Juicy Couture Yoga Tank (And a Special Weather Report!)

I ordered a Juicy Couture yoga tank on Hautelook a couple weeks ago out of curiosity.  I didn't even know Juicy made workout clothes.  It looked cute though, and was only $19 down from $48.  So I thought I'd cheat on Lululemon and give it a shot.  It arrived yesterday and I tried it out today during a circuit class.  Must say I am pretty happy with it.

By the way, I wonder what bottoms the model is wearing.  They sure look like Lululemon Empower Crop to me. 

So back to the tank - I love the color - it's very very similar to Lululemon's senorita pink.  I am so glad Juicy decided not to plaster their logo on it like how they usually whore out their stuff.  That whole Juicy Couture / Ed Hardy look is not just obnoxious but so 2005.  Lol.  I love the feel of the material.  It's mostly made of nylon, with some spandex.  It is very thin and buttery smooth.  It's kind of like Lululemon's luxtreme, but half as thick.  So it means this tank won't hide any flaws.  I got it in a size S, which fits well.  It's as long as my Cool Racerbacks.  It also has doubled sided stitching on the seams, but a strand of thread is already coming undone so the construction appears to be subpar.

I found it to be very good at wicking, felt comfortable on, and did not move around or slip up as I moved.  It also hides sweat really well - I had a hard workout, but you could barely tell by looking at the tank!  There is an inner shelf bra with a wide bottom band which is nice, however the top portion of the bra is very flimsy and thin, not at all like the built in bras of the Lululemon tanks.  The well-constructed built in bra and option to put cup inserts in was the reason I started wearing Lululemon years ago, so that is still my #1 priority.  Though it seems they have stopped sending out the bra inserts - I called nearly 3 weeks ago asking for some because I didn't get any for the last 3 tanks I bought.  They said they'd send some and I never received anything! I don't understand why I have to beg for inserts when the cost of the tank should more than cover them, they should be including them with every tank purchase in the first place, unless you opt out!  But I digress.............. so I wore my bright blue Flow Y bra underneath the Juicy tank today and it turned out to be a very cute look!  The front of the bra and tank are identical, so you see the top of the bra for a pop of color, as well as the double straps.  It almost looks like it's meant to be that way.  The back of the Flow Y bra also somewhat matches the tank, except for the portion where the two straps join on the back of the bra.  I normally hate layering bra and tank that don't match, but this wasn't bad at all. 

So overall I'm pretty happy with this purchase, especially for $19.  I think it would be a really great tank to wear for spin class, because of how light weight it is.  It also would be great for yoga!  Since both of those activities are rather low impact, I probably wouldn't even need to layer a Flow Y bra under.  So I'll be keeping this one on my rotation.  I'm always happy to find up and coming workout brands because Lululemon has been gaining popularity here fast in the past couple years, and my tanks aren't as special anymore.  But it is still my fav as far as function and technicality goes! 

Ok now, let's talk about how cold it's been here in SoCal!  We've been getting a lot of rain this year, which is good because we were in a drought the past few years.  But the temperature has been unusually low too.  I know it's nothing compared to all you east coasters, but high of mid 40s is really really cold for us!  I can actually see the snow capped mountains from here!  I don't ever remember seeing that for as long as I've lived in LA.  This is a picture I took last week on the drive home from the gym:

Hmm maybe this zoomed in version is easier to see:

Ok so that was last week, and then today on my way home from the gym, it started hailing!  That NEVER happens here!!  This is a pic through the moon roof of the car:

Those are bigger than pea size giant ice balls!  So cool!

And this is what it looks like through the front window:

You can kind of see the homeless mother and son duo holding a sign at the highway exit during the hail, I felt so bad for them but did not have any cash on me.  =(  The high unemployment rate here is so sad.

The news stations kept showing shots of people caught outside during the hail, it was really funny.  And kind of mean as I imagined them sitting in their news van filming these people instead of giving them a ride... hahaha.

