Fifty years later, I still have the desire. The difference is that, now, there's nobody to stop me. So, when I spotted this beautiful gown in a thrift-store, I snapped it up. Only $12, it was made by "Jessica McClintock for Gunne Sax".
These pictures show me on my way to the Prince's Ball. I plan to have fun, but must be home by midnight. You know why...
Two confessions. First, I spent hours on this photo-shoot. Part of that was I wanted the result to be good; a bigger part is I wanted to ENJOY it. Often, I rush through the process of photographing outfits to show them to you, but I don't actually get to enjoy wearing the clothes. Tonight, I really wanted to immerse myself in femininity -- to wear the clothes; to sit in them; to watch TV in them. I did that and took the extra step of polishing my fingernails which (for me) is a big deal (since I have to remove it before going out). Maybe watching TV in a ball-gown isn't the same as flirting with a prince at a fancy party, but we do what we can...
Second confession: I made an aesthetic mistake. I should have chosen a different lip-color, one from the orange family. I misjudged that choice and regret it. Oh, well... nobody's perfect.
When was the last time you wanted to be a princess?
gunne saxe is great, i scored one of their victoriana dresses at the haight-ashbury last time i was in the bay area.
ReplyDeletealso, and more to the point: you look BEAUTIFUL!!!! that is a HELL of a dress!
Thank you, mouse.
DeleteYou look gorgeous! It's nice to hear that you had lots of fun shooting this look, too. You must be an excellent thifter because I've never found a beautiful long gown that was this beautiful for so little. Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteThe trick is, after visiting many crappy thrift-stores, I found a terrific one (Savers) which has several locations, so they have lots of clothes to look through. I'm going back today with a girlfriend to show her how wonderful it is.
DeleteAlly! You're lovely! That dress is gorgeous. I think you hit a thrifting home run! (and watching TV in a ballgown is awesome fun.) I also like the pink lipstick.
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful! I have always wanted a Gunne Sax dress. You found one at a remarkable price. You matched the shoe brilliantly. The lip color....I sure have seen a lot of bloggers mixing shades of orange with pink...so maybe you're right in style and didn't know it. ;) I'm glad you enjoyed this princess experience. I rarely paint my nails because they just chip so quickly. I should take more time to do it more often though.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a pretty dress! You have the Princess thing down! I think the makeup is pretty. You don't want to go too orange with the lip, maybe just a bit more into the peach/apricot/coral family. I'm glad you were able to enjoy the experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks. And I appreciate the tip. You're right; I tend to over-match things because in my head I think that's what we're supposed to do, but it ends up looking bad.
DeleteAw...what a pretty dress! And yes, it really is fit for a princess. Gunne Sax is the best. Glad to hear you got it for such a great price.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend :)
xo Azu
Oh Ally, you look gorgeous! The dress is absolutely divine! This is by far my favourite outfit of yours. I still want to be a faery tale princess, I have always loved faery tales and would often flit about wearing a tiara and a long dress. I should like to take tea with you wearing this dress, we could be princesses together xxx
ReplyDeleteYes, let's hold hands and skip off to a tea-party!
DeleteGorgeous dress!! I love a Gunne!! You look beautiful! I like the lippy and I am not sure about going more orange with it... I've heard orange for lip is one of those colors that is hard to pull off. But, you know I'm all about wearing what you want :)
ReplyDeleteI might come steal your dress...
Better put a double-lock on my closet door!
Delete$12 for that dress? Bloody hell, I would have snapped it up as well! :-) Looks really lovely!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day,
-Kati
P.S.: Thanks for leaving such nice comment on my last post!
The insanely-low prices at thrift-stores enable me to experiment and explore without worrying about money. For the price of lunch, I got to be a princess!!
DeleteGorgeous, darling!
ReplyDeleteLove the gown - what an amazing find!
xoxox,
CC
That dress is just beautiful. I really hope you get to wear it somewhere! Oh, now I want one too!
ReplyDeletexo
styleontheside.com
Ah, I remember coveting a Jessica McClintock dress in my prom days :) This one is gorgeous, and I love the nail polish!
ReplyDeleteA bright red lipstick would have looked really nice too--I think it'd lend an old-Hollywood feel to the neutral dress.
Wow wow wow! What a score! It fits perfectly! The colour is stunning too. You look fab and I can tell you seem so relaxed and happy in your photos.
ReplyDeleteI want to be a princess every day. Sometimes I think I'm really still an 8 year old kid playing barbies. But instead of a doll I'm dressing up or getting my husband or friends to dress up.
bisous
Suzanne
So pretty! I love Gunne Sax dresses too and remember looking at pictures of them longingly in the 80s. I agree with Une Femme, you need a soft warm pink/peach lip for that dress. Both Cover Girl and L'Oreal are featuring nudes for spring and that means lots of options in warmer toned lip colours.
ReplyDeleteI stopped wanting to be a princess when I reached adolescence and realised I did not like to be the centre of attention. I also went through a long phase of wanting to be recognised for my intelligence and to be taken seriously so I suppressed any inner princess.
