- Dress Design
- Price
- Gift Suitability
The Search
Over the week I was plagued with the very difficult process that we all must face at some point in our lives: the best friend’s 21st birthday present. Various thoughts were muddling my brain and confusing me all throughout the week as I searched for that perfect gift that would match up to the friendship I’d had with this girl for so many years. Something personal, a little bit different, memorable, something that she’ll use and love – oh why is it so difficult?
I came close to some decorative plates with funny but not quite PG rated slogans printed on them to jazz up her bedroom wall and then considered some earrings or shoes. But nothing quite seemed to measure up. And then when I walked through the doors of Sass & Bide on Oxford Street I found it.
The Dress
As soon as I entered the store, my eyes were immediately drawn to this bright and beaded number that seemed to ooze with absolute glamour. A dress that was colourful, classy and…oh $320. I walked over to the dress and simply stared at it for a few seconds. My sisters, who were shopping with me and also great friends with the birthday girl, stared alongside me. We were transfixed.
The torso featured a vast array of fluorescent, varying sized beads covering a gladiator style breast plate with two black straps over the shoulders. A black band tucked in the waist, making the design slimming yet shapely, and white material flowed out halfway to the knees, adding elegance and class. Bright, unique, graceful and dazzling all at once. I knew that this was a gift that would raise the bar and make any other present pale in comparison.
We decided that the price was acceptable because, as an honorary member of our family, we would all be chipping in. However, then arose the next obstacle – how to know if and what size would fit her. My sister, who was similar but not exactly the same body shape as her tried it on first. It looked even better on that on the rack. I then tried it on for further testing.
The Decision
The following 15 minutes of torment and indecision involved a lot of questions, trying on and imaginings. We were pretty she would love the dress (I mean what girl wouldn’t?), but weren’t completely positive of whether it would fit perfectly and given there was a no refund policy, that was a pretty important factor.
In the end we just bit the bullet and took the dress to the counter. To our delight we were told that the dress was actually on sale for $240! That probably would have made the decision easier had we known earlier.
The Verdict
The next day at her 21st, the present was given to her in the morning and with bated breath as she unveiled the dress, to everyone’s excitement she fell in love with it just as much as we had. To make things better, it fit her perfectly and she decided, as we’d hoped she would, to wear it as her statement 21st dress.
Teamed with matching fluro orange nail polish, black heels and colourful eye shadow the birthday girl looked like a goddess and ‘popped’ like only a girl on the day of her 21st should. Everyone was amazed by the dress and the compliments she received from it were never-ending. All in all a pretty successful Sass & Bide present I would have to say.
