I've found some really nice things at Marshall's before. But in order to do that, you have to have some time to spend going through every item. They're just thrown in there and not always in any order, so it's not easy to find things unless you look through everything.

I would say hit every department store possible and check the sale racks. Foley's is the same as Robinson's May which is now the same thing as Macy's. Try Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, etc and see if there is anything on sale. Ross is a good place as well but I always find better deals on the sale racks of department stores. You can check Avenue (doubtful but possible) and Lane Bryant to see if they have anything on sale as well. You might also want to solicit the 100+ club to see if anyone has anything they could lend you. I can't think of anything at the moment but someone might have something.

Did you try David's Bridal? I never bought a wedding dress from them (I was married in a suit), but I've heard they have nice formal items in all sizes and at reasonable prices every day. And I've heard the sale prices are even better!

Ooo also try separates. A simple, sequined (drat, where's the spellchecker?) top paired with a black floor length skirt is always a winner and always looks sophistocated.

Good idea, Lena. I am sooooo hard to fit and needed something dressy for the cruise so I got a black skirt and found a black top with a V-shaped sequinny thing over it... the black top was too short like everything else LOL so I snipped the black and gold glittery V-thingie off at the shoulders (only place it was attached fortunatly) and am wearing it over a nice red blouse that WAS in my too small rack but is no longer LOL. I paid about $12 for the entire outfit on the clearance racks!! Tracey, perhaps you can look for stuff such as this and be creative... the long black skirt can be really versatile.

Not to mention that if you get a long black skirt with an elastic waist, it will last, even for a couple of size drops.

I hope you are right about the size drops... because I bought mine a couple weeks ago and am afraid it will be way too big by the end of May! But if it is I will deal with it LOL... I sure won't complain about my clothes being too big even if I have never worn it!

Thanks so much ladies. I actually found one dress online but it is strapless (way too top heavy to go strapless). I want to find a nice dressy shrug to go over it or get someone to make me one since I can't sew. I'm going to order the dress but still go out on Saturday looking for a dress in case it gets here and I don't like the way it looks.

That is great, Tracey.... Perhaps you could add some sort of "ribbon" straps if you could find something that looks nice. I did that once on a strapless dress. Hope it works for you! Let us know!

I bought one when I'd gotten down to 140. I'm still working on losing the weight from my pregnancy and I wear it now. It was a bit tight in the waist, but is starting to fit better and better. It's just an ankle length straight skirt with an elastic waistband that I picked up cheap at Wal*Mart.

Good for you for being able to wear it! LOL I also have another nice one which is too small! <G> But if this one is too big I will either wear black pants for dress on the cruise or check out WalMart!!

Here's the dress.

http://www.sizeappeal.com/SizeAppeal...ductID=01-0863

I bought a dress from Syney's closet for my cruise. (formal night) Some of their stuff is cheaper, if it is on sale, but most of it is a little expensive.

THis is the dress I bought:
http://www.sydneyscloset.com/asp/pro...&catalogid=779

Tracey, I love the dress you picked out, but I too am a little top heavy for strapless, and I wanted to be comfortable.

Ellen,

Is this the dress you mean?
http://www.sydneyscloset.com/asp/pro...&catalogid=779

When I went on a cruise, I was kind of disappointed with how many people didn't dress up. You'd see people in jeans and such. Oh well.

That is a good site, I've been preliminarily looking at wedding dresses for ideas but too many wedding dresses seem to have too much stuff going on.
Something like this though might not be bad:
http://www.sydneyscloset.com/asp/pro...&catalogid=367

Nelie, love that dress, very flattering waiste line.
Upswife, love that dress, had a similar one years ago, but that style is so in. I have a couple of skirts with that cut.
Tracey, you are a braver woman then me, I could never leave my house with out my bra,,,tried strapless bras and couldn't find one in my size. But you did say you are going to modify right? Check out a sewing centre (walmart has them) and look into what you can do with it. Bring the dress and check out all the trims too.