The going broke part, maybe? Perhaps that’s what I’m so afraid of?

Allow me to back up. I had an opportunity to try on the Saja dresses again in L.A. this past weekend. And I, uh, have bad news. A CLEAR FAVORITE HAS EMERGED.

…AND THE CLEAR FAVORITE STILL COSTS $790.

I went to the L.A. Bella Bridesmaid with an ulterior motive: I wanted to see the bridesmaid version of this dress — which is a “mere” $395 — in person, because I wanted to feel what the fabric and construction was like in comparison with the bridal version. Of course, this store did not carry the bridesmaid line. Bah!

Then, after a few unsuccessful Google searches to find out how, exactly, these dresses are different, I had a brilliant idea to ask Saja directly. I emailed the general contact email address, and someone responded the very same day (bonus points!) with this report:

“The colored dresses are not lined with the heavy fabrics that the Bridal gowns are (the white would be see-through if we did it regular). This is the main reason for the price difference.”

Ah. Uh-huh. Funny you should mention “see-through,” because I while I was trying the Saja bridal dresses on again, I couldn’t help but notice they are kind of… sheer. I was standing there in front of the mirror, admiring my reflection while wearing what is essentially the priciest bohemian nightgown EVAR, and somebody was like, um, so, what kind of undergarments would you be wearing with this thing? As in: Hint hint, we can see your bits under there, and that’s kind of not cool! So needless to say, I’m surprised to hear that the bridesmaid dresses are even LIGHTER than the bridal dresses. How… does that even work without the whole bridesmaid line effectively turning into ethereal hippie lingerie?

During the discussion of underthings another sales assistant swooped in and informed me that I can get an extra layer of lining added to the dress for $18/yard. Which is rad, BUT! I confirmed with my Saja contact that the extra lining option is available only if there is enough fabric at the factory. So that’s a toss-up.

Here’s another thing. The bridesmaid dresses are obviously not available in that classic “bridal white.” For this particular dress, they are available in Buttercup, Soiree, Fleur de Lys, Illusion, Jade, Blackberry, and Dawn:

For the record, I am not opposed to wearing an “everyday” color for my wedding. But in a situation like this when I still have the option of choosing a more “classic” bridal color, what’s my real motivation? When taking price out of the equation, it seems to sort of come down to a choice between embracing and rejecting tradition. And when factoring price back in, it becomes a question of: “Do I care enough about tradition to pay more for a “bridal” look?”

Anyway. So that’s where I’m at. I can either purchase a sheer bridal dress in classic off-white for $790 or a VURRAH SHEER bridesmaid dress in one of seven “non-bridal” color options for $395, and I may or may not be able to add extra lining to each dress for an additional cost.

Hmmm. Kinda takes the romance out when I put it like that.

Oh, but I’ve still got a hardcore crush.