Secret sneaky dress store photos

[rockzilla]

Okay, I may regret posting these...but here goes.

My MOH and I went dress shopping today. As some of you may know, I have had a ''front runner'' for a while: the Melissa Sweet Valentina. Today we went to a new salon where they also had the valentina. MOH fell in love with it, just like I did and my mom did. There was nothing else at that salon that even came close.

We had one more appointment scheduled, at a kind of hoity toity place. She brought out many dresses, some were okay, but there was another one that was really lovely. It is a Monique Lhullier.

We talked a lot about the merits of both dresses. My MOH thought that the MS Valentina was definitely an "A" on me, whereas the Monique was an "A-"...the thought was that the Melissa sweet was more unique, but still classic, and the Monique was beautiful, but a dress that would be beautiful on anyone, also classic but not particularly unique. Based on our conversations and feelings, I left leaning towards the one I originally liked, the Valentina. It is made of such an amazing fabric, I haven''t seen anything like it anywhere.

Here''s where it gets tricky. We were able to sneak in some photos while the salesperson was away (I am getting more and more brazen the more I shop!) and I don''t know if the Valentina looks quite as flatting in photos. It also doesn''t help that the photos I took of it were of decidedly worse quality (we hadn''t quite gotten the secret sneaky photo taking down yet) and I am in sort of a weird angle and the dress isn''t completely pinned.

Anyhow, I am going to get to the point now and post the photos! I am going to alternate between the MS and the ML...2 photos of each...do you think the dress is unflattering or just bad photos? I want the dress of course to look lovely in the photos, it just seems like these pictures don''t reflect how the dress looked/felt in person. The Monique is also lovely of course, and the photos are better.

Price differential is negligible - mainly because the MS salon lady knew I had seen it at another place and took some $$ off...

 

[rockzilla]

Valentina #1 - why did I think I could take a photo of myself?

 

[rockzilla]

Monique Lhu..... #1 - we were getting really brazen at this point!

 

[rockzilla]

Valentina #2 (slightly better photo, MOH took this one, but front looks weird because I am turned towards her)

 

[rockzilla]

Monique #2...close up of front

 

[rockzilla]

One more - close up of the valentina fabric (on hanger)

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Bravo for being so brazen!! I love that you snuck a few photos!!

I really, really love the Melissa Sweet. I think it makes you look feminine and the material looks beautiful!!

the ML is nice as well, but I don''t know--I think the straps cover your lovely shoulders and there seems to be quite a bit of rouching around the waist which is a bit distracting.

You look beautiful in both, I just prefer the MS!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

You must buy the ML, your figure looks like it belongs to a goddess in that thing it it frames your face so well.

 

[FrekeChild]

I like the ML better. It seems to balance out your top and bottom really well.

 

[ladypirate]

I like the ML as well--it does amazing things for your figure!

 

[luckystar112]

I like the MS better.
I think the ML makes you look like a little girl.

But the MS...va va voom!

 

[karasue91]

Wow it''s so hard to tell from those photos of the MS what it really looks like on you! From those photos I agree that the ML looks much better on you, it makes your waist look SUPER tiny.

Would you wear a sash with the MS? I think it would look nice with a sash and would accentuate your waist more. I also agree with you that the ML is a dress anyone could wear, and the MS is so much more unique....ugh could you go back to the first store and sneak in some more photos??

 

[rockzilla]

Date: 6/14/2008 10:36:41 PM
Author: luckystar112
I like the MS better.

I think the ML makes you look like a little girl.


But the MS...va va voom!

This is exactly how I feel! It disguises my hips and makes me look much skinner...but also much younger...

 

[JulieN]

I like the Monique. I think you look younger in it partially because of your hair...

 

[E B]

I MUCH prefer the Monique Lhuilier on you. What a tiny waist you have! I''m quite jealous.

 

[absolut_blonde]

I LOVE (and prefer) the ML.

