you guys. i just shopped at j crew.

it was a dark moment.

i was desperate.

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND A GOOD 100% COTTON TANK?

anyhoo....

i just wanted to say: i get why you shop there. they do have some decent basics.

i only started hating on them in the first place because everyone fucking loved them so much. but i feel like now that the catalogue has gone off the rails (c'mon who thinks this is a good outfit? or THIS?) it's cool if i buy a tank top or two.

right??

Non-Game Changers

I've got a couple more to add:

Napping all weekend

Not washing my face

Roz Chast via The New Yorker

more cute wedges*

Avail in red poppy, true black and provence blue at Madewell

Sadly, they don't come in extra large/wide sizes, but I'm working on finding more options for you YETI LADIES.
______________________________

*Look ma! I finally figured out what a wedge is.

Costume change?!

Dear ESB,

This is a low-grade issue and I'm grateful that with a month to go before my wedding this is my big question. However, I seem to have fixated on it am generally over-thinking and could use a blunt opinion.

We're having a very low-key outdoor grill-out wedding this June at my parents' Christmas tree farm. The set-up is a bit wonky: small gathering of close family/friends with snacks, lawn games, etc. in the early afternoon, wedding ceremony in the evening, and then opening it up to a larger community (I'm from a very small town so everyone just sorta shows up, there's no stopping it) for dancing, cake, merriment, etc.

My question is about my wardrobe. I have a beautiful, simple wedding dress I chose because I feel like me in it and it's comfortable. My original plan had been to just wear it all day because why not. It's great. But now I'm wondering if this is going to be somehow anti-climactic for people, most importantly my fiance, because there will be no "moment" at the actually ceremony when he'll/they'll see me in the dress for the first time... does this matter? 

Should I wear a sundress (I do have a nice new one I could use) during the day and then have a costume change right before the ceremony? Do I just enjoy wearing my great wedding dress all day?

*****

Just wear it all day because why not. It's great.

You can do the big reveal with a croquet mallet in your hand.

Photo: Hugh Lippe via models.com

Is this appropriate to wear to a casual wedding this summer? I want to get something I'll wear again - you know - in regular life.

*****

a) it's a SWEATER DRESS

b) meh

Natalia & Scottie's Simple Bush Wedding

This was a hard one to edit, you guys. I think I lay down on a bed of ferns and just gazed up into the trees....

Here's what the lovely Natalia had to say about her wedding:

I love going to weddings, I cry tears of joy every time by the end of a ceremony. I never thought Scottie and I would get married, though secretly I thought it would be nice, so it was a total surprise when he proposed. We live on a mountain amongst the Txct, in a little mud brick cottage that's completely self sufficient and runs entirely on solar power and rain water. Working from home we are constantly inspired by our surroundings, so we couldn't think of getting married anywhere else. We live on 52 acres and 2 months before the wedding friends and family helped us with the garden, mow and rake around the house. For the ceremony we picked a spot that wasn't too far from the house, yet felt like you were in the middle of the bush. We had a production line of family and friends as we cut and sewed a heap of bunting flags to decorate the hall and property. It was so wonderful of them as Scottie and I decided to paint and renovate part of the house only 3 weeks before the wedding! We could not have sewn so many flags without their help.  Scottie and I wanted our wedding day to be about being with our family and friends. We wanted to keep it really simple and not get caught up in the all the hype and especially the expense. Our wedding could not have turned out to be the best day without the help and support of our family and friends. On the day of the wedding it poured rain throughout most of the day and luckily we had organised a marquee [Yankee translation: tent] as a backup. As the guests arrived Scottie kept them at the house until the very last minute when the sun came out and the weather turned to perfect conditions. He lead them down to the ceremony through a path amongst the bushes lined with bunting flags, while our friend Luke drove my dad and I to the ceremony in one of his stylish vintage cars. Eric Ronald did the photography and filming, everyone loved hearing the super 8 recording in the background.  Seymour's No.1 Florist did a fantastic job doing the flower arrangement for the ceremony and bouquet that perfectly suited our taste and style.  Ryan Whelan made my dress and was wonderful at making sure I was happy with every part of it. Our friend Jade was super lovely to do my hair.  My beautiful niece and nephews walked down the isle before my dad and I. Our celebrant Carolyn Ganzevoort was so lovely and had a fresh and modern approach to weddings. We loved the idea of a having a simple bush wedding and there was a perfect little hall nearby called the Tallarook Mechanics Institute. We decorated the tables with cut rounds of timber our neighbour John had prepared for us. He oiled them with an orange scented oil that made the hall smell wonderful! Some of the guests even took the wood rounds home with them. Through booking the hall we met a lovely lady named Libby, her team created a delicious menu with locally sourced produce. I love desserts, so we decided to have a buffet style dessert table with homemade biscuits mum and friends made and cakes from Babka, Panaderia Sud Americana and Crumbs bakery in Ascot Vale who also made our wedding cake which was the best vegan chocolate and raspberry cake ever! As the hall was only small, after the speeches we simply moved the tables to the side of the hall to make space for the dance floor. My uncle George sang and played acoustic for our first dance. Then the 11 piece Latin band, Furia, took over and got everyone dancing. About half the guests stayed nearby that weekend so we invited them over for brunch the next day and spent the rest of the weekend with our family and friends. It was all so perfect!! (Photos by Eric Ronald. Check out more over here.)

