thefourthvine: [Poll] Help Me Pack

Keep Hoping Machine Running (

thefourthvine) wrote,
@ 2012-08-06 05:27 pm UTC

Crossposts:

http://thefourthvine.livejournal.com/166512.html

[Poll] Help Me Pack

Okay, so. Today I tried on all my dresses and discovered, to my extreme lack of joy, that exactly two of them still fit over my post-breastfeeding boobs. Like, I thought the boobs were supposed to go back to normal, and in fact I thought they had, but after I saw myself in my pre-pregnancy all things to all parties dress (which I love and cannot stand the thought of getting rid of), with boob up as far as my ears, I was forced to conclude that that had maaaaaybe not happened.

So. Last year at VVC, I told myself that the next time I went, I would damned well bring a dress and wear it to Club Vivid. Obviously, my boobs are calling my bluff, since my choices now consist of:

A nursing dress that, ironically, wouldn't fit over my boobs when I was nursing. It fits now. Pros: It is soft and comfy! It's kind of vaguely pretty! Cons: It's a nursing dress, and I'm not nursing anymore. Also, its style aesthetic can best be described as "schoolmarm who wants ready access to her boobs."
A black lace dress that no one in this house remembers buying. Pros: It fits. And it's black. Cons: I'm not sure it ever was in style. It can best be described as "gothic schoolmarm."
Pajamas. Pros: Comfortable. Cons: Not sure I want to be the girl who wore pajamas to the ball.
My retired swimsuit. This is a suit I bought when I apparently believed I'd be attending a lot of underwater evening parties; it's black with a little drape and a short skirt and basically looks nothing like a swimsuit. Cons: Really not sure I want to be the girl who wore a swimsuit to the ball. Pros: Might be the most appropriate piece of attire I own that still fits over my boobs. Plus, if the hotel floods, I will be completely prepared and in a position to mock the attractive, well-dressed people flailing in their non-water-resistant clothing.

Since I am currently in an aggressive state of dither over all things relating to the trip (my brain currently sounds like this: eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEE, with occasionally side trips into what I was even thinking deciding to go somewhere), I can't decide. HELP.

Poll #11366 Dress Me

Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 251

View Respondents

What should I wear to the ball?

View Answers

The nursing schoolmarm dress. Ready access to your boobs can only be an advantage at a fannish con.
10 (4.0%)

The gothic schoolmarm dress. Black lace is the background for glowsticks this summer.
149 (59.4%)

The pajamas. Might as well not give any fucks at all, right?
24 (9.6%)

The swimsuit. The way the climate is currently behaving, being constantly prepared for sudden flooding is an A+ choice.
68 (27.1%)

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	no subject killing_rose 2012-08-07 12:45 am UTC (link)
	The appropriate answer is "if you don't want gothic schoolmarm, then you're probably going to have to go shopping." (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject alexandrina 2012-08-07 04:46 pm UTC (link)
	This was going to be my answer. :D (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

no subject

malnpudl
2012-08-07 12:46 am UTC (link)

Is shopping out of the question? My first thought is to find yourself something new and pretty that fits you and that you feel good wearing.

OTOH, I recognize that the notion of clothes shopping can be appalling in its own right. And then, there's the whole timing thing.

One really ought to be able to go anywhere in pajamas. I would approve of this society.

(Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject aethel 2012-08-08 04:16 am UTC (link)
	Shanghai! (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject giandujakiss 2012-08-07 12:49 am UTC (link)
	How about, whichever outfit makes you feel happiest? (Reply to this)

	no subject ellen_fremedon 2012-08-07 12:49 am UTC (link)
	Buy a new dress. If you will not have time to get to a store before leaving, buy a new dress in Chicago. Or, buy one online and have it shipped to the hotel! I actually did that with pantyhose for my cousin's wedding, when I realized that I was going to have to catch the airport bus before the stores opened and wasn't going to have time to buy any. (Reply to this)

	no subject sdwolfpup 2012-08-07 12:58 am UTC (link)
	Wear whatever is COOLEST. (Reply to this)