Tonight's supposed to be one of the coldest nights of the year, so I'm ready to be all bundled up and have a wine and movie night!  I hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

The Method Sock - From Lululemon

I love the new Method Sock from Lululemon!  I've been meaning to buy grippy socks for my bare and pilates classes for ages, but I guess I really am a lazy bum!  As I was slipping on the shiny hardwood floor at my bare studio last week, I kept giving myself mental notes to remember and get socks before I went back again!  I also briefly wished that Lululemon would sell them - then low and behold, there they were online yesterday!  So I finally made the purchase and now am a proud owner of the Method Sock!

They are so cute!  They are one size fits all, and when I got them, the packaging said size 6-9.  They fit me fine, but I wish they were size 5-9, since I'm normally a size 6 and like my socks to be a little tighter.  But it's not a big issue, I also noticed that they don't come up as high as the Ultimate Running Sock or the Featherweight Sock, so yay! 

They feel pretty similar to my Featherweight socks so I think they are made of the same material.  The best part about these is of course, the non-slip sole.  

I'm going to my bare class next week so I will have to try them out then.  But from the self-test I did on my hardwood floor, they worked pretty well and I was not going anywhere!  Even walking around normally I could feel, and hear, the stickiness.  So excited!  I noticed that these socks are already sold out online, so if they turn out to be great, I hope I can find another pair somewhere!  Oh, maybe Lululemon will make new colors in these too!

Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin

I've been obsessed with my hair this week.  I have a lot of hair and it's fairly long, so I need a really good way to keep all of it up when I work out.  I usually put my hair in a pony tail and it's ok for the most part, but when I'm doing hot yoga, or running, or anything that requires lots of sweating, I hate the feeling of my hair against my sweaty skin.  Because they get wet and stick to my back and it's gross!  So I went to Target, again, and decided to give the Goody Simple Style Spin Pins a try since they seem to have good reviews.  They are only $6 for the pair.

These are pretty cool, and really easy to use.  They claim that one of these is equivalent to 10 regular bobby pins.  I don't know about 10, but maybe 5?  Lol.  There are tons of YouTube videos teaching you how to use it, and most of them are the same.  You basically just twist your hair into a bun, and then screw the spin pins in clockwise.  One from the top of the bun and one from the bottom.  You don't need to tie your hair first, but I find that it stays better when you do.  Like I said, I have a lot of hair, so two of these don't really hold my hair as securely as I'd like, especially for lots of moving around.  4 works pretty well though!  The pins stay hidden really well and you can't see them at all.  When you take them out, you just screw counter-clockwise and it comes out really easily.  Doesn't catch the hair or anything.  It's a pretty cool invention.  I'll have to try it out in my hot yoga class and see if they come out during inversions.  I don't think they would though.

I also got more Goody hair ties, and I'm trying out the Stayput elastic hair ties with plastic grip all the way around the tie.  They are supposed to prevent the pony tail from creeping down.  That is another problem I have - no matter what hair tie I use, I always always have to re-adjust my pony tail in the middle of my work outs.  It's a pain!  Hopefully these will help.

By the way, YouTube is awesome for hair tips.  It's addicting too!  I've been watching so many videos of just people showing others how to do these fancy looking hair styles really quickly.  I usually don't do anything to my hair other than washing it and blowing drying it.  Once in a blue moon I curl it.  But now I'm inspired to do more after watching these videos! 

Want This

I realize this is a men's item, but I went to Lululemon this weekend with my fiance and surprisingly walked out empty handed.  However, he got the Metal Vent Tech Long Sleeve in Camo Green/ black. 

He has a few Metal Vent Tech short sleeves that he wears all the time to work out in.  But this is his first long sleeve.  I'm really jealous because I love this color (and because he has an account at Lulu for the R&D discount)!  And I want it in the girls version swiftly!  Long sleeve or short, I don't even care.  I loooovveeee darker earth tone or jewel toned green.  And I think the silverescent material makes it look nicely muted. This would be a great neutral to have.

I have this Dance Strap tank in army green that I scored on ebay a while back, and it is my absolute favorite color out of my ridiculously large Lululemon collection.  In fact, I love it so much I don't even work out in it.  I reserve it for street wear because I'm afraid to ruin it.  Lol.  It works out great as a summer top, or even a going out at night kind of top with a light sweater or jacket over it.  It's just gorgeous.

I know army green will look great in any current tank style, but I think the older Lullure fabric of the Dance Strap tank makes it look even better because it gives the silky smooth look with a little bit of a shine.  

