Beige, Like The Dress

Mamakat's World Famous Prompt:  2.) Share one of your biggest fashion mistakes.


It was the rehearsal dinner for my best friend's wedding, and it was being held at a country club/resort/spa/retreat in The Woodlands, Texas.  (Yes.  The actual city is called The Woodlands. There's a lot of trees there.)   Cathy was marrying up the food chain, and I was the Maid of Honor. 

My previous experiences at weddings included being a flower girl, a wedding singer...and a guest.  I had never been a Maid of Honor.  I was freaking out on the inside, and trying to remember not to drink too much.  I had spent weeks before the wedding trying to pick out a dress, trying on everything in my closet, going shopping, looking through catalogs, etc.  I finally settled on a beige column dress.  I wasn't thrilled about beige, but I felt that it was a good color for a rehearsal dinner.  I sucked in my tummy and tried to demonstrate good posture, and I had gone easy on the eye makeup.  I wanted to look understated, so I could blend into the crowd as much as possible and be my wallflower self.

No. No wallflower, Cathy said.

You're the Maid of Honor, Cathy said.

Mingle, dammit, she said, shooing me in the direction of the crowd.

So I went forth, into the mass of people.  I introduced myself.  I smiled.  I shook hands.  I made small talk that avoided politics and religion.  I felt very confident in my understated outfit.   I went around the room twice, then I found Cathy.  She was speaking with her father; he wobbled a little as he wandered off.  I touched her on the arm and she turned toward me, smiling broadly. 

 "My dad just told me that he had no idea that you had such a big ass," Cathy said, rolling her eyes.  She was laughing at her dad's inebriation, but I was broadsided.  My carefully chosen, understated dress?  Big ass?  I thought that my butt was proportionate!

I thought about bursting into tears and rushing from the room.  That would create some drama, but it would be great to get out of my social obligation for the rest of the evening.  I decided to get over myself(at least temporarily) and laugh it off.  After tomorrow, I would probably never see most of these people ever again.  What did I need to prove to them?

I laughed along with Cathy, and we shared a couple of glasses of wine and toasted our long friendship.  Then we waded back out into the crowd to mingle. 

I never wore that dress again, however.  Never wore beige again, either.