What did she see? She saw herself in the water, and lo! no longer was she a gray ugly duckling, hateful to look upon — she was a swan!
–The Ugly Duckling, Hans Christian Andersen
I’m not a procrastinator, but I am prone to changing my mind at the last minute. I had planned to wear a long navy dress to the Jingle Ball last Wednesday, and then on Tuesday, a short white dress with feathers arrived in the mail. All of a sudden, my plans changed.
But it couldn’t have been more perfect. The weather was crummy, even for someone who survived a Monday in Chicago where the windchill dipped below -50ºF. Wearing long sleeves was ideal for the chilly temps, and having a short dress prevented me from dragging the hem along city streets dampened by sleet.
I felt like a ballerina, a fairy princess, a swan, even a Björk (circa 2001). In fact, I loved this look so much that I had to put it back on days later for photographs, particularly because it’s so memorable that I don’t think I can wear it out again anytime soon. But who knows? Maybe I’ll change my mind.
*For the record, the top of this dress is completely sheer/see-through. I paired it with a lace bodysuit that’s meant to be seen. In fact, I’ll probably match it with a blazer soon, so you will, in fact, be seeing it again.
