dinner at one of the many fine dining restaurants, and then partying the night away in one of the dance clubs.  This dress could do it all.

Skylar Grey

I am disappointed that Sklyar's hair and makeup is so dark because this would be my garden party, rustic backyard wedding dress. Imagine big curly waves, some flowers in your hair, and a beautiful pair of sandals.  To die for.  I love lace, and this is just so pretty.

Back Appeal:

Carrie Underwood in Gomez-Gracia

Can you imagine wearing this dress for a Winter Wonderland themed wedding? Such a beautiful way to match a theme without going over the top with a fur bolero!  What I love about Carrie Underwood is that she brings warmth and happiness to every dress she wears, so even though this dress is beautiful ice-princess, which I love, she doesn't look scary or severe.  I am really into longer sleeved dresses right now, so I love how the back balances out how covered the dress is in the front. Plus, it seems that the well placed strap in the back may make it easier to wear the necessary under garments to keep the girls in their place.  

Taylor Swift Zuhar Murad

Last but not least, Taylor Swift has done it again.  I will be honest, I would positively wear anyone of Taylor Swifts red carpet looks down the aisle.  Every dress she wears is super romantic and belongs in a fairy-tale. Obviously, I love anything sheer with appliques, so this dress fits the bill.  The back is so interesting....there is just nothing more to say. I love a dress that is unique. 

So that was my wedding dress rant/Grammy's dress review.  Now its time to look at J.Crew and dream about more pretty wedding dresses. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone tomorrow! 

Wild Time at Myrtle Dove Vintage

 

I love a planned shopping trip, so when A.M.B. wanted to go to Myrtle Dove Vintage this weekend, I was in! To start, I sent her my shopping tips. I know, it’s a little silly I have shopping tips, but they really are helpful!

In General:

·         Wear things that are easy to take on and off…Lace up boots are a pain every time you are in the dressing room.

·         If you are looking at separates; wear separates. If you wear a dress, but are trying on all tops, you won’t have any pants to come out of the dressing room in…. or vice versa.

o   Similarly, if you are trying on dresses, wearing a dress and tights is great; however, if you try on pants and have tights on it sucks! You do not have an accurate fit for the pants if you keep the tights on, and is super annoying to take them off.

·         Wear a tank under your top.  I do this, because I almost always layer anyway, but it is also helpful for those tops that are too low cut, which is generally all tops for me since I am busty.

·         If you like something, pick it up and try it on because you never know what it will really look like on you versus the hanger.

When you are looking for a specific item (I.E. Dress to wear to for work)

·         Bring with you whatever else you might plan to pair with the item you are looking for.  The worst thing is when you purchase an item to wear with something else, and they don’t match or work together.

o   For example, if you are thinking of putting a turtleneck or button down under a jumper, I would just wear that top to the store. 

o   Or, you could get one in the store.  Sometimes I go shopping on a whim, and do not have a layering tank on… Oh No!  Not to fear, I just grab one in the store so I can try things on J

·         Be open-minded.  You may go in with one style in mind, but find something else that is totally awesome!

·         If possible try on a few sizes of the same item, to see which is best

o   This is not possible since we went to a vintage store, but keep in mind that sizing was different decades ago, so pay more attention to the shape and less to the tag.

Myrtle Dove Vintage is a great vintage store in Roland Park off of Lawndale Avenue. The store is owned by two awesome sisters, Mary and Michelle. They were so nice the whole time we were in the store and they clearly have an eye for great pieces.  The store has a great curated selection of women’s, men’s, and children’s clothes, as well as accessories and housewares. 

Dress Rack (Where I spent a lot of time!)

 

A.M.B. and I spent about 3 hours scouring the racks for our favorite pieces.  We practically tried on the whole store! Which as you know from the above tips, you need to try everything on! A.M.B. was looking for a work appropriate dress that would hide her tattoos and fun everyday clothes.  I was looking for anything and everything! A.M.B. found a great tweed shift dress that had a higher neck, which will be perfect for work.  She also got this amazing 50s style shirt dress.  So cute!

A.M.B. looks so pretty posing in front of the dressing room!

She also picked up a great nautical scarf, adorable knee high socks with hearts on them, a cute short sleeve sweater top, an owl pot holder, and an owl post card.

I was in love with this dress online, but unfortunately it was too small. 

I did, however; buy this awesome husky sweater, and this amazing blouse with ducks, cats, and dogs on it.  It was a wild time (Sorry for the awful joke but I had to make it!)

$20

 

$20 

I also scored this great shawl collar blouse, sweater vest, and amazing mod shift dress.   A lady actually tried to sneak this dress away from me, and I almost let her buy it, but alas we were meant to be together!  The fit is great and I love the bright pattern.

$12

$10

$19 (Was marked down from $30) Corbin decided to pose with me!

I also spotted a pretty amazing leather bomber jacket in the men’s sections that I loved and some other great dresses.  Unfortunately, my wallet needs a little time to refill, but another trip is definitely around the corner. I cannot wait to go back, and for those of you cannot make a trip to the actual store, checkout their Etsy shop, follow them on  Twitter @MDVintage and like them on Facebook!

A big thank you to both Myrtle Dove Vintage and A.M.B. for such a great day!

I'm a Wu Girl

So I am probably a little late in the blogger universe to be discussing Jason Wu for Target, but I was busy this week! Not too busy however to wake D.W. up at 7am Sunday morning, and make him drive me to the nearest Target so I could get my hands on the coveted pieces.

It was an experience!  I did not participate in the Missoni for Target launch, so I really wanted to see this one first hand, plus I was dying over the navy pleated dress with the red and blush stripes. When I arrived at 7:50am there were about 30 people in line, and about 5 more showed up after me before the doors were opened, the people who came later didn’t really end up with anything. 

This Target was prepared!  A nice gentleman came out to great us all and told us to be nice to one another J  When walking in they had staffed appropriately and even had some security/police officers on stand-by incase we got rowdy. Then we all rushed the collection!  I got my hands on a few tops and dresses in my size, but couldn’t find the navy dress!  By the time I got to the rack the one size left was too big, but I took it into the dressing room anyway to check sizing. Some of it looked good, some bad (the shirt- dress made me look like a diner waitress) and some did not fit (like the navy dress.) 

Then came the waiting game. As one of the first people into the dressing room, I had to wait for others to discard items that they picked up in the wrong size. I’m a very calm and non-confrontational person so instead of standing like a hawk by the fitting rooms like the other women, I took a stroll around the Target.  All the Jason Wu accessories were gone; it was a completely empty display! I did a large lap and headed back towards the fitting room where D.W. greeted me with a latte and chocolate croissant. 

Luckily, there was my dress!  The early bird gets the worm J I decided against the shirts because spending over $25 on a polyester shirt from Target, whether or not Jason Wu had a hand in designing it is silly.  However, a $40 dress that you can wear in any season, with POCKETS is a great deal. In the picture I have a white button down blouse underneath, my own red belt and nude flats I picked up at while I was at Target for $15. In the summer I would wear this with a red cardi, yellow belt and yellow flats. To dress it up, I would wear it with a navy cardigan and brown wedge heels.  This dress is adorable, practical, and has a timeless silhouette and color palette.

Tell me about your Jason Wu for Target Experience.