People always think I have loads of formal dresses in my wardrobe but I promise I don't! Mainly because apart from choir gigs, I rarely go to formals so when the opportunity arises, I like to have something new to wear. It's more interesting for the blog and it's a chance to wear different styles and colours. So after I've worn a dress a couple of times, I usually sell it and put the funds towards the next one. As I buy most of my dresses pre-loved, either via eBay or DejaVu, it all works out well financially as I generally make back the costs.
My gospel choir do two formal concerts every year, one at Christmas which I like to go sparkly for, and one in May, which I like to dress a bit brighter for. This year, I had thought about wearing the jumpsuit I wore to the Spirit of NI awards but as it got closer to the time, I decided I didn't want to wear black.
Cue an ASOS 20% off deal last week that had me checking out their occasion dresses for something more colourful and I ended up buying these three. Showing the full price now as the offer was for one day only.
Yellow One Shoulder - £29
I really wanted this one to work but it was indecent when it arrived. You could see your freckles through it 😱 It was taken off pretty quickly and put back in the bag. In retrospect, I could have worn it with a close fitting nude slip but I think I would have still been too self concious. The lace detail on the shoulder was fabulous though. Size wise, I sized up to a 12 and it was still too small!! Straight onto the next one - which wasn't as bright a green in real life.
Green Embellished Dress - £75
It was beautiful on and fitted perfectly in the size 12. It was pricier than I had planned however, even with the 20% off and perhaps a bit more demure than I wanted for the concert. It would make an amazing bridesmaid's dress!
So all my hopes were on the red dress..
Ruffle Red Cold Shoulder - £29
It was an instant winner. - the colour was perfect on me although it was a bit long and a little loose under the arms (I had bought the 12 as I guessed would be neat fitting). It was nothing the Zipyard couldn't sort for me in a couple of days though - so the decision was made and the yellow and green ones went back via ASOS's free returns - amazing service.
Underneath I wore my usual spanx cycle shorts to give a smooth line. I don't think they make you look any slimmer in all honesty but they do give a nice line under dresses and stop distracting VPL's and the like. I had a nude strapless bra on too - the back opening was just at bra strap level.
I wore my old reliable nude barely there sandals which I got years ago in Faith. They're real suede and are great for longer periods on your feet. The only shoes really that I can tolerate for concerts. These next ones are the closest to mine that I can find online and in fact, I think they're better as they have a more robust heel than mine:
Thankfully, we changed in the interval and wore our choir black and colours for the second half so I was able to change to flat sandals then. Oh the relief.
I must give a shout out to hair and make up. I paid for an up style at Hedonist Hair on Botanic as they were one of the few places open on a Sunday. I ended up meeting Lee who did my straightening treatment last year (on the link) - I hadn't realised he'd moved salons. Of course, I was delighted to see him and immediately relaxed as I knew he'd do an amazing job. Guess who forgot her phone to take a photo of the back? It was a very simple up do - I just wanted it to look quite relaxed.
And my lovely blogging friend Nic from Strawberry Blonde Beauty Blog did my face. She's also a fully qualified make up artist and does occasion make up from her home in East Belfast (or she can come to you). She did a beautiful natural base with a smoky eye and red lip. Was absolutely perfect and looked so natural. She really understands what works on older skins - it still looked great at midnight and I was gutted to have to take it off.
You can contact Nic on strawberryblondebeauty@gmail.com to make enquiries.
And here's the finished glam look - picture taken in the less than glam corridors backstage at The Grand Opera House. It's not as beautiful backstage as it is front of house! But it gives you a good look at the dress and the colour.
Would I recommend my £23 (£29) dress? Definitely - though only if you're not self conscious of your tummy. I was definitely walking tall and holding those abs in throughout the evening! Also be prepared to have a few tweaks made to it. My additional fixes brought the total cost of the dress up to £48 so I'll be sure to get one more wear out of it.
I'll leave you with some ASOS advice. It's a daunting site and can be off-putting when you see hundreds and hundreds of items in each section:
- Use the filters on the top of the page. Their search function is the best on the market. You can search for dresses by length, price point and size
- Make sure you select the range you need. I always chose the ASOS regular range - to exclude Tall, Petite, Plus size and Maternity. It just helps to narrow things down to a more manageable number of items.
- If you're specifically looking a bargain, remember to order the items from lowest price to highest.
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Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post - I bought my dress myself. Some of my links are affiliate links which means the brand knows you came to their site from here and they may pay me a tiny commission if you purchase and keep the item. This modest income goes a small way towards covering the costs of running this website and it is a huge support to me. Thank you x
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