monday must-haves | maxi dresses

Whenever I have a big event to attend, I start planning what I’m going to wear ahead of time (don’t we all?) But sometimes my planning becomes borderline obsession. If I have a “vision” of my desired outfit, i.e. an image ingrained in my mind of exactly what I’d like to wear, I make it a quest to bring that vision to life. This can be both good and bad. Good, because I’ve narrowed down what I want. But also bad, because sometimes my “vision” is so specific that I can’t find what I’m looking for and end up disappointed. Case in point, finding a dress to wear to a destination wedding in Costa Rica. Ever since we got the invite, I immediately had a “vision” of wearing a fun, brightly-colored maxi dress with bold accessories.

Unfortunately, my reality is not living up to my vision. I’ve searched the internet high and low and still have only found dresses I like, not ones I love (well not ones I can afford anyway.) And to add to the pressure, ideally I’d like to buy a dress that I can wear again. My Pinterest board is full of options I’ve found but I’m stuck. And with the wedding just a month away, I really have to narrow down my choices and pick one! Any tips for dress reality not living up to your fantasy? What’s a girl to do?

Update: I’m submitting this post to IFB’s Project #100 to share my list of favorite maxi dresses.

dresses from left to right
row one: french connection maxi dress/asos | block party maxi dress/nasty gal |
halter print chiffon maxi dress/nordstrom 
row two: two birds convertible dress/shopbop | chaos theory maxi dress/nasty gal |
beaded cups modal dress/shopbop
row three: inca ruins cover up dress/shopbop | combo maxi dress/shoshanna |
column coverup dress/shopbop