that perfect dress

for those of you who have wandered on here because i told you about my new blog (or for the few of you who may have stumbled here by accident), i submitted an article to elle magazine the other day! my mom sent me a picture she took of a contest taking place in the magazine where you are supposed to write about a "piece of clothing that has changed your life". well, to be honest i don't think a piece of clothing has completely changed my life, but there is one dress that has come quite close to doing so.. here's the article so you can all have a fun read about a dress i don't ever want to take off

 

 

The Dress That Changed My Life

 

I remember a time when I was young and Christmas was something I looked forward to for months. My mind would race through just about every possible gift that could be placed under our wonderfully ornamented tree - my very own bicycle with colorful beads on the wheels which made a jingly noise with every turn, a Spice Girls CD (every 90s girl's dream), bright glittery pink roller blades, or a new Barbie doll (which was always my favorite). A few of those presents—beautifully arranged beneath the tree by my mother—happened to be something I hoped for, but the majority of the elegantly wrapped presents I ripped open were clothes which, during that time of my life, I absolutely resented. Of course I would flash a gracious smile and thank my parents, pretending it was something I truly wanted, but there's only so much enthusiasm I could give to a simple piece of clothing- an item that I couldn't show off to my friends who all received the new Aaron Carter CD that they listened to while skating around in their new bright pink roller blades. If only there had been a way to skate around in the overalls and skirts my mom had given me. Clothing just wasn't something I was interested in (or cared about) as a child.

　

Fast forward 15 years and you'd think that 6 year old girl who dreaded the day she'd unwrap clothes on Christmas morning was anyone besides myself. I absolutely love clothes. Dresses, skirts, long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts, shoes, headbands, shorts, swim suits, you name it, I've paid for it and have it hanging in my closet. Splurging on the latest trends has really got me wondering whether or not I should sign myself up for a Shopaholics Anonymous group. "Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I'm a shopaholic." But, truthfully, I think every woman has a little of my so-called "problem". 　Figuring out where to spend your next paycheck is a struggle for everyone... right? "Should I buy that hot pink tank top I saw at Forever 21?" "What about that cashmere sweater with the hearts that I saw at Nordstrom?" (These are surely thoughts that run through the minds of women everywhere – at least they do in mine.) About 99% of the time I end up giving in and buying whatever it is that's caught my eye (leaving the remaining 1% wishing I had), and the majority of the time those poor clothes just get shoved into my closet waiting for the day they get to show themselves off to the world. I don't necessarily think my problem is buying clothes; it's buying clothes and not wearing them. I can’t tell you how many articles of beautiful clothing sit in my closet with the tags still on them. It really is a disgrace. Maybe it's just because I've never found anything completely amazing. Well, that is until about a year ago...

　

It was a perfect summer day in Long Beach, California. The sun was out and glistening on the waves of the ocean that moved back and forth making the most magnificent sound. I was doing my usual rounds of window shopping when I walked into one of my favorite stylish and affordable stores, Francesca's, and headed straight towards the "Sale" section. As I was rummaging through heaps and mounds of luscious half priced clothing, something caught my eye. Something colorful, different, classy, fun, and miraculously my exact size, appeared right in front of me yearning to be tried on. I went into the dressing room, so excited that I had found this diamond in the rough, and walked out with my absolute favorite dress of all time. Red, purple, green, and yellow- colors you think wouldn't mesh well together, yet somehow created a beautiful masterpiece. The straps that held the dress up had these perfect little ruffles which made it possible to wear them either on or off my shoulders, exposing my sun kissed skin, and the thin yellow belt which looped around the waist exposing the hour glass figure of any woman who was lucky enough to wear it, were just little things I immediately noticed. It was love at first sight. It wasn't just any dress. It was the kind of dress that made you feel good about yourself. The kind of dress you could wear just about anywhere and always feel like everyone's eyes were on you. The kind of dress you never wanted to take off, and for a while it was almost as if I never did. I've worn this dress on first dates, day trips to the beach, parties, a graduation, and just last week I got to show this dress off in the fashion capital of the world - Paris. Up until now, this dress has not only accompanied me on many adventures, but has become a part of wonderful memories that I will never forget. This friend of mine has never let me down and has always made me feel so beautiful and so special. It's rare to find a piece of clothing that makes you feel better about yourself. It's rare to find anything that makes you feel better about yourself. So whether it's a beautiful vintage headband your mother gave you, or the perfect red lipstick, or a pair of overly priced high heels that make you look just a tad bit taller; whatever it is that makes you feel good about yourself - don't pass up the opportunity. It could be the piece of clothing that changes your life.