Oh, I also wouldn't complain if a gold color like this came back:

This one is also so different from the color chart of late, I really do feel like a yoga princess working out in it!  (That's what the tag description says)

I Went to Barney's New York Warehouse Sale and...

... all I came home with was this!

Lol.  Well today was the last day of the annual Barneys New York Warehouse Sale at the LA Convention Center.  It started last weekend and I should have gone then.  Or should have gone some time during the week last week, since I work really close to LA Live (where the Staples Center and Convention Center are).  But I was lazy I guess.  I went today because I thought there would be bigger mark downs on the last day.  Well, I was right about that, they had like 50-60% off on top of the already marked down price.  But the merchandise was so picked over that I didn't want most of the stuff left even with 90% off or whatever.  A lot of the stuff left had 4 digit retail price to begin with, so they still weren't dirt cheap.  They also had lots of men's suits and dress shirts left.  But they don't do me any good!

Most of the shoes were gone in my size, which was a bummer.  I had hoped to at least seen some cute ones left.  I did see a pair of really cute Manolo Blahnik boots that retailed for $1200 and selling for $250 or something like that there.  But they were size 5.5!  I tried squeezing my feet into them and almost succeeded, but it was just a little too tight.  Sad face.  The tank top I got was marked down from $125 to $21.  So that's at least some consolation!  It's super soft and actually pretty cute on.  I don't know what the naked woman print is all about.  Maybe it was Picasso inspired!  It's different though, and would be a cute summer tank with shorts or tights.  I wonder how the twisted straps would handle being washed.

Anyway, so next year I think I will definitely go during the first or second day of the sale and maybe I can actually get more stuff.   I do plan to go to more warehouse sales - living in LA, that is definitely a perk I need to take advantage of.  Most brands you can name have warehouses in Vernon, which is a very industrial area a few miles outside of downtown.  There's always warehouse sales going on there.  I've gotten Seven jeans for $20 a pair directly from their warehouse.  And the BCBG sale (which is actually next weekend) is notorious for having long lines and great deals!  I wish Lululemon would have a warehouse sale because I know their warehouse is in the same area too!

First Travel Post - Hawaii!

In the beginning of the year, I had asked all you wonderful readers to send me stories about different places you live in or have been to on vacation.  You can see it on top of the page under "Share Your Story".  This is not so much because I want to turn this into a travel blog - I don't, I enjoy writing about the things I buy but I just thought it would give the blog a different dimension since traveling to different places is also one of my great loves in life.

While I have gotten responses from different readers, I have to apologize for taking so long to post them!  I suck I know.  I've started studying again for my CFA Level 2 test, so it's taking away my blogging time.  =(

Soooo, today I figured I would post one about Hawaii!  This is the very first one I received, and I love her enthusiasm so I'm just going to copy and paste (with slight editing) so you can "hear" it from her own voice.  She's so cute, it made me smile and I hope it will put a smile on your face too!

Hello,

I loved reading your blog- about your travels, fitness, love of beach, and shopping addiction.  I feel that I have very similar interests...

Therefore, I would like to recommend a cool place to visit, perhaps in your future travels as a "married" woman or part of your honeymoon adventures...
Here's a little about myself...
I used to live in Hawaii... I took a year off before entering medical school,,, learned to surf, did lots of pilates, yoga, and ocean activities, including kite surfing, windsurfing, sailing, scuba, light hikes by the ocean, and just laying out on the beach!  It was the best!!!!  I also worked retail for Quiksilver and Roxy.  It was quite an experience and got to share my love of shopping and travel with the fellow visitors to the island.  I was quite surprised, but I was actually quite good at selling things too!  (just not as good at foldling t-shirts)

Anyways, there is a great boutique shop on the windward side of Oahu (in a town called Kailua- where Obama spends x-mas), called Muumuu Heaven.... the owner/founder is a woman from Australia and she uses vintage fabrics to make clothes.  It is quite popular in Japan... and they have a limited website: www.muumuuheaven.com   I almost got a job there... but i ran out of time and had to return to start school... so I opted to enjoy the few months of freedom.... 

