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Welcome to Esther Tested, where former pro surfer and Racked SF associate editor Esther Hahn shares her best tips for staying cute, even in the harsh realities of Bay Area outdoor life.
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Photo via And Something Blue
Full blown wedding season is around the corner, and you may feel a little panicked if you're like me and have procrastinated a bridesmaid dress. Fret not because local Presidio Heights boutique And Something Blue can hook you up in 2-3 weeks (although the majority of dresses require 10-12 weeks). The light-filled boutique stocks brands like Jenny Yoo, Watters, Lynn Lugo, and local fave Siri.
Store owner Lisa McNichol is in the wedding fashion game because of her undying love of weddings. She bought the store after working there ahead of her own wedding (to score a discount for her wedding party). Now she helps brides style their big days and even plans 10 full weddings per year. McNichol also helps girls like me who are given free rein to choose a dress. Armed with a color palette, I scheduled an appointment and stepped in to say, "Yes!" to a dress.
The process of finding a dress was painless, although McNichol and I agreed that the hands-off bride actually makes it harder to pick and choose. I knew I needed to work in the range of grays, and luckily one from Jenny Yoo fit the bill. But I wasn't too sure about the exact shade so I left my measurements with McNichol and planned to order over the phone once my bride approved of our selection. The moral of the story: brides should select dresses with McNichol before sending bridesmaids in to shop. But on the bright side, anything she chooses from And Something Blue will be a dress her friends can wear beyond the main event.
· All Esther Tested posts [Racked SF]