Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: aggravated
  • Music: Glee, "Pretty/Unpretty."

Being a girl is expensive: getting ready for the Hugos.

It's Hugo-prep time over here in Casa de Seanan, which means lots of flailing and frantic attempts to herd cats into something resembling order. And is always the case when I have to prep for a major event where appearance matters, I am reminded that it is expensive being a girl, especially being a plus-sized girl who actually wants to look, you know, nice.

To start with, you need a dress. Not just any dress: a dress which is appropriate and flattering and doesn't make you look like a manatee. I wound up going with a really lovely black and red ballgown from Sydney's Closet, a vendor that specializes in plus-size formal wear. I hugely recommend them, they're wonderful to work with. The dress fit almost perfectly, and Meg is doing some minor alterations. I should get it back tonight, just in time for...

Shoes and lingerie! I need shoes. I may also need a new strapless bra, since we can't tell exactly where the neckline will fall until Meg has everything stitched into position. Either way, I'm going to be tromping around the mall for a few hours. Nothing says "it's time for Worldcon" like a trip to the mall in a ballgown. Seriously. Nothing.

I have an appointment at my sister's school for Saturday morning, to have my hair done, and an appointment at Benefit Cosmetics for Saturday afternoon, to have my tan done. (Yes, I know, spray-tanning is horrible and will kill me and boo. But my tan lines are severe enough that I'm essentially calico right now, and that won't look good with my dress. As long as I'm not orange, I'm good. And really, this is me: if I were orange, I'd probably be pretty blissful about it.) My sister will also be doing my nails, before I fly to Chicago, and helping me set up my makeup bag. I don't know yet whether my foundation needs replacement. I guess we'll find out!

Jewelry, I have earrings already, and a few necklace prospects, although I may wind up buying something at the con from Spring.

So yeah. Being a girl? Is expensive as shit, and I am hugely envious of anyone who can just rent a tuxedo and be done. But I am going to look lovely, and get my picture taken with all my favorite people. I didn't go to my high school prom.

This will do.
Tags: con prep, shopping, so the marilyn
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  • 137 comments

ladymurmur

August 16 2012, 16:35:42 UTC 4 years ago

Spendy, indeed!!! Had the first dress-up occasion in I don't know how long this past weekend. Spent almost 2 months getting the outfit together. First, _the_ dress. I hadn't realized that one could find a "little black dress" that would flatter a plus-size figure. Now I know better, and IT IS MINE! MWAHAHAHA! But now that we have dress, we need bra (because nothing in the drawer works with the dress, of course), and shoes (because nothing in the closet works with the dress, of course). And makeup ('cause everything in the bag was years old at this point). And appropriate hair clip for the updo (because the one I had for prom lo these many moons ago does not work with this dress at ALL). And a mani-pedi since I wanted it to actually look nice. And stockings, which were next to impossible to find, because apparently most stores think that plus-size ladies don't want anything except combat-ready support hose. Harumpf. Combat-ready is a plus, of course, but they need to look pretty, not medicinal,

I guess if you want to "feel like a million dollars" you have to spend a significant fraction thereof. :-)

tigrkittn

August 17 2012, 04:24:38 UTC 4 years ago

Regarding stockings? Try being plus-sized and five-feet-zero! Anything big enough for my thighs thinks my legs are as tall as my whole self - those things come up to my neck! Thank god they're going out of fashion (or so I read somewhere...)