That time as come to find "the one." Not "the one" like my wedding gown, but the dress I will wear for our engagement party later this month! I am always on the prowl for dresses, I even have a particular dress saved for a couple of years because I thought I may want to eventually wear it for my wedding festivities but in normal "Deanne fashion," I had other ideas in mind when the time came. That time is now.

I have put together a fun try on of a mix of white dresses/jumpsuits with the links to assist in a smooth search if you are in the market for little white dresses! This has been a taaaad harder than I initially thought. I am someone who wears more white than black, I LOVE white! When it came down to finding a dress that matches one's party, the venue and the overall vibe...it can be challenging. Oh, and let's not forget finding one that makes your fiancé jump off his seat (we want that right?!)

Side note, I also brought everyone into the process from friends, family and then good old social media. A piece of advice, find ONE good person that you value you their opinion, you know they see YOUR vision for things, knowing how you like to look etc. Sometimes people can't see past how something looks on a model in a photo. Sometimes people can't see past how something will look once its altered for a perfect fit. Sometimes someone personally wouldn't wear that item so they choose against it when in fact you wouldn't wear things they choose either. You have to have someone who advises you based off YOU, not them! It can make you so confused, flustered and discouraged when you thought you had things figured out. I am the girl that always knows what she wants so I probably should have known better but in the end...I found the PERFECT dress and the most special part has been that only my fiancé and I now know what that dress is now. We decided together once "the one" arrived and it actually made it unexpectedly special! I will not share ANYTHING having to do with my wedding gown with him, but this was a special experience together. I feel like the guy can get left behind in the planning process a lot, especially when the bride's family takes over. Josh is my world so it makes me happy we are doing things like this together. in the end. Joshua also has amazing taste in clothing...in my humble opinion that is.

Where do I shop for dresses? I shop for gowns/dresses a lot on Revolve Clothing, an online shopping destination! Why? Because they carry a lot of higher end brands I don't carry in my shop, but love! They have easy/free returns so it makes it stress free for me to try on several selections and send back what I don't love. 

 Here is a round up of some chic, "Little White Dresses" that will work for events from an engagement party to a bridal shower, bachelorette or even a rehearsal dinner. I also will explain sizing and fit with my recommendation for the right body type for each silhouette! Enjoy, and please do leave a comment!

This gorgeous lace number is by designer, Bronx & Bianco. It has an intricate lace detail featuring a fun leg slit with ruffle detail. The straps are also dainty with the lace detail and scalloped hem! This silhouette would be gorgeous for a bridal shower! The sizing runs true to size, I am a hippier girl so in a lot of form fitting dresses by higher end designers I wear a size large. I also adore this piece with a red or pink shoe for a pop of color! It is very "cha-cha-cha" with the red Loubs, so fun!

This piece is so chic, timeless and elegant all in one. I honestly feel the most comfortable in pieces like this, I love clean lines and silky pieces that just drape and fall on the body. This gorgeous slip dress is from a designer, "Resa." I ordered this dress directly from their site but they are also now on Revolve! This is gorgeous for a rehearsal dinner, especially somewhere tropical or beachy! I can also see it very "SATC" chic for a city vibe! I kept this item despite not wearing it for my engagement party because I know I will wear it for many other "real life"  things! As I mentioned, I love white! This dress with a leather jacket or a blazer with flats, sandals or a pump is so effortlessly gorg soooo...we had to have it! I also love that it has adjustable straps, for a tall glass of water like myself this is important with a spaghetti strap dress like this! I think slip dresses work on ALL heights! You can belt this with a thin belt for more shape too. I just rarely like to show my waistline so this is perfection for me lol!

The next "look" is this sweet little white lace bustier style crop top paired back to a trouser cut pair of white sequin pants...HELLOOOOO HOT PANTS! This was something I paired together from Revolve thinking it would make a comfortable but still chic "after party" outfit. The top is by "Cami NYC" and the pants are by "NBD." I ordered a large in the bustier as I am a 34 DD. In "NBD" I can usually size down to a medium and in this case the pants are a large but I can certainly size down one! This makes for a fab after party outfit or a chic engagement party look depending on your venue & vibe! It would also look amaze paired back to a blazer of course! This was a fave among my customers! I have linked each item on each photo below!

This next dress is perfect for the classic bride! I can see this as an engagement party dress for a cocktail style event or even a bachelorette dinner for the more conservative bride that doesn't want to show too much leg! The designer is "Katie May" and let me tell you, "Katie May" dresses fit like a glove! I have tried several of her pieces on from cocktail dresses to gowns and the sizing is very true to size and a beautiful fit for hippie girls like myself! I am wearing a size medium in this number. This low back adds a sexy vibe along with the thin spaghetti straps. A gorgeous low, messy "up-do" would be fantastic with this dress! Finish the look off with gorgeous chandelier earrings!