You look beautiful!!! WHAT a find!!!! You look radiant BUT where is the close up of the head-dress? I was peering hard to try and get a look! X
ReplyDeleteSomewhere there's a photo of Marilyn Monroe as a high-school graduate, but it was shot at her request many years later...because she didn't have the chance back when and then. Photo #4 appears to be your own Sweet Sixteen portrait, similarly delayed and equally as nice. A lovely dress, and the lippy is good for you -- never mind the dress.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Beth. I once saw a bumper-sticker that said, "It's never too late to have a happy childhood." I'm creating mine now!
DeleteI don't know what Gunne Sax is but Jessica McClintock is an expensive brand. I wore a Jessica McClintock dress to my Prom. I'm happy for you that you got to dress up in a ball gown and be fancy. It's fun! At least for a couple of minutes ;-) I'm the type that likes to get dressed up like this, show up to the party, and then I'm done.
ReplyDeleteGot it. Gunne Sax is JM's brand for fancy-wear.
DeleteOh my! WOW! You wouldn't believe my excitement when I say this post. Super stunning and beautiful. I love this dress very much. I'm very happy you have it and there is no one to stop you being a princess this time. I am very much the same. Always did and still do love the princess look.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Imogen. Our shared taste is one reason why I like your blog so much. You wear clothes I wish I had.
Delete12 bucks?! That dress is perfect for you! Seriously stylish!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lara.
DeleteFabulous dress and it really suits you. Very sparkly but not tacky bling.
ReplyDeleteSuper gorgeous Princess!
ReplyDeleteAlly you look stunning! That dress is so perfect it has Hollywood glam written all over it. Have you ever thought of going with a deeper more saturated lip color? I think you could pull it off and I have to say I do like the pink you chose it looks fresh and princessy
ReplyDeleteGood idea, Dar. Thanks.
Deletewhat a dress! You look magical!
ReplyDeleteThat dress is stunning on you! You look very much like a true princess.
ReplyDeleteYou do look like a princess. The dress color really complements the brunette hair color.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's such a pretty gown! You make a beautiful princess. I haven't dressed up fancy in at least 3 years, when I attended a formal wedding. There are fewer occasions to be a princess when you become an adult.
ReplyDeleteTrue -- which is why we need to make such occasions! As you might say, "What's stopping us?"
DeletePrincess Ally - what a beautiful gown. I hope you had fun at the ball and did not lose your glass slipper.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving your hairstyle and colour - its suits you so well.
Last I dressed up was for Taryns wedding. Seems there are few occasions to do it.
Hope you have a wonderful week
Hugs
W
that dress is gorgeous! i need one for making those non-princess chores much more bearable
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dress! I can't believe it was only 12 bucks! It is fun to get all dressed up and feel like a princess :)
ReplyDelete-Sharon
The Tiny Heart
Cookbook Giveaway!
Oh my gosh Ally, what a gorgeous dress! This time of year makes me miss shopping for prom dresses - I wouldn't go back to high school for anything - but I'd love an excuse to dress up in a pretty princess dress like that!
ReplyDeleteWhat a becoming and absolutely beautiful piece! I'm always leery of making sweeping statements, but this may well be my favourite outfit you've ever shared with us. You look like a princess through and through, as well as a stylish, endlessly elegant woman who knows how to shop for killer secondhand clothing deals! :)
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
You're quite savvy shopper - it's a beautiful dress at a great price !
ReplyDeleteand i love the fact that you were able to enjoy all the process. I guess as women we sometimes don't really enjoy the getting "pretty part" because we have been doing it for so long it just seems like a lot of hassle. You've made me rethink that :) and i think that the pink lipstick looks good.
you look wonderful! so cool!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember ever wanting to be princess but I'd definitely wear your dress if I had that dream
ALLY! I can't believe that you found such a gem at the thrift store! It is stunning on you! I like the lippy, but then again, I am not the expert. I think you can wear this again with a different shade if you want? Who says you can't repeat an outfit on the blog!
ReplyDeleteThat is SUCH a PRINCESS dress. And you look like you're having a great time in it. I'm glad to hear that you took the time to enjoy it. I feel like I'm guilty of the same. I dress up, spend time putting on make up and doing something with my hair, take photos for about 20 minutes and then change, wash the make-up off and continue on with my life. It's obviously something I enjoy doing, and yet I rarely take the time to ENJOY it (except when we have themed parties with costuming).
ReplyDeleteis it weird that i never imagined myself being a princess?? never dressed up as one as a kid, never pretended...
ReplyDeletei'm glad you finally had your moment here. the dress fits perfectly, and i like that you kept the shoes nude. i don't mind the pink lips. nicely done.
[oomph.]
This is totally delightful and you make a stunning princess, Ally. :) I'm not much the princessy type myself--I mostly enjoy seeing other folks be princessy!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous dress! You're the prettiest princess I know!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dress! That was a great find.
ReplyDeleteWow, clearly the god of thrifting is on your side!
ReplyDeleteI love the dress you chose. The sparkles and the sheer overlay look so magical without being tacky or overdone. The high waist is complimentary. And it's a great length!
Got to add my compliments about your eye makeup. That's a great soft smoky eye you have got going on.
(finally catching up on my friends' blog posts!)
You look lovely!! This dress is so pretty on you.
ReplyDeleteAnd I COMPLETELY disagree with your comment about your lipstick. I think the bold pink was exactly the right choice. I think it looks great! Trust your instincts!
Lisa.
That's a pretty dress!
ReplyDelete