Party Girl 2006

So you might remember that last year at this time, I was consumed with finding the perfect outfit to wear to my company's huge and fancy Christmas party. We hadn't gone to the party in a few years; the last time we'd gone I was so fat that none of the nice dresses I tried on at various stores fit me; blah blah blah ...

I hadn't given my outfit much thought this year; I have enough nice dresses now that I figured I was bound to have something appropriate.

Last Monday night I was flipping through a Coldwater Creek catalog. Most of their stuff isn't my style but once in a while they'll have interesting skirts or dresses.

And then I saw this dress and fell in immediate love. I simply had to have it for the party. I couldn't picture myself in anything else. What to do? I could order it from the site but I'd pay a fortune in express shipping, and what if it looked like hell on me?

There was only one thing to do: on Friday, the night before the party, I went to a mall that just happens to have a Coldwater Creek. I didn't even know if they'd have the dress in stock (and calling to ask them would have just been way too intelligent for the likes of me), but it was worth a shot.

I headed to the back of the store, and there it was. I rarely get this lucky.

I bet they won't have my size. Whatever my size even is. They had a 12P (petite) and a 14. And a 16, but I resisted the temptation to take that one.

I bet it'll look horrible on me. Wrong again. I tried on the 12P first, and the minute I started zipping it up I knew it was going to be absolutely perfect, like it had been made for me. The velvet ribbon tie accentuated my waist; the bottom half skimmed beautifully over my hips without clinging anywhere and making me look bulgy. A saleslady came over and made a big fuss. She also told me that it's their most popular dress and that the ones they had out on the rack were the only ones they had left.

(She's lucky I'm not the kind of woman who freaks out at the idea of showing up in the same dress as someone else, or that news might have put me off.)

I felt like a complete ass spending that kind of money on myself this close to my birthday and Christmas, but I'd have felt worse leaving the dress behind.

As if to cement the fact that the dress and I were just plain meant to be, the woman at the register took $25 off, since with tax the price cleared $100 and qualified for the sale I didn't even know they were having.

Suh-weet.

By the way, if you like Coldwater Creek's stuff and are thinking of buying anything online, you should know that the measurements on their sizing charts are insane in the membrane. The low hip measurement they list for a 12P is 38-39.5 inches. Dude, I *wish* my low hip was 39.5!

Anyhow, here's a photo of me in the dress on Saturday night (click on the thumbnail for a bigger shot):

I turned up the contrast so the dress would show up more clearly; this is why I resemble Casper the Dressed-Up Ghost.

Yeah, the bare arms are the one feature I could have lived without. Oh well. When we went to the party, I took along a black feather boa I found in an antique store a couple of years back. I wore it wound around my arms and left a trail of black fluff wherever I went. (I will never be able to commit a crime in that thing.) I figured it'd conceal the arms a bit and also give the dress a dash of Nicole style in case someone else showed up wearing the same thing. Which nobody did.

Now I just have to think up a few more occasions to wear it.

Comments

[shrinkingknitter]

Lesse, a few more occasions to wear it. How about:

1. Dropping off library books
2. Your next doctor's appointment
3. Picking up a loaf of bread

You get the idea ...

You are, as always, stunning!

[Nan]

It's a beautiful dress, and you look absolutely gorgeous in it!

[dg]

sweet lordy, nicole! you are a foxy woman. and i only just today poked through your photo album and saw all the pics added in october. it's incredible. and i love the one of you with the leather jacket and sunglasses on, you look so classy and mysterious :) and your husband has great hair!

(and three cheers to finding the perfec outfit for a work xmas party! work xmas party shopping has been worse for me than finding my stinking dress ever was :)

[vickie]

You do look great and a size 12 no less!!!!!

[Marla]

I! Love! That! Dress! You were perfectly right to buy it. And now I'm off to see if there are any Coldwater Creeks in my 'hood.

[raine]

you look amazing chica!

[lme]

You look great! And the dress isn't half bad either :)

Coldwater Creek's normally not my style, but I've had luck there before now and then when I've needed a dress for something.

[Lisa]

You look so beautiful! I love a red dress!

[v'ron]

Yes! Tis the season for new clothes that fit great in a size you didn't know you could do! And money spent on a great dress you feel good in is ALWAYS money WELL spent!

You pull off a red dress very well.