CAN YOU HELP ME FIND THIS DRESS?

Hi!!

So, hating the fact that I am writing in re: dress, as I have "accidentally" been following your blog pre engagement (lots of friends weddings to help plan!)

However, my amazing partner and I reside in a reasonably small town in Q, Australia and as such dress shopping for our special day is impossible. I have seen our local brides, as such am avoiding our one dress shop like the plague. Think strapless, diamante and satin ugh.

We are planning a small affair, something near the water, with much yummy food and celebrations to follow. We are totally cool on what we want our day to be and who to invite, (relaxed, intimate, flowers, friends, love, sunshine) my only issue is finding a dress.

I have attached two dresses that I adore (one via "the lane," one via your blog). I would absolutely LOVE your help in finding either one online (or by phone order o/s is fine) or something similar! I am Aus 10 (which I think is US 6???) and am 177cm tall, natural auburn curly haired (I plan on out with a small flower crown, or something to do with braids).

I have already scoured the internet to the best of my abilities and am coming up with nothing.... so any help would be amazing!!

the otherwise naked bride xox

*****

That Zac Posen will be hard to track down. (Both of those dresses will be hard to track down.)

Howzabout this killer number from Elizabeth Dye's brand new collection?

(Photo at top by Josie Miner)

Dear ESB: Can I wear pants?

To an early evening wedding as a guest? 

I've got one I'm attending this weekend I'm outfit-less for. Not literally, you know, but figuratively I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR. So I just went impulse shopping and tried on a few perfectly lovely, wedding-guest-y dresses. I'm bored with the whole idea. I found a shirt sort of like this except in a creamy peach silk, and it came home with me instead. 

Can I wear this with pants and not look crazy? If so, I saved so much on the shirt I have room in the budget for new pretty shit to make pants look fancier, any ideas?  

Thanks,

Pants Please

*****

YES

DO IT

I have worn pants to more than one wedding, and I'm pretty sure I looked killer. (I felt killer.)

Photo: Kate Lanphear (obv) via Street Peeper

Dots Dot Dots

Dear ESB,

Marrying a lovely lovely man in 3 months. Have a dress but nothing else. (I know, I know. I despise bhldn. But the dress is so pretty!) We're having a small brunch wedding, so pretty casual and possibly an outdoor venue. Any shoe and/or accessory advice?

I've never been terribly comfortable in heels, so I'm thinking a beautiful pair of ballet flats or sandals would do (I'm also short and curvy, so trying to keep me from looking shorter and curvier is a priority), easy to wear but still special for the day. 

Also, my fiance gave me an AMAZING engagement ring (an oversized copper disc with an asymmetrically-placed silver disc inside), and I'd like to be able to keep it as the focus of my jewelry.

Oh, and our general palette for the wedding is bright pink, yellow, and orange (read: citrus). We're pretty non-traditional, and want to keep things light and fun!

Thanks!
Shoeless but Shiny

*****

Dot earrings, obv.

And then…. Would you consider a slight heel?

There is no ballet flat on earth that will make you look less short.

finally graduating from that hoity-toity East Coast school?

(you know who you are.)

you should probably wear this.

eloping this summer?

you should probs wear this with these.

Yet another guest list dilemma

Dear ESB,

I am finalizing the guest list for our wedding. To give you some basic info, we are inviting about 140 people and hoping the final number ends up closer to our 125 minimum. We're not really doing a B-list - we are inviting the people we really want to be there and calling it a day.

I work pretty closely with the 5 women in my department. I am friendly with all of them, but much closer to 2. We don't hang out outside work but we chat, share, give advice, and run errands for one another. I would like these 2 women to be there on my special day, but I am worried that the other 3 (one of which is my supervisor) will feel insulted or left out. It can't be a big secret because I think all 5 women are planning to come to the ceremony at my church, so it will be obvious when 2 show up with husbands in suits. Do I invite or not invite? If I do invite them, do I say something to the uninvited?

Thanks,

Duck Duck Goose

*****

If they're all invited to the ceremony you have to invite em all to the reception.

