Sequins and ruffles and lace, oh my!

Seriously, every dress store seems to be sporting even more layers of tulle and chiffon than usual, not to mention sequins, embroidery, and ruffles galore. It’s something out of a prom dress-shopping nightmare…and people actually rent these for engagement/wedding photo sessions! (The first three photos are actually all from the same store.)

This could have been a nice top-and-skirt set...maybe.

Empire waist + tiered skirt = bad

Don't even get me started on this one...

The purple one isn't so bad, but it's half the skirt volume of the other two

The mannequin below is in the window of a relatively new shop named “Aegean,” right by Tap Seac Square. It has the most costume changes of any of the mannequins I know – something new almost every time I pass it. This particular one isn’t too bad (at least compared to the others above) but this shop seems to be hit-or-miss. Last week was an awful one-shoulder salmon pink number.

I guess what bothers me most about the formal-dress fashion culture here is that there is so much potential for it to be good, perhaps even haute couture (which can look equally ridiculous, but at least has some sense of artistry or a theme to each collection). Also, considering the plethora of high-end designer stores in every casino, you would think that Macanese designers would at least try to achieve some sense of elegance rather than sheer flamboyance. Here, the fabrics are gorgeous and the tailoring is precise, but the design concepts are simply…

…well, you fill in the blank. I’m frankly at a loss for words =P