I actually think that I want something like that for myself, someday -- and personally I actually think it''s quite unique, IMO strapless dresses are more common than the ML style there.

 

[rockzilla]

This is what I was afraid of =(

Thanks everyone!

 

[FrekeChild]

For the record rockzilla, there is NO WAY I could wear the ML. It would almost be indecent because of the cleavage I''d be displaying.

I really do think that the ML is lovely and absolut_blonde has a point, it seems like 75% of dresses are strapless right now.

Both are timeless and beautiful though.

 

[risingsun]

The ML is stunning on you!

 

[E B]

Date: 6/14/2008 11:51:18 PM
Author: rockzilla
This is what I was afraid of =(


Thanks everyone!

Have you looked at Claire Pettibone's designs? They're definitely not common, and a lot of her designs use lace.

Claire Pettibone

The empire waist looks great on you, and I think the lace straps add such a romantic touch. I would have gone with straps in a heartbeat if they'd looked good on me.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Date: 6/14/2008 11:51:18 PM
Author: rockzilla
This is what I was afraid of =(

Thanks everyone!

If you feel that way, you need to keep looking. Honestly, the MS looks like every other dress on the market, there is nothing unique about an all lace strapless and it does very little for your figure.
I promise, if you don''t like the ML, you can do better than the MS, just keep looking and don''t get discouraged

 

[risingsun]

Date: 6/15/2008 12:09:52 AM
Author: EBree

Date: 6/14/2008 11:51:18 PM
Author: rockzilla
This is what I was afraid of =(


Thanks everyone!

Have you looked at Claire Pettibone''s designs? They''re definitely not common, and a lot of her designs use lace.

Claire Pettibone

The empire waist looks great on you, and I think the lace straps add such a romantic touch. I would have gone with straps in a heartbeat if they''d looked good on me.

Thanks for this link! Those Claire Pettibone dresses are just my style...but I''m already married

 

[urseberry]

While I agree that the ML is lovely, I think the reason the MS looks unflattering in pictures is because it hasn''t been altered to fit you. With a good strapless bustier under the MS, I think it would be a knockout.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 6/15/2008 12:09:52 AM
Author: EBree
Have you looked at Claire Pettibone's designs? They're definitely not common, and a lot of her designs use lace.

Claire Pettibone

The empire waist looks great on you, and I think the lace straps add such a romantic touch. I would have gone with straps in a heartbeat if they'd looked good on me.

I think that the "Renee" would look gorgeous on you-it seems like the best from both dresses...empire, shape and straps from ML and the lace from the MS-plus it doesn't look like any other dresses I've seen.

 

[E B]

risingsun,

I''m already married too- but if I''d had a bigger budget and was 5''10'''', I would have chosen something like this:

 

[FrekeChild]

I like the one Ebree posted too. Here is a pic of the Renee.

 

[noelwr]

rockzilla - definitely the ML.

wow - the last 2 dresses posted are GORGEOUS. if I was tall that would definitely had been the type of dress I wanted.

 

[Amandine]

I think part of the problem is that the ML looks like it fits you already, and the MS does not. It is hard to tell when one dress is already more flattering just because it fits better right off the hanger. I like both, but I think making the decision off these photos is hard when to me the MS just isn''t fitting you well right now, but that is something that is easily fixed by alterations.

 

[BlueKeet]

Rockzilla I like the MS Valentino. It flows so nicely and does not detract from the wearer. It would help if it was altered to fit. The fit is fantastic on the second dress, but I think you would look great in just about any dress. I like all of the elements of the ML, but not together. It just seems a little like Neapolitan ice cream - segmented into three parts.

 

[purrfectpear]

You are very slim so please don''t take this wrong, but the MS makes your very slim figure look quite hippy. Seriously hippy.

I love the ML on you. It makes your figure look true and isn''t adding any pounds that aren''t there. It''s lovely and classic. I don''t think it makes you look younger, it''s just bridelike.