Ok- and to my final point, she custom-fits and designs "beach" wedding gowns... (for some reason, i pictured your ceremony near one?)....  the style might be too laid back for a big wedding, but if you were going to do say 2 ceremonies,  (one formal, one for just you and a few family members), at sunset by the ocean, perhaps.... hypothetically, then take awesome beach/sunsut ocean pics that you would treasure forever.... just a suggestion.... (they always look good in the office). 

All the same, the dresses are very simple and not crazy expensive (in terms of the market of wedding dresses), and probably super comfortable.... but I think you might want to visit the store or look it up on google... you might just find some comfortable bamboo dresses (avg. $200) or cute bags made with vintage or even old sail materials!  There have been some really cool articles and PR on them...

ALSO- there is a great pilates studio in Kailua: www.onbalancepilates.com
great Lomilomi (hawaiian massage), across the hall from the studio...
and great eggs benedict/chiffon guava pancakes downstairs....
plus great yoga in Kailua: www.alohayogakula.com 
absolutely divine beach!!! you will love it!!!!  but no hotels....you can stay in Waikiki at the new Trump hotel or Ocean side... and rent a convertible or Harley!!! or limo...

For all your ocean loving activities visit the Naish store in Kailua too - or call 808-626-6068  www.naish.com for surf, windsurf, kitesurf, and stand up paddle board lessons/rentals/gear!!!

Good luck with the wedding plans!  Don't forget to plan the honeymooon! (prob the best part!)

PS. Props to you for getting in shape again!  I have had a similar experience while i was living on the Left Coast in NYC.... i also fell in love with a great yoga studio that opened up a new studio in the Mission in SF (and in NYC) called the laughing lotus www.laughinglotus.com... Check out a class with Dana Flynn or Jasmine Tarkeshi (they are my most wonderful and awesome teachers).  I actually became certified while I was living in NYC and going to NYU for a masters... lost 20 pounds and 6 dress sizes from 10 to 4!  I didn't even know it, since I tend to wear more comfortable clothes, but eventually, had to buy some new ones...  but who doesn't enjoy shopping! 

Oh yeah- I dig the TRX too!!
Your blog ROCKS!!!!!!!!  Congrats on the big ROCK on your finger too!!! it is quite impressive!!!! the picture does not do it justice.... I bet it dazzles in just the right light! (just don't wear it in the ocean... might attract a shark or too...but don't leave it on the beach either!!!!)

Thanks for sending this in!!  

Doesn't she sound adorable??  Please keep the emails coming guys, I will definitely post them occasionally for everyone to enjoy!

A New (Old) Lululemon No Limit Tank and Update on the Sue Wong Dress!

The other day I was stalking old rare Lululemon items on eBay again when I saw a No Limit tank in coal/lavender with about 15 minutes left at only $35.  So I got tempted and put a bid in towards the end of the auction.  I actually almost got it for $38, but someone came in during the last couple seconds and I ended up getting it for $45.  My highest bid was like $45.35 or something like that!  So if the other bidder had put in $46 it would have been hers.  I knew being tricky with random numbers would have served me well one day!  Hehe.  Well, $45 is still a great price for this tank!

It arrived today and it's great!  Now this is my 3rd No Limit tank.  Of course if I had my choice I would rather the colors be reversed to lavender body coal bra since I love me some colors, but hey I'm not complaining for the price I paid.  It's a steal.  This was actually the exact tank I tried on in store last year.  I remember liking the color combo but did not want a coal tank at the time for over $70.

It also seems to run tighter in the body than my aruba and white ones that I got a little while ago.  Hmm speaking of No Limit tanks, I saw the new sprinkler/ikat one online today.  I love the sprinkler color in this tank and would have been tempted to buy it, but I'm really not a fan of the ikat print.  I think when I first saw this print a couple months ago I almost had a heart attack and have stayed far away from it.  Then to my dismay it kept appearing in everything!  It's not as bad in the No Limit tank than others I've seen.  So maybe in small doses it's ok.  But I just think it looks soooo dated!!

On a different note, my beautiful Sue Wong dress that I ordered from Hautelook was delivered today!  It was shipped out this morning and that is fast shipping!  What I love about ordering from Hautelook is that the items always arrive same day or the day after from the day it's shipped, since Hautelook ships from LA.  So this offsets the sales tax I have to pay for ordering on Hautelook.  My Gilt orders usually come about 3 days later, and Ruelala orders come at least a week later.  But I do save tax money when I order from Gilt and Ruelala.  

