The dress

I have a few big events coming up: my cousin's wedding this Friday, an Australian Speculative Fiction awards ceremony where I was a judge so I get to go and glam it up, then my brother-in-law's weddings (one here then one a week later in China where his bride grew up). I have been wearing the same "good" outfit for four or five years while hoping to eventually fit into something smaller, but it was definitely time to get something new. Because of the awards ceremony, I wanted something particularly glamorous, but evening gowns are a tricky proposition for me. I am only 5' tall - about 152 cm - which means that floor-length dresses are always much too long and drag on the ground, particularly as I don't wear very high heels. On the other hand, as my legs are actually my worst feature (I am "skittle" shaped), I didn't want anything shorter than ankle-length. A dilemma. I tried on dozens of formal dresses and narrowed it down to three, then took my husband (and kids) for his opinion. One black evening gown covered in sequins was agreed to be the best, and incredibly it was the correct length, but unfortunately some of the sequins were already shedding. They ordered me another one from a store in the next state, it arrived today. Also missing some vital sequins. They gave me a discount and a baggie of spare sequins. I need to wear it the day after tomorrow so I will be stitching tonight. I am just worried that more will come off every time I wear it! I didn't need new shoes, but I bought a black jacket to go over the top in the church or if it gets cold, and a new evening bag which is barely big enough to fit the basics - I also had to buy a tiny purse-ette as mine was too big to fit in! I am trying to make the best of the shape I am at the moment. It was hard, trying on lots of lovely clothes and not looking as good as I had hoped in the privacy of my head. But I need to love and accept who I am now while striving to be healthier and slimmer.