Bryon and I are a fairly romantic couple. This summer we’ve been married 23 years. February 17th marks the celebration of twenty-seven years together as a couple. It’s been an awful winter, so we thought we’d do Valentine’s Day big this year. We have reservations at an intimate Italian restaurant, where the desserts and the wine are exquisite, and the regular food isn’t half bad.
It was my hope to buy something new and pretty to wear. But I have a small problem. Everything I see is either ugly or dowdy.
Okay, okay. I know I’m not in the fashion capitol of the world. I’m not even in the fashion capitol of the Midwest. Is it too much to ask, as a 44-year old woman that there is something to wear that is
1. Fashion forward.
2. Age appropriate.
3. Tasteful.
4. Flattering
5. Well-made.
I’ve seen a lot of flimsy, overpriced dresses that are just ugly. I’m wide, so I’m not likely to wear a dress made completely of rows of raised stripes. On the other hand, I have a waistline, so I don’t want to wear a pastel sack with an overdress. I’m not about to wear a complementary shape done in a junior fluorescent color. This year, I’m not defaulting to pants, a tank, and an interesting jacket.
Note to self: plan ahead. You can’t be spontaneous about clothes in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Also this: if I wanted to look like the mother of the bride, I would have had children.
Now that I have modified Crystal Vision vis-a-vis the readings that have come in so far (today’s contribution to the writing world), I am going to two more stores. One of them is called the Dress Barn. Only in Iowa.
It’s probably going to be Valentine’s in the simple black dress and the peacock beaded jacket, which do flatter, but I wanted it to be else wise. The point? Why is it that we women “of a certain age” fall out of the flatter zone for designers?
Links to sites that prove otherwise are MOST welcome. I still want to dress up and look pretty. I’m sure others of us want that too.
Catherine
Oh, good luck with all that. I gave up on dresses quite a while back, although having surgery on both feet was the impetus for that. Cold air made them hurt, and you can’t wear warm socks with most skirts and dresses. After they healed up, I realized that I’d pretty much lost interest in flapping around in skirts.
Now, at 56, I think I own two of them. My dress-up mode IS interesting jackets or sweaters and pants. And I haven’t worn heels in umty-ump years, for that matter.
Clothes that fulfill all your requirements will probably be vintage, hideously expensive, or both. Perhaps handmade… We are well-blessed with vintage stores in St. Louis, so if I really wanted a dress or fancy suit and wanted to lay out the bucks for a classic, I know just where to go for a designer one. You may not be so lucky in Cedar Rapids, though.
I LURV vintage clothing shops. We have several good second hand shops that occasionally have some beautiful gems. Iowa City, to the south, has vintage shops because of the college crowds.
I seldom wear high heels. Plantar faciitis. However, I still like to look femme in a dress every once in a while. Although a nice pantsuit is also quite lovely.
Catherine