Monday, December 6, 2010

Dear ESB: Can I pre-wear my wedding shrug?


would you tell me i'm insane if i purchased this [to wear to holiday parties]...

realizing that it costs more than i normally spend on almost anything. i'm thinking it would double as wedding wear. is it kosher to wear something at your wedding that everyone has already seen you in elsewhere? because i couldn't possibly convince myself to spend that much on something unless i wear it many, many times.


*****

if it were a pair of shoes I'd say HELL NO. you want them to be brand spanking new the day you get married in em. (see: genevieve)

but a shrug? pshaw.

do you already have the dress picked out? do you know when + where you're getting married? i.e. how chilly it will be? do you care?

i say buy it.

17 comments:

  1. YES. do wear. it's gorgeous and if anyone says anything, go all environmental on them "REUSE MUTHERTRUCKAS."

    ReplyDelete
  2. YESH! I love this. You can get so much mileage out of it afterwards, too. Party on, Wayne.

    ReplyDelete
  3. all systems go on this one. besides, even if anyone even realizes you've worn it before (which they probably won't) all they'll say is "damn, i wonder if she'll let me borrow that badass shrug?"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes. Buy it now. And I disagree about the pre wearing of the shoes. I totally did.

    ReplyDelete
  5. wear the shit out of it. what goes better with your wedding dress than your favorite sweater?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I wore my favorite "leather" jacket at my wedding... it I loved it! Consider it your "something old." Party on Garth*


    * i jumped in on Wool & misc without even asking.

    ReplyDelete
  7. i would say that you are responsible for even questioning whether or not you should buy it in the first place. you're definitely NOT insane.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I actually bought this shrug to wear for my wedding and had to return it because it was the wrong size (shrugs can be the wrong siz - who knew?)

    Wear it as much as you can it's awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Buy it now, one way or the other. Then, if you're worried about it, or if you're a hoarder, wait and wear it after the wedding (you can always clock miles on it next holiday season). If you're not worried about it, GO FOR IT.

    ReplyDelete
  10. And make sure your fiancé knows what an extra special prize you are for being so cash conscientious!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks, guys! It's me, newly engaged! You are all excellent shopping enablers.

    I went ahead and pulled the trigger and ordered it (in two sizes, so I could try it on). I'll return it if it doesn't work.

    Totally jumping the gun, wedding wear wise, because I certainly don't have a dress or even an idea of a dress, other than that it must be light and easy and allow me to pee in a port a potty without any assistance. Summer wedding, hopefully, so the evening chill will be minimal, but I'm not fond of having my shoulders exposed.

    If it fits, I'll be wearing it with a simple black v-neck silk dress for parties this season. Woo hoo! And probably also with jeans, to less dressy stuff. And maybe with my sweats, around the house. Convincing myself that it's versatile.

    May be back for assistance when it comes time for the actual dress, because I am terrified of dress shopping.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I loved wearing my very worn shoes at my wedding ;) Just saying... nothing about my outfit was new (though the dress was new to me) other than the hair flower we mad.

    So glad you're rocking it Rachel.

    ReplyDelete
  13. it could be your something old if anyone points it out, your dress can be something new and then all you need is something borrowed and blue and your sorted

    i say go for it

    ReplyDelete
  14. (After publishing that comment i saw you already have gone for it.. well done :D)

    ReplyDelete
  15. you'll look beautiful in it, rachel. i think of favorite bits of clothing as partners which accompany me places; you'll taking a particularly special bit for adventures prior to the wedding, and it'll be a trusted friend by the time you wear it on The Day. that sounds ideal to me.

    (the buying of a shrug somehow fell to the wayside in the last weeks before our wedding and i ended up wearing my beloved denim jacket over my dress; it felt marvelous.)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Another vote for pre-wearing wedding shoes. I didn't, but not because I was opposed to doing so; I didn't have anything season-appropriate to wear with them (I bought the shoes in late spring and got married in early fall; they were dark purple suede peep toes, and they've gotten LOTS of use post-wedding - hello, October is Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention month!). Plus, I was hoping to see a comment from Meg, who rocked her pre-worn shoes. :)

    As to the shrug, yes buy it. You love it, and sometimes it is OK to splurge. However a piece of advice - don't NOT get a dress you love just because the aesthetic won't "work" with the shrug. You can always incorporate it into other things (like, at your shower, or rehearsal dinner, or for a nice dinner out during your honeymoon, etc.).

    ReplyDelete