The Happiness Dress

I had a conversation with a good friend of mine earlier. I'd really like to share. I'm going to tell you a story. As you read it, you're going to think it's completely pointless and wonder where I'm going with it. But bear with me. For in the words of the great Elle Woods, "I have a point, I promise."

My senior year of high school, I went prom dress shopping with my mom one Saturday. Now there are some girls who buy their senior prom dresses days, weeks, months, YEARS in advance. It's kind of a big deal to some people. I, on the other hand, had put it off (of course). It was about a month before prom. When it comes down to it like that, you have to get your dresses then because if you wait all the good ones will be gone and you'll wind up with something frilly, sparkly, and (as I shudder) poofy. It ain't pretty.

So as I walked into the very first dress shop with my mom that day, I had a certain attitude. Some girls have a very specific preconceived notion about exactly what kind of dress they want. The color. The style. The length. Everything. And I had gone out dress shopping with those kinds of notions in the past. And every time I did, I always ended up very disappointed. Once you have that "perfect dress" in your mind, nothing else seems to measure up. You're left dissatisfied and settle for a dress you just kinda like. So that day I told myself that I needed to approach this hunt in an entirely new fashion (Ha, fashion. Get it?) I told myself, "Melanie, don't go in there with any kind of particulars in mind. Just find a dress that fits you and looks good on you."

The very first dress I tried on in the very first shop we went to was this bright orange number. It was strapless and sort of flared out at the bottom. It wasn't exactly my style considering that I'm much more of a jeans and flannel shirt kinda gal. But it was kind of pretty and my size so I thought, "Well, alright." And I tried it on.

This dress was perfect. On the hanger it was meh but on it was wow. It fit just right. No alterations would be needed. It was even reasonably priced. All in all, the perfect dress.

But I did not buy it right away. I thought, "Well yeah, this dress seems perfect. But this is the first shop I've been to, the first dress I've tried on. Surely there are other options out there. I'm going to just put this on hold and keep looking."

My mom and I went to about four other dress shops that day. Nothing else even came close. I knew as soon as we left that first shop that I was going to be coming back for that dress. And in the end, I did. And I wore it to my senior prom. And I felt like the prettiest girl in the room.

I didn't tell you this story to sound materialistic or vain. Not at all. This is my point...

If you try to find your perfect fits in this world, whether they be prom dresses or people, attempting to cram them into an "ideal mold" you've created will only leave you completely disappointed. Change your mold to fit the things that take your breath away. Only then will you find true satisfaction with the decisions that you make. Only then will you feel like the prettiest girl in the room.

This whole post really isn't about a dress at all.