Farewell
Today is my last post for this blog. I’ve had so much fun writing it, and I want to thank you all for reading, and for posting your comments and questions. I hope that I've helped you navigate the overwhelming and intimidating world of bridal fashion, and become the stylish bride that I know you are!
I still want to hear from you, so keep your questions coming! You can contact me through The Stylish Bride website at www.thestylishbride.com.
Best,
Julie
Matching flip flops for the maids
We all know that by the end of the night bridesmaids like to kick off their heels and cut the rug. The latest offering from The Dessy Group, whose cute bridesmaid’s dresses I’m sure you’re familiar with, will help them do just that. And most importantly, they’ll look stylish while they’re doing it.
The new satin and bamboo flip flops come six colors that coordinate with their bridesmaids dresses to make an adorable combination. Pair them with the satin tote bags that Dessy already offers and they make a great gift for your maids.
And the best part…they are only $15!!! You can’t beat that!
For more information, go to www.dessy.com
Best,
Julie
Cassin Sample Sale
Our favorite maker of special occasion wraps, caplets and jackets is having her sample sale at her New York Showroom. This is a great chance for all of you winter brides to get a stunning piece for over your gown at 50% to 80% off!
The sale is on Wednesday November 28th through Friday, November 30th from 10 until 7pm. Her showroom address is: 150 West 30th Street, 5th floor, New York City.
The best part is that 5% of all proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
See you there!
Julie
Coren Moore Launches Bridal Line
We are very excited that one of our favorite bridesmaid dress designers, Coren Moore has launched a line of bridal dresses! Coren is known for classic, well-fitting dresses that keep your maids feeling stylish and pretty. Over the years, many of my clients have used them and have been thrilled with their quality and design.
Wanting to offer her clients a dress alternative with classic design and subtle details, Coren decided to introduce a bridal collection. It consists of five beautifully designed dresses that all include built-in interior support so you don’t need to worry about a bra. You can order them in a number of different silks including mikado, taffeta and satin. Prices start at $1500 and go up to $3,500, and all the dresses are made here in New York City.
For more information, please see her website at www.corenmoore.com.
Best,
Julie
It's a colorful season
Runway Report, Part IV
The last runway trend I would like to talk about is color. Now, I know you’ve heard from me on this before. And it’s definitely not a trend that is just emerging…we’ve seen it for many seasons running now. But the reason I would like to talk about it is because I think it’s finally starting to catch on. I’ve had a few clients lately say to me that they are not opposed to color, or that they would actually prefer a color. So, with that said, I would like to highlight a couple great hued dresses from the runway.
The most shocking and wonderful use of color came at Vera Wang. Not only did she use color in the beautiful cabbage roses that I talked about in the last post, but she showed gowns in magenta, amethyst, ashen rose, dark ivory, and champagne. The dress featured above is a magenta silk duchess satin shift that was beautiful and so unique! I realize that this amount of color is shocking to see in a bridal gown, and I think it will take brides some years to get used to it, but I just had to show it to you because it’s so creative!
A more subtle hue, but also very beautiful is this gown by Anne Barge. This is another gown that I used in my Dream House presentation last week because of its very flattering shape on many body types. It’s blush taffeta with a pleated bodice and pearl straps. The best part about this dress aside from the great fit is that a percentage of the proceeds from each sale go to the Brides Against Breast Cancer organization.
And lastly, this Reem Acra dress called “Heureux” was done in blue silk satin with ivory illusion at the bottom and hand crafted floral details. In classic Reem style, this dress still makes you feel like a bride while wearing a non-traditional color. Bravo!
That’s all for now…let me know if you have any questions on the trends from the runway!
Best,
Julie
Floral Details
Runway Report, Part III
Floral appliqués and embroideries have been popular for the past few seasons, but this season some designers added an interesting twist on the trend.
The first dress by Claire Pettibone is called “Lalique” and has beautiful embroidery on tulle of flowering branches. I absolutely love how romantic this dress is and the colors that are in the embroidery. It’s like a breath of fresh air!
The second dress by Elizabeth Fillmore is called “Medea” and has a draped satin bodice with cascading pleated satin ribbons and roses. This dress is a true work of art, with incredible craftsmanship and detailing. And while the style may be a little difficult to wear for some body types, I think the design is so gorgeous that I had to mention it!
