My Unplanned Red Evening Gown for the Semiquincentennial Dinner

I bought a red evening dress for our dinner at Taste of Texas.  I didn't even plan it that way. We had reservations for July 4th because the 3rd was already booked, and my husband said we should go somewhere festive.

So I went to the mall two days before and grabbed the first bright thing I saw. It was a maxi dress with ruffles, very red, very loud. I tried it on and it fit fine in the store, but the lighting there is always forgiving.

The restaurant is that old steakhouse on I 10, the one with the stone walls and the giant cowboy boots outside. They had hung all these stars and stripes banners inside, and a big sign that said 250 Years of Freedom.

I thought, okay, at least the dress matches the decor. We got there at seven and the parking lot was packed. The valet guy told us they had been slammed all weekend.

The heat outside was brutal. I remember stepping out of the car and the air just hit me like a wet blanket. My hair started frizzing immediately, which I knew would happen, but I didn't want to put it up because the dress has a V neck and I thought loose hair looked better. Within five minutes I was already sweating through the back of the chiffon, but the fabric is so thin you could probably see right through it if the light hit wrong. I didn't care anymore.

He wore a navy polo, not a button down like I originally imagined, and khaki shorts. Not exactly red white and blue but close enough.

The steak came and it was fine. I got the ribeye medium rare and it had a good char. The creamed spinach was too salty for my taste but the baked potato was huge and I ate most of it. Halfway through dinner I realized I had forgotten to take any photos of the food, but I did take a couple of selfies by the entrance banner. In every single one my face looks shiny and my smile is weird because I was squinting against the sun. I posted one on Instagram anyway with a stupid caption about freedom and fries.

After we paid the bill, we walked out to the parking lot and I stepped on a loose pebble. It got stuck in the heel of my sandal and I had to shake it off. The dress hem dragged on the ground a few times, so there's probably some dirt along the bottom. I didn't check when we got home because I just took it off and threw it on the armchair in the bedroom. It's still there this morning, crumpled up.

I don't know if I'll wear it again. It's a nice color but the bodice pinches a little under my arms, and the slit rides up when I sit down. Maybe I'll keep it for a wedding or a holiday party, but honestly I'd rather wear something I can breathe in. My husband said he liked it, but he says that about everything.

So that's it. We drove home with the windows down because the AC in our car is weak, and the wind blew my hair into a total mess. I didn't take a single decent picture and the dress already has a small spot near the waist. I might just donate it. Or maybe not. We'll see.