Plus Sized, Vintage Style Formal Wear

We’ve had so much rain lately that I can’t get an internet connection long enough to post.  Ahhh…the country life.

Truly, this is the perfect image to describe me and James…..

Speaking of being all dressed up and out in the country……

I have had the difficulty of finding something formal to wear.  It came up suddenly that I will be going to a black tie gala in a couple of weeks.  How do you say that?  Gal-a or Gay-la?  I don’t want to sound like I’ve never been to one before, even though I haven’t.

You don’t even want to know how hard it is for me to find something to cover myself with.  I already own a full length, black, taffeta skirt.  So I just needed a top.  But I can’t just go out and get any top.  I have a list….

1. Formal (I already told you that)

2. It must go with my black skirt (sounds easy so far, right?)

3. Plus sized (ah HA!  Now you’re beginning to see why this isn’t so easy)

4. Less than $50 (GULP!)

5. Must have sleeves (yikes!  There’s not a formal thing out there with sleeves)

6. Nothing low cut (Holy cleavage Batman!  This is getting impossible)

7. Nothing matronly (Uh-oh…..proof that I am livin’ in a dream world)

8. Something in my colors, which means no orange, yellow, icky red, green, weird purple, etc.

9. Vintage style (Ok that’s IT.  Now I have completly set myself up for disappointment)

After a whole day of searching the big city, I found a jacket at Ross.  It looks a little like something a mafia lord would wear, but for $30 I hoped I could do something with it.  I searched for a tank top to wear under that jacket, but unless I wanted to look like a wife beater, that wasn’t gonna happen.  So off to the fabric store to get some satin to make one.

I really wanted it to look like “me”.  What is that?  Well, let’s see if I can describe it.  I’d say, Overweight, but trying to do my best with that….a little vintage (or maybe more like “heirloom”), a little funky, never wanting to wear what everyone else is wearing but still be current.  Yep.  That’s my style in a nutshell.

I studied some pictures of vintage style dresses to get the feel.  But basically the feel is a form fitting bodice, cinched in waist and very full, organza skirt.  Obviously that isn’t going to work for me since my waist doesn’t cinch and if I tried to wear a full skirt I’d look like a hippopotamus.  Just keepin’ it real, folks.

I spent all afternoon yesterday (and way into the night) working on this craziness.  I made the tank top with organza lined with satin.  Then I started on the jacket.  I pulled out some of the seams and added some tucks.  I cinched in the waist a little to give the illusion of a shape.  I’m adding embellishments to the jacket to make it look less like a blazer and more like a pretty top.  It won’t be my dream outfit, but it’ll work.

After each alteration I go to the girls and get each of their approval.  Faith is particularly good at this kind of thing.  And she’ll tell me, “No, that doesn’t look good on you.”  I like that.  So she’s been my second opinion.

I have this idea that these problems don’t exist for skinny people.  But maybe that’s one of those “The grass is always greener on the other side” kind of things.

But just like Lisa on Green Acres, I’m going to make the best of it.  I wish I had Mr. Haney to pull up in his wagon and sell me the perfect thing.  Or I could embrace my country lifestyle and make a tank top with bailing wire and embellish the jacket with bits of hay.

Today I will be working on it some more while I do my Etsy shop work.  I know you’re thinking, “You have two weeks and you’re obsessed about it NOW?!”

But I’m a planner.  Once I have it done and hanging in the closet I can let it go.  I won’t have to think about it again.  Oh, except to figure out shoes, and what to do with my hair, and how to get out of going to this thing!

You are my WIFE!  ♫

♪ Good bye city life…..

Pennington Point…..we are there!  ♪