The Dress!

There are a lot of traditionally girly things I’m just not good at– doing hair and make-up, wearing heels, sewing, being seen and not heard. Luckily, I have friends who are good at these things (except for that last one), which is how I made it through Homecomings, proms, girls’ nights out and anything else that required a curling iron or a thong.

My college roommate Kaila is the ultimate champion of the girly arts. She was the one who did my eyeliner when we went dancing freshman year and the one who helped me throw together last-minute costumes for pirate parties, toga parties, jungle parties, Father’s Day parties. Kaila is very crafty, and I am happy to take advantage of her mad skills.

Early in college, I told Kaila that she would have to make my wedding dress someday… you know, when get old and crazy enough to get married. I had seen her construct a beautiful Queen Elizabeth-esque dress, corset and all, from scratch for the Renaissance Festival, so I was pretty confident she could make me an amazing wedding dress (though of course I continued to mock her for going to the Ren Fest every year– huzzah!). 

So Kai is making my wedding dress, and it’s going to be freaking beautiful. We went to a few godawful nightmare bridal boutiques in Metairie back in January to get some ideas for what I wanted, and it was a little traumatic (bossy Yat ladies telling me what I want and poking and prodding me is not my idea of fun). After seeing a lot of really ugly dresses and a few beautiful ones, I decided what I wanted: 

1. Ivory, not white, with red accents  
2. Not pouffy or anything that could be described as “princessy” (tulle is created by the devil himself)
3.  Elegant but still fun


Kai sketched out a design that I liked and then started working her magic. Check it out so far… 

Bodice 
See, the bodice is going to be ivory lace with silk chiffon straps (red satin underneath), and there will be more satin ruching under the bust…
Back
And the red satin underskirt is going to be covered by layers of silk chiffon so it won’t show in the front. But in the back… ay ay!
 Front
Ooooh, it’s gonna be perty. I’ll post more progress reports as she gets closer to being finished. Yay, I’m getting excited!

6 comments

1 Heather { 11.12.08 at 1:21 pm }

OMG! Can’t. Freaking. Wait.

2 mimi { 11.13.08 at 10:39 pm }

I love this. I love the red accents.
Sassy!

Now you just need a a pair of Louboutin’s with it’s sassy red underbelly.

Get thee to Saks, girl! SPLURGE

3 Kerri { 11.14.08 at 3:52 am }

Yay!!! I LOVE it, darlin. It’s classy, yet still has the color red, which we all know means “don’t mess with me, because I’ll cut you.”

4 Gillian { 11.14.08 at 10:32 am }

Yay, I’m glad y’all like it! The red is the real kicker– like “Oh, what a pretty, demure dress, then… sassypants in the back!” It’s also in honor of my Chinese side– red being the color of happiness and all.

Mimi, those shoes are freaking awesome. Oh, man. Splurgy indeed but so sexy.

Kerri, you know me so well.

5 Melia { 12.02.08 at 3:35 pm }

The dress looked absolutely beautiful when I saw it in its final phase of stitching last month. I’m gonna get Kaila to reschool me in the lady arts.

I’ve already admitted to getting a little verklempt when seeing you try on your dress. I’ll try not to cover it in gypsy tears when I hug you on your wedding day.

6 Lauren { 12.17.08 at 11:25 am }

oh sooo sooo pretty- the red, perfect. i agree with Kerri on this one- it’s so ” don’t mess with me, I might cut you”
ha