Easter Dress Shopping

As long as I can remember, I have worn a brand new outfit for Easter. Although my Easter "looks" have evolved overtime from the frills and lace-trimmed dresses (often complete with straw Easter bonnet), I have always enjoyed the concept of wearing something new or for the first time on Easter. This year, my birthday falls on Easter, so I felt this year's Easter dress had to be extra special (not that I'm trying to steal the Lord's thunder).

My mom and I decided to hit up our local mall last Sunday afternoon, given that we were only two weeks out. I have not been to the mall in SO long. Rick and I used to go to the mall all the time - he liked the mall, too, so it was our standard fallback date night when we didn't have anything else planned. My mom and I have become more boutique shoppers over the last few years, but I still appreciate going to the mall, particularly when I have something specific I am shopping for. It did not disappoint - the shoe section at Dillard's was simply magical 🤩. If I had been looking to spend more, and had the ability to walk in some of these shoes, not to mention a place to wear them, I would have walked away with numerous pairs! Quite honestly, given that (in my opinion) we have been in an ugly age of fashion, seeing so many funky yet beautiful shoes gave me hope that we may be emerging soon to a more beautiful era.

If you are curious as to what is currently in, I am here to tell you the two trends that stuck out to me yesterday: Barbiecore and 70's style looks. Nearly everywhere we went was loaded down with goods (particularly shoes and other accessories) in various shades of pink ranging from shimmery magenta to blinding neon pink that I have not seen since my Barbies donned these colors back in the 90's. I, of course, had to partake, and although I would have loved to sport a pair of platforms in a bold shade of pink, I know that they would not get the wear they deserve. So I settled for this set of chubby hoop earrings below, from francesca's:

When it comes to mall shopping, my mom and I tend to stick to department stores, as we generally find the quality better than other stores. They also have better sales (and we are sale and clearance rack shoppers). Our first stop we hit on our magical shopping tour was Macy's. I hadn't really planned on buying shoes, but of course, I am the one who walked away with two pairs. I saw these unique beauties - a higher heel than I normally go for, but not nearly as uncomfortable as I would have thought. Although I don't see myself wearing these a ton, given how casual my life has become, as my mom reminded me, every girl needs a pair of black heels, and I don't currently have one. (Always take a friend with you when you shop. 😉) Plus, with the sale Macy's was having, they rang up at about $32 - more than worth it!

My mom had been eyeing these dressy mules. They were too big for her, but they fit me. They were so beautiful and unique, someone had to get them, so I added them to my purchase. It turns out that they will go perfectly with the Easter dress I ended up buying - my last score of the day.

For better or for worse, while trying to locate the bathroom in Macy's, I passed by a sunglasses sale rack. I don't have to tell you what happened next (but I will). I now own two pairs of butterfly-shaped frames, which is probably two pairs more than a normal person would. But I couldn't resist this color (they are also more subtle and wearable than my other pair), and they matched the earrings I was wearing perfectly, so I couldn't resist...

A couple of other Macy's finds - this adorable hoodie my mom had spotted (and we all know I can't say no to Tommy Hilfiger 😉), and some much needed fresh athletic pants.

Even though western wear is currently in everywhere, in Oklahoma, it is in all the time. On the weekends, you can generally find me down at the local country bars, so I know anything western will always fit in my wardrobe and get a decent amount of wear. I came upon this fringe suede skirt when we were at francesca's. Although I typically wear at least a large on my bottom half (I am somewhat pear-shaped), all they had were small sizes - XS-M. I tried the medium, figuring it probably would not fit. I was shocked that it actually perfectly! (Their clothing runs big, so you can probably size down when shopping there.) Plus, it was on sale for $35, so it was a no-brainer for me.

francesca's was also having an "everything $10" jewelry sale - incredibly dangerous - so I also scored these other pairs of earrings. (Here is what the pair in the top left corner look like on - a dainty pear stone with wrap-around rose gold.)

And of course got stopped by the sunglasses rack...I am not proud...

The last stop of the day was Dillard's, and it ended up having that for which I came - the perfect Easter dress. But as I mentioned, the shoe section was a magical distraction - tables and tables of some of the most colorful, most beautiful, most interesting, most gaudy shoes I've ever seen. Given that I don't have an occasion or place to wear most of the fancy shoes that were laying out full-price, I kept my serious browsing to the sale racks, and just glanced wistfully at this season's shoes. While browsing clearance, I came upon these boots in my size. I've been wanting to add a dressier, funky pair of boots to my wardrobe that would be a bit more durable than my zebra calf hair ones, and these definitely fit the bill!

Lastly, I finally found what I came for, at 5:30pm - just before the mall was to close at 6pm. I have to say, finding a great dress that would be perfect for Easter was much harder yesterday than I had anticipated. Not only were most of the dress departments overtaken by prom attire, but it seems there is predominantly one style of dress in stock in department stores for women - silky, short, with peasant-like long sleeves, and for some reason a shape that adds tons of volume around the middle. Given that I am not particularly keen on this style, and would likely feel uncomfortable wearing it to church given the length, I wasn't sure if I was going to find something appropriate for Easter 2023. Then finally, just past the magical shoe-land in Dillard's, a very unusual but pretty dress caught my eye. I popped into the f'room just before the mall was about to close, and the dress ended up fitting just about perfectly, and although not on sale, the price was practically a "sale" price. I'm not going to share it yet, but I will give you a hint before I post it on Easter: think 70's style in pastel Easter colors. 😉

Some might think it's frivolous to buy a new outfit for a day that is supposed to be about the Lord. But I see it as a celebration of Jesus' resurrection, so why wouldn't I want to dress in my very best, especially in something new, for the one who came to make all things new?