I've noticed lately at least here at Polk that a ton of military balls have been happening, spouses have been asking for advice on what is appropriate to wear and it's interesting to see some of the responses that they get.
When I attended my first ball with Kyle I was lucky enough to have a good friend help me. She gave me some of the best advice which was, "be comfortable in your own skin." That really stuck with me and I still follow that advice. Now there are those that say to not wear a short dress or don't wear strapless. I have done both and everything else in between. For the longest time I would do my best to avoid dresses that showed my tattoos however now I don't worry about that, if someone is going to judge me based on that than I don't want to know them.
We attended our 8th ball in December and I've noticed that as I have gotten older my style has certainly changed. I have to remember that I do represent Kyle but that does not mean I have to wear something that doesn't fit who I am as well. You also don't have to break the bank, some of my dresses I got on the clearance rack, one I already had from a wedding I was in, and I even rented.
May 2009 July 2009
December 2009 December 2010
February 2011 May 2012
February 2014 December 2015
I have had friends have meltdowns because they were so nervous about what to wear. Yes, there is proper etiquette and yes there are those who push the envelope but I have yet to run into someone who has gone way too far.
I am not sure when our next ball will be but I'm already looking forward to it.
Have you ever attended a military ball?
You have incredible taste, love all of your looks!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! And that's good advice for anyone attending any kind of event that is out of the norm (because how often do you wear gowns, otherwise?!)
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part for finding the right dress for the ball was getting it in the right price range! But you're right, you definitely want to be comfortable in whatever you wear! You look stunning in all of your dresses!
ReplyDeleteLove this! I LOVE getting all dressed up for military balls... it's been over a year since we've been to one, though. I love all your dresses, but your most recent one is (by far!) my favorite!
ReplyDeleteYou look so pretty in all of them! It's cool to see the changes evolve though. I almost ALWAYS end up picking a navy colored dress for the balls that we go to. I don't know, it just seems to be my go-to color for some reason! My husband is in the AF, but we've had the opportunity to attend some Marine Corps balls too and it's so interesting to me how different they are!
ReplyDeleteLOVED that pink one, and the one from December! We haven't been to any, but I did pageants and I've been to dozens of formal events over the years. I have a closet full of clothes that were worn once!! Haha
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just an Engineer thing but Andy has told me horror stories of the "dresses" some girls wear to the ball.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the dresses!!!
ReplyDeletewww.kellydeniseblogs.com
I love all your dresses! We've yet to have a ball where I can actually wear a gown so I am looking forward to the idea of it. Maybe at our next duty station!
ReplyDeleteAll of your dresses look great :) I'm glad that you can wear strapless because those just tend to look best on me. And if I had to cover my tattoos, I'd have to go looking like a nun! haha.
ReplyDeleteYou look gorgeous in all your choices!
ReplyDeleteIve never attended a military ball before, you look so gorgeous in all of those dresses!
ReplyDeleteEight military balls! Is it crazy to say that I'm jealous?! We've only had one in 5.5 years! I think they're so fun and are hoping we have more on our docket soon! That most recent blue dress is my favorite!!
ReplyDeleteAlmost all the crazy dresses I've seen have been on younger girls who look like they're wearing prom dresses. But many of them also looked to be about 17 so they might have been prom dresses. ;) I love balls. There one of my favorite parts of army life.
ReplyDeleteYou have worn some of the prettiest dresses I've ever seen. That shiny pink/red one looks amazing. I'm not sure how you pulled that off without looking like a Barbie-wannabe but you owned it! And that dress you wore most recently is actual perfection.
ReplyDeleteHard to say which one looks the best cos they all look so fab!!
ReplyDeleteYou always look SO gorgeous!!! <3
ReplyDeleteYou look so beautiful in all of your pictures!! I went to a military ball in college with a friend of mine who was in the Army. I remember being nervous about what to wear but I ended up borrowing a dress that was perfect!!
ReplyDeleteI get such anxiety when I have to dress for any Navy function. I am terrible at choosing clothes for myself. Thank goodness my husband's community doesn't do a lot of formal functions.
ReplyDeleteI love all of the looks, but December 2010 and 2015 are my faves!
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