Thursday, May 31, 2007

Belle of the Ball

"I'm in a hunt for a dress to wear this July (debut of a cousin) any suggestions? Something I can wear nicely and still run after Eulla. A mommy dress hehehe." -Belle

Hi Belle! With an active toddler like Eulla to take care of, and of course, your passion for fashion, I admit it must be a challenge to marry the two, especially if you have a dressy event to attend!

Thank goodness for net-a-porter and their featured article this week entitled "Wedding Belles" (How apt! You must have sent a very strong signal to them ala The Secret, hahaha!), do I have some dresses that you might want to get inspiration from when searching for that perfect "mommy guest dress" that will still guarantee you'll look like a Hot Momma! Of course, since this is net-a-porter, mere mortals like us would have to look for "look alikes" from BCBG, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Zara, H&M or department stores near where you live, like Macy's and Nordstrom. Filene's Basement by the way has tons of pretty dresses too!

This kimono style dress from Anna Sui is a great take-off point. Kimono style dresses are very comfortable and allows for a lot of movement. Perfect for letting you run after a baby on the loose! It hides your tummy too should you end up eating a lot!
A flowy dress from Temperley London is very feminine but still built for a lot of movement. Though silk chiffon is not an ideal fabric for a mom because it tears easily and costs a fortune in dry cleaning what with all the stains a baby can make, I suggest you look for a similar dress in a different fabric like lawn cotton which is still very light and airy but hand washable!
Shift dresses like these ones from Issa London, Vera Wang and Fendi are very versatile and built for wear. Choose one in a not so fitted style so you have ample space to move around in, especially since you'll be running around in heels (should not be more than 2 inches though!). With these style of dresses you don't have to tug at anything that might show since its neither too short nor "dangerous" like tube and wrap dresses that might expose what you want the world not to see!



But if you prefer a little bit of flair, choose a dress with interesting details like short puff sleeves or ruffled trims like this one from Vera Wang. Paired with a cropped jacket, you'll look like a no nonsense mom - you might get Eulla to actually behave (ie no need to pacify a fussy and bored toddler!)
Evening calls for a lot of drama, but with bedtime in the horizon, I suggest you wear something short so that you don't have to worry about tripping while carrying a sleeping child.

This is a simple but very elegant Burberry Prorsum dress that just spells sophistication. Look for a similar dress but in a different but still luxe fabric because some types of lace can be a bit itchy and scratchy. Babies can get very fussy when their sensitive skin gets irritated!
A simple empire cut dress with balloon sleeves such as this one from Alberta Ferretti is pretty and very prim (i.e. no unwanted exposure which is highly probable especially in cases of "malikot" kids!). It looks very glamorous too with chandelier earrings and a metallic clutch and heels.

Now with these dresses as inspiration, I hope I've been able to set you off in the right direction in your quest for that perfect mommy guest dress! You may not be the Belle of the Ball that night (after all, it is the debutante under the spotlight), but for sure with you looking your usual stunning self that day, you will be your hubby and baby's Belle no matter what!

(Photos courtesy of net-a-porter.com)

4 comments:

Eubelle said...

aww, thank you so much for posting a blog for my hunt! i love the first dress. i will be looking around starting saturday for a dress. it will be on july 7. i'll start at banana republic :)
again...thank you!!!

cd_mfo said...

You're welcome Belle! =) The kimono dress is a winner! I like it too! Btw, the teenybopper site delias.com has some pretty dresses. I'm not sure as to the quality of the fabric but they've got kimono style dresses too the last time I checked! You can also try Bebe and the trendy shops pala! Good luck on the dress hunt!

takejiro said...

i am so in love with the vera wang dress. i hope i can find one like it in here in the phils! thank you for the inspiration!

cd_mfo said...

That's a really cute and young dress nga! You're welcome takejiro! =) Maybe topshop would have a similar one, or try having it copied by a mananahi!

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