If you’ve got loads of formal parties to attend this fall, your special-events wardrobe may need a kick in the proverbial pants. Avoid the dreaded rut of repeatedly wearing the same dress by picking up some handmade and vintage gowns on Etsy.
Your Fairy Godfather, a local designer, can make this emerald 1930s-style gown to order. $250.
This long, draped jersey dress by Sagas and Steam Co. reveals a dramatic expanse of back. $300.
We love the way Quinto Ott uses patterned lace to add vertical elements to this black-and-white gown (top right). $250.
Wearing this 1950s Christian Dior watercolor silk gown guarantees against same-dress doppelgangers. Timeless Vixen Vintage, $2,200.
If you’re looking for cocktail dresses, not full-length formals, Holly Stalder’s custom-made canary-yellow chiffon enhances curves without unflattering clinginess. $425.
The exposed zipper on the Green With Envy raw silk dress by Ashley Gunkel balances out its oversize bow. $135.
The intricately hand-tucked chiffon on the bodice of Rosalynn Win’s red cocktail dress (top left) adds depth. $515.
Don’t want to shell out money for a whole new frock? Add flair to a favorite dress by topping it with a shimmering feather collar by Kathy Coleman. $65.
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