it's your party, you can cry if you want to
on dream birthday dresses and fashion's most iconic party looks
i am nothing if not a firm believer in birthday dressing.
as i write this, it’s two weeks out from my own birthday. i have yet to decide exactly what i’ll be wearing, but it will most certainly be a birthday dress.
strange, isn’t it? the way we borrow “birthday” as a descriptor—to precede words like “party,” “dinner,” “cake,” and “dress,” to suggest a more superior party, dinner, cake, or dress than usual. that said, if there ever was a time to selfishly celebrate with lavish treats and glitzy gowns, i’d say the anniversary of the day you were born after another long 52 weeks of life is reason enough.
amidst all the (quarter, in my case) life crises and existential panics that may come with another year gone by, the least we can do is slip into a dress we feel good about. and if you do feel so inclined to cry on your birthday (i hope you don’t, but it happens), rest assured knowing you’ll look good doing it.
for the past few weeks, i’ve been doing some serious thinking and scrolling in search of the birthday dress. while i haven’t been successful in finding the one just yet, what i have found—alongside an utterly delusional list of dream dresses i will not be wearing (but have included at the bottom of this newsletter in case you want to join me in fantasizing)—are a couple of iconic celebrity birthday party photos i wanted to share, including some chic dresses that may inspire your own birthday attire.
it may not have been her birthday that evening, but i’d be remiss not to mention marilyn monroe’s happy birthday, mr. president dress from 1962. sketched by bob mackie for the french-american costume designer jean-louis, monroe’s nude-illusion gown featured a scoop neck in the front, and a daring open back. embellished with head-to-toe crystals, the column dress grazed the floor and was reportedly so snug that monroe had to be sewn into it.
oh, to have attended a birthday party during the ‘90s super era! in 1991, naomi campbell celebrated her 21st birthday (steven meisel and madonna were at the party) wearing a form-fitting gingham dress designed by azzedine alaïa.
confession: kate moss did not wear this dress to a birthday party. but as one of the most recognizable party dresses of all time, i had to include it (sorry). at an elite model agency soirée in 1993, the supermodel was papped wearing a sheer slip dress designed by liza bruce with nothing but a black thong underneath.
ah yes, paris hilton, the y2k party princess. in celebration of her 21st, the heiress had six parties in six different cities around the globe. my favourite look, and perhaps her most iconic, is this silver chainmail halter dress designed by julien macdonald, pictured above.
on her actual 30th birthday in 2004, kate moss threw a (famously scandalous) themed fête based on the f. scott fitzgerald novel, the beautiful and the damned. the capricorn arrived wearing a navy sequinned gown with a matching cape—first worn by bond girl britt ekland at the 1974 premiere of the man with the golden gun.
as for that delusional list of dream dresses i mentioned earlier? just ahead.
i’m not typically a fan of lace, but i adore this mock neck midi dress designed by beaufille (the canadian label that never fails to impress me with their elegant pieces and minimal designs). cutout at the waist with a ruched bra detail and a knotted skirt, this sheer gown is sexy in a subtle way that’d be ideal for a ritzy birthday dinner. the bell sleeves? just the right amount of drama.
asymmetric mini dress, coperni
few dresses feel more fitting for a birthday bash than ones that come in a champagne colour. with its one-shoulder design and black lace trim peeking out from beneath the chest cutout, i’d say this asymmetric mini dress by coperni is the ultimate dinner-to-disco piece.
grey sequinned maxi dress, blumarine
i’m not exaggerating in the slightest when i say that this maxi dress by blumarine literally stopped me in my (digital) tracks. from the shoulder straps to the floor, sequinned butterfly appliques adorn this mesh gown, giving it a garden nymph feel. i also love the way ssense styled this model, with black boy shorts and no bra—teasing her actual birthday suit.
framed drape slice dress, christopher esber
if you ask me, little black dresses work all year round—especially on birthdays, if you can find the right one. case in point: the framed drape slice dress by christopher esber pictured above. featuring the label’s signature cut-out detailing, it’s risqué in all the right places.
multi circle double layered dress, a.w.a.k.e mode
god, i love this a.w.a.k.e mode dress!!! designed entirely from laser-cut circles, each round disc has been individually laid out and sewn together—providing extra coverage where needed. on the bottom, the fringe hem has been made to move with each step. in other words, it’s dance-floor-proof.
plumage babydoll dress, oséree
oséree’s plumage babydoll dress is 100 percent fête-approved. you’ll have noticed by now that i mostly gravitate toward neutrals (yes, even on my birthday), but i simply could not resist including this sheer baby blue number. just look at that feather trim!
this is my dream birthday dress list, after all, but i’ve selected this next dress with all summer babies like myself (or anyone jetting off somewhere tropical to celebrate) in mind. crafted from crocheted pearls on nylon threads, i’m talking about cult gaia’s warrin gown. the ultra-long fringe would be so much fun to party in, don’t you think?
blaise strapless crystal dress, 16arlington
birthdays are the perfect excuse to slip into the mini-est of mini dresses. as difficult as it is to dream beyond the 5K (cad) price tag, visions of 16arlington’s blaise dress have been swirling around in my head lately. the crystals! the pockets! the satin! and, it should be noted that i really do love a strapless gown.
black sequin maxi dress, aya muse
this? in the club? absolutely. here we have aya muse’s black sequin maxi dress, featuring yet another single-shoulder strap and a belly-baring crop. apparently, i have a real appreciation for cutouts when there’s a party ensemble on the line.
more minis, anyone? i can practically see it now: me, dancing myself right out of my early 20s in this pallas dress by simkhai—swishing and swaying, with every sequin and dangling bead catching the light of a mirror ball.
do you dress up for your birthday? which dress is your favourite? let me know below<3
x L