Anyway, back to my Sue Wong dress - it is everything I expected!!  I couldn't believe that it was just as gorgeous in person as I'd hoped.  And it fits perfectly!  I got a size up from my normal size, which turned out to be a good choice.  It fits me exactly the same way as it does on this model, and I wouldn't have wanted it any tighter.

Oh and it has lightly padded bra cups sewn into the chest, so I don't even need to wear a bra with it.  Love it when dresses come like that!  It is easily one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever laid eyes on, and I'm so glad it's mine! 

Room Essential Mattress Pad from Target

I realize this is a rather silly topic, but I have a love/hate relationship with mattress pads and feel pretty strongly about it.  I had a mattress pad that I used for years and loved, it was so soft and I believe it definitely enhanced my sheets and the comfort and feel of my bed in general.  I slept so well in that bed, I was such a happy camper everyday.  Then when I moved in with my now fiance, we had to get rid of my bed because it was a full size, and his was a queen.  He didn't have a mattress pad, and I convinced him that it was essential to a good night sleep.  So he got one, but he made the mistake of buying a vinyl one.  It was plastic-ky and crinkly that we used it for a few days and took it off then forgot about it and forgot about the whole mattress pad business altogether.  But since we just got the new Westin Heavenly bed a couple weeks ago, I thought it would probably be a good idea to protect the new mattress so I put the pad back on.  But my goodness, this time I hated this pad even more than I remember!  It was loud and made the bed so hot.  It's seriously made of the same material as a tarp.  I should go camping with it!  It's definitely water-proof, that is for sure, but it also does not breath at all.  I would literally wake up in the middle of the night drenched - and I'm usually the type that gets cold easily.  So after 3 days or so, I had enough of it again.

Yesterday we went to Target (love that place!) to pick up some stuff and I was determined to find a new mattress pad.  This time we knew we didn't want one made of vinyl, and I didn't care if it was water-proof or not.  It's not like we need a pee guard!  LOL!  I just wanted it to be good enough to keep sweat and whatnot from leaking through to the mattress.  I also didn't want a super padded pad, since my mattress is a pillow top, that would just be over kill.  So after feeling every single one they carried, we finally settled on the target brand Room Essential cotton blend pad.  I don't think Target carries it on their website, so the link is actually to the same brand water-proof one.  But from the reviews it sounds like it's not really water-proof.

The cotton blend pad I got was one of the cheapest at the store, but it felt the softest to me without being too thick.  Still I was having doubts just because with these things you usually get what you pay for - it's only like $19 or whatever.  But I was so happy sleeping on it last night!  It adds just the right amount of softness without the extra warmth.  It seemed to breath well and I slept through the night without waking up from sweating my butt off!  What a treat.  I can't believe it's actually the perfect pad for me.  So the love affair with mattress pad is back on!

Guess Where I Went Last Night?

Yep... One of the most touristy spots in LA (if not the most?)!  Hollywood & Highland.  You know, where the Oscars are held, Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Walk of Fame, etc.  I don't ever go there, but yesterday we were supposed to go to a dinner party with my fiance's uncle who happened to be in town, and some of his friends.  But it turned out that his friend, the host, was pretty rich or well-connected or whatever because he closed down the whole restaurant just for us 10 people!  It was kind of weird being in a big space all by ourselves.  But the food was delicious, and it was good times.  

The interesting thing though, was that he is a professional party planner for celebrities.  He's actually throwing Paris Hilton's birthday party tonight.  And from the sound of it, he's all the A-listers' go to guy.  In fact, I saw him on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this season!  It's only my favorite thing ever to watch right now.  Total guilty pleasure.  But it got me thinking, what a fun job!  I wish I could throw parties instead of getting up way before dawn to sit in front of my desk with 4 monitors staring at me.  I mean the guy was deciding between body paint girls or no body paint girls.  Lol.  Such a different life.  Living in LA you meet lots of industry people.  There's so many jobs here that you wouldn't even think existed.  They just seem so much more interesting than trying to predict if a security is a good purchase or not.  It always seems like nobody in LA has a regular 9-5 schedule, that's why you see people at the gym during all hours of the day, and there's traffic at 2 pm.  Geez, I have got to think more about a possible career change...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope you got lots of flowers and chocolate!  I asked my fiance to send me flowers to my work today but he refused saying it's too $$$.  Why pay $150 when you can pay $20 the day after?  Sigh... at least we are going to a (hopefully fun) dinner party tonight so I don't have to stuff my face with chocolate like a piggie!  Hehehe

