Wanted: Appropriate and Fabulous

Every year we go to a holiday party thrown by one of Todd’s clients. Every year I agonize over what to wear to this event. I am sure I am making more of it than it is, but I just want to make sure that I am dressed just so for this hootenanny because I know that it’s an important event.

I remember the first time we went to this party together. Todd and I had just gotten engaged two months before the party, and I would be meeting the partners and employees of this firm for the first time—people who are very important for Todd’s job. I went to several malls in three different states trying to find something to wear to this shindig. I wanted to make an impression on these people. I wanted them to say on Monday morning “Todd’s fiancé is a nice woman, and where on earth did she get those fabulous shoes?” It was 10:45 on Thursday night, and the mall was closing at 11. I gave up on the search and got a skirt and top from Express, and was able to just barely fall between the look of Todd’s slutty fiancé, and Todd’s blah fiancé, both looks were all the rage in the party dress section in the fall of 2000.

Today I was going through my closet in preparation for Saturday night. All I have in there that is suitable is the short black dress and the long black dress—both of which I have owned for about 12 years and I have already worn to parties past. I also own a red halter dress, which I wore last year. I gave into my longing for a new dress and I decided that I’d go to the mall today and see what’s out there for party dresses.

I spent two hours at the mall and found one dress that looked decent, but it was way too low cut for my taste. The other dress I like looked great, but I really don’t want to spend that kind of money on it right now. Everything else on the racks looked like I:

1. am waiting to catch the bouquet.
2. Got lost on the way to the prom.
3. Raided the wardrobe for the cast of That 70’s Show (Um, JCPenney? Seriously? What. The. Hell?!)
4. Was found walking the streets of Providence and got into Todd’s car when he stopped at a traffic light.
5. Just escaped from the convent.

Why is finding something fabulous and appropriate so hard?

Looks like I’ll be trying on the short black dress and the long black dress to see which one I can wear this Saturday night. Men have it a lot easier. All they have to do is throw on a shirt, a tie, a jacket, and they’re done. And Todd doesn’t even bother with the tie. They (at least mine) never get the urge to wear something new, and nobody would notice if a guy wore the same suit over and over again.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll try another mall in another state. After all, I still have a few days until Saturday night.