This past weekend, I went to Saratoga Springs for a wedding. It was an evening wedding, which calls for an extra spackle of glitz. But it was also unseasonably cold — around 37 degrees — and nothing can kill glamour faster than winter-esque layers.
When I purchased this silk Betsey Johnson dress in 2007, it was originally winter white. But during my 6-month rental in a hovel apartment near Prospect Park, the roof leaked right over half my clothes — staining this dress n the process. I had it professionally cleaned three times, but nothing could get the tea-like stains out.
I couldn’t bear to throw it away, so I dyed it navy in a last-ditch effort — and remarkably, it worked. (I just soaked the dress in hot water and liquid Rit dye in a bucket — it was marvelously easy.) Navy was a serendipitous color selection — the crystal-studded dress now resembles a gauzy, starry sky.
To stave off the cold temperatures, I slung on a vintage mink coat I bought for $40 from a secondhand store in Florida. I bought the coat during the great job crash of 2008 — I could barely afford dinner, but I wasn’t going to let that kind of bargain slip away. (Priorities.)
I know there can be controversy surrounding fur, but I have zero problem with a vintage version. When the animal in question has been dead for decades, it’s the most ethics-friendly fur footprint available. (In my experience, most people who give you guilt also happen to be wearing leather shoes — feel free to point out the double standard on animal skins.)
The whole outfit felt rather theatrical, but when you go as many weddings as I do, you sometimes need to take it up a notch.
Do you have a wedding uniform? And feel free to tell me your personal ethics policy on fur — vintage or otherwise.