dress shopping part one

For a few Saturdays I trekked out into the DC-area retail wilderness searching for zuh Dress. It has been a journey of many miles, some tears and tulle, and nearly fruitless.

But before we begin, let's quickly see what I had considered my dream dress. Tulle, girly, perfect.

Oscar de la Renta

First I went to Richmond, Virginia for the Saks sample sale. This was intended as an opportunity to test the dress waters, see what shapes I was drawn to and perhaps get an idea of which designers I liked.

I have to say, the Saks experience was a great first time. I got to look at their entire selection of dresses by myself and was allowed to take anything I wanted into the dressing room. I didn't pay attention to the pricetags because I wasn't out to buy.

But then the second dress I tried on, a Carolina Herrera from her spring 2008 collection, was a dream. I didn't want to take it off. The price, though, forced me back to reality: I was 14 months away from my wedding and there was no impending need to spend $3000 on the dress yet. It was sad, but ultimately the right decision.

The Herrera that got away