Dress You Up in My Love

Seven months. It doesn’t sound like much time. Then I think back to the beginning of this experiment, and it seems as if it were a lifetime ago. So much has transpired since I decided to embark upon this journey. Trips to new places and experiences at home. Weddings and babies. Hellos and goodbyes.

I came to some realizations about myself over the course of this experiment. I realized that dresses are just a part of me, and that’s okay. I simply enjoy wearing them; many people may not understand it, but a little mystery is never a bad thing. I also realized that what I think I need and what I actually need aren’t necessarily the same thing – in regard to both dresses and life in general.

I remembered  just how fortunate I am to be where I am in life. No, it’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for me. Every learning opportunity from my past led to the plethora of wonderful opportunities and experiences that I had over the course of this experiment. Still, there is a big part of me that needs to explore, to travel, to spread my wings beyond the cozy confines of Iowa. It’s a big world out there, and I’ve seen just a fraction of it.

The hellos and the goodbyes helped define this experiment. Hello to new friends, new family members, new guys… Wearing a dress really is a great way to meet new people, but why, oh why, do the most intriguing gentlemen that I meet generally live in other states?! Seriously, am I the only one with this horrible talent? The hellos, though, were balanced by plenty of goodbyes – to a friend who chose to express negative thoughts rather than to share in my happiness, to the boys who only gave half of their hearts, to my loving grandmother…

Life, though, simply is a matter of learning which ones – both relationships and dresses – to let go and which ones to hold onto. Sometimes, all you can do is look back and be grateful for what was, what you learned from those relationships, and what you have become because of them.

You learn to roll with the punches, take each day as it comes, and smile even when you want to cry. You slip on a dress, dance your cares away, and enjoy the moment. And, perhaps most importantly, you maintain that mantra that there are always three answers – yes, not yet, and there’s something better down the road. Ha, maybe that will be the next round of dresses!

Thanks to you all for your support (i.e., reading this), and keep an eye out for the next blog; this damsel has a few ideas floating around in her head, but, for now, it’s time to focus on a few other things.

All my love,
Bethany

Make It Work

Over seven months in the making, but the day has finally arrived. I have conquered my closet and all forty-nine dresses hanging in it. I am free to buy dresses again (and in fact did make it an even fifty Monday afternoon!).

Because of this experiment’s lengthy duration, I naturally needed to celebrate its completion. I also needed an excuse to wear the final dress. Like the previous dress, this particular frock is an attention-getter and can’t be worn just any time; it requires a special night out on the town. Therefore, on Saturday night, a friend and I hit Court Avenue.

Our first stop was Court Avenue Brewing Company, which offers $5 martinis on Saturday nights. Given my affinity for martinis, it was only natural to begin our evening there. We made some new friends in the process and were joined, albeit briefly, by a volleyball teammate and a couple of his buddies (thanks for the Root Down, by the way).

We then headed to Fong’s Pizza where we enjoyed Super Terrific Kamikazes (of course we opted to wear the fighter pilot helmets) and the Volcano, which is served on fire. From there, we stopped in at Liars Club before heading back to my friend’s house to relish the starry night from the deck.

So what exactly was this final dress, this last little number that took me so long to wear? It is the manifestation of one of the season’s hottest trends. No, it’s not plaid, it’s not lace, it’s not military-inspired. Rather, dress number forty-nine is a bold leopard print.

The audacious print, though, is only part of the challenge of wearing this dress. It is short. As Heidi Klum recently stated on Project Runway, in reference to a particular dress, “I love it short.” Me too, Heidi.

The length of the dress and the fitted bottom might make this frock a little too much for some. In his book, however, Tim Gunn offers a simple piece of advice: Make it work. Making it work it part of the fun in wearing this dress; it’s not something for everybody. Leopard print isn’t for everybody. Bright red nails aren’t for everybody. If you desire to make it work, though, why not go for it?!