And last, but not least, Vera Wang. As always, Vera showed an extremely innovative collection, which was notably very wearable for the real bride. One of my favorite things we saw from here was the use of duchess satin cabbage roses in vibrant colors. This dress is a dark ivory cotton tulle ball gown with a forest colored cabbage rose. It has a beautiful classic shape that is easy to wear, and a great punch of color in the cabbage rose.
All of these beautiful flowers make me long for spring, but in the meantime I’ll have fun with my brides while they try them on!!!
Stay tuned for our last trend report on Color.
Best,
Julie
It's always a good idea to...
This weekend I was catching up on back episodes of “Say Yes To The Dress”, the behind the scenes show about New York’s largest designer dress store, Klienfeld. In one of the episodes there was a bride who arrived at her first fitting, family in tow, and was convinced that the dress they ordered for her was not the right dress. She claimed that the beading on hers was different. It was clearly a very stressful situation for all involved. Weather or not the wrong dress was ordered was never determined, but Klienfeld made good by fixing the beading to make the bride happy. Everyone left with a smile on their face.
The point of my telling you this is to strongly suggest that you bring your camera when purchasing your dress. When you have placed the order (but not before) the salon will take photos. This is good so that you remember what the dress looked like, as sometimes it was many months ago. And it’s also good to have a record of what it was exactly that you ordered so incase you run into a similar situation, you’re covered. And lastly, make sure that you read your contract carefully and any changes that you are making to the dress are well spelled out.
Best,
Julie
Teired Skirts
Runway Report, Part II
Another trend that we saw emerge at the runway shows this season were tiered skirts. I liked this trend because it’s different than what we’ve seen before, and it gives the dresses a fun playful feel. You also get a skirt that has volume, without getting too big.
The fist dress is by Reem Acra and is called Je t’Adore. It’s made out of ivory silk satin faced chiffon and has a beautiful v-neck embroidered bodice. This is one of the dresses I used in my Dream House presentation last week, and everyone absolutely fell in love with it. It’s delicate and pretty, and bodice is extremely flattering on the bust (both large and small).
The second dress is by Carolina Herrera and is named Azay. This strapless a-line is simply stunning in person and has layers of embroidered tulle with black grosgrain ribbon detail underneath. The stripes are actually made satin ribbon individually sewn onto the tulle. Not only are the details of this dress gorgeous, but the a-line shape makes it very easy to wear for many body types.
Admittedly, tiered skirts aren’t for everyone. But if you are looking for something a little different, this might be just the thing for you. Stay tuned in the next few days for more runway coverage.
Best,
Julie
Light as Air
Trends from the Runway, Part 1
photos by Joe Mirisola
As always, many trends emerged on the runway of the latest bridal collections. In the next few days, I’ll take you through a few of the ones I really liked.
First trend up are dresses that were light as air. We saw chiffon, charmeuse, organza, and tulle go floating down the runway. This may be attributed to the season (they were the Spring 2008 collections). And also to the rise in popularity of destination weddings which often take place in warmer climates and require lighter dresses.
The first dress, by Monique Lhuillier, is called Capri and is made out of silk mousseline chiffon and has a gorgeous embroidered corseted bodice. Monique’s collection was inspired by Patrick Dougherty’s wooden branch sculptures, and had an organic feeling. She used many different techniques to create a “lighter, ethereal silhouette.” I think this dress is beautiful because of the slim draped skirt that has texture without volume and the beautiful light embroidery.
The second dress is by Melissa Sweet and is called Natasha. It’s made out of Silk Organza and features a portrait neckline, dropped waist, and a full circle skirt with lace appliqué accents. I love this dress because of the flattering neckline and the airiness of the full skirt. And I think the subtle lace details add romance without being overwhelming.
All in all, dresses that are in lighter fabrics are always easier to wear, and this season gave us many great ones. Stay tuned for more trends from the runway in the next few days.
Best,
Julie
Dream House Event Recap
For those of you who attended my Conde Nast Dream House event on Tuesday night, thank you so much for coming! I had so much fun talking to you, and answering your questions!!!
Here is a picture of me with Antonia van der Meer, the Editor-in-Chief of Elegant Bride and Modern Bride Magazines and a model wearing a beautiful Anne Barge dress from her latest collection.
We talked about body type, runway trends, and shopping tips. If couldn’t attend, but you have a specific question, post it here, and I will answer it for you.
Best,
Julie
