▎❝ Style with me: bombshell on a budget. ❞

In this week’s post, we’re diving into a crucial topic for any event-goer who wants to be prepared for anything: the art of the “backup dress.” We all meticulously plan our outfits, envisioning ourselves looking and feeling our best. But life, and especially weather, can have a sick sense of humor! I’ll be sharing my personal experience of how I managed to salvage a seemingly disastrous style situation and still look fabulous, all thanks to the strategic foresight of having a backup plan.

My original dress of choice—a delicate chiffon number—was beautiful but utterly unsuited for the impending downpour which would’ve stretched it beyond recognition. Faced with the threat of a soggy, potentially see through disaster, I knew I needed to act fast. That’s when I reached into the depths of my closet and pulled out my secret weapon: the bombshell backup dress I had quite literally been saving for a rainy day. I’ll be breaking down why having a backup is essential, how to choose the right one, and how this particular dress saved the day—and my outfit—from a complete washout.

The original dress

Every April I am pulled out into public wearing my finest to benefit charity for the evening. This annual gala is important to my community by raising money for scholarships and has provided many students with brighter futures—something that is definitely worth celebrating! Now, I know that I seem like an inherently glamorous creature but believe it or not, I don’t just wake up like this; I train for this. Gala preparations are very important in my household because I am the only one capable of having outfits prepared on time. Without me no one would have anything to wear and I’m not exaggerating—I’m talking about some serious last minute Lizzies. It is a thankless job and my family doesn’t make it easy but at least we always look fabulous.

This year, after 4 months of searching the endless abyss of Ebay, I found the perfect dress—a peach chiffon evening gown by May Queen Couture. Oh, she was beautiful! In my mind, it shared the vibe of Marilyn Monroe’s orange dress that she wore as Lorelei Lee in Gentleman Prefer Blondes—one of the most iconic dresses in cinema! If you know, you know. This dress was just out of the budget that I set for myself but it was new with tags and included a matching evening shawl so with the money I saved having to get one separately, it all evened out because of girl math! I have always adored chiffon and was excited to wear this beautiful peach color. Please note that due to the lighting of my pictures, it looks more orange than it actually is in person. I have always adored the light weight feeling of chiffon for an evening gown and for what I paid, it honestly was not a bad deal because of the brand quality and potential for reuse that can sometimes be lost with the purchase of a cheaper gown.

Well once my dress arrived, I set to work putting together the rest of my outfit including a beautiful matching satin Bijoux Terner clutch I found for next to nothing! Slowly but surely, I was crafting my vision as more and more of my items started showing up in the mail. My enthusiasm was building with each new package that came and it was all coming together! When fateful gala day rolled around, it was not only uncharacteristically cold but also ridiculously wet and rainy. For anyone who knows anything about fabric, you know exactly why I started to panic.

Chiffon—with its delicate and airy weave—is a beautiful fabric, but it’s not exactly water’s best friend. A sudden downpour can spell disaster for a chiffon dress. Rainwater can easily stain the fabric, leaving behind unsightly marks, especially if the water is dirty or contains minerals. This wouldn’t be an issue for rain water but would be for standing puddles. The lightweight nature of chiffon also means it clings uncomfortably when wet, losing its graceful drape and revealing undergarments. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to moisture can weaken the delicate fibers, potentially leading to shrinkage, distortion, or even tears. Drying a chiffon dress improperly after it’s been rained on can exacerbate these problems, making it crucial to take immediate and careful action to mitigate the damage.

Well, I thought my life was over—a fashion catastrophe of epic proportion.

The backup dress

While I have several evening gowns to choose from in my social rotation, there are only a select few that have the prestigious designation of “back up” dress. This is because I am careful about what I consider to be a worth while addition to my elite club of gowns and not every dress I have is as easy to style in a rush. Amidst this sea of silk and sequins, these handful of coveted back up dresses are the work horses of my formal wear. This isn’t a designation I bestow lightly. My standards for what constitutes a universally flattering and reliably stunning garment are, shall we say, exacting. I am notoriously difficult to please when it comes to evening wear because it’s a lot of fabric to waste if you get it wrong and unfortunately, many brands still do.

The majority of the time, I meticulously curate my looks. The gown is merely one component of a larger, carefully orchestrated ensemble, playing its part alongside statement jewelry, perfectly chosen shoes, and a strategically applied touch of makeup. A backup dress, however, operates under entirely different rules. It needs to be a powerhouse in its own right, capable of holding its own and radiating sophistication even without elaborate styling because in a fashion emergency, there’s not always time to speed style. It cannot, under any circumstances, give the impression of being a last minute, haphazard choice. At the same time, paradoxically, it must be effortlessly adaptable, a blank canvas that I can quickly and confidently build an outfit around when time is of the essence and sartorial inspiration is running low. It’s a delicate balance: understated enough to be versatile, yet impactful enough to command attention.

For this occasion, I chose a new backup dress that I had just snatched of the Ebay for $9.99 new with tags. Yes, you read that right. This dress was brand new with no wear, no damage, and brand new with the tags still attached for $10.00. I’ve included a screenshot of my purchase for proof. This is what we train for, people—this is why we shop! This red satin ruched cowl neck dress is from the brand, B. Darlin, and is usually sold in department stores. It is a good brand and it is a fairly affordable brand. This dress retailed for around $110.00 when I price checked it at various stores so I was thrilled! The dress is zipper and comes with padding though I’ll admit the cups could’ve been a bit bigger. It was sleek, comfortable, and didn’t require any hemming or alterations which also added to the money that I saved by purchasing it. The only concern that I had was the train but it wasn’t an issue at all and this turned out to be one of the most comfortable dresses I’ve ever worn so you’ll probably be seeing her around again soon!

