Mission Possible, Gown found!

Mazal Tov! I finally found a gown that I really like. And, I did not break the bank in doing so. I did not even come close! So, the gown I finally decided on is the brown one with the full sweeping skirt, pictured in my last post.

In my last post I left off just before I would be going to a gemach in Fair Lawn. I went, looked, saw nothing. And I would never recommend this gemach to anyone. I nearly threw up when I went in. This house is a pig sty. Enough said. I then went to a gemach in Englewood. This is a nice gemach, with a nice, albeit small selection of nice gowns and dresses. And the person who runs the gemach is very sweet and nice and helpful and REAL. But she did not have anything for me at that time. She would call me the next day, though and tell me she had something and I did go again for a look-see. It was nice and the right style for me but it did not fit me right. This is a really good gemach owner!

Subsequent to that I went to a gemach in Boro Park. This gemach had literally several hundred gowns. The interesting thing about this gemach is that all of the gowns were either made or ordered especially for the gemach. These were not hand me downs, altho there were several of those interspersed throughout. Also, most of these gowns were thick and heavy -- like armor! I really do not understand why, in the name of tznius a gown must be thick and heavy like armor. If a gown covers the collarbone and the elbows and the knees, and is not clingy or sheer -- isn't that good enough? Must it also weigh a ton and protect you from the slings of imaginary arrows? For a woman like myself, who is HOT all the time, these are completely impossible gowns to wear. Needless to say, I had no luck here.

The next day, instead of eating lunch, I visited the "Bridal Building" -- 1385 B'way, NYC. Everyone told me to go there. So, first I researched it: I found their website online and then called them. I was told that for sure I could find MOB gowns there and plenty of them as it is two floors of gown wholesalers who are willing to sell to the general public. So, off I went, expecting to spend some time browsing the hundreds of gowns there. Well, I arrived and went upstairs -- and almost all of the spaces there were EMPTY! There were only four wholesalers still there -- and they had pitiful little to offer. I asked where everyone had gone and was told that there had been a disagreement with the bldg mgmt and thus many had taken flight -- some to Bklyn, some to other places in Manhattan and some to Queens. Crap! I forwent my lunch for that???

Upon returning to my office after that fiasco I decided to call a store in Teaneck that sells gowns -- Mishelyne's. I asked about their hours: 9:30 AM - 6 PM. No late weeknights and no Sundays. Grrr! They cater to NON working women, obviously. Anyway, I snuck out of work early, in the hopes of making it to their shop before they closed. I got there at just after 5:30 PM. They do have a nice selection of gowns and I tried on four. Only one was ok, but I would have to order it in my size and color and it takes at least 12 weeks to arrive and then there are fittings, and I am committed to it. I decided to "think" about it.

I went home and found that two of the gowns that I had ordered from Zaftique that had been backordered had arrived. I eagerly ripped open the box and tried them on. The purple one looked TERRIBLE on me and it was NOT a gown -- it only came to my mid calf. The brown one, mentioned above, looked nice. But it needed a little something, it was kind of plain.

So, I played around with it. I put on a crinoline under it (a moderate A line crinoline, not very poufy, just enough to give the skirt a little flare). That was better. But, it needed more. I took it off—and put it on again: this time over SPANX (support underwear), a really good bra, and a slightly sheer brown long sleeve top to make it more tznius, and the crinoline. Ok, it was getting better. Then I found this brown, slightly iridescent crocheted oblong lace scarf/shawl that I had and played with it. I finally draped it in such a way that from the front it looks like a lacy jacket and from the back a u shaped drape. I put on a brooch and voila, I had a beautiful gown. Of course the scarf will need to be sewn into place. It really looks nice. And it is VERY comfortable. And it is very ME. And, it only cost me $139!!! (Not including the crinoline or the sewing of the scarf onto the dress).

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!