I can't remember the last time I owned a party dress. And I'm sure I wasn't a size 20, or maybe 18.

We're in a position to be a bit more generous in our civic donations and since other people aren't, we have suddenly become interesting to our favorite local institution. We just got an invitation to a small dinner party with the director of said institution and his wife. It would be really fun to go.

I wouldn't know what to wear if I were at goal and I'm really mystified with what to wear when I'm losing weight. This is likely to be a one-occasion dress since the next time I would have another occasion, it won't fit. So, I probably don't want to spend too much.

Any advice on where or how to shop for such a thing? I'm a really lousy shopper and usually resort to mail order.

Do you have any girlfriends with a similar figure? You could borrow one. Sorry, I am and always will be--FRUGAL!

I would check Macy's or Lane Bryant's. Dress Barn maybe--some of their stuff can look "cheap" if I remember correctly but some stuff is okay.

If it's a bit far off, I would be tempted to order things a few things online that you love and try them on. You can just send back what you don't want.

I would check out dress barn. I always seem to see cute dresses in there that arnt as expensive as lane bryant or department stores.

I would say target too but it really just depends on them. Most of the time their selection is pretty limited but I have found quite a few things there.

Good luck! =)

Ooh, she is right about Target. I have seen cute and passable things there too.

Do you have an Avenue near you ? They usually have suitable things. While I was losing I needed something to wear to a party, I went to Salvation Army and bought a long black skirt and somebody gave me cocktail sweater , I must say it looked good and was appropriate for the occaision. On another occaision I went to Avenue and bought a black velvet dress ( not long as the skirt was ) , I hated to give the black velvet dress away when I lost weight.

Consignment shops are great for that sort of thing!!

You could try "Macy's by appointment." It's a free service. You call their store-appointed personal shopper, tell her what you're looking for (cost, size, occassion, style) and she will pull dresses for you in your price range. They usually have a discerning eye and will pull dresses for you to try that you may not think will suit you, but usually they do. It's worth a try! I've used this service before if I'm looking for a dress for a particular occasion and it works out really well. Otherwise I wander around different stores alone not knowing what to look for.

Also, you might want to keep in mind that it might not only be for one occassion. As you lose weight you may be able to alter the dress to fit.

try the bridal shops, they may have a party dress for you off th rack

I would check out Ross, Target or the Macy's sale section. I try not to spend more than $30 on dresses.

hiya, gardenerjoy! Not sure just how fancy the event is likely to be, but we have some places in Michigan that actually rent evening wear. If Kirkwood is near a larger city, you might have something like that too. And then you can play with something fancier than you would ever buy for yourself!

I'm english so i don't know of any american shops so i'm not much help on the shopping front. However if you buy a cheap basic black dress you can always dress it up with accessories to look more expensive! maybe a statement necklace or a belt around the waist. Then if shock horror anyone else is wearing the same one... it looks different also! that's my trick.

I would definitely try the clearance racks at whatever local department stores you have nearby too. Sometimes you can get lucky and get something for a steal.

I recently had good luck at a nearby Von Maur with dress shopping -- their full prices are definitely out of what I was willing to pay, but they had some great choices on the clearance rack (I settled on a $200 dress for $35, it was the least expensive and most flattering thing thing I tried on all day).

If you find something that works for you pricewise, try it on even if you aren't sure about it. Sometimes those iffy things end up looking surprisingly fantastic.

I definitely like the idea of sale/clearance items. I have also been known to go thrift store hopping but it's easier to find something nice in the size one wants at a regular store.

If there's a Nordstrom Rack or a Loehmann's or some other clearance center near your city, that's a good way to go sometimes.

I personally think that a nice type of party dress is the classic "LBD"- little black dress. I saw one in the most recent Nordstrom catalogue that had me just about drooling...

I think that a nice sleeveless basic black dress (something that can be easily altered, like a basic long tank top shape) with a stunning tapestry shawl would get you through the holiday season and you'd be able to keep the shawl (unlike a jacket which wouldn't make it through the next size).

I have two dresses from Macys, I bought them on sale and I love them, they are Evan Picone dresses and I find that they are very flattering dresses.