Leading up to my 21st: Finding an outfit (26/11/11)

With my 21st birthday approaching closer, and my mum making a visit to my Yorky York, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to go shopping for an outfit. My mum is the one person who I know will be completely honest with me, which I always think I want, until I actually have to hear it! Every shopping trip,we both mentally prepare ourselves for a potential row in a shop, where we both completely disagree, turn our backs on each other, walk in opposite directions, and then both feel silly and guilty so run back to each other! For an event like my 21st, we could both feel the pressure to find something suitable. I wanted sophisticated, not slutty. Something that wasn't too crazy and didn't make you think it was all about me! My friends have been asking me what kind of dress I am going to wear to my party, and I have been giving the same answer: "It depends how streamline I am when it comes to my party, if I have stayed away from the chocolate addiction, then perhaps something more fitted; if I have given in to my need for sugar and endorphins, then defs something floaty,to disguise the added layer of warmth around my tummy!". With the party being just weeks away, and the milky way crispy rolls somehow making a daily appearance, I felt the latter of the options would be best!

Anyway, my lovely mother and I made our way to the shopping central of York, and tried to make some kind of plan of our limited time to find the outfit. (She had arrived at my house at 11'o'clock, with her train being at 3, thinking this would be plenty of time. I told her otherwise!!!). We also hadn't taken into account the hoards of people that had come from all over England, no, all over the WORLD,to come to the Christmas market in York! On this day, we both realised how much we hate people! Trying to walk with any speed, well actually, trying to walk and make any progress whatsoever was the most difficult task you could imagine, with people and children and screaming babies all at a halt, looking at personalised wooden bookmarks and deciding whether to have their Cadbury's Hot Chocolate with a splash of Bailey's or perhaps even Brandy. Decisions, decisions! But decisions we certainly did not have time for!

We got away from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas market, escaping to one of my favourite streets for shops: Coney Street. We headed straight to Zara, where we picked up almost every item in the store, holding it against us and saying "oooh, look at this" and "oooh, isn't this so lovely", playing the game where "if we had all the money in the world we would buy...this, this and this!". We found a few pretty dresses, some I knew wouldn't suit me but I picked them up anyway! And I also picked up some beautiful black lace shorts and a floral lace top that I'd had my eye on for a little while! After queueing for what felt like a lifetime, we were finally in the changing rooms, trying on the assortment of dresses: a cream lacey dress with an open back... pretty but not at all comfortable... also a big issue with whether a bra could be worn or not! The next dress was a black one, with a netted tutu skirt thing... I'm perhaps not edgy enough to wear this number... nor wanting the Madonna look of the 80's (I'd already used this look when going through my gothy, emo-y days at the age of 14! and it is something that I defs did not want to return to...). I then put on a very under-stated t-shirt dress, with an image of a 1940's woman on it. Loved the t-shirt but it did nothing for me, which my mum was very quick to point out! (this is where the honesty, however helpful it was, was not what I wanted to hear... my mother is starting to become a very abrupt middle-aged woman, sometimes I love her for it, but not when I don't want it aimed at me!!) The dresses were all a no, no! Ahh yess!! The beautiful shorts and the gorgeous top... I had these left to try on! I put the shorts on- they fitted perfectly! (Although I was a little disheartened that I had to wear the size M instead of the size S.... I'm going to pretend it's because I've got a bottom like J-Lo, and not because of all those cheeky Milky Ways that snuck their way down my oesophagus!) Anyway, the shorts were a big hit, and the top was also a winner (although, my mum  kindly pointed out, that as the top had a bit of an open back, it was advisable to have my back waxed before wearing it!... Being hairy is one of the lovely features of having the Ginger genes... and one that we often have a laugh about!!)  I had a bit of extra money this month (from selling, selling, selling on Ebay!), and so my mum encouraged me to buy them... perhaps not for my 21st (as it wasn't a dress), but I had a plethora of ideas in my mind of just how versatile both items were, for example the shorts would be perfect with tights and boots and one of my oversized, cable knit, bargain jumpers from Primarni! I was very happy with my purchase! But still no dress....

Zara's next door neighbour, H'n'M had some pretty dresses in the summer, and one of my good Yorky friends, BD got a beautiful, chic, maxi dress from there, for our summer ball:

BD

We went upstairs (where the more 'grown-up' clothing was) and picked out a few dresses. We saw the length of the queue, put the dresses on a near by clothes rail, and made a quick escape. I can't even remember what the dresses looked like, so they can't have been that special!

Topshop was our next destination on the list! It was a little way a way from the wonderful Coney Street, but the exercise is always a bonus! On our way, we passed a shop that I always forget about: Ark. I pulled mum in, and she was instantly in ore of the loud edgy music being played, and the energetic atmosphere. I blinked my eyes, and had already lost her amongst the rails of dresses, playsuits, tops, trousers, gillets.... etc. I think she was truly loving life and wishing she was my age!! There were so many wonderful dresses:

I absolutely love the Aztec print at the moment, and have some leggings that are very similar to this! Love the autumn colours and the pattern! But this was a bit too casual for the big 21!! I did a bit of hinting to my mum though, as I did love it! (don't think she got the hint!!)

I love the Burgundy's and Red's that I am seeing about at the moment, and after dying my hair Dark Brown, am becoming very fond of wearing these colours, and actually, for the first time, confidant in wearing these colours. I also love all the lace that is about, and has been in fashion for quite some time now! The green dress is beautiful. This dress comes in a variety of colours but the bottle green was a bit different. I love love loved these dresses, but felt that I had seen a lot of girls wearing these styles of dresses recently (I have been doing a lot of faceyb stalking!), and although I think they are gorgeous and look fabulous on, I didn't want to be in the position where I was wearing the same thing as someone else! And with seeing these styles of dresses so often lately, I decided against them. I did try on another dress though, which my mum absolutely adored:

A bargain at only £24.99, and it was gorgeous! I loved the colour and the cut out lace detail. My mum even said it was flattering! I didn't buy it though, as  I thought I'd wait to see what Topshop had to offer...

Topshop was a disappointment... that is all I am going to say!

We were tired of shopping, and the business of York, so we decided to go back to my house, so we could enjoy our last hour together before mi madre had to get on the train back to dull PeteyB.

We decided that I would have a good time at my party regardless of what I was wearing! I loved my Zara purchases! And the lovely little red lacey dress was in Ark, so I could always go back when the people at the Christmas market had taken a chill pill!

And the anticipated row was non-existent!! We made a good team that day :).





http://www.york360.co.uk/whats-on/york-christmas-fayre
http://www.arkclothing.com/