Comments on: Ballgowns

By: Q

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:34:33 +0000

Okay, so I found what isn’t exactly a ball gown (the skirt needs to be more full) but what does have long sleeves (though they are off the shoulder) and should be quite accessible. Feel free to hate the style.

http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Evanese-Womens-Elegant-Long-Dress/3841399/product.html

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:08:54 +0000

Oh! Have you seen Wicked? You need Glinda’s (or technically Galinda’s, at that point) wand! “La la la la la – ballgown! La la la la la – ballgown!” Of course, her wand doesn’t always work…

By: Karen Healey

Karen Healey — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:42:21 +0000

I watch Marie Antoinette a lot, pretty much for

1) gowns
2) shoes
3) cakes

http://www.style.com/images/vogue/feature/081606/img02.jpg

OH THE DRESSES.

By: Elodie

Elodie — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:38:38 +0000

Isn’t puce such a nasty word for a color? It sounds sorta like pus, and sorta like a gross little bug that sneaks around in the forest and bites you.

Otherwise, have you looked at steampunk/victorian/etc style dresses? A lot of those tend to have long sleeves and look totally awesome!

(I second the get someone to sew it, too. It could be *all yours* and no one else’s!)

By: Justine

Justine — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:15:23 +0000

London: Dita Von Teese’s clothes are truly amazing. The wedding dress is, of course, by Vivienne Westwood. I forgive that dress for not having sleeves.

By: kath

kath — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:08:05 +0000

I am not normally enamored of such finery but dear GOD I want pretty much everything Dita what’s-her-name wore in those photos! And the HATS! Bring me the hats at once…

By: Dave H

Dave H — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:03:34 +0000

Wait, wait, wait! If you get a ballgown now, you have to come back to ConFusion and wear it for us! Otherwise, we will have missed out after being the original inspiration! And we would be sad.

By: London

London — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:01:37 +0000

Normally I’m not a dressy person, or a Marilyn Manson person, but I LOVE the gown Dita what’s-her-name wore when she married MM in a castle. It is gothic & beauteous: http://www.helnwein-museum.com/article3465.html
Here’s a close-up of her back and train:
http://www.helnwein-museum.com/stc/ghpicts/gh2816.jpg
It only has short sleeves but they’re still pretty cool. AND there is an awesome matching hat!
Also if if you scroll down to the second to last photo she has CRAZY sleeves on the dress she is wearing in that one. Poofballs and flowers and whatnots.
Anyway this is fun! Thanks for sharing!

By: Q

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:00:57 +0000

Yes, I did look at that link, and it’s lovely and you should find one of those gowns. I didn’t say it would be impossible, I said it would be difficult.

By: Belynda

Belynda — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:53:47 +0000

Sleeves are easy… my suggestion? Find the dress you want and have a bridal shop tailor it for you. When I bought my wedding dress, my one requirement was that it have a portrait neckline that covered my awesome tattoo on my shoulder (I love my ink, but not in 150 wedding shots that will forever be my history, thanks.) I bought a Maggie Sottero dress and hand the lace sleeves widened to cover up. It worked a charm for about $100 over the cost of the dress, and I couldn’t have been happier! (I mean, the husband is pretty awesome as well… so that’s good!)

Good hunting!

By: Diana Peterfreund

Diana Peterfreund — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:49:09 +0000

Gah. Tell me about it! When I was getting married, it was hard enough to find a dress with STRAPS, let alone sleeves. Everyone’s answer was some variation of:

1) But you can wear a shawl.
2) But you can buy a bolero jacket which doesn’t really match.
3) Don’t you want your shoulders on display? All the emphasis should be on your face, so there shouldn’t be much material up there to detract…
4) Oh, are you getting married in a church?

November? Who cares. And no one thought my husband’s suit jacket “detracted from his face.

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:47:21 +0000

Kath: I’m not sure about the fringe either. Easy to cut off, but.

Just any sleeve at all is fine by me. So many ballgowns don’t have ‘em at all.

