I Cannot Believe What I Just Bought

[mcnuss]

Despite all my very best intentions to wear my same "little black dress" to both the formal & semi-formal nights, I just bought the first long dress I've owned (other than my wedding gown) since my prom 20+ years ago.

I am in NYC today on business, and I happened to be in a big department store and there was an entire section of petite sized long dresses. I have never seen petite gowns before, and I was able to find one that I loved that actually fits without needing 2 feet cut off the bottom.

DH is going to kill me bc now he will feel compelled to wear a tux!

I am rationalizing this purchase by telling myself that this will not be our last cruise and that I will get lots of wear out of it over the years....

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Congrats on finding the perfect gown! I'm petite too so I know how hard it is to find anything petite, let alone a gown! That is reason enought to buy it. I'm sure you'll find more places to wear it than you would ever have thought.

As far as your husband goes...well, think about wearing something sexy underneath and model it for him when you get home. (I'm desperately trying to keep this PG!) He'll either forget about the dress or request that you wear it all the time! LOL!!

Seriously, enjoy your dress and the cruise!

 

[Target]

WHERE? WHERE? WHERE? I went shopping last week for a long gown and I couldn't find any petite!!!! What was the name of the store? Are they a chain? Are they online? I have renewed hope!!! Fill me in.....please! (do I sound desperate enough?)

 

[atigeg]

mcnuss, I can totally sympathize! I have petite proportions (5 foot 2 with very short legs), and I have the added challenge of wearing size 16 or 14 (depends on the cut). Stores don't seem to think that petite sizes should go over 10, or maybe 12 at best. I found some really cute dresses a while back...I think it was at Sears or Penny's. I bought two for our frequent cruises, and I wish I would have bought more! They were on sale for something like $30 or $40, and it must have been a very popular style...on our recent cruises, I have seen several other women wearing similar dresses. My challenges in buying clothing that actually fits has taught me...when I find it in my size, I buy multiples!!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[mcnuss]

WHERE? WHERE? WHERE?


Target:
I noticed you are in Silver Spring, MD. I used to live in the DC area, too. The store is good old Lord & Taylor. You've got one right up at White Flint! The dress is Jones New York, it's black, V-neck, a little bit of beading at the neck, but I won't admit publicly how much it cost!

Actually, it wasn't that bad, I've bought suits for work that cost more...The one thing I keep telling myself is that the only way I was going to find something I loved was to be willing to pay full price...Oh, the rationalization....

 

[imgoingtodisney]

not exactly a long dress but

when I cruised on NCL in Dec I bought 3 long skirts w/matching tops - 2 are black w/diff prints, 1 is blue
Im hoping to get to wear them all again when we cruise on the Magic in 7.5 wks!!
black for formal, diff black for semi-formal, blue for Lumiere's - Hey, I can always take DS if DH doesnt go!

 

[Fawn]

Originally posted by mcnuss
WHERE? WHERE? WHERE?


Target:
I noticed you are in Silver Spring, MD. I used to live in the DC area, too. The store is good old Lord & Taylor.

That's too funny. I just asked my sister where to go the other day for a gown. She said Lord & Taylor was THE place. Said there was a good selection when she was in last week! Now I'm itching to go!

 

[Target]

mcnuss,
Thanks for the tip! I will check it out next weekend! Sorry I didn't get back sooner, but we have been dealing with this lunatic in Montgomery County who is randomly shooting people! 5 people in 16 hours yesterday and he still hasn't been caught. Killings are within 2 miles of each other and 1 mile of my house!!! Yikes! Being very cautious today.....I will focus on my cruise in December to keep me thinking good thoughts!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Target...be careful down there! I watched it on WJZ out of Baltimore yesterday. I live in northern Maryland and I feel a little anxiety so I can't even imagine what you're feeling. Hopefully they will catch these guys soon. With all of the agencies involved I'm hoping it's just a matter of time. Thinking of the cruise and keeping good thoughts is the best thing you can do. Take care!

 

[tkd lisa]

Chadwick's of Boston also sells petite formal wear. I'm not sure if it's in the higher teen sizes or not though. I remember when I worked in a dept store, the petites stopped at 12 and that never made sense to me!

I bought a dress two winters ago for a formal work function from the Chadwicks petites and didn't need to have it altered. The BEST deal is to wait until just after New Years and get their clearance! I think I paid either $29 or $39 for a really nice formal!

