Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Going to a ball! Help me pick a dress!

As a Marine Corps wife, I get the opportunity at least once a year to dress up for the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball. It's the birthday of the corps, which was formed way back in... blah blah blahgetty blah.... all I know is I get to dress up. (OK, before people get mad, I kid, I kid. I appreciate the significance of the event.) Apparently, for the event in Beijing, they really go "all out" and it's supposed to be one of the best birthday balls, ever.

Last year, I was absolutely obsessed with a David Meister velvet cocktail dress... but I didn't want to take the plunge on the price of the dress. This year - having borrowed dresses the last 2 years (I hate having a closet full of worn-once fancy, expensive dresses) - I am buying a new one.

The dress I lusted over last year is no longer available, and would still be my first choice this year. Pictured below:


I don't know if you can tell, but the dress is velvet and is a pretty purple color. Unfortunately, it's only available on ebay, and not in my size.


so....

The dresses up for selection this year are the following:

1. Emerald Green, One Shoulder Velvet Gown



As you can see, it's REALLY similar to last year's dress! The shoulder strap is thinner than last year, and the embellishment is smaller. Also, the color is a jewel-toned emerald green. When I zoomed in on the site, the fit looks more flattering than it does when just looking at the first picture.. (think it has to do with the picture being a little bit dark in the places that would really show you how it fits the model). I love the sort of retro feel it has. If you want to zoom to see how it fits better, click here.

2. Red, One Shoulder with Feather Velvet Gown



Again, you need to be able to look past the crazy photoshopping (why? why do they insist on doing that?!) Similar to the other dresses: one shoulder, red velvet, with feather embellishment.

Out of the two available choices, my husband prefers the emerald green. I like the red, but kind of think it's not the best color for me... and red velvet kind of makes me think of Santa Claus.. so I am leaning towards the green as well.

What do you ladies think?! I know there are a couple things about these dresses.... from what I have learned, people either love or hate one-shoulder pieces, and they either love or hate velvet. I'm obviously digging both.

Here I am again for reference:


If you've seen any dresses no more than $350 that you think would be absolutely perfect, feel free to share.

Oh and yes, I could have a dress made specifically for me here in China, but that involves way more effort than I am willing to put in.

Thanks!

Steph

16 comments:

  1. I love the emerald one, but I am always a fab of red dresses. You would stand out in it for sure and I love red on blondes.

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  2. You would look great in the red one and if hes wearing his dress blues then red would look good with that too!

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  3. Beautiful dresses and I am loving the one-shoulder! My vote, before I even read the comments, was the RED one...you will look FABULOUS and could be a great dress for the holidays in the future too! :)

    Liesl :)

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  4. I can't believe there are so many reds! LOL! Are you sure it's not too Mrs. Claus? Is that something I have to get over? HAHA!

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  5. I love the green, it looks so luxurious and it's kind of unexpected since I think red tends to be the obvious choice. =)

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  6. I went to the Marine Corps Ball last year and wore a dress very similar to the red dress above:) So of course i love that one haha.
    But the green is so gorgeous too! Such a difficult decision. But i'd go red:)xx

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  7. I'm a sucker for feathers, and I actually think the red would be a great color for you! You can't go wrong either way. Let us know what you decide!

    xo Marissa
    (The Well-Appointed Catwalk)

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  8. the red would look stunning!

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  9. I love the one you have on in the picture. Is that an option? You would look fab in either, but I think the red would look gorgeous with his dress uniform! I'm looking forward to the Navy Ball next week myself. Have fun!

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  10. SweeT - I know, I love that black dress... unfortunately, that is one of the ones I borrowed from a friend, so no access to it!

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  11. There are also some amazing dresses on net-a-porter.com

    The red one looks like it drapes better. :)

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  12. Love the green, you could always add a broach.

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  13. I love the green on you. I've always liked the color green on blondes. And I've always wished I were blonde. :(

    By the way, how is Beijing in December? I'll be vacationing there for 4 days and I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I'm from a tropical country and I've no experience of winter whatsoever!

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  14. I went with the green, guys. LOL. We'll see how it works out once it arrives!


    KACE - the weather in December is going to be COLD! I've heard Beijing winters are extremely cold, and I heard that from someone who grew up in Denmark! lol. so, I'd make sure you have a really good coat, gloves... maybe bring some tights to wear under pants. Last year it snowed quite a bit but typically BJ doesn't get much snow. I've heard it gets windy and it makes it worse. I've also heard the pollution is worse in the winter when many people use coal to heat their houses.

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