Disclaimer: it’s not really a traveling dress 
While browsing through a department store in Melbourne, I saw a black fluffy Betsey Johnson polka dotted strapless dress. Size: 8. And it was the only one of it’s kind in the clearance section.
The price was reduced to a whopping $35 (AUD). It zipped up in the front. “Well that’s different,” I thought. At least it didn’t zip from the back. I HATE dresses that zip in the back. These type of dresses almost always make my life so much harder.
“It probably won’t fit me anyway,” I thought since at that point in my life my size was between 8-10. But I decided to try it on along with a few other dresses. I was in the middle of job hunting and still hadn’t found a job yet. But just like any great distraction in life, I tried on dresses for “fun”.
It turns out there is no such thing as trying on dresses for fun. The Betsey Johnson dress was cute (and it was on sale!) but it was also the type of dress I’d buy and then never wear. Trust me, I’ve had a lot of experience with buying dresses and then never wearing them. It was also the type of dress I’d never wear anywhere in public while living in Chicago. With all the creeps running about, I’m just drawing attention to myself. But I wasn’t in Chicago anymore, was I? I was in Australia.
I walked out the store, a bit sad for walking away from the dress. And then I posted a picture I look in the dressing room on Facebook and everyone told me to buy it, of course.
A week or so later, I finally found a decent job and started working. Of course, I didn’t have enough work clothes, so like any great distraction in life, I went shopping. I went back to the same store (it’s called Trade Secret, BTW, and located right next to the Southern Cross Railway Station in the Spencer Outlet Centre) and looked for a dress once again. This time to buy and not just to try on for the hell of it. But it had to be a work-appropriate dress, not a fancy-pants cocktail dress.
Then I saw the Betsey Johnson dress again. No one bought it yet.
“I shouldn’t buy it,” I tried to convince myself. And I was technically traveling. How was I supposed to fit that thing into my suitcase? Seriously, WTF?
I kept looking for a work dress. I picked up a few and headed to the dressing room. And then I stopped and went back to the Betsey Johnson dress and decided that maybe I should try it on again. Maybe it’ll look hideous on me.
But instead it looked fabulous. Damn dress.
At that point, after trying on the dress twice and finding out that it was still at the store and no one had purchased it, I decided to buy it. (I ended up buying a work-appropriate dress as well.) And I was really excited and made a promise to actually wear the Betsey Johnson dress.
And that’s exactly what I did. I wore it about 6 times while in Australia – mostly in Melbourne. And I have pictures as proof.
Yarra Valley Wine Tour
Justin Timberlake Concert
Mariah Carey Concert
Awkward New Year’s Eve
In Front of The Sydney Harbour Bridge
My friend Toni and I decided to get dressed up one day and have dinner and drinks at the Opera bar. Perfect excuse to wear my dress.
Last Night in Australia
I had the dress. And I wanted an expresso martini. Add in a rooftop bar and there you go.
Now that I’m back in the states, I’m not sure how often I’ll actually wear the dress (if at all). It’s different when you’re traveling. But I’ll keep it in my closet for now, just in case.
Have you ever found a dress while traveling? Tell me about it!
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