Dress Developments VI: Mori-Lee me! Tuesday, January 5, 2010

I was flipping through a random bridal magazine* when I saw yet another spread of "How to cover up your plus-sized figure" (I plan to show mine off, thank you very much) featuring a dress that looked strikingly familiar. Then I remembered where I saw it.

During the summer, I decided I would have my dress custom made and sketched a dress that I thought I could wear. Here is the original post. It was a combination of a few other dresses (including Mori Lee's 3032), plus some personal knowledge about what works with my figure (v-neck, ruching, asymmetrical draping, etc.). In the meantime, I purchased some fabric & beading and have set about finding a seamstress.

Then today, I saw this dress in the latest Bride's magazine, and here it is, on the Mori Lee website! My sketches were made and scanned in August, and the earliest info I found on this dress is from October.

The resemblance is, in my opinion, uncanny... but you be the judge (click to enlarge & see my original notes).





*Yes, I have enough random bridal magazines that they are scattered throughout the house! This particular magazine is the January 2010 issue of Bride's magazine, page 54.

Bridal Industry vs. Intelligent Thought Monday, June 8, 2009

I'm sure lots of us have conflicting feelings about our desire to stay sane while simultaneously participating in an *insane* Wedding Industrial Complex. The Secret Sociologist offers her thoughts on this in her post, "A Sucker for the Bridal Industry."

Of her love for Bridezillas, she writes:

This show is particularly awful; it perpetuates horrible stereotypes, most notably the White Trash stereotype, but also the “Oh No She Di-in’t” Angry Black Woman stereotype and, new for this season, the fiery hot-Latina stereotype. It’s particularly cruel. And still, I watch. The women are abusive and mean — and fascinating. Most of the time, I turn the show off in the middle because it’s so awful. But I still patronize it. Horrible!

What does it say about women when we buy into the Bridal Industry? Are we all, no matter how intelligent & thoughtful, susceptible to the Wedding Industrial Complex? And, why, much to the chagrin of the feminists, do we treat marriage as an exclusive club to which we have FINALLY gained admission?