Wedding dress for a tropical leap day maritime elopment?

January 16, 2016 9:28 AM

I'm getting married! We're functionally eloping, but will be having a brief ceremony on board a very small ship in the tropics. Woo! So, what should I wear?

I've always liked simple, elegant and striking dresses - I love Claire Underwood's wardrobe. Definitely not looking for a wedding dress, but want to get something I feel special in. I'm looking for a shorter dress with a boat/ballet neck and a plunging back, if possible - but I'm flexible. am very short (5'0) with an athletic physique. I won't have access to an iron, anything that can't be tossed into a suitcase probably won't be successful.

Provisos: I will either be barefoot or wearing simple black sandals. Mr. Arnicae is opting for nice-ish shorts and a button down short sleeve shirt. Everyone else will be super casual.

Any ideas? I'm drawing a total blank.

posted by arnicae to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

I'm obsessed with Aritzia right now, so I went & looked...what do you think about this?
posted by WesterbergHigh at 9:34 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

My wedding dress for our tiny tropical garden ceremony came from Nanette Lepore. The tailoring on them is gorgeous. Her clothes fit like a dream. I'm also a big fan of Cynthia Rowley. I love this dress from DvF, too. Since it's made of jersey material, it should survive being rolled up in a suitcase well.
posted by batbat at 10:10 AM on January 16, 2016

No specific suggestions, but Rent the Runway has a good search filter, and you can mouse-over to see the back of the dress, so you can check there for low backs more easily than other sites.
posted by gatorae at 11:14 AM on January 16, 2016

I always like ASOS for special-feeling but inexpensive and not overly formal dresses. Their dresses for weddings section runs the gamut. A few that seem good for your needs:

This seems to meet all your criteria though the back does not plunge very low.

This has a cutout back but might feel too princessy.

This and this are drapey and casual, which might go really well with the boat environment and your intended's shorts ensemble.

This and this don't quite meet your criteria but (for different reasons) I think they'd look really nice with bare feet.

And this has a very high back but how cute would that print be for a tropical wedding?
posted by babelfish at 11:27 AM on January 16, 2016

I'll point this one out, just in case: Halston Heritage Embellished Halter Dress. It doesn't have the boat/ballet neck, and I'm not sure how the length suits you, but it's very elegant, with a touch of beading that makes it extra special without seeming out of place for your setting, will work with simple sandals, and it seems like it would be comfortable and travel well. Not sure about that last, but you could ask!
posted by taz at 12:00 PM on January 16, 2016

I think this is elegant. You could have it carefully hemmed, I'm sure. As for packing, there are ways to minimize wrinkling, but you might want to pack a travel steamer.
posted by cabingirl at 1:11 PM on January 16, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks everyone - I'm really not looking for a wedding dress. Just a dress I feel special in.
posted by arnicae at 2:21 PM on January 16, 2016

What about this dress from Urban Outfitters? The white is nice but I think the blue is extra beautiful.
posted by Night_owl at 3:13 PM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

Well, I think the J. Crew Tessa is the line/aesthetic you are describing. However it is slub silk with a lining, which in my opinion is too freaking hot to wear in the tropics.

So I did a preliminary search on resort wear and saw this Lily Pulitzer shift, which has crisp tailoring, special details, and most importantly, is cotton with a cotton lining. The fact that it is white is in my mind incidental. You didn't mention any particular color scheme, and Claire Underwood seems to wear mostly black and sometimes white, so I can't tell if a white dress reads too 'bridal' for you.

But yeah, try searching resort collections for fiber content is what I got. Alot of the lines I looked at with minimal cuts were made of absurdly hot fabrics, and everything else seemed to drapey/lacey. Best of luck, and congratulations!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 5:39 PM on January 16, 2016

Addenda: I think you might like St. John.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 1:04 PM on January 17, 2016

This Stella McCartney dress might fit the bill.

And best wishes!
posted by 26.2 at 12:35 AM on January 19, 2016

Well? What did you wear? And congratulations!
posted by Night_owl at 9:23 PM on February 29, 2016