	no subject heresluck 2012-08-07 01:15 am UTC (link)
	Wear whatever has the most breathable fabric and will itch least. (For me, at least, that would put lace RIGHT OUT.) FWIW, I know of at least two other people who will be wearing pajamas. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject elynross 2012-08-07 02:35 pm UTC (link)
	I was gonna say, PJs are a most acceptable form of CV attire! And many of us have moved to the "comfy" end of the CV spectrum. g (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject reginagiraffe 2012-08-07 01:16 am UTC (link)
	"schoolmarm who wants ready access to her boobs." I can guarantee there's going to be at least one person there who will think this is not a downside. But... if you hate the gothic black, then you need to go shopping. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject blueraccoon 2012-08-07 01:22 am UTC (link)
	points up I can't speak to the person thinking this isn't a downside, but...if you hate the black, then shopping is in your future. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject neotoma 2012-08-07 01:20 am UTC (link)
	Gothic schoolmarm -- dress it up with some steampunk accessories if you think it needs it. (Reply to this)

no subject

phoebe_zeitgeist
2012-08-07 01:25 am UTC (link)

Gothic schoolmarm is always appropriate for clubbing, I should think. But you can probably have more fun with the swimsuit. Find some amusing length of cloth, drape it around waist or hips in some amusing manner, and it's not impossible that you'll have something very swanky indeed -- and something that can be cast aside on the dance floor, with glittering lights following you, for that extra touch of I-am-the-star drama.

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no subject

malka
2012-08-07 02:42 am UTC (link)

This! A useful shopping keyword for the extra piece may be "sarong".

Or, if you want something that will take less management, a brightly-colored skirt. Flowy skirts are fun to dance in and bright colors go well with black.

Alternately, acquire a friend who can do all the hard parts for you, including saying "Yes,

thefourthvine, today is the day we shop for your dress." (

cme has been very helpful to me in this vein.)

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	no subject soc_puppet 2012-08-07 04:58 pm UTC (link)
	Yes to sarongs - but only wear one, because two sarongs won't make it right. (I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not.) (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject holli 2012-08-07 01:35 am UTC (link)
	If you think you can get it shipped in time, I greatly enjoy shopping for vintage dresses on Etsy. Give me your measurements and preferences, and I can totally find you something cute. (Reply to this)

	no subject shayheyred 2012-08-07 01:46 am UTC (link)
	Gothic Schoolmarm sounds like a workable option. Red lips, smokey eyes, one long sparkly necklace. Attitude. Works for me! (Reply to this)

	no subject nestra 2012-08-07 02:24 am UTC (link)
	I picked an option, but I mostly agree with "whatever makes you feel best." And that you would not be the only person in pajamas. (Reply to this)

	no subject nextian 2012-08-07 02:32 am UTC (link)
	Swimsuit and tights are on-trend! Well.. for the nineties. But also sort of for now. Work it. (Reply to this)

	no subject klia 2012-08-07 02:44 am UTC (link)
	Can you alter the lace dress to make it less schoolmarmy? Or, can you wear the swimsuit under another skirt (I don't suppose you have a sparkly one hiding in your closet?)? FWIW, lace can get really sticky, itchy, and annoying when you sweat, especially long sleeves. (Reply to this)

no subject

giglet
2012-08-07 02:44 am UTC (link)

I went with the swimsuit because, although you say it as though it was unlikely, I was in that hotel that flooded*. And I was wearing pajamas. And I would have given a lot to have my swimsuit on. (I would also have given a lot to not have had to carry my soggy two-year-old out of the hotel amid sloshing water and fire sirens.)

(During the 1997 Disclave science fiction convention, someone snapped the fire sprinkler from the ceiling during a bout of kinky early-morning sex, flooding that room, the adjacent rooms, the lobby and a ballroom on the floors below. The hotel was evacuated. Within a half hour, a vendor was taking pre-orders for a t-shirt reading, "Disclave 97. I slept in the wet spot.")

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	no subject blushingflower 2012-08-07 03:05 pm UTC (link)
	And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we do not use sprinklers as bondage points. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject pyrrhocorax 2012-08-07 05:39 pm UTC (link)
	OH MY GOD I want to go to a convention even more now than ever before. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject mific 2012-08-07 02:46 am UTC (link)
	Swimsuit with some sort of cool skirt on the bottom half. Disadvantage: going to the toilet becomes impossible. (Reply to this)

	no subject winter_elf 2012-08-07 02:48 am UTC (link)
	well, if the gothic lace is not longsleeved and scratchy - you can dress it up with accessories - a scarf, belt, ect. If it is longsleeved and scratchy and new is out of the question - the swimsuit with a sarong or skirt? (Reply to this)

