"The One"

A couple of weekends ago, my best friend Mary took her bridesmaids and family (myself included) wedding dress shopping. It was, surprisingly, one of the most efficient shopping experiences of my life.

Mary is blessed with what I will call a bride's body. She is very beautiful, but also very real, happy and so lovable that you just know she is actually getting married. Not like the brides in the magazines, bent over in some couture way. There's only one Victoria Beckham, and she already got married, so why are we still advertising for her?

I digress. My main point is that virtually every dress she tried on could have been "The One". And she seriously considered one or two at the beginning. However, once she tried on the seventh dress of the day, she knew, without a doubt, that it was The "The One". You could tell just by looking at her in it that she never wanted to take it off. All dresses in comparison were repulsive to her, and she mourned the idea of only wearing it once. 30 minutes of admiration, a few tears of joy, and plenty of excitement later, she literally walked out of the shop with her wedding dress.

It was really a great thing to see. I cannot say I've had any "The One" moments with clothes... I've had "This could work", "I can pull this off", "This is kind of like what I've dreamt up" and "Pretty damn close" moments, but never the breathtaking "This is it. How did I live without this?" moments. Sure, it's a materialistic thing, but it's a way of expressing yourself. It's kind of a moment you've stepped a bit further into yourself.

I've talked to Chenlu about this, and she's admitted having a few of these moments herself. I think she has a better idea of what she wants than I have ever had. My desires in clothes are usually some abstract feeling or concept, based on some movie or Lady Gaga design, that I don't even know if it exists (in my price range) yet.

For example, ever since seeing "Almost Famous", I have been on a quest for Kate Hudson's furry coat:

I have made at least two thrift-store purchases of coats that never quite fit me but had a hint of what I wanted. Anything remotely similar with a better fit was outrageously expensive. Nothing has ever been right, and honestly, even if I had the exact coat of my dreams on, I probably would have found something not quite right about it. It could never live up to the concept. Maybe I actually just wanted to be Penny Lane.

So I think that's what it really takes to find "The One" when shopping; you have to know who you are,  and who you are trying to show through your attire to really get any sort of connection. Chenlu wants to be a fabulous bitch; she finds that with wicked Mackage studded jackets. Mary is going to be a breathtaking bride; she found the dress to do it. What do I want to be? Will I find the clothes to tell me, or will I be doomed to indecision until a moment of personal clarity strikes?

If nothing else, I'm sure I will continue to be the girl who dresses like she doesn't take herself too seriously. So for now, I'll stick to my "I can pull this off" moments. I'll keep you posted if I ever get "The One".