The Story of a Birthday Dress

The trials and tribulations of finding the perfect birthday dress.

I'll be 45 next week, and to honor such a milestone in life, I decided to buy myself a dress. If there's ever an occasion to buy a dress, it's your birthday. It's my birthday, and I'll buy a dress if I want to. Lol.

You would think that finding a dress for my birthday would be easy, but it was all the contrary. Finding something I truly liked and wanted to invest in was hard. There are several reasons why—starting with the fact that I lost my style and am having difficulty finding it. I think it's because I've been wearing overalls, jumpsuits, sweatpants with button-downs, and pillowcase dresses, all worn with sneakers or some version of a chunky ironic sandal for the past three years. Also, believe it or not, I have difficulty finding dresses I like.

On the other hand, the dresses I do like are either OUT OF STOCK, or OUT OF MY BUDGET, which is so frustrating. Boo hoo.

The Row Arielle Dress in Mohair and Virgin Wool $4,250 and available in store only, ICYWW.

At first, I was crazy enough to think I would buy a Simone Rocha dress. Then I saw the price tag and came to my senses. Lol. 45 is a big deal, but I'm not quite ready to invest that much in a dress. Especially a dress I can't wear on the daily. I still need furniture for my house.

Simone Rocha Scoop Neck Puff Sleeve Tuttu Dress before $2,780 now $1,390.

After I discarded the Simone Rocha possibility, I opened my "brands that I love" list (I have one because there is no way I can remember the names of all the brands I love) and started searching.

The first brand I looked at is Toteme because it is perfect, and there's no way I couldn't find a dress there. I found the most beautiful dress, just the vibe I wanted, but guess what? OUT OF STOCK!

Toteme Slouch Waist Dress Bleached Sand $870 perhaps you are lucky enough to find in your size.

I looked at Lee Mathews and found a dress I loved. A bit more resort in style but still beautiful, and I live in Miami anyway. Guess what? Also OUT OF STOCK! By now, I was starting to lose faith. Dramatic.

Lee Mathews Hana Dress $690.

I thought. Indeed, I will find a dress at Tibi, the temple of modernity. So I looked at Tibi, but surprisingly enough, I could not find something that excited me. At least not to wear for my birthday. Don't get me wrong, Tibi dresses are all I want to wear every day. In fact, I bought this black slip dress about a month ago, and it's the perfect slip dress. I wore it to a wedding, I wore it out to dinner, and I wore it layered with a striped button-down for Art Basel. It’s the best.

Tibi Lace Slip Dress $695.

Then I was like, Oh wait, Kika Vargas! And so I looked at Kika Vargas on Matches, and I found a dress that was really cute but honestly too dressy and perhaps even a bit too girly. I love it though. I still need something a bit more versatile.

Kika Vargas Ivy Floral-Print Taffeta Halterneck Midi Dress $916.

I looked at Studio Nicholson, but nothing that sparked joy. Attersee was lovely, but nothing convinced me. Both brands are great, but nothing. I looked into Issey Miyake, Rejina Pyo, Rodebjer, Stine Goya, Nackiyé, I still couldn't find what I was looking for.

Issey Miyake Colour-Block Technical-Pleated Midi Dress before $915 now $503 guess what? SOLD OUT! Frustrating!

Marina Moscone has to have something. I've always wanted a Marina Moscone Dress. I love her designs. I found a dress that I LOVED LOVED LOVED! I was about to purchase it when I remembered By Malene Birger.

Marina Moscone Tabard Dress original price $1,150 now $920.

How could I have forgotten By Malene Birger. I've been a fan of the Scandinavian brand since I know of its existence. I feel seduced by its refined and elevated style meets free-spirited ease. Just how I want to feel at 45: elegant and relaxed. And there it was. After a long and exhausting search, I found my dress. And it's perfect. I may not wear it on my birthday, but I will undoubtedly wear it to go out with my husband. After that, I plan to wear it all the time because the dress is that kind of dress. It’s perfect. I will share a photo in the future.

By Malene Birger Daly Maxi Dress $430.

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And there you have it, guys, the story of how I found my perfect birthday dress. Every dress has a story. It's worth taking your time to find something special.

Thank you for being here and for taking the time to read my stories. If you enjoy my stories, share them with someone who will enjoy them too. I'll be back after the holidays. My family is visiting me, and my birthday and Christmas are coming, so I want to enjoy every moment without feeling guilty about not writing.

Enjoy a joyful Sunday and Merry Christmas! Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

Until next!

xoxo

MC