OMG, yes!
And I think that “she,” the other wearer of my outfit, looked better in it, too. I wasn’t winning any points for styling. I mean, the Christmas-colored press pass and single strand of pearls? LOL!
Yeah, didn’t really do a whole lot for the outfit. 🙂
This was at the 2008 Macy’s Passport fashion show in San Francisco, a big to-do in the same vein as Fashion Week, only smaller.
I went to cover the show for the blog (I think it was the first event where I brought a big DSLR camera, so I felt very “official”).
I was just walking around in the meet-and-greet area, trying to look “official,” which is code for “I didn’t exactly know where I was supposed to be,” when I saw this lady wearing the exact same black lace dress.
The dress, I picked out at home the night before because it was clean, didn’t have to be ironed, looked somewhat respectable/responsible and, most importantly, had some give to it, so I knew I’d be able to move around in it (important when you’re going to be hauling a heavy camera).
Honestly, though, I would’ve preferred to twin it up with Dame Edna, who was also in attendance that night, wearing a hot pink sequined number with a HUGE statement necklace…
Gimme sparkly pink and bling any day of the week! 🙂
How about you? Has the unthinkable ever happened? Have you ever shown up to a party/event and seen someone else wearing the same outfit?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Agata says
Ha ha, I don’t think it’s ever happened to me but if it did I wouldn’t be happy! I think you looked lovely circa 2008, though.
Lili says
Hmmm hasn’t happened yet, unless you count my mom and I wearing the same outfit lol. still not sure if my mom has hip clothes (she’s 64) or I dress like an old lady…. and omg do you never age??
kim says
That has never happened to me…but one of my bridesmaids wore that same black dress in my wedding!!! (I let the girls wear their own dresses)
Kim says
Now that you mention it, a friend of mine got the boot like 2 days before his prom so I went with him. I borrowed a dress (naturally) and someone else there was wearing the same one. I didn’t care since I was just a last minute sympathy date but I sort of felt sorry for the other gal since it was *her* prom. I’m sure she got over it. 🙂
Kiss & Make-up says
Oh nooo, I’d hate that 🙁 I bet you wore that dress better though, Karen!
Georgie says
My sister once wore the same as the birthday girl… Error! it’s never happened to me. At least it means you chose a nice dress though 🙂
Divya says
Ha ha! that expression! lol! Hard times Karen! 🙂 It hasn’t happened with me yet but I am so scared of it EVERYTIME!!
Mallory B says
At my senior prom, three other girls showed up in the same dress as me. We all laughed it off and took a picture.
Christina says
Actually, it happened to me on prom and it was my friend, and we were in the same “group.” Not the same exact dress but both sateen, strapless beige A-line gowns. Every prom photo shows us expertly sandwiched opposite each other.
Karen says
Hi Christina,
You both had great taste! Seriously, though…you can’t go wrong with an A-line. They’re so forgiving and photograph beautifully. A classic silhouette! Do you remember what makeup you wore?
gio says
This has never happen to me yet, but if it did, it wouldn’t bother me. I’d just complement the other girl on her excellent fashion taste. 😉
Karen says
Very classy, Gio! I’ll have to remember that one.
Kwmechelle says
Umm, is Dame’s hair pink?! Sorry that my ADD is kicking in. Out of the whole entire post, that’s what jumped out at me. Lol.
Gotta hand it to you for your “inconspicuous” pose. Tehehehe! But in my opinion, dude, you wore it better! As an aside, does anyone ever read those “who wore it better” columns in the magazines at the grocery check out line?
There it is again…. #addOverdrive
Karen says
It’s purple! I think it looks pink because of the lighting and the reflection off her sequins.
MAC fun fact! Dame Edna did a collection with them back in the day.
Sassa says
I remember a colleague telling me that when she was growing up she went on a date with the guy of her dreams. When she walked into the restaraunt she saw another young woman (she was a college freshman) wearing the hell out of the same dress that she was wearing. Dream guy couldn’t take his eyes off the other woman. A couple of weeks later he asked her to a party at his parent’s grand home. This annual party was famous in her small town, and she was determined that she was not going to be shown up again. Her family was in the drapery business, so she had access to fabrics and tailors that were unmatched in the area. She went into the warehouse and found an exotic fabric and had one of the seamstresses make her a positive knock out of a dress.She knew she was going to kill it at this party.