Vera Wang Collection at David's Bridal

I went to David's Bridal last night to try on the new Vera Wang collection.  I totally thought I'd fall in love with every single one, and end up taking one home with me.  But no such luck.  =(

First of all, the dresses weren't even on sale until today, but they got shipped the samples for people to try on yesterday.  However, they were only shipped a few sizes in each style.  In fact, they only got ONE of this one:

Unfortunately the size was too small for me.  Actually I found all her gowns ran a little small, especially in the chest area.  I don't even have big boobs, but it must have been made with really small framed flat chested girls in mind.  I think I have a broader rib cage circumference for my size, so sometimes I have problems with couture stuff that all tend to be tight in the chest.  The dress has a side zipper (hate those), and I wasn't even able to zip it up all the way around the rib cage.  But I thought the one shoulder strap was too high anyway so I wouldn't have bought it even if it fit.  The bottom though was very pretty with all the organza.  It wasn't too much at all, and was surprisingly flattering.  The belt doesn't come with it though.  You have to buy them separately.

This one, on the other hand, was way too much dress on the bottom!  I tried it in white:

 

This one they only had a size too big, which would have been ok but I couldn't deal with the bottom.  I don't see how anyone could walk in that dress.  I would practice hard because there would be a high probability of tripping down the aisle!  It's very dramatic, which doesn't fit what I want.  I really just tried it on for fun.  I also don't think the drop waist look flatters my shape.  So I will be avoiding this look from now on.

This is a horrible picture that barely shows the dress, but I liked this one the best and was seriously considering getting it:

You can't tell on this picture at all, but there's a flower on the side of the waist where her right arm is covering.  It's got a ribbon though, which really reminded me of an award ribbon you would get in elementary school.

It was pretty fugly.  But the flower petals all had unfinished edges anyway, so you could literally just cut it off and make it into another petal.  Same as the bottom hem, all unfinished, you could really save money on alterations by just cutting it shorter yourself if you need it shortened.  Lol.  I liked the fit of this dress the best, but it was a very different look because the whole dress is covered with this fine net.  My fiance, who I dragged with me, thought it made the dress look cheap.  I know it was the style she was going for, but must admit it did have a "homeless bride" kind of look which is not what I'm going for.  And the net would catch everything from dirt, to little branches, to sand, if I were to wear it.  At the end I decided that the only reason I was considering the dress was because it was a Vera Wang for only $700.  If it was a no name brand, I wouldn't have thought about it at all.  So I passed.

I also tried this one, in a size too big too, and it was pretty unflattering - the horizontal lines around the hips really widens you.

I was disappointed that I couldn't try on the other dresses in her line.  All the sizes that the store was sent were either too big or too small in the other styles.  But I found that the quality and workmanship of the Vera Wang gowns were excellent and a huge step up from the other gowns David's had.  If I liked the styles and they had my size, I would have got one over any other brand there in a heart beat.  

I would have liked to try these, though the first one has the same net material covering the entire dress.  At least it doesn't have a #1 ribbon!

I didn't try this one below on either even though they had my size.  It's just too ball gown like for me.  But it was gorgeous in person!  So much prettier than any other ball gown style at the store.  They didn't have this pink belt for sale though.  Maybe just not at the store I went to because I see that it's on their website.  It's so pretty and definitely makes the dress.  Without it it's just a plain white dress.  The belt is only $78, which is a pretty good price.  And it comes in different colors.  Maybe I should buy one even though I have no idea what kind of dress I'm going to end up with. 

Apparently these are very limited so they will be sold out probably before this weekend is over.  And the fall line won't come out till around August.  I can't wait that long.  So I guess it wasn't meant to be and my dress search continues! But damn, it would have been great to be able to get a Vera Wang for 1/10 of the price of her couture line.

