Best part of my cousin’s wedding yesterday: I got to wear a pretty dress! Worst part of my cousin’s wedding yesterday: I suck at small talk and a wedding reception is basically several hours of small talk, hence several hours of me feeling awkward and inadequate interspersed with occasional fruit and chocolate samplers. As far as family get togethers go, this was a pretty good one. The wedding was small, short, and to the point. Just my style.
For this special occasion I put together a “fancy dress” version of my 3D progress photos. I decided to get over my arm flab issues already and just go with a sleeveless dress and I didn’t regret it for one moment. The funny thing was the wedding colors turned out to be black and pink. The bridesmaids’ dresses were black and the flower girl’s were in pink, so I could have strolled down the aisle right between them as a transition piece.
The odd thing about looking at this is that when I look in the mirror I think I look even thinner than I appear in the photos. What is that, reverse anorexia? I suppose it’s not a bad body dysmorphia to have. Either way, I look way better than I did at my friend’s wedding in August of 2002 where I got paired with a groomsmen who had the best posture I’ve ever seen, like someone had jammed a flagpole up his ass. I felt like such a blob walking down the aisle next to him.
I think I was a size 26 dress then and now I’m down to a 14, which perplexes me since I wear size 22 jeans. Even looking at the official size chart for the dress I wore this weekend, it should be physically impossible for me to fit into it. The bust is right on, but the waist and hip measurements are about 10 inches smaller than what I am. I guess this has something to do with the cut? I hear A-line skirts can fix almost any figure flaw.
Tonibaby says
May 21, 2006 at 2:53 pmWOW! The difference between the two pictures is just amazing! You are lookin good girl! WTG!
kalyn says
May 21, 2006 at 3:29 pmYou look wonderful. You must be so proud.
melanie says
May 21, 2006 at 4:07 pmyou look awesome!!
dg says
May 21, 2006 at 5:17 pmwoohoo! you look gorgeous :)
Isabelle says
May 21, 2006 at 5:20 pmYou look really really pretty. Well done indeed.
Eh... not so much says
May 21, 2006 at 6:09 pmWhat a great dress! Love the flowers down the side. You’re doing so great!
Kyra says
May 21, 2006 at 6:21 pmIt’s not dysmorphia – You ARE thinner in person than in a photo. A photo reduces a 3D image to 2D, and by doing so (flattening out the depth) it creates a “heavier” looking you. The whole “the camera adds 10 lbs” is ABSOLUTELY true – take it from me. That’s why us artists prefere live models rather than photos. (Ok, there is that, and having Mr. Stud sit there on command which is just cool…. ;)
You have made such wonderful progress, you should be so proud of yourself! You Look great!
Tom Stormcrowe says
May 21, 2006 at 6:41 pmLookin’ great, Pasta Queen!
Milana says
May 21, 2006 at 6:47 pmYou look fantastic!
I just wanted to comment on the fact that I talked about the same exact thing with the looking thinner in real life then in photos…..that’s the exact way I feel about my pictures from prom this week! In all honestly, I’m really starting to believe that the camera adds 10 lbs…
Josie says
May 21, 2006 at 9:10 pmI am totally with you on the weird sizing issue. I wear a size 6 in most work pants, but a size 10 in jeans! I swear, jeans must run smaller!
And yes, there is a huge difference between the two pictures…did people comment on how good you look at the wedding?
I don’t do well grazing at parties, I get too nervous and end up eating 3000 calories!
Kim says
May 21, 2006 at 9:27 pmI’m so glad that you shared the picture with us! You look great!! :) Hootie-hoo!!
Debbi says
May 22, 2006 at 6:35 amSo elegant and classy … the fit is perfect and very flattering. I’m with you on sizes.
When I read what other people weigh and what size they wear, I just figure they’re buying very expensive clothes. [My theory is that the more you pay, the smaller the size; I think it’s called ‘vanity sizing.’] I refuse to spend a lot of money on clothes that will be sent to Goodwill as soon as they’re too big on me.
So glad you had a ‘before’ photo to show, as well. Quelle difference!
little miss ess says
May 22, 2006 at 9:24 amThe difference is just incredible. Look at what you’ve accomplished! Wow. And you look fab in that dress. I’m curious too if anyone who knew you then and hadn’t seen you in a while said anything about your transformation.
zara says
May 22, 2006 at 10:20 amI’m so happy for you! The dress fits you like a dream and you look so beautifully happy. Your smile is my favorite part of your ensemble! :)
Karen says
May 22, 2006 at 10:53 amYou really do look fantastic. Now I have rotated and rotated this new picture and I guarantee you that your arms do NOT look flabby. Next time you go to WalMart I want you to take a look around at some of the women wearing sleeveless tops and compare them to your pic and you will see what I mean.
Nicole says
May 22, 2006 at 11:57 amYou look AMAZING!! Wow! Great dress too!
scone says
May 22, 2006 at 12:08 pmCongratulations, dear. And Kyra is right, the camera does add weight. The perspective is distorted, mostly because of the lens. There are correcting lenses, but they cost huge sums. You can see this for yourself in panorama landscape shots, where the earth or seascape looks unnaturally curved. The lens problem is one reason why fashion photography goes through so much computer processing.
Katrina says
May 22, 2006 at 10:04 pmYou look great! What a change!
And the 3d picture thing– so cool!
Nienuh says
May 23, 2006 at 2:37 amYou look absolutely fabulous! And the difference between those two pictures. Ah…
Marla says
May 23, 2006 at 8:30 amWow, you look wonderful! Beautiful dress, too.
The sizes make no sense at all. I wear some 14s, some 22s, none of it is consistent.
K says
May 23, 2006 at 11:20 amYou look lovely! That’s such a pretty dress.
Skirt sizing does depend a lot on the style. And it’s not at alll unusual to wear a different size top and bottom. I sometimes have two or even three sizes’ difference between the two.
Your upper arms look fine – much better than mine do! My arms and thighs are really, really loth to improve. I think it’s true that the bits you most want to improve are the most stubborn…
Mark says
May 24, 2006 at 5:06 amWow! Is this going on the progress page?
I want to see a spinning Flash version of the guy with good posture.
Nadya says
May 26, 2006 at 6:27 amAmazing and well done!!
Sten1650 says
January 29, 2007 at 9:48 pmI’ve just been staying at home not getting anything done. I’ve basically been doing nothing worth mentioning. My life’s been pretty unremarkable these days. Eh.
Kari says
March 12, 2007 at 7:55 pmThat’s an amzing pic! You look great! I hate social situations like that too, as I’m such a socially awkward person, mostly because I loathe small talk. I’m comfortable with close friends, mostly because I can say just about anything, and not have to worry about saying the wrong thing, looking stupid, or offending someone (not that I try to offend people often!).
kylie redmond says
September 8, 2009 at 1:59 amlol that dress you wore in the wedding was my prom dress in 2006 awesome lol also i just want to tell you i started reading your blog about 2 hrs ago wen i was researching morbidly obese and it brought upp the blog u did about the difference of the obese’s and i went to the begining and started reading at day one, and let me just say bravo i am so inspired by you, i cant wait to start my diet lol but i was planning weight watchers and now im kinda hesitant south beach diet was my first choice but i changed my mind and now i dont know lol!!
Elizabeth says
February 21, 2010 at 4:23 pmBeing, a pear shape as well, I have always fitted into much smaller size dresses than jeans.