Coco Chanel- The Jungle of Dresses

Gabrielle "Coco" Bonheur Chanel . Born 1883- Died 1971

  “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”
― Coco Chanel, French Fashion Designer and Founder of the Chanel Brand.

 I have never been to a place filled with so much culture and uniqueness. Maybe it is because I don’t get out often, or because I am not familiar with different lifestyles. But I had the most interesting weekend of my life! Some places you never forget, and I will never forget Azteca Bridal.

This weekend, my step-mother, my sisters, a tag-a-long, and I went to the valley for a couple reasons. Reason one was to watch the girls’ basketball team play Winslow in the Final Four game. And the second was to look for a first communion/confirmation dress. First communion and confirmation are celebrations of the Catholic church of a person commuting into the Catholic religion. My sisters, Gwyneth and MaKenzi, are both making that journey and, due to this, they need a white dress. Dress shopping with Gwyneth is hard enough. She cannot find a dress that is absolutely perfect. From past experiences, she has cried in the dressing rooms from not having it fit. It would fit her in one area, but not the other. MaKenzi on the other hand is very proportionate, so hers would be easier.

          After the tough loss the night before, we all headed to Azteca. Melicia (my step-mom) and her mom, Francis, described the bridal salon as a loud, excited, outgoing, and passionate. Basically Azteca is the Mexican version of My Big, Fat Greek Wedding. They said the women there will be loud and obnoxious. I did not expect this to be completely true because they sounded as if they were over exaggerating. They did not. 

          I walked and was completely amazed. They had big, gaudy Quinceanera dresses, huge, white wedding dresses, and snazzy, striped suits for the men. I could not believe how many dresses there were. I am not exaggerating when I say this: They had two floors and six rooms with racks and racks of dresses. They had dresses every style, size, and every color of the rainbow. Approximately 3,200 dresses in that store were what I would think and maybe more! There were so many women in the store. There was a huge wedding party and another army of woman, trying to decide on a dress for a fifteen year old's birthday party. All the dresses were a bright, fluorescent color that you could see from a mile away. Of course I could not resist trying on one of the dresses! I tried on a gigantic blue one with ruffles for miles. It fit so well, but where would I wear this? And why would I go to prom looking like a blue whale? 

          Gwyneth picked out two dresses that she thought would be acceptable for church and in the budget. If it fits we have to buy it. No questions asked. Finding a dress for my sister is literally like finding a needle in a haystack. But then, amazing happened. The first dress she tried on, it fit and looked incredible. She looked so beautiful and it fit everything! The dress was modern and fashionable. But best of all, Gwyn was gleaming. She was so cheerful and confident. That is what made the dress look beautiful. Confidence is the best accessory to an outfit, and my sister wore it beautifully.

          In that Mexican dress village, we not only found a dress for Gwyneth, but found a dress she will be confident in, walking down the aisle of the church. Whatever makes you feel beautiful, keep it around you. Shine as bright as possible, and never let anyone keep you down. 

My version of the quote: "If you wear something that is not your style it will make you feel ridiculous. Wearing something you love will make you feel beautiful. Be beautiful."