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Do you buy a new dinner party dress for every function with the same people?


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Do you buy a new dinner party dress for every function with the same people?

 

Dh's employer has a nice party every year at this time. He has worked for the company for 7 years, and I have 3 nice dresses in my closet that I have wore in the past 3 years. I can afford a new dress, but don't really want to go shopping. Especially now, since everything will be very picked over (I usually go after Christmas/before New Years). But since I have gained 10 lbs in the past few years, none of the dresses fit me 'just right' like they once did. Not bad....just not perfect.

 

Do you re wear dresses to they same functions with the same people? Or do you feel awkward doing so? The dress that is the most 'little black dress' like is the one I wore last year.

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We have a few different functions per year that require dresses. I cycle through mine. If I wore it last year, I don't wear it the next year, but I will wear something that I wore the year before last. I figure people probably wouldn't even remember last year's dress - they *definitely* won't remember what I wore the year before last!

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Do you buy a new dinner party dress for every function with the same people?

 

Dh's employer has a nice party every year at this time. He has worked for the company for 7 years, and I have 3 nice dresses in my closet that I have wore in the past 3 years. I can afford a new dress, but don't really want to go shopping. Especially now, since everything will be very picked over (I usually go after Christmas/before New Years). But since I have gained 10 lbs in the past few years, none of the dresses fit me 'just right' like they once did. Not bad....just not perfect.

 

Do you re wear dresses to they same functions with the same people? Or do you feel awkward doing so? The dress that is the most 'little black dress' like is the one I wore last year.

 

Go out and buy something fantastic. You'd be suprised what is left out there. People just are not shopping like they did years past. Dillards has racks of shoes marked 70% off. They are usually gone at 50% off.

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We have a full blown black tie event 3 or 4 times a year with 1500 - 2000 people. Our closest friends are in this group as well, so we are not all "lost" in the crowd. I alternate between buying a new dress and using a few of my past favorites. I have a closet full. So, I do both.

 

I guess if I were you it would depend on the balance between how badly the dresses you own now fit and how badly I do not feel like shopping for it. It will not be noticed that you wear a dress you've worn before. I've been concerned before about that for myself and then I try and think of what Shannon or Lisa has worn in the past. Unless it was a dramatic dress, I don't remember. :)

 

Which is worse: the fit of your dresses or your desire not to go shopping? :)

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Go out and buy something fantastic. You'd be suprised what is left out there. People just are not shopping like they did years past. Dillards has racks of shoes marked 70% off. They are usually gone at 50% off.

:iagree: Macy's had some amazing evening dresses by Calvin Kline and others for 60-70% off. LOTS of inventory still.

 

If you really don't feel like shopping, take your measurements and go online. Overstock.com has some lovely dresses.

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...in upscale neighborhoods in January. Sometimes I'll find something quite dressy that was discarded after the holidays. Those are good bets for the annual employer Christmas party, which is really more of a command performance than a celebration, but for which propriety demands what I consider to be an unreasonable show.

 

My fallbacks are a little black dress with changing accessories, or black separates (including a full length skirt) with changing accessories.

 

I really, really don't like those kinds of parties, and I wish that I could avoid them completely. They are so phony and political.

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Okay, so I compromised....I stopped in to an upscale consignment shop and found a pretty solid black (with sparkles :0) ) style dress. It is too big so I took it in for alterations; it will be a simple fix so it won't take long. :0) Alterations and dress were about $60, not to bad! Less than 3 hours for the entire trip. Now, I just need new shoes :tongue_smilie: oh and a new handbag :tongue_smilie: and did I mention jewelry :auto:

 

 

Thanks everyone! I do think I needed something new just so I won't feel frumpy. I appreciate the advice.

 

 

I do agree with not remembering what everyone wore, but I also know that if i saw the same dress twice...I would remember it. I am just visual like that I guess.

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Let's see. I homeschool. We farm. My primary social functions revolve around local biz/sustainable ag circles. And in this neck of the woods, you can go to the finest restaurants/events and encounter people wearing fleece and Birks. I have some wonderful pieces of clothing and virtually nowhere to wear them. It seems my days of attending highbrown functions were left in uptown New Orleans a couple of decades ago. Youth is wasted on the young.:D

 

But, to answer the question at hand, if money's tight I think you can safely assume folks aren't going to remember what you wore a year or two ago. Change it up with a cool accessory or two and leave it at that.

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Sadly, the only place I need such a dress is my husband's annual Christmas party. I have worn the same dress for the last 10 years! It is a simple black dress and I never really worried about anyone noticing until the last couple of years. Even then, I wouldn't have really worried except my husband keeps a picture of me in that dress on his desk.

 

Along with said dress, I wear a pair of black shoes that I forget every year are way too small for me (since my pregnancies) until I go to put them on and try to walk in them. So, I spend the whole night hobbling around in shoes that are killing me. And yet, when I think about buying another pair, I just can't bear to do it just for one night out of the whole year.

 

This year, with the bad economy, all my troubles were over. Instead of having the company Christmas party at the Ritz-Carlton, it was for employees only in the company cafeteria.

 

So, I'm probably the last person you want advice from, but I wouldn't buy a new dress for each occasion.:tongue_smilie: I hate shopping too much for that.

 

Lisa

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I borrow from friends.

 

Once I went out a few days before a small but flashy event, got a great dress! Of course, another woman at the party had bought the same dress!!!! The event was too small for us not to be standing next to each other a few times.

 

A friends dress with a new wrap, I knew no one would be in it.

 

I went to a vintage shop a few times and found some great evening dresses that had a "modern" look to them and looked new. My Jackie O dress is my favorite....can't fit in it anymore though. Find something that Grace Kelly would have worn and you look like you have your own taylor!

 

Have fun!

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For me it depends how much time has passed. A really, really good outfit can make it a few years. If you're lucky, it can hang on as a classic. I had a dress I wore to weddings for, I think, well over 4 years. Often things will age though & the cut starts looking dated.

 

You CAN often pull it off with truly awesome new shoes though.

 

I have no problem wearing the same outfit repeatedly. If it was stunning, and it's still stunning, I will gladly wear it again and again.

 

If it doesn't fit properly though, and can't be altered to fit properly, then ditch it and get something new.

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dh's company has a very formal event at convention every year. I cycle my 3 formal dresses so that I am not wearing the same thing each year. You should have heard the comments I got last year on the dress I wore but bought in 1999. This year I will be wearing the dress from 1995.

 

Don't worry about it. I knew one woman who wore the same black dress every year but changed the shawl--sometimes lace, sometimes jeweled, etc. She always looked good and no one knew that she was doing this unless she told you.

 

:001_smile:

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