My wedding dress hangs in my ex-husband's storage closet, because I have moved around so much since getting divorced, have not seen fit to take it and move it along with me, but do not want to get rid of it because I do like the dress...someday it might have a use? Fancy dress party or something? I told him he had more space than me to store it, but should he ever get bothered by it being there, to let me know and I would find another place to keep it.

Moral of the story: Hmm, I don't know. I really liked the dress?!

Best wishes sneaks for your wedding day---its a great day, but exhausting! What I remember most clearly about mine is just DYING for a glass of champagne at the dinner/reception as I got there, having been held hostage for wedding snaps, and then of course people wanting to congratulate you, and all I wanted after the drama of the day ( a long story, complete with rain, bridesmaids locked out of the church, me not yet dressed dashing about looking for an unlocked door, no way to dry hair, shoving soaking wet hair under my Edwardian hat) and a friend of mine rushing with not one, but two, glasses of champagne, saying I KNOW YOU WILL WANT THESE! What are friends for?

Yes, a very lovely dress!! But I am with Smilodon on this, I could not wear it, all wrong for my bustline!

http://vintagedress.co.uk/edwardian.html

ah ha, after some searching, I found something that closely resembles my wedding dress, look at E4 on the webpage, its very similar, and I had a lovely hat to go with it, all in ivory! I found the dress quite by accident one day whilst shopping for dog food, it was hanging in a window display case of a shop, and I went in and eagerly begged them to get it down and let me try it. =)

Scarlett O'Hara returns...when working on her PhD she said, " I will worry about that tomorrow."

I read on Wikipedia that the empire waistline is NOT meant for people with curves! HAH! I knew it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waistline_(clothing)

This same website says that people with curves do better in the Basque or Antebellum waist line ( the site calls it a V shaped waistline, but the other names sound more romantic, the better to compete with the name of Empire).

This is the only image I could find of such a waistline, its in a wedding dress, but you get the picture ( no pun intended!). I should like to start a movement to bring back this waistline into fashion!

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.miraclesetc.com/gown_styles/gown_styles_clip_image002.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.miraclesetc.com/gown_styles/gown_styles.htm&h=123&w=100&sz=12&hl=en&start=19&um=1&tbnid=-ndNFaU70xbATM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=72&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dantebellum%2Bwaistline%26start%3D18%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Well, then, let's have our own Jane Austen Bookclub!!!! We can figure out how to do it online, perhaps this forum would let us do it on the off topic part of the forum, where we can pick a Jane Austen book and read it and discuss it just like the film! =) It would make a nice diversion from the PhD work! and Empire clothing optional...errm...that doesn't sound right. You know what I mean!

Yes, please do be Mr Darcy. Empire waist lines would be more tolerable if they came with a few Mr Darcy's scattered about the High Streets of the UK.

On another Jane Austen note, I saw the cutest film this summer, its a couple of years old I think, called "Bride and Prejudice". Its ( obviously) a take on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, but its a Bollywood version set in the modern day, and its really funny. You don't have to know anything about the book to like the film. I also saw the Jane Austen Bookclub film, also very enjoyable.

Does the UK have any Jane Austen bookclubs? How would one go about setting one up?

Thanks for the tips, Sleepyhead. You have a great memory, indeed, I am a "mature" student ( in America I would be called a "non-traditional" student, and come to think of it, I like that ring a lot better! Henceforth, I am not mature, only non-traditional! )

Yes, its frustrating to shop for smart/etc clothing when there is not much on offer for THAT sort of wear. I suppose that teenagers have lots of pocket money to spend, and so they are a worthwhile market, whilst more non-traditional shoppers are traditionally tied down with mortgages, car payments, and pocket money for their teenagers, having thus less disposable income. Perhaps I should set up my own shop...Olivia's--Non-traditional Clothes for Non-traditional People!

And, as with all fashion trends, there is no variety. There is little to choose from besides a smocky look, and that is a bit limiting! whether you love smocks or not. If a certain look is in, it is ALL that is in, apparently. That clone mindset in fashion is sooo boring. And as a friend of mine says, just cause you can get into it does not mean you should wear it. Some things, just cause the zip went up, do not flatter the wearer. Better to have a choice of fashion and design, casual looks are great for those occassions, but when you need something more serious, there should also be a choice for that. A smock with a suit...hmm...would not do I do not think!

I don't think that the smocky look with its empire waist line--is that a waist line--whose waist goes up to their neck??---looks well on people with a curvy build, whether by nature or by McDonalds. Unless you are pencil thin and not curvy, it adds a sort of billowy look to a person, that at least in my opinion, seems to mimic pregnancy.

Whew! that is good news Eska that this smock look is gone--or soon at any rate ( but can they PUHLEAASE replace it with something wearable?!). The peasant blouse look of a couple of years ago was OK, those were decent enough to wear, but then it all went insane with this smock/pregnant look...shudder...! Where do people get a career wardrobe, ie, nice but conservative blouse, skirt, etc...something less formal than a suit, but more business like than a smock??!

And...ummm...the faux pregnant look is NOT what I am after, actually, which leaves me with NO choice! WHY are these styles around-if no one would buy them they would not persist, do people REALLY want to carry off this faux pregnant look? Its not an attractive style, and oh my gosh, I wonder how many people have been wrongly congratulated on an upcoming birth when maybe they just had a large meal but give off the "pregnancy sillouhete" in these maternity smocks?? UGH! Rant over.

YIKES is about all I have to say about current "fashions" for women's clothing. Well, I do have other words, actually, but they would not be allowed on this forum. Having tried in vain to find a few appropriate tops, I am left feeling rather disguisted and I guess I will just have to wait a few years for the "fashions" to change. Is it just me or does everything look like a maternity top these days? You walk into any type of clothing shop and you are greeted with rack after rack of maternity smocks.

OK, cannot resist one more...its sort of an Olympic mood one...
Monsterpiece Theatre, Chariots of Fur!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4a0rEogx54&feature=related

And...just in case you need some entertainment for a break...who can resist Monsterpiece Theatre!?! with Alistair Cookie...this one is a classic, Gone with the Wind ( "all time favorite movie..me not seen it yet, but me hear it about...the wind!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa2pdCgUzrE