The Dress-- FINALLY!

I probably think you all are way more invested in my dress plight than you really are, so for that I am sorry. And what a plight it has been. There was the first one I found, with the beautiful cross-straps in the back and the gorgeous beading on the bodice:


But at $350.00, it just wasn't gonna happen. Heartbroken, I left it behind in Hawaii, only to think about it for weeks afterward. Isn't that the worst? When you KNOW you should have gotten something, and think you'll never find it again?

Then I stumbled upon its long-lost cousin: This Laundry by Shelli Segal look-a-like:


At $166.00, it was better, though certainly not a steal for my meager-college funds. I loved the beaded neckline but wasn't sure if the shift-like fit would be flattering or just look like I was wearing a shapeless bag. So I decided to keep looking.

Then, guys? It happened. I was just putzing around on the Express website since they were doing a 30% off offer that ended Saturday, and decided to see if there was anything that would be cute and cheap.

Oh, was there ever.

I stumbled upon this Belted Sleeveless Dress in Strawberry. The Bali color, which was a shimmery aqua, was cute too, but my mum is wearing a teal dress to the wedding so I knew to stay away from that. It was so classy, so punchy (which is what I was looking for, since a lot of colors can wash a brunette out), and so simple. Perfection.


Sorry the image quality is so poor--Express has a flash player so you have to copy and save thumbnails of their images, but GUYS. It is so perfect. The punchy coral color is decidedly springy, but perfect for a late summer wedding in San Diego. And though the ceremony is outdoors at dusk, the reception is later that night, inside. To to take the dress from springy to classy, there's that adorable black skinny leather belt, which comes with it.

At $70, the dress was already hundreds less than its competitors, but since I believe that great fashion should be gotten on the cheap (don't believe me? Check out this post and this post), I knew I could do better than that. The 30% off promotion brought it down to $57.00. Then, I used a $25.00 gift card I had laying around with no use for. The total cost? $32.o0. Can you IMAGINE how guilty I would feel now if I had purchased either of the designer dresses?

Now all I have to do is find a pair of cheap black peep-toe pumps and a chunky necklace, and we're in business!