Wait, didn't she just get married?? I know, right, this is totally how I feel. It was amazing, getting married, but can't the wedding be over already? Nope. I woke up Tuesday morning, after all our family had finally left town, to a sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized this roller coaster was about to begin its second lap. Well, if that's the case, best dive right in. I loved my dresses- I mean, adored them- getting to be a Disney Cinderella princess and then a '50s glamour queen? Um, yes, please. But neither or these dresses would work for the US. The Ian Stuart was far too big for international travel (not to mention that I'd already done my time in a corset), and I might just sweat myself to death in the lace dress with sleeves in Philly in July. I thought about chopping off the sleeves, but it would still be too heavy. No, it was time to sort out dress #3, and as this was the biggest item remaining in wedding #2's to-do list, I figured it was best to tackle this first. And boy did I do just that.
After scouring gumtree and eBay, I thought I'd found the one, in the suburbs of London. And since I had a day pass for the London metro area anyway, checking it out was free. Little did I know that *the one* would be waiting on the very next hanger.
The seller, Timothy O'Sullivan, is a pattern cutter and product developer for the luxury market. He has worked for some major fashion brands including Jenny Peckham, a dress designer whose works I'd been eyeing up, but whose prices were way out of reach, even second hand. Timothy's bridal collection, while very much in the Jenny Peckham style, was based off of historical fashions that he studied in his spare time. He had only sewn a single example of each of his designs and, miraculously, all were just my size! (Click here to check out more of Tim's portfolio— don't worry, no spoilers!) Slipping on his original creations, knowing no one else had ever worn any of these dresses, felt like being let in on a delightfully silky secret. And, well, it turns out the flapper style can work better than I'd ever thought it could on someone with my figure.
Tim really showed his hand when he told me how hard it is to sell dresses on eBay. Armed with this information and the knowledge that eBay skims 10% off the sale price (having recently become an eBay seller myself!), I offered him £5 over his asking price, in cash, to let me walk away with the dress in hand. I may have paid more for this dress than my other two combined (a testament to what bargains those other dresses were), but I've paid about a tenth of a Jenny Peckham price tag for something even more original and just as elegant.
After scouring gumtree and eBay, I thought I'd found the one, in the suburbs of London. And since I had a day pass for the London metro area anyway, checking it out was free. Little did I know that *the one* would be waiting on the very next hanger.
The seller, Timothy O'Sullivan, is a pattern cutter and product developer for the luxury market. He has worked for some major fashion brands including Jenny Peckham, a dress designer whose works I'd been eyeing up, but whose prices were way out of reach, even second hand. Timothy's bridal collection, while very much in the Jenny Peckham style, was based off of historical fashions that he studied in his spare time. He had only sewn a single example of each of his designs and, miraculously, all were just my size! (Click here to check out more of Tim's portfolio— don't worry, no spoilers!) Slipping on his original creations, knowing no one else had ever worn any of these dresses, felt like being let in on a delightfully silky secret. And, well, it turns out the flapper style can work better than I'd ever thought it could on someone with my figure.
Tim really showed his hand when he told me how hard it is to sell dresses on eBay. Armed with this information and the knowledge that eBay skims 10% off the sale price (having recently become an eBay seller myself!), I offered him £5 over his asking price, in cash, to let me walk away with the dress in hand. I may have paid more for this dress than my other two combined (a testament to what bargains those other dresses were), but I've paid about a tenth of a Jenny Peckham price tag for something even more original and just as elegant.
For once, I won't spoil the surprise. You'll just have to wait until summer to see this what this whimsical, one-of-a-kind gown can do. It is sure to make me feel like a princess all over again come July.
And with that victory, I returned to London to enjoy the company of a very special out-of-town guest from wedding #1.
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| Thank you, Melissa, for a lovely evening at the Oxford and Cambridge Club! |
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| Being swanky at the Oxcam club, as you do. |
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