They had some cute hair pieces though.  Like this one:

 

I definitely prefer a head band or some other simpler head piece over a veil.

Also, I guess it was a good thing to bring my fiance with me.  Because I tried on the Galina Signature dress for him again - the one that me and my friends liked the best when we were there on Sunday.  And he wasn't crazy about it.  I want to get a dress that we both love, of course, so I guess I'm passing on it too and will be dragging him with me to all kinds of bridal shops from now on.  Ha ha.  He should've just lied if he wanted to avoid going dress shopping!

Sue Wong Halter Dress - Perfect Reception Dress!

Ok so in my quest to hunt for a suitable wedding dress, I think I actually found the perfect reception dress on Hautelook's Sue Wong sale yesterday!  I just hope it looks this cute in person!

The close up shots show the details very well:

I love the taffeta pedals on the shoulder tie straps! Very cute detail.

I think Sue Wong has some really cute dresses from what I've seen at department stores like Bloomingdales or Saks.  When the brand has been on these sale sites like Hautelook before, I've always missed out on it.  It's pretty popular and the good stuff always sells out very fast.  Oh, let me tell you how hard I tried to get this dress - I was at work, and happened to check my daily Hautelook notification email about 5-6 minutes after 8 am when the sale started.  When I came upon this dress, it was already "on hold" in all sizes.  So I literally opened up multiple tabs on my browser and went from one to the other, hitting the "F5" key to refresh hoping my size would drop out of someone's cart.  This went on for like 10 minutes straight and still nothing was coming out of people's carts!  So I got smart for a second and got onto the Hautelook app on my iPhone, all the while hitting the F5 key on my computer.  And voila!  I was able to add it to my cart and check out after a few tries on my phone!  Though my usual dress size is a 4 and I was only able to get a size 6.  But I figured it would be ok because I rather have it be too big and get taken in than too small and not able to zip up.  I think it would also not be bad being a little baggy.  We'll see.  About 15 minutes after I got the dress, it was sold out.  Phew.  Glad I was able to get mine!  Now I am impatiently awaiting its arrival.  I hope it looks just as cute and fits well on me!

I think it really will be a perfect wedding reception dress!  It's very feminine and ethereal, and it's fun and on the casual side too, which is perfect for me.  I also like the pinkish silverish tone in the fabric color.  Even if I end up not wearing it for some reason, it's still a good party dress to have in the closet and I can definitely wear it more than once.  Oh and it also doesn't hurt that I only paid $136 for it when the retail price is $339. 

Wedding Dresses - Part 1

I had a long dress trying session this weekend.  I really didn't want to spend an outrageous amount of money on a wedding dress, since it's only going to be used for a few hours.  So I thought I'd ease myself into the whole idea by starting at David's bridal.  Also, I didn't think I'd buy anything since it was my first time trying dresses on.  I thought people at David's probably wouldn't put as much pressure on me as a boutique salon.  So I went there and stayed there for a whooping 3 hours and tried on about 20 different dresses.  It was tiring!  Didn't know trying on dresses was such hard work.  But it was a rather disappointing session as I barely liked any.  I mean they were all cute I guess, but nothing really made me get the feeling of "this is the one".  I suppose it's looking like my budget will need to go sky rocketing.  My friend told me average price for a wedding dress was about $1000 and I thought she was crazy.  But it's now looking like I'll be lucky to get one for that after alterations and all!  I still think it's ridiculous.  Anything associated with weddings is a rip off.  Though I just recently sold some of my Lululemon stuff and got about $600 in my Paypal account.  Hmmm... puts things in perspective... maybe I should stop buying Lulu for a couple month and spend the money on my wedding dress instead....