One of the things that made this dress so flattering was not only the mermaid shape but that the fabric was very breathable and accommodating—things that can’t be taken for granted when it comes to identifying your backup dress but I will share my criteria below in better detail. Speaking to the quality and wear of this dress through a downpour, I will say that it didn’t under perform once and remained unharmed through the rain. It didn’t stretch, fade, or otherwise let me down. I would recommend this brand and I will be buying more from them in the future if I get the chance. This red dress also comes in navy and pink. I think it also comes in black but I’m not entirely sure.

The finished look

The moment that I tried on this dress, I knew my original outfit had to be completely reconsidered though it was still giving classic glamour which I was happy about! It possessed an undeniable allure, a captivating quality that demanded to be the center of my attention. I affectionately christened it “the bombshell,” and with that, my inner stylist went into overdrive thinking of all the ways to do her justice. Reworking my outfit and makeup to complement the dress became an exciting challenge rather than a tiring chore. The only hurdles were acquiring the right accessories to finish off the vision I had in my mind of how to wear this masterpiece.

I needed an evening clutch that matched this shade of red and echoed the dress’s elegance, a matching shawl to keep my shoulders warm inside, and something warm enough to get me from the car to the door. Thankfully my closet proved to be a treasure trove of endless possibilities. With the sudden dip in temperature, a luxurious faux fur coat you may have already read about here was the perfect finishing touch. The heels, statement choker, and opera gloves remained the same from my original plan so no modifications were needed. I managed to accomplish all of this in record time, fueled by a potent mix of excitement and determination. In the end, I achieved exactly what I envisioned: a classic Old Hollywood look—the kind I’m known for—radiating sophistication and timeless glamour. It was a glorious transformation beyond expectation all thanks to “the bombshell”.

We went, we ate, we raised money for a good cause! I received many compliments and was happy to explain how this hadn’t actually been the dress I was intending to wear. All throughout dinner I thought about how important it was to have a backup plan—not just in fashion but in life as well so here we are talking about! As I always say, many of the fashion rules we live by can be applicable to multiple areas of our lives and shouldn’t be overlooked in their importance. Sure, a little forward thinking might’ve saved my outfit but next time it might save my life.

The check list

When it comes to choosing the perfect backup dress, there is no one size fits-all answer, as individual preferences and needs vary greatly. This can also be dependent on the type of events you attend and how frequently you need something to wear. Below I will share my personal checklist of factors that I always consider when selecting a backup dress for myself as a template for developing your own—though you’re welcome to just use mine if it hits the mark for you!

This list includes:

Versatility: A good backup dress should be versatile enough to work with a variety of different outfits and styles, in case your original outfit becomes unwearable or unsuitable for the occasion. I find that classically cut pieces are often the most versatile so that’s what I recommend sticking with. For example, the elegant cowl neck and ruching on the side of my red dress are very traditionally flattering.
Comfort: It’s important to choose a backup dress that is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, especially if you’ll be wearing it for several hours or more. This means ensuring that the fabric is easy to move in and isn’t too tight or restrictive to your shape. Something that might be fine for the first 15 minutes may not last a whole night of careful maneuvering. If it’s not easy to wear, it’s not a good backup!
Size and Fit: The backup dress should be the right size and fit for your body, with enough room to move and breathe comfortably without being ill fitted. I highly suggest focusing on a fabric that gives and stretches so that the dress can fluctuate with your weight to accommodate any last minute changes that are totally natural. I also suggest trying to find something that doesn’t require alterations if you can.
Material: The material of the backup dress should be durable, wrinkle-resistant, and easy to care for, in case you need to make any last minute repairs or adjustments. It should be a fabric that is kind to your body and shape—something that moves with you and can accommodate weight fluctuations with ease. Go for stretchy, not rigid as it will box you into a certain proportion that needs to be maintained.
Color: The color of the backup dress should complement your skin tone and work well with a variety of different outfits and accessories. Always choose your best colors for your back up dress and if you are weight conscious, stick to slimming, darker shades like black, navy, and plum which will compliment your shape.
Style: The style of the backup dress should be simple and timeless, rather than overly trendy or flashy, to ensure that it remains stylish and relevant over time. Remember, the goal is to keep this back up dress and rewear it for a long time so it needs to transcend whatever’s on the runway to become a reliable staple.
Accessibility: It’s important to choose a backup dress that is easy to access and put on, in case you need to change quickly or unexpectedly. Ideally, you should be able to get in and out of it yourself without a lot of trouble but this one is more of a personal choice of mine than anything—more preference than a deal breaker.
Cost: Finally, the cost of the backup dress should be reasonable and within your budget, taking into account the potential need for last minute replacements or additional purchases to complete your look. Once you’ve finished your outfit, you can have it hanging and ready to go for a rainy day!

By keeping these factors in mind, you can ensure that your backup dress is both practical and stylish, and ready to save the day in case of any wardrobe emergencies.

Seeing Red

As we come to the end of our deep dive into the necessity of backup dresses and the art of quickly styling them, I hope that my tips and explanations were helpful. Whether you’re navigating a wardrobe malfunction, attending an unexpected event, or simply seeking a versatile option for travel, having a trusty backup dress can be a lifesaver.

Remember the key principles we discussed: choosing versatile styles that can be dressed up or down, prioritizing comfort and fit, and carefully maintaining complimentary matching accessories to have on demand in a pinch. I encourage you to consider what kind of backup dress best suits your personal style and lifestyle and to invest in a piece—or two—that you can rely on for any occasion. Happy styling!