Today we slip our feet into these Vera Wang Wedding Platforms as our theme this week is all about weddings & dress labels.
I worked at a popular bridal chain store for four years as a Special Occasions Consultant where I dressed everyone but the bride. I was in charge of the bridesmaids, junior bridesmaids, flower girls, mother of the bride, prom, and special occasions. In these four years I experienced bridesmaids stress about their weight and their dress size. I had a bridesmaid literally run out of the dressing room and yell at her bride (which was her sister)because she hated the dress, she hated the size that she would have to wear, and she was overall unhappy with the entire bridal experience. She left the store in an immediate rush and to this day I still have no idea if she was ever in the wedding or not. At that point in my life, I really didn’t understand these brides or bridesmaids needs to fit in a “certain size.” To me, if they looked fantastic in the dress, that was all that mattered. Because realistically, the only people who would truly know the size of the dress where myself, the bridesmaid and maybe the ladies back in alterations. So really the questions that lingered in my mind were ~ what is the obsession with dress sizes? Why does it really matter if you wear a size 4 or a size 14? What is it about that small white satin label hidden inside the dress that has us girls in such an uproar? Why would I witness dramatic meltdowns in the dressing rooms because a bridesmaid was a size larger than she thought?
On multiple occasions I had bridesmaids order two sometimes three dress sizes smaller than they actually were thinking they would lose the weight in time, even though the wedding was only three months away. No matter how much I cautioned them not to order a size smaller and to get the size that they actually fit, they went against my expertise and decided to order what they thought they should wear. Nine times out of ten the bridesmaid would come back crying because her dress didn’t fit and the wedding was in less than a week. Then it suddenly became my problem and I would have to hustle to try and find the correct size and color before the event. All of this chaos due to the self-conscious vision of having to order a larger size.
I have never been ashamed of my size or my label. Yes, I don’t go shouting it to the world that I have always been a plus-sized girl. But it has never bothered me that I have had to order a larger sized dress. I have been confident enough in my self to know that I am beautiful no matter what my label says. The key is to be confident enough in your own skin. To know that you will look just as stunning in a size 20 dress as the size 4 bridesmaid next to you. That label inside of the dress doesn’t classify who we are as people and I feel sorry for the bridesmaids who let that small label define who they are. I would rather wear a size 20 dress and look amazing than to try to squeeze into a size 14 and have the zipper busting at the seams. All for what? To tell everyone that my dress is a size 14? Who cares! Feel comfortable in the body that you have, and if you’re not comfortable in it, than change it!
I always promised myself that when the time came for me to get married, that I would NEVER be one of those brides that went on a crash diet to look good for her wedding. I want to be at my goal weight long before that day comes that I go wedding dress shopping. I want to be healthy and truly happy with myself before I get married and have babies. I want to know that I am at my healthiest before I start a family of my own. Not just physically, but also mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. I want those traits to define who I am, not the label on a dress.
What sparked my inspiration this week was the fact that I visited the company that I use to work for and the girls that I use to work with because I had to get fitted for a bridesmaids dress of my own. And let me tell you it was a fantastic experience! I fit into a dress size that I have never been able to fit into before & I ordered a dress size that was once unobtainable to me. Even though I don’t care much for size labels, I was excited that my weight-loss is truly paying off and that I am going to look even more fabulous than I already do!
I lost 3.2 pounds this week ~ 55.6 down all together. I didn’t hit my goal of 61 by Thanksgiving, but that is okay. I am hoping to reach that goal very soon as I am less than 6 pounds away.
I am a girl that loves fashion, especially when it pertains to shoes and handbags. I know every shoe designer you can possibly imagine and than some. Labels in the fashion world are vital and some would say they classify you as a person. However, my advice to you is to buy what you love because it makes you feel good, don’t stress about the size that you purchase, be confident with who you are as a person & listen to one of my favorite shoe designers, “It’s horrible when people are only interested in buying labels, because it doesn’t bring them the happiness they think it will.” Miuccia Prada
Walking A Day In My Stilettos 
Beautifully written Krysty. So proud of you. We should all be happy with our selves,..too much emphasis is placed on the outer appearance. It’s the inner beauty that lasts, the other fades over time. Some of the most beautiful people in the world are also the ugliest. I’ll take a generous heart and kind soul any day pf the week. I hope that’s how people see me and how I am remembered…Hugs and congrats…but always remember, your already perfect, no matter what! ^o^
Thank you Bridget for all of your kind words 🙂