Beata by Alex Kahan for QVEST #50 via Fashion Gone Rogue

______________________________

I prefer to post something a little juicier on a Monday morning, but you guys all seem to have your shit together.

Andreas Schimanski via Creature Comforts

And the winner is....

beeprint!

She took 27% of the vote with the sparkly Antik Batik Mini Dress + badass Rachel Comey Tux Boots.

The Michael Angel Peplum dress took 21.6%, just barely inching out The Burning Torch Ikat Dress at 20.1%. The Funktional Tunnel Dress got 18.9%, and the Acne Moreau Crepe Dress came in dead last at 12.4%.

Big ups to Shopbop for providing the $200 shopping prize. (beeprint: email me, wouldja?)

Dear Our Colorado Wedding Guest,

I know most of these dresses weren't in your price range, but perhaps you can stalk em for sales. And take inspiration from all the rad suggestions, obvs.

xoxo.

Colorado Wedding Guest Attire: THE VOTE!

I pored over your contest entries last night (PORED), and it wasn't too hard to narrow it down. My basic criteria were: a) Do I like the dress? and then b) Do those shoes go with the dress?

Here are the five ensembles I'm recommending for our Colorado wedding guest, four out of five of which feature BOOTIES. 

What can I say? I'm not a big fan of espadrilles.

from Emily (pictured above): Michael Angel Sleeveless Peplum Dress, Zara Leather Jacket, Charles Albert Obsidian Arrowhead Ring + Rachel Comey Ankle Boots

from beeprint: Antik Batik Mini Dress for some sparkle and falltime colors, Veda Avery Leather Jacket, kh:W earrings because they are subtle but badass + Rachel Comey Tux Boots because they are amazing.

from marisa, the i might get mauled by a bear (or hit on by an elk) but i will look damn good doing it outfit: Acne Moreau Crepe Dress, Matthew Williamson Mongolian Vest + Boutique 9 Wedges.

from Abbey: Burning Torch Ikat Dress, Leslie Shershow Antler Necklace + Rachel Comey Huron Boots

from buttercup133: Funktional Tunnel Dress, A Peace Treaty Yaluc Earrings, Club Monaco Adele Parachute Parka, Geometrical Illusion Printed Leather Pouch + Loeffler Randall Ollie Open Toe Booties

Cast your vote quickly! I'm shutting her down when we hit 500.

Note: As usual, I included no chalk/blush/white dresses, even though a startling number of you suggested them. If it's a color the bride might wear (especially at a casual wedding) it is not appropriate for a guest, mkay?

Pls help find shoes for my AMAZON MOM

Hello ESB,

My mother has bought a dress for the wedding, and although it looks a bit blah in the photo, in real life it is a lovely fluttery silk crepe with soft sleeves and a bias cut that really suits her (six foot, size 16 (UK)) figure. It fits with the 30s garden party feel of our wedding and most importantly she chose it,  loves it and feels great in it.

Due to a number of circumstances (mostly that she’s retired and going on holiday to the Pyrenees and then Provence for 3 weeks: I am impossibly, bitterly, jealous) she is away for all of June. As we are getting married in July she wants to get shoes and accessories now. In London it has been raining solidly for 2 weeks, the early summer drop has not arrived at the shops and she is stressing. I do not like my mother stressed.

It’s her birthday soon, so I thought I’d buy her the shoes. She doesn’t like being too much taller than my father (she’s 2” taller in bare feet) and wants a wedge as the wedding is on a lawn. I found an excellent pair at Marais, but her preferred colour (blush) doesn’t come in her size. I could get the denim but she’s not sure about them. She loves your new wedges but says they are too high, and too black, she doesn’t want black.

So, summery shoes to go with the dress, UK 8, US 11, pop of colour, maximum 4cm heel, no sequins crystals or faff?

Please help the internets are failing me…

--The shoe designer who can’t buy her mother shoes

*****

Do you get to be that picky when your feet are SIZE ELEVEN?

If she's not willing to go any taller, I say buy the micro wedges in denim or jet and be stoked about it.

Missoni is on Gilt, you guys.

Get you some bridesmaids dresses!

(Lemme know if you need an invitation or whatever. I can't remember how it works.)

Blog of the Week(ish): Mr. Stofer

I have this friend who doodles a comic strip on her computer.

It's pretty excellent.

holy fuck

I just got so excited I hit "Publish" before I even uploaded the photos.

Charlotte Gainsbourg in Rodarte by Nan Goldin for Lula Magazine via Effigies via Joanna Williams via Stone Fox Bride

Say what you will about Stone Fox Bride... They are excellent pinners. (And their tumblr doesn't suck either.)