dress inspiration

I feeel like looking at fashion today.....here are some dresses that tickled my fancy today!

Valentino Sposa

Pattis

Carolina Herrera

Augusta Jones

::photos via The Knot

spring ahead!

I know it's supposed to be Spring, but it's actually snowing where I live today! I'm so eager to see green grass and some tulips. And, of course, Spring got me thinking about shoes, which lead to this post.


This bridal ensemble was inspired by these Christian Louboutin shoes. Coincidentally, they come in both heels and flats. So, whether you are having a a more formal wedding, or something at the beach, either pair would work. The dress is a simple design from J.Crew...so a fabulous necklace would compliment it perfectly. (Incidentally, I just came back from a Caribbean vacation and at the resort I was staying at, there were many weddings...if you can do it, totally the way to go!)


These amazing orange Jimmy Choos were the jumping off point for this rehearsal or shower outfit. The dress is metallic linen from J.Crew and the bracelet is something I found at Nordstrom.

Now, I know the shoes are crazy expensive, but if they are out of your price range, there are so many less expensive options out there. Think of these outfits as inspiration for your big day!

:: Louboutins via Neiman Marcus
:: Jimmy Choos and bracelet via Nordstrom
:: dresses via J.Crew

The dress for less...

I'm about to head out to the Natick Mall, one of my favorite places to shop. Really, it's because I love the shoe department at Nordstrom's! Which got me to thinking....what kind of dresses do they have? See, M got her wedding dress at Nordstrom's, on sale, on sale, and it only came out to about $150! Now that's a deal.

So, this is what I found today...the most expensive is $570, but all the others are under $500. It's time to think outside of the traditional bridal store when shopping for a dress!

BCBG Max Azria - $360

BCBG Max Azria - $570

ABS by Allen Schwartz - $438

:: images via Nordstrom

Oscar de la WOW!

I think I have pledged my love for Oscar De La Renta before. I just admire his classic designs that seem to take on a modern shape every season. If I could afford it, and I would wear Oscar day and night! So, naturally, I did a quick check on what's coming up for Spring 2009 in his bridal fashion. I pretty much adored everything!

image from here

This particular dress made me think of that pink dress Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. You know, the one she is wearing when she sings Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend. Can you believe