A Way to Get Dresses for Special Occasions 

That Special Event Calls for a Special Dress

So many special occasions, so little time. My parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Since this is a major event in their lives my sisters and I are planning a party for their friends and family members. It's no secret that my mom is very excited about this and asked me if I would help her find a fashion dress to wear.

Shopping for Special Occasion Dresses

We picked a day to go shopping and started at a large department store in the local mall. In the past this store has sold dresses for special occasions so we thought we would find choices for mom.

They were very limited on their selection for someone mom’s age. Some of the clothing stores had several dresses for special occasions that were off the shoulder or featured low necklines, but these were not right for my mom.

Large Department Stores Offer Special Occasion and Formal Wear

Next we tried another large department store where my mother buys many of her clothes. This store also had dresses for special occasions. They had a nice little black dress that fit but Mom thought it was not quite right for this special event.

She felt that this was too somber of a color for a celebration.

The Bridal Shop

Our next stop was a bridal shop. This store carried a wide selection of dresses for special occasions. We found a beautiful blue dress that was in mom’s size. I was just going to ask the clerk if mom could try it on when mom told me that it was too expensive. The dress cost $500.00.

told mom 50 years of being married was very special and that she deserved to treat herself to an expensive dress. Another shopper over heard our conversation and joined in. She told us that there are two consignment shops near the mall that have great selections of dresses for special occasions. She said that mom could either look there or consider selling the blue dress after the anniversary party.

Checking Consignment Shops to Find Dresses for Special Occasions

Mom and I went to check out the consignment shops. The first one had a large sign in the window stating that they specialized in dresses for special occasions.

They did have a very nice selection, however because the merchandise is sold on consignment they do not have each style in more than one size. Mom did not find a dress in her size that she liked.

But, all was not lost -- I did find a great skirt and top that fit me very well. This was a designer outfit that was being sold for $75.00. I bought the outfit and mom and I went to the next consignment shop.

This shop had a smaller selection of dresses for special occasions; however they had the perfect dress for mom. It was in a beautiful shade of blue and fit her very well. When the owner of the store found out that the dress was for Mom’s 50th anniversary she gave mom a pair of earrings that matched the dress as well as a necklace and bracelet. She told mom that she could bring the jewelry back after the party.

Wearing Formal Evening Dresses for Those Occasions Special to You

Somebody came up with the dress codes of black tie, white tie, business casual, semi formal, formal and so forth, and it seems like everyone’s supposed to know what they mean yet many us find ourselves searching online beforehand to make sure that what we’re going to wear is appropriate.

A fashion faux pas can be extremely embarrassing upon arrival and even worse, you have to embarrass yourself for the remainder of the event. Overdressing makes you look sort of snobbish and over prepared, under dressing makes you look like you have no class, and both make you feel really foolish and out of place, so paying attention to the dress code is of utmost importance for maintaining your reputation.

We can all agree and be reasonably sure that formal means you’ll have to clean up well. As it turns out, formal is pretty upper class, but not as much as ultra formal (“white tie,” some us didn’t even know that existed). Black tie events is where men have to wear formal tuxedos and women have to wear something like long sleeved evening dresses. So formal evening events call for sometimes designer outfits or more expensive brand names, but what exactly qualifies as a formal evening dress?

Short casual hems or miniskirts are likely to be out of the question, but there are so many different kinds of clothing with so many different details that we need more guidance here.

Formal evening dresses can be short styled, but they have to be cocktail short, not vulgar short. So what’s a cocktail dress? A brief searching online session will tell you that cocktail dresses are those worn at cocktail events, but that doesn’t help very much.

Research a little more and you’ll find out as much as the length, which can be slightly above the knee or around the ankles, but your best bet is to look at a catalog of these certain fashion trends and styles. Then you’ll know that you’re looking at cocktail dresses for sure.

Womens dresses for special occasions can also be long with a skirt that flows to the floor. They might have straps, or they might be strapless, or they might have an asymmetrical strap, very in these days. They can, of course be designed in petite or plus size if needed. Again, your best bet is to look at a collection of outfits first.

The color of formal evening dresses can vary. They say you can’t go wrong with black, which always looks formal and elegant and flatters the body. If you really want a show stopping number you might opt for the flamboyant red, and if you’re feeling playful you might go for pink. As a rule of thumb, you should pick what looks best on you and what’s most age appropriate. If you are over 45, don't show up in your little black minidress and thigh-high boots. I know you won't but just had to say it.

Continuing the Story - We Finally Had Success in Finding a Dress for That Special Occasion

Mom and I went out to lunch to celebrate our successful day of shopping. She mentioned that we will have to tell my sisters about the selection of dresses for special occasions at the consignments stores. So, the anniversary party came off without a hitch, mom looked absolutely beautiful in her new designer looking dress and all is well in our family.

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