A Pig! A Goose!

voltee ♦ September 21, 2011 ♦ 2 Comments

Item: Dress Color/Fabric: Green/brown/gold/purple, silk Designer: Nicole Miller Where Purchased: A sidewalk In Brooklyn Years Owned: 2

Tonight, I learned that I did not pay attention to an invitation to wedding I am going to in October. I do that a lot, apparently. I love weddings, and get very excited about them. Sometimes, I get so excited that I lose my capacity for rational thought and do such things as never mail my RSVP card, or book the hotel, or find out where the wedding is. Or pay attention to whether the event is casual or formal.
This dress I have worn now to two weddings. I found it in the happiest of circumstances; a sidewalk sale! Nate and I and our friend Kevin were walking around Brooklyn campaigning for our wonderful mutual friend Bob. It was a lovely day, and stuffing mailboxes was quite enjoyable and all, but there were sidewalk sales everywhere. I am almost positive that had I been there with no obligations it may have been one of my greatest shopping days of all time. Once or twice, something caught my eye and I had to stop and look. I was physically unable to do anything else. Sometimes I cannot control it.
Once of those times was when I saw this dress. I didn’t even have any money, because I was not supposed to be shopping, and I had to borrow some from Kevin. But I just had to have the dress. The lovely girl selling it had never even worn it. It was pristine, and a mere $20. I know that seems like a lot to spend at a yard sale, but we had a version of this dress at Next, and I knew the price. It was a steal!
I know that I could have found multiple amazing pieces at that sale. I didn’t have the time to look, or any additional funds. It was just not meant to be…
The first time I wore the dress was to a wedding I went to with my beautiful friend Lizzie. Lizzie’s friends were the ones getting married, and I had never been to a wedding where I didn’t know anyone before. But we had a great time! My unique crazy dancing is especially fun when I don’t know anyone. I loved wearing this dress, and felt confident and put together. And hanging out with Lizzie is always wonderful!
I immediately thought of this dress last year when I was invited to the wedding of one of my favorite coworkers, Billy, and his lovely fiance, Angel. It was in the early fall, and outside. I thought this dress was a lovely autumnal shade, and the pattern seemed to make it a little more causal than some of my cocktail dresses, not too fancy to wear outside in a park. Plus, it already had a successful wedding under its belt! I planned to wear it with sensible shoes with a nice thick heel for walking in grass. I felt very practical- I thought it was a no fail ensemble!
I was very, very wrong. This would be one of those times that I did not pay attention to the wedding invitation. Or the weather. I cannot stand it when I make a poor weather related fashion choice. It makes me feel like one of those girls that where shorts and flip flops to the mall in February when there is a foot of snow on the ground. Shudder.
The day of the wedding, it was windy, and cold. I did not realize this until it was already too late. All I had bothered to do was look out my window, see brilliant sunshine, and assume it would be a warm fall day. I brought with me was a pashmina to cover my poor bare arms, and figured it would be warm enough. Wrong.
Since Nate was in India, I went to the wedding with my amazing friend Annie, who also wore an adorable dress.
And then we found out that entire wedding was outside. For some reason I had thought that the reception would be in a building, a legion hall or something. Wrong again! This was a relaxed, super casual, barbecue style wedding. A pig roast, no less!
I felt ridiculous, completely overdressed, and freezing cold to boot. After the ceremony, which was on the water and so heartfelt and beautiful that I will never forget it, Annie and I warmed up in her car, and discussed leaving to change and then come back. But in the end we decided to stick it out.
What do you do when you are a walking faux pas? All you can do is be as confident as possible, smile a lot, and dance to generate as much body heat as possible. And so I did. I ended up tying the pashimina around my shoulders instead of letting it drape gracefully, and then I just pretended that my outfit was divine.
By the time the pig was brought out, I realized that the percentage of people who cared about what I was wearing was in fact very small. It was just me, and maybe one or two bitter people who enjoy making fun of everyone. Family, and love, and joy were all that really mattered, and those were overly abundant at that celebration.
And afterwards, Annie and I and our friend Maria sang karaoke and drank wine and had a wonderful time. It ended up being a spectacular day!
I hope you won’t hold my poor judgment against this dress. I really love it! I’m also considering it for the October wedding. Is it awful to wear the same dress to three weddings? That might be a faux pas on its own…

**I love this dress, and it’s not like anything else I own. I’m keeping it for a while!