Has anyone else who is on the smaller side been having a ridiculously hard time finding dresses lately? I was in need of a neutral, classy dress for an upcoming photo shoot and must have tried on 25 dresses between Nordstrom and J. Crew, stores that are usually slam dunks for me. But nothing fit until I headed to Ann Taylor Loft’s petite section, where I found this pretty little number:

Please pardon the fact that it appears to fit the model terribly. My dress fits much more like the photo showing the print version (so cute!):

Very Lilly, don’t you think? And for a fraction of the price, too — all dresses are 30% off through May 8, meaning mine was just $55. If you are on the hunt for a dress, as well, I recommend heading to Loft!

My sweet friend Nancy is in pursuit (ha) of the perfect one-piece swimsuit. I thought I’d help her out and do a search of my own.

First row: (A) Land’s End Canvas, $17, (B) Land’s End Canvas, $40, (C) Boden, $68
Second row: (D) Land’s End Canvas, $40, (E) JCPenney, $35, (F) Old Navy, $30
Third row: (G) Old Navy, $30, Land’s End Canvas, $75, Shabby Apple, $88

I’ve always been pretty eh on the whole one-piece thing, but these options might be changing my mind… how about y’all? Do you wear a one-piece?

I love getting email from readers! Y’all are the best, and Kelly’s email was particularly awesome. She wrote:

“Hello Emily!

I’m an avid reader of Peach and Pearl way up north from Massachusetts. My junior prom is coming up in May, and I have a dress dilemma. I was inspired by your posts on the Rosecliff Ball, and “beauty on a budget.” I decided that I could do the same for my first prom. I have the dress already picked out. However, I have no clue what I should do for my makeup/accessories. I don’t have my ears pierced, so I guess earrings are out of the question. Have any ideas on how to complete the outfit?

Sincerely,
Kelly

First, I have to say that I’m tickled I have at least one reader that’s a junior in high school. Are there any more of you out there? Sound off in the comments! :)

Second, I loved prom, so I’m always happy to help. (John and I went together senior year! I will have to dig out some photos for you…)

Anyway, here’s Kelly’s dress:

It’s by Thread Social, though Kelly’s getting it through Rent the Runway — smart girl! I love the plum color.

I put together three different “looks”: one gold-toned, one silver-toned, and one more colorful. Happily, most of these accessories are interchangeable. And — bonus! — most pieces on here are less than $35, and many are less than $10. The general exception is the shoes… they were too pretty to resist, and all could be worn for years with proper care, so we’ll consider them an investment! The earrings are also all clip-ons, per Kelly’s request.

The Goods

A. Bracelet from Forever 21 ($8.80), heels from Nina ($89.95), clutch from Macy’s ($23.99), clip-on earrings from Macy’s ($32)

B. Clip-on earrings from Forever 21 ($5.80), bracelet set from Forever 21 ($4.80), shoes from Nordstrom ($79.95), clutch from Macy’s ($21.99)

C. Clutch from Macy’s ($34.99), shoes from Nina ($99.95, but I also loved these ruby-toned ones from Payless, and they were just $19.99!), clip-on earrings from Macy’s ($38), bracelet from Forever 21 ($5.80)

I also wanted to point out this pair and this pair of clip-on earrings I found in my search, though they didn’t make it into the final board.

On the topic of makeup I am certainly no expert, so I’ll just say that I love my Great Lash mascara and CoverGirl Lipslicks. Ladies, I’m sure our girl would appreciate any additional advice you could offer!

Kelly, I hope this has been helpful for you! And I hope you have a MARVELOUS time at the prom!!

Anyone who has read this blog for a few months should know that I am always on the hunt for swiss dot. I love the stuff, particularly in wedding gowns. It seems others are catching on to my addiction, so I thought I’d post a few of my favorites here.

We have Lily, the original dotted bride, wearing gorgeous Carolina Herrara. Photo by Thayer Allison Gowdy.

Currently, two bridal lines account for most of the swiss dot options, and each of those lines has a more famous design. The first is Melissa Sweet’s “Dora,” photographed here by Jasmine Star.

This lovely bride, photography by Sloan Photographers, is also wearing the “Dora.” See more from this wedding here!

Another Dora, this time photographed by Raya Photography. See more here.

I love that this shot of the Dora shows off the pretty detailing along the bust. So gorgeous! Photo by Orchard Cove. See more here! Melissa Sweet has one other design that features swiss dot, the “Gigi.”

The other swiss dot line is Christos. My favorite of the bunch is the “Maribel”. Here’s a bride that chose Miss Maribel, photographed by Jen Curtis:

Christos also carries the “Lydia”, the “Zinnia”, and the “Desiree”, all of which are dotted numbers.

For those interested in a short dress, I have to recommend the “Elope” dress by Sarah Seven. At $755, it’s not cheap, but it’s also considerably less than some other options out there.

If you’re interested in accenting your look with a dotted accessory, I’ve got inspiration for you, too! I love this shot from Jonathan Canlas:

I could be mistaken, but I think she’s wearing the “Dotted Voile Veil” from BHLDN.

I also love this adorable yet stylish bow comb from BHLDN:

For vintage lovers, I recommend this cap or this cap from Twigs & Honey (gorgeous photo below by Elizabeth Messina).

Lastly, a few current preowned dress listings for those of you who, like me, adore the Dora and Maribel but can’t afford to buy new:

Melissa Sweet “Dora”:
Size 2, $3,000
Size 4, $2,500
Size 8, $2,800
Size 16, $1,900

Christos “Maribel”:
Size 10, $2,000

Happy hunting! Now, make me jealous: did you wear either of these dresses (or anything swiss dotted, for that matter) at your wedding?