Husband won't let me sew any more dresses until I have a place to wear them

[greenfaerie]

LOL  Don't ever ask for help with getting organized, or you get permabanned from buying "unneccessary" stuff.

Y'all help a girl out? I want to make something like http://www.butterick.com/item/B4919.htm?search=retro&page=1 (as a shorter dress) or http://www.butterick.com/item/B5182.htm?tab=evening_prom_bridal&page=1 or even  http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V1015.htm?tab=evening_bridal_includes_designer&page=2.  See the problem? All ready to dress up and no where to go. 

I'm sure a lot of us have these issues, and might not have the flock of friends getting married, etc to wear fun stuff to.  So where have you found a place to dress to impress in your own creations?

I live in Charleston, where it seems I see people dressed up all the time but have no idea where they're going haha.

[N30Nb100d]

I have the same problem. I have so many great dresses that I never get to wear. The semi-formal ones (even like the first dress pattern you listed in a shorter length) - I end up wearing them for even the smallest things: birthday parties, dinners, etc. Hey I may be overdressed but at least I get to wear clothes I love 
Formal dresses are harder. I can't find reason to wear them either. There definitely needs to be more formal occasions!

[Bladerunner]

Clearly you need to throw more parties. That way, you get to be in charge of the dress code.

Or start wearing those dresses to the grocery store. Make the Joneses keep up with you!

[jloveg]

the dresses are beautiful.  you could make one and have your other half take you out on a date and make people wonder where you are going!   candle light picnic in the park (don't forget the off) or a movie or a club  make it fancy for you .... who cares what others wear!!

[Aislynn]

You could make the first one in cotton or rayon, pair it with a little shrug or cardigan, and wear it anywhere from birthday parties or a dinner out to the supermarket on Friday afternoons.  The second one would go to the theater, ballet, or symphony (yes, I actually go these places, if at all possible--they're tons of fun, and depending on your city, may be relatively inexpensive, at least the symphony).  Again, making it in a matte fabric will open up the possibilities for it, in terms of formality.  For the third, I'm stumped.  That one's straight up wedding, in my book, unless you felt like modifying it a bit.

Oh, and I almost forgot:  art openings.  The first or second would work for an opening at a more posh gallery.

[soorawn]

Your husband clearly needs to take you to the restaurant more often.  and to the theatre.  And to posh clubs.

[dollbecky]

Romantic Dinner? ...or go out for drinks at a bar and flirt with the  husband .....
"I just wanted to look pretty for you"
Or "But I don't want you to get bored of seeing me in the same old outfits"
shameless I know it kinda works on my husband

*oh and make it in his favorite color*

[greenfaerie]

lol You ladies rock.  I can so see myself doing the "Stepford wife" shopping cart pushing with a dress like that on, right through the crowd of white trash people in their curlers, dirty smelly nascar tank tops, and barefoot.   Don't think "freaking out the people at Piggly Wiggly" (yes, that's really the name of our grocery store) would work as an excuse for the hubster though

Dollbecky, I think I'm gonna pull that one out next time I get caught with a big mess on the floor and my sewing stuff all over the table lol.  "But I just want to look nice for you!"  His favorite color on me is white.  Which knowing my clumsy habits is just asking for trouble.  Plus I feel like I look like a wanna-be bride in all white lulz.

Aislynn, I go to those types of cultural events, too!  They're tons of fun.  Sadly, I work most evenings as a ghost tour guide, so I don't get to go to many at all.  Plus, even in "Old South" Charleston, people just don't dress up for ANYTHING anymore.  It's sad, really.  And I have to tell myself DUH!  My husband and I are artists, and we very occasionally even get to attend our own art openings!  Why not make a dress for the next one?!  lol "But dear, I want everyone to know you have a creative and beautiful wife for your opening!  I have to look nice for you!"

I should do the picnic in the park thing.   Bring my retro "china" and my cheap silverplate candleabras hahahaha.

Thanks ladies!    It's sad that society seems to try to keep us from dressing up any day besides prom and our wedding, with a possible mother of the bride role years later.  LOL

[mental_freeze]

I agree with Bladerunner--more parties!!!  Adult proms are always an excuse for serious formalwear.  My grad school department had a prom every year in addition to other silly parties where we could get dressed up (however fine or fugly we wished).     

[churchofdisco]

if the first dress were made in a cotton type fabric, i'd probably just wear it with ballet flats as an every day dress. i feel ya on no one in your area dresses up for anything. i live in oklahoma city and NO ONE dresses up to go anywhere. however, i don't really give a hoot if no one else dresses up. what's wrong with being the best dressed person in the restaurant and inspiring others to start putting a little effort into it. oh if the other ladies only knew that it actually ISN'T any more effort to dress nicely. it doesn't take any more effort to pull on a cute dress than it does to pull on some frumpy mom jeans and a baggy t-shirt. i'm a stay at home mom to three boys under the age of five and i wear dresses and skirts all the time. more than i wear pants.

anyway, the second one could easily be a day dress too if you took off the train and made it in a day-time type fabric. i'd wear it to hula hoop in the park.