By: kath

kath — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:45:16 +0000

Here’s a couple of additional shots of the Westwood gown you like…

http://x1e.xanga.com/73cc81f130130225071294/z176903070.jpg

http://img1.qq.com/luxury/pics/15781/15781814.jpg

http://www.wuz.it/mm/1483/00104636_b.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/images/2008/05/29/ballgown_365x470.jpg

Not hugely sure about the fringe, myself.

Have you considered 3/4 sleeves? I find them quite a suitable alternative.

Kath

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:23:40 +0000

Liana: While lovely those are not ballgowns nor do they have sleeves!

By: Liana Brooks

Liana Brooks — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:45:36 +0000

http://beautifullymodest.com/store/prom-dresses/p8107m/

I like Beautifully Modest dresses. But there are others if you Google something like “Modest Formal Wear” and you’ll be given a list of choices.

If those are too… plain I suppose then check out the designer Tadashi . His fall collection had an excellent choice in dresses with sleeves. And their beautiful!
http://www.tadashicollection.com/#app=e611&9526-selectedIndex=1&7d6b-selectedIndex=0&bb6-selectedIndex=0&f5fe-selectedIndex=0

By: Hoolie

Hoolie — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:50:55 +0000

Ooooh, that Alexander McQueen dress on top is SPECTACULAR!! It is giant and I am not so much giant, so I would probably disappear inside it, but there are worse ways to go, oh yes there are. I want!

By: Natalie

Natalie — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:28:33 +0000

Those dresses are dreamy! The Alexander McQueen dresses made me think of the big white dress Christian Siriano made on Project Runway. And that makes me miss Project Runway like CRAZY Good luck on finding the perfect dress!

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:18:42 +0000

Sarah: I’ve yet to see a single match. So I only know what I’m reading on blogs thus it would be a very second-hand opinion. Hopefully we’ll be in Sydney next April/May and I will finally get to follow the whole IPL circus. If it’s still around that is . . .

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:07:27 +0000

Hey Justine…..
This is kind of out of line but, I was wondering if you could post an article about the IPL and ur take on it… I would lovee to read it…

ur fan
Sarah

By: khy

khy — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:01:52 +0000

Ooh, shiny. Me likey.

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:33:02 +0000

Q: Did you not look at the link Karen provided? Is the opposite of matronly! Long sleeves done well = elegance!

Ali: YUM!

By: Ali

Ali — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:24:14 +0000

Lol, my first two thoughts for brilliant dramatic dresses are always 1)Vivienne Westwood and 2)Alexander McQueen.

After that I would think of:
Galliano, but the one I like best I think you already found: http://justinelarbalestier.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/galliano4dior.jpg
Christian LaCroix: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cT-N57JZYY/STgyLKUHO-I/AAAAAAAAPic/wlmzO1oVztY/s400/cl.jpg
Valentino: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TU_1Wmmo6sM/SQ8sfCBz84I/AAAAAAAADVY/0Z6JU47cFUM/s400/Valentino2008_5_BB.jpg

Also, more Alexander McQueen: http://www.catwalkqueen.tv/nicolekidman_vogueshoot_alexandermcqueen.jpg – it is lacking in sleeves but that’s what full-length gloves are for

By: Q

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:04:34 +0000

(P.S. I think it’s going to be rather difficult to find a ball gown with long sleeves that isn’t matronly. You may want to find a sleeveless dress and get a matching jacket made.)

By: Justine

Justine — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:03:13 +0000

Q: Don’t worry. I is like the embodiment of non-craftiness.

Phiala: My friends are also non-crafty. But, yes, hiring a good dressmaker is pretty much the only way this ballgown will ever happen.

Karen: Thanks! Now I have another dress I can’t have to lust over. W00t! Though as soon as the multi-million dollar film version of Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction happening I am SO getting that dress!

By: Karen

Karen — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:00:29 +0000

More info about the red dress here. Mina Harker's dress from Dracula...