Law Students

The Sartorial Equivalent of a Smile*

By Anonymous

On the way back from the appeal hearing we stopped at a boutique in Wicker Park and I fell I love with this dress for graduation.

It's a little more... girly? ruffly? than I usually wear, but it was comfortable, hung well on my body, and seemed so bright and joyous- and "joyous" is exactly how I will feel on that Friday morning. When I came out of the dressing room JP told me I looked like a "porcelain light bulb". Apparently the very bright pink made my very pale skin look even paler (or "more porcelain" as JP so lovingly describes it). It had only just come in and since it was Wednesday and there were two left on the rack, I decided to sleep on it. The store doesn't allow returns and I'm so freaked out about spending money right now that I wasn't sure I should spend $39 on a potentially too-bright dress that made my skin glow like a light bulb.

But I couldn't stop thinking about my beautiful bubblegum dress. By the time I went to bed Wednesday night I was certain that I needed it. Even if it was too bright for graduation, it was only $40 and it was different and fun and it most definitely needed to live in my closet. I left the library early on Thursday to stop at the boutique on my way home; I walked straight to the rack where I'd left it, nestled between all the other too trendy dresses I could never pull off, but it was gone! They had sold out in the few hours between my leaving and the store closing. They called their other location in Lincoln Park and there was one left- and in my size! I promised to go buy it first thing Friday morning. The dress I wasn't sure I should get was now a necessary purchase, so first thing this morning I raced over to Lincoln Park, parked illegally, and dodged traffic as I raced across Clark St to rescue my bubblegum dress. And I got the last one!

It is now safe in my closet, right next to the three long ago purchased and already worn dresses I am wearing to my cousin's rehearsal dinner, his wedding, and our graduating student's dinner. So I can get a new dress for graduation, right? And the new brushed gold shoes that must go with it? I already have shiny gold heels, but they're not right for the daytime wearing of this dress and my feet have barely recovered from the last time I wore them (over a year ago). I think a brushed/muted gold shoe and dangly brushed gold earrings will be perfect. But I have to ask, do you think it's too bright and almost shiny for a graduation? I know that I could wear it, but should I? I don't think it's looking as cute in the picture as it does in real life, and I got one a size too big so it doesn't cling and stretch out the ruching, it hangs just right and looks very soft and Spring-y. Or so I think. JP is no help - whether or not something "should" be worn is way beyond his "that looks great" or "um, what else do you have?" capabilities. It is a really bright color. What do people wear to grad school graduations?

*Super bonus points to the person who knows what TV show that title quote was borrowed from!

Full post as published by Lag Liv on May 16, 2008 (boomark / email).