Falling in Love With a Wedding Gown!

So, every magazine I saw had gorgeous dresses in it.  I would always find at least three or four or more that I loved.  Some were these:

I loved the ruffles and the sleeves in this one!

More ruffles!  But I could see how this one would make short fat me look a little taller and maybe even slenderer...

The sleeves on this one, I liked sparkle but could have lived without it for this gown!

Look at the glitter on that one!  

More glitter and lace!

Then one day, early January 1987, my friend Michelle and I went to Dillon's to grocery shop and I bought the Feb/March issue of Bride's magazine and as I sat there in my dorm room in the little blue chair I saw it.  Oh my goodness. the gown of my dreams!  It was the most absolutely beautiful gown I had ever seen and still to this day, I have never found one I love more!

Those bishop sleeves over the bows!  That gorgeous Queen Anne neckline! All the pearls and sequins on the bodice and those sleeves, have I mentioned how I loved the sleeves?  But wait, look at that train!  It looks huge, those bows going down somehow hook up to bustle the train? Oh I love it!  I called the 800 number on the first page of the ad and the only place that had the gown in stock in the state of Kansas was in Wichita.  I sent them a little note asking about it and they sent me a note back that they had it and it was $900!  Even if I had a fiance at that point my mom would not have let me buy a $900 wedding dress.  She always said we would buy me a gown at the JC Penney's Outlet store. (I had found my prom gown there for $4.99 so I knew I could get a good deal at the Outlet store.) I saved the picture and knew it could never be mine.  I have since seen many gorgeous gowns but none like that one dream gown.

Three years later I am working in a large bridal shop as a bridal consultant and selling gorgeous gowns every day.  One day we had a bride that needed an in stock gown for a very fast wedding (her fiance was in the service and going to the Gulf War in a few weeks) we had a few gowns way up high in the back room.  They were discontinued gowns that eventually were being sent to somewhere overseas where they redid them and sold them.  I don't know where or how or why.  But our manager told me to go pull a couple gowns from there and she would sell any gown there for $100.  One of the other consultants and I went back and were pulling gowns down for this bride when I saw a dress with chiffon sleeves.  Sharon said "that one is pretty, should I pull it down or do you think it's too formal?" I asked her to pull it down and set it aside so I could look at it later, as it was too formal for the bride.  We did and the bride found a beautiful gown for $100 and left the store beaming.  Sharon said she liked the sleeves on the dress I had her pull and I said I did too, lets go look at it.  As I got closer to it both of us gasped.  There were little bows under the chiffon.  I never saw anyone pull a train of a gown off the hanger (You know the ribbon from underneath the train was hanging on the hanger) as fast as Sharon did and as she pulled the train out onto the floor I began to cry.  there were bows all down the train!  Sharon asked if I had the picture of my dress and for some reason I had it in my tote bag.  I went and got it and low and behold we were looking at my dream gown in person!!!

The manager came out to see what we were squealing about and we told her we had just found my dress from my picture.  She looked at it and said I'll sell it to you

 for $450.  I was thrilled!  Then Sharon said we pulled it down from the $100 gown area.  the manager said OK, you can have it for $100.  It was nowhere near my size but one of the alterations ladies came out and said it could easily be made bigger to fit me.  So I bought it for $106.50 with tax!  That is when I saw the original price tag.  $939.00!!! Then we measured the train.  It is a royal train.  12 and a half feet from the waist to the end of the train!  And there are little hooks and eyes on each bow so it can be bustled for the reception.   A few years later I added pearls and sequins down all the lace on the train.   It is still in my closet and I have yet to wear it.  Not giving up on it yet, even though at my age, it would be too much!

My $4.99 prom dress we took it years later to our church rummage sale and a young lady I knew found it  and wore it to her prom!  Exactly 30 years to the day I wore it.  She said she got lots of complements on her "vintage gown!"

Till next time keep pinning those gorgeous 80's dresses!