 

[gfolchick]

Do you have a Filene's (I think they are a May Dept. Store chain) near you. I was there yesterday shopping for a dress for this weekend and there was a big selection for petites, And most were on sale!!!

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by gfolchick

Do you have a Filene's (I think they are a May Dept. Store chain) near you.

I remember Filene's from Boston and New Hampshire. According to their web site (www.filenes.com), they operate "44 stores in 15 markets including Boston, Stamford, Hartford, Providence, R.I., and Albany."

Yes, they are a division of the May Company (www.mayco.com), as are Lord & Taylor, and a bunch of other high-end regional chains.

BTW, here is a link for Chadwick's of Boston (mentioned earlier... my DW really likes their catalog)...

www.chadwicksofboston.com

 

[mcnuss]

Filenes is part of May Co., and so is Hechts.

The thing is that they each carry different merchandise depending on the market they serve. For instance, I could NEVER have found a long, petite evening gown at the Filenes near me. The best I could do there were either prom-type dresses or old lady frumpy numbers (no offense, ok?), but at the Filenes in Boston, I might have found what I wanted. Also, within May Co., the branding is different for each chain, so L&T will have more "high-end" brands than Filenes, but again, which brands will depend on the market served.

I happened to be in Manhattan this week, home of the original, falgship L&T. Something like 9 floors of glorious shopping! I was in heaven. But Barb is the luckiest of the lucky, bc she has Nordstrom and Marshall Fields, the 2 best department stores in the US, right there in her backyard in downtown Chicago. When I go there on business trips, DH does not even look in my suitcase upon my return.

 

[tstobb]

DW bought both her formal & semi-formal dresses at Dillards. Keep checking back as they seem to bring in new styles pretty often and if there is another one nearby, check that as well as they sometimes carry different styles in different stores.

 

[4nana]

mcnuss ~
I'm sure you will look beautiful!
I am ROTFL at your comment:
'old lady frumpy numbers

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by mcnuss

Barb... has... Marshall Fields... right there in... downtown Chicago. When I go there on business trips, DH does not even look in my suitcase upon my return.

I love Marshall Fields' flagship State Street store. Hard to believe it's a division of Target Corporation. Gee, how many boxes of Frango mints can I fit in my suitcase?

 

[mcnuss]

We went to Marshall Fields last year with DD at the holidays; the windows were so spectacular! When one of the employees told us the store was owned by Target, we just laughed. Target is one of those stores that I am not allowed to go into unaccompanied by a sane adult. I just love their stuff.

 

[PiperG]

Originally posted by mcnuss
Target is one of those stores that I am not allowed to go into unaccompanied by a sane adult. I just love their stuff.

I LOL when I read this post. We have a Target about 2 1/2 miles away and I can't get out of there under $100

I am also petite. . . .4' 11 1/2." We cruise on Jan 25th, so I am hoping to hit the post holiday sales at Nordstrom. I am a bit nervous about cutting it so close, but I figured I can find something there, as they have a nice Petite dept.

I am also worried about tropical night. I have some notes regarding shops in St. Maarten, but appreciate any additional feedback on places to pick up "well proportioned" island wear.

 

[mcnuss]

PiperG

When I lived in the DC area, I shopped all the time at Nords. I love that store, and I bet you'll be able to find what you want on sale even before the holidays. Last year, I noticed that the dept. stores were wildly cutting prices even before Christmas.

Another place that I have had good luck with is Talbots. I did not go there this time bc I wanted long and a little sexy, not too, but more than I would get at Talbots. I find their clothes fit me well - I am 5'1" on my tippies and wear an 8. Most of my work clothes come from there bc they don't need alterations. One thing I did see everywhere when I was shopping this year were lots of lovely long skirts with pretty beaded sweaters. That would have been my second choice, esp. bc the sweaters could be worn with other bottoms. But I gave in to abject impracticality for the first time in my life - and it was FUN!!!!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Ok guys - the professor in me can't help but jump in and make a little tiny clarification (retail is one of my areas - sorry). Actually Target is part of the operation owned by what was called the Dayton-Hudson Corp. They acquired Marshall Fields several years ago. Within the last two years the corporate name was changed to Marshall Fields - a move that made many in Michigan "ornery" as it deleted the Hudson name from stores. They all seem to have adjusted.

Deb