I Got A 'Pretty Woman'-Style Makeover

I have to admit, I was a little worried when I heard I'd be getting a Pretty Woman makeover at TJ Maxx and Marshalls— no disrespect to the admirable fashion game of the film, it's just that I didn't really see myself pulling off an oversized hat and a boxy cream-colored suit the way Julia Roberts so capably did. I shouldn't have been scared, though: After all, I was in the hands of Rachel Zalis, a renowned fashion and a beauty and entertainment reporter — not to mention a former editor at both Cosmopolitan and Glamour, and occasional celebrity stylist.

After giving me a tour of the store (where I drooled over a tiny black Jimmy Choo handbag and a neon pink Gucci wristlet in The Runway section), Zalis took me over to a specially-curated rack of clothing — all chosen for the pieces' savviness with regards to current spring trends, with a wink and a nod to the early '90s fabulousness of yore. There were a couple of classic, camel trench coats, as well as spring-y printed dresses (much in the same vein as the brown polka-dotted day dress Vivian wears to the derby), trendy cocktail wares, and some truly gorgeous black lace and red statement pieces, because come on: This is Vivian Ward we're talking about here.

Zalis helped me choose a few pieces from the rack to try on — after weighing the merits of almost every piece, we settled on a retro-inspired LBD with lace detailing (a pick inspired by the black lace dress Vivian wears on her first date with Edward), a pair of seriously skinny white jeans, an oversized vest, a crew-necked heather gray tank and a sporty blue mini. Oh, and on the shoes side, she picked out some futuristic black point-toe (with a to-die-for metallic stiletto) and some colorblocked sandals with a some truly fashionable chunky chain detailing on the ankle.

I ended up going with the black lace cocktail dress — you know, the look based off of this gorgeous number:

The '40s-vibe suited my retro taste nicely, and I'm nothing if not a black dress fan (they make up about 50 percent of my wardrobe) — and besides, that lacy cocktail dress Vivian wears has always been one of my favorites. Plus, it paired perfectly with the gold-heeled stilettos — now all I need is a statement choker!

It's not quite as iconic as the infamous makeover scene from Pretty Woman, but it's definitely a step up from my customary dowdy librarian grandma look!

Images: Pretty Woman; Giphy; Rosie Narasaki