My #1 at David's was actually a very different looking gown than what I'd imagined.  It was the Galina Signature Charmuse V-neck Halter:

This was everybody's favorite.  Kind of an old Hollywood look.  I tried it on in a size 4, and it was the most perfect fit.  It wouldn't need any alterations whatsoever.  It's very figure hugging and brings in your waist which makes you look skinnier.  The consultant told me to take a walk around the store and see how I felt in it.  So I did, and got a lot of head turns and whispers of "that's gorgeous" or the like from other brides.  Some other consultants actually came up to me and told me that they had never seen anyone try this dress on so they never knew how good it looked on a real person.  I guess it's one of those dresses that does not work for everyone.  What I like about it is that it's very elegant and does not resemble a ball gown.  But I still wasn't sure if it's "THE" dress, or just the one of the day.  I think the fact that I'm doubting it now proves that it is not it.  I also had a little beef with the beaded belt - it did not lay as flat on me as it does on the photo above.  So I thought it was kind of cheaply made.  That could be because the gown was a sample that had been tried on though.  Who knows.  Still, at $700, it wasn't making me jump on it.

Besides, the White by Vera Wang line at David's is launching this Friday.  So I made an appointment for Thursday night to go back and try them on.  I guess they are getting 12 different styles, starting at only $600.  But they are getting only 40-50 total so it's a very limited release.  There are some that looked very cute from the look book, but I will try them on and see.  I suppose if I really fall in love with one then I need to get it right away because it will be sold out otherwise.  Good thing my consultant told me the secret of getting in on Thursday vs. Friday when everyone else will be there!

Here are some that look like they may have potential - they also happen to be some of the cheaper ones, all under $1000!

Cute and different, but no idea how it will look on me and it may be too avant garde for my venue

Don't normally like sash, but this one is not bad.  Black wouldn't be my first choice though, albeit being "in" in fall 2010

Very fluffy and princess-y, but I love that pink belt with flowers.  I doubt this will be the one though.

I also looked up some other wedding dress designers.  I guess I just really want a very different looking dress with the "Wow factor".  Here are some of the ones I like that I saw online.  There's a gown shop not far from me that carries these lines.  I will have to make an appointment and see if they have these exact ones.  I wish I could buy dresses online without trying on!  That would be so much easier!  But they are all non-returnable or charge a 50% restocking fee.  So I don't want to chance it.

This is the Impression Faye dress.  #3083.  

Love the details on the top and how it flows on the bottom, but not crazy about the beading on the back (picture below).  This one is like $780.  I think I rather buy this than the Galina Charmeuse one for a few bucks more.  If it fits well, that is.

I also LOVE pretty much all the Sottero and Midgley dresses.  But the Landis captured my heart the most.  It is I believe around $1200. 

I love the hand made flowers around the chest and how flowy it is.  Would be perfect for my beach house wedding.

The back is gorgeous too.

I'm SO tempted by the Landis, even though I hate spending that much on a dress.  I wonder how the market for pre-owned designer wedding dresses is??  Hmmmm.... maybe someone will buy it off of me later and I can recoup, say... 50%?

I really like this Mori Lee dress, style # 3605.  It's a perfect fit on the model and accentuates her great figure.  It is low key, but if it can fit me nearly as well as it fits the model I think it will still be a knock out.  I love the silhouette.  It is also the cheapest by far, at $350.

I'm tempted by the Mori Lee too just because the price is so much more acceptable.  It's right around where I thought I'd spend on a dress.  Maybe I can get it as a second dress, but maybe I should rather spend more on one really perfect dress.  Ahhh... decisions decisions.

And then there's this gorgeous Vera Wang Tatiana dress.  Even though it's not white, it is still gorgeous, and would look really good next to a black suit (the groom).

Love the front details.

This one is way $$$ and I don't even want to think about it.  But I still am going to the Vera Wang flagship store here in LA, on Melrose Ave, to try on different dresses.  Because, why not.  Even if I'm not buying any, it will still be fun to try them on!  My gay best friend really wants to go with me, I think more so than me.  He is just jealous that he doesn't get to wear a wedding dress.  Hahaha. 

It's funny that I am now looking at all these gowns with lots of details.  For a long time I always thought I'd get married in a Nicole Miller, because they are simple, modern and classy.  Like something you can wear to a fancy black tie event, not necessarily a wedding.  But now I'm thinking I should go with a more over stated dress since it is my first and hopefully only wedding after all. 

So this is where I'm at right now.  I'm sure though that I will be changing my mind and finding more dresses.  That's why I named this post part 1!  I do still have time since my wedding isn't until late September, but it's just one of those things that I would like to have secured early on so I can start thinking about shoes and jewelry to match!