The night of the party, she drove to the parent’s home (fashionably late) and rang the doorbell. Dream guy opened the door, took one look at her and blanched. He very graciously led her into party which was in the living room and introduced her to his parents. She knew she looked good, so she sauntered in, head held high. As she held her hand out to meet them, her eyes wandered to the window, where she totally crumbled.
She was wearing the drapes.
Karen says
Hi Sassa,
I literally laughed out loud after reading this. Your poor friend! I would’ve wanted to melt into the ground right then and there.
And for some reason this story reminds me of Sound of Music, when Fraulein Maria makes play clothes for the children from the curtains!
Lisa says
OMG yes! Senior Prom (30 yrs ago) And to make matters worse it was my ex’s floozy of a new girlfriend….. Everyone at my table was adamant though that she looked horrible in it 😉
Karen says
Hi Lisa,
LOL..”floozy of a new girlfriend.” Clearly I need be using the word “floozy” more often! It’s a good word.
So, what did the dress look like?
Lynnette says
I’ve dodged the bullet twice while shopping, so here goes:
Story A- I was at Forever 21 and they had a $20 sales rack with a sequin dress in multiple colors (red, blue, black, and rose gold). I picked the rose gold one to try in the fitting room and as soon as I step out, I saw 3 other girls wearing the same dress and we were all looking in the same three-way mirror. Took it off ASAP and didn’t buy it.
Story B- Target clearance rack, found a striped V-neck sweater for $10 but hesitated to buy it. Next day I’m off to class, and my professor is wearing the same Target V-neck. I love my teacher though so I joked with her about it and she made a funny comment of raiding each other’s closets.
Karen says
Hi Lynette,
Gotta love Target for those good deals! Your professor is a smart shopper. 🙂
Are you still in school? What are you studying?
Rachel P. says
I don’t think this has ever happened to me! I mean, one time in high school, a girl was wearing the same Abercrombie tee as me, but in a different color. And I only owned 1 Abercrombie product- that brand was the height of cool when I was in middle/high school- so I’m not suprised I saw it on someone else, haha! Otherwise, I really have my own style and have never had this issue! However, I have observed other people wearing the same top/dress as a professor or teacher… I always thought that was funny!
Karen says
Hi Rachel,
Too funny! I’ve never matched with a teacher before. I wouldn’t mind it if she was stylin’ though!
Grace says
HAHA that’s hilarious! Thanks for sharing your awkward moment Karen! I don’t recall that ever happening to me but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had my share of awkward moments. It’s a pretty dress though, I love the scoop neck of the back..
Karen says
Hi Grace,
Yeah, it was so funny! I wanted to ask if I could take a pic of the two of us together (twinsies!), but she was busy talking to other people.
Sometimes I feel like my life is one awkward moment that leads directly into the next, LOL!
Vanessa says
your face in that picture…. rofl
🙂
It may have happened to me before… I don’t remember.
Lisa says
yes…and i spent the whole time trying to stay on the exact opposite side of the event space so that we wouldn’t fall into the same line of view of anyone. I think she was doing the same…we never locked eyes, but i think we were both probably too embarrassed.
Another time, I came close to it happening again… I’d rented a dress from rent the runway for my boyfriend’s James Bond themed company holiday party and saw someone else wearing my back-up style. whew! so glad that i didn’t wear that one. I spent the night counting other rent the runway pieces i recognized and noticed a couple other ladies wearing the same dresses.
Laarni says
HAHA! Your expression was GOLD! lolol.
Iris says
This is happened to me in a way, but thankfully, the other person was wearing a different coloured item… or I’d have been so embarrassed. The funniest was for a language class I was taking. One of the fellow students was my friend and we ended up wearing similar outfits but with different colours for a class photo. We both found it amusing, as did our classmates. They thought we’d planned it out.
Daanielle says
It happened to me at a wedding several years ago. The dress was a fantastic black and white striped halter dress with a circle skirt, great for dancing. I worked at a clothing store at the time, and a lot of people tried it on, but very few bought it (cut on to for a pretty specific body type), so I thought I was safe. Walked into the church, and there was my “twin,” with a cardigan to mask the fact that she was not wearing a strapless bra. We joked at the reception, and all was good…Except her 2 year old kept getting us confused! The kid made the most adorable horrified face when he realized I wasn’t Mommy.
Fancie says
It’s happened to me at a club before. I thought it would be awkward but we seen each other in the bathroom and just laughed it off lol
Mardi says
OMG I didn’t know Dame Edna was known in the USA. This Australian is cringing!