	no subject snacky 2012-08-07 03:16 am UTC (link)
	Listen, while I think everyone who says "whatever makes you feel best" and "is shopping an option" have good points, I really, really, REALLY want you to wear the swimsuit. I won't be there. I just want to know someone who wore a formal swimsuit to a dance party. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 2 comments) (Show 2 comments)

	no subject elliemurasaki 2012-08-07 06:12 am UTC (link)
	+1 (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject avendya 2012-08-08 06:01 am UTC (link)
	+1 (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject ladyvyola 2012-08-07 03:25 am UTC (link)
	Remember our motto: Fandom means never having to ask, "But where could I wear that?" I, for one, love the fact that each option can be summed up as "appeals to niche market". Ah, fandom! We're all about niches and filling them. (ba dum pa! That's what she said! Your mother is a niche market! Thank you, I'll be here all week!) (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject paceus 2012-08-07 05:23 pm UTC (link)
	Yes this! :D (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject foursweatervests 2012-08-07 11:33 am UTC (link)
	Or - or - and I know buying new things is something you do not do, so maybe this is the way to go - you could ask someone to lend you a dress? Or, worst comes to worst, actually have someone (who would have to love you very, very much) drag you shopping? If neither of these work, I say the swimsuit is definitely the way to go. If nothing else, you'll catch all the eyes. (Reply to this)

	no subject qian 2012-08-07 12:55 pm UTC (link)
	I went for the gothic schoolmarm because black lace is always fancy, but I've been searching for cocktail pyjamas for years and secretly yearn for them to be reinstated as party wear. (Fashion actually had a fancy pyjama fad a couple of seasons ago, but it didn't seem to catch on.) (Reply to this)

no subject

alexandrina
2012-08-07 04:52 pm UTC (link)

And on a related note: It can take easily as much as two years and potentially more for your boobs to return to "inert" and return to some semblance of size you had prior to pregnancy. I'm more than a year out and only just NOW am I starting to feel like they aren't totally ready to be on call again, any minute! Really! We're ready! You sure? We're happy to help!

Most D cups fit now. I don't have to look at the DD's by default! And I got out of the F/G cups within 6 months. So. Uh...there's hope?

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no subject

fred_mouse
2012-08-08 12:42 am UTC (link)

*envy*

Before Children, I was a C/D cup. Now, over five years after youngest weaned, I'm still an E cup, so two and a half sizes larger. (I have no knowledge of where I went up to - I had such a hassle finding nursing bras, because there just weren't large cup sizes for small ribcage sizes). At least the market has caught up though - in my 20s I could rarely find a 10D, and these days I actually have choices in what I buy!

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no subject

alexandrina
2012-08-16 04:15 pm UTC (link)

That sucks, and you have my sympathy! I have heard that if you gain weight during the "deflation" period they're not going to get very much smaller. And I definitely *did* so I'm hoping that my new thing where I run a lot and am losing weight might mean I get my C cups back that I had in my 20s.

Because I am so sick of boob related discomfort, I can tell you.

(Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject pyrrhocorax 2012-08-07 06:25 pm UTC (link)
	I voted for the black lace on the grounds that gothic black lace is always stylish, but the pajamas might work out best. Claim it's harajuku street style! (Reply to this)

	no subject littleheaven 2012-08-07 09:48 pm UTC (link)
	Totally pajamas. You could make it a thing. Take a giant teddy bear with you, and some hilarious comedy slippers. And a pillow to whack people with. One filled with glitter so it sprays out sparkles instead of feathers. Now I want to go and wear that myself. (Reply to this)

	no subject out_there 2012-08-07 10:45 pm UTC (link)
	I say black lacy dress with bright shoes and bright accessories. It'll look awesome! (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject archersangel 2012-08-09 12:39 am UTC (link)
	i hear it's all about the accessories. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject geekturnedvamp 2012-08-08 10:09 am UTC (link)
	I was torn between voting for pajamas (because pajamas are cool, and you won't be the only one wearing them) and the swimsuit (just BECAUSE), but if you don't want to deal with any of these options you could just wear a pair of jeans and a black tank top and have someone do dramatic makeup, glitter, etc. for you and then cover yourself with glowstick jewelry. (Reply to this)

	no subject kathmandu 2012-08-12 01:17 am UTC (link)
	My vote for next time is black lace dress, plus spray-on glitter from an art-supply store or fabric store. With any luck, you will arrive at an effect more evocative of prom night at the dark fairy court. (Reply to this)

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