 This dress gives me all the bachelorette vibes! This piece is a little on the risqué side for an evening with two families however, it is perfect for a fun night of dancing and cocktails with your girls if you want to "let it all hang out." Okay, maybe an engaged woman shouldn't make this reference but you know what I mean...it has the va-va-VOOM vibes! This mini dress is a slinky, stretchy fabric that is not see through (thank goodness). This one is also a great price point! I love the faux wrap detail in the front, that is always nice for tummy bloat concealing. I am wearing a large in this piece! At $66 for a fabulous quality mini dress, I will take it! I know this dress will be put to good use between all my Vegas trips and whatever my girlfriends have in store for my Bach! This dress is by "Siperdown" and I love it! They have a lot of great pieces at a lower price point on Revolve!

This next piece was one my fiancé picked out! I think he loves the a-line look, how it accentuates the waistline and remains more classic, leaving the rest to the imagination. I love a good a-line piece myself, you can't go wrong if you are wanting to highlight the waist while "hiding" the rest. This one happens to be a little big on me, the designer is "NBD," and as I mentioned earlier, they run a bit bigger so I usually take mediums (oopsie). Nonetheless, I wasn't in love with this piece on me as there is a petticoat and it was a bit too poofy for my taste. I think on the right bride, this is perfection for an engagement party or a super femme engagement soirée! This piece also came with a detachable rhinestone belt! I like things a little more simple so I opted out of trying it with this but its nice, you can switch out the belt for any belt you'd like!

This sequin number is a classic treasure and a keeper! This is another one that twill get so much use between my Vegas outings, and different events paired with a blazer or chic jacket! I love the low back detail and I LOVE that the inside is soft and yummy with a silky lining. It is stretchy and SO comfortable! The spaghetti straps tie making hem adjustable (love) and the low back detail takes it from conservative to sassy real quick! This silhouette will work on various heights and body types. It is form fitting, but not a super tight body con. I find the sequin detail to be very forgiving! This piece is perfect for an engagement party, rehearsal dinner, bach or just regular life! Don't ever be too scared to sparkle! I am not wearing a bra with it, but if you prefer to you can do one of the tapeable ones that does not show in the back! If you need a link to one, email @shopstylesnob@gmail.com and I would be so happy to assist with under garments in general!

Let's switch it up again and show this fab jumpsuit! This piece is from Anthropologie's "BHLDN." They have such a beautiful selection of items not just for brides butt bridesmaids, mother of the bride and everything in between! I have my newly married assistant, Roxy, to thank for that referral! This jumpsuit runs TTS or you can size up one if you are tall and have hips like me and want some extra room! It stretches BUT...the downfall is that it is see through and you can also see the pockets! Its a gorgeous, super stretchy fabrication but it is transparent. My fiancé wasn't keen on the idea of his future bride wearing pants for the engagement party so I didn't take this further with consulting my tailor about lining it. If you love it, I suggest trying it out and see what your tailor can do. It is a fabulous fit, I tired it in black one size up as shown below and preferred that size to the TTS as it laid nicer on my hips. If you don't have hips, this won't be as much of a problem or if you are more on the petite side. I would love to re order the black in a size 10 for a future cocktail event, its fab-u-LOUS!

This next piece is so unique! IT is so elegant while being super sexy at the same time! This dress is beautiful for an engagement party, rehearsal dinner or even a small informal wedding! I loved this dress when I first put it on, I thought it was the one for sure. It is so different than anything I would normally wear and it shows off the body (something I am not known to do as much these days) but I started to feel like it looked best when I was posing vs. when I am dancing around/taking photos from different angles. In the end this one wasn't a winner because of said reasons and my fiancé didn't LOVE it. I feel this is so fabulous for the right bride. With choosing a dress I realise did want to pick something that speaks to me with my everyday style so that I won't regret what I wore years down the road. This one is another "Katie May" piece that I did a size large in. I have a shorter torso so I would beed the straps taken up and the sides around the breast area taken in for a better fit. 

Last but not least, this chic & simple long sleeve sheath mini! The darting on this dress are everything, they take the dress up a notch from a regular body con. I also adore the long sleeves and neckline. The back is an open back like the previous open back "Katie May" dress! It is double lined and would work very well for more petite gals too. Depending on length of arms, one may have to get the sleeves taken up but that is a super easy fix! This is another glove fitting "Katie May" dress. This one is beautiful for a bach dinner or even a birthday dinner! In this piece I sized up to the large and it fit like a glove. It would be fabulous with a statement necklace and a low messy up-do as well!

Did I keep all of these? Absolutely not! I wanted to try different things and I was pleasantly surprised by the couple that I did keep for future festivities. This is exactly why its good to give things a chance and get out of your court zone. I honestly thought I was done with short tight dresses but trying on that last piece gave me an "awakening" of some kind! I am 30, flirty and THRIVING so why not flaunt what I have?! LEGS and a waist! Sure my waist isn't 26" anymore but its a waist and I shouldn't always hide under flow-y clothes. I get stuck in my own head thinking I have to be more conservative but that isn't really as fun now is it?

I hope me trying all of these styles on inspires and encourages you to try them as well if you are a future bride! These cuts work for so many different events & affairs so don't be afraid to try similar fabrics in different colors but the same cuts!  I always like to do the leg work for YOU and myself so we can weigh options together and know that we shopped around. Live with no regrets, right?! I truly hope this inspires you to try some new cuts and show a little leg!

Sincerely,

#stylesnob

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