Other than bridesmaids or on-duty uniformed employees, no one wants to show up to an event in the same dress as another woman.
I am not sure why this is ‘a thing’. Shouldn’t it just be confirmation of your excellent taste? But it is embarrassing.
I had a really great dress. It was a rare splurge that was totally worth it and I always felt like a million bucks in that dress. I wore it to work and parties and pretty much anywhere I could. I loved it.
The dress and I were attending our friends’ wedding. I was standing around with my future husband admiring the pretty outdoor setting of the ceremony, waiting for it to start, when I saw a familiar pattern across the garden.
“Hey!” I said to Michael. “A lady at another wedding is wearing my dress.”
I moved closer to get a better look (not sure why but it was like when you see your hometown in a movie or on TV and you get all excited).
“She’s at this wedding,” Michael corrected me when he saw the woman. “That’s the aunt.”
I was suddenly less excited to see the dress.
For a second I considered running home to change, but the wedding was starting in minutes and there was no way I could make it.
The dress was not subtle. It had huge polka dots in pink, black, red and white. I know it sounds ugly but it was a really nice dress.
It looked great on the aunt too.
Our eyes met and we smiled and made a little joke about how we could step in if there was a bridesmaid emergency.
I don’t embarrass easily but I admit, I felt a little awkward. I was thirty-four years old and wearing the same dress as a senior.
That is when another woman showed up in the dress. Hers was a different colour combination (brown, beige, orange) but otherwise identical.
My older twin (aka The Aunt) looked shocked. “That’s my step daughter!”
“You should’ve had this one covered,” I told The Aunt who nodded.
The step daughter looked seriously annoyed. She came over to us and said, “Hello” but in a pouty way that put my feelings of embarrassment into perspective – I did not want to turn all snitty like Evil Step Daughter as I immediately named her in my mind.
The only dress anyone is interested is the one on the bride, I reminded myself. No one will notice! And besides, who cares?
I was wrong about people not noticing – they did and there were lots of comments and little friendly jokes. But I was right that no one cared except for Evil Step Daughter who accessorized her brown polka dot dress with a pained expression for most of the celebration.
It was a beautiful wedding. The couple were clearly madly in love and the bride looked gorgeous.
The Aunt and I danced like fools together for much of the night and had a great time in our pretty polka dot dresses.
Christine's Stories - Real & Imagined 
Such a funny story. My girlfriend and I have had a similar problem (not the exact problem, mind you – I don’t wear dresses). We will both be ready to go out io a date and realize that we are wearing jeans and the same color shirt. Not surprisingly, I’m the one who has to change when this happens,
Once we showed up for dinner with her sister and brother-in-law and she and her sister were wearing the same color combo of pants and shirt and her brother-in-law and I were wearing the same color combo of pants and shirt. It wasn’t an exact match, so we had no trouble laughing it off.
If the beaches in Florida are any indicator, I would say that dressing like your partner bodes well for the long haul. Thanks for your comment!
“Ha ha, did you call each other?” That’s the friendly little joke I always hear when I end up dressed the same as someone. You did a great job relating one of life’s Grin and Bear It moments.
Thanks Ethan! Yes, I did get a few “Did you call each others” and more than a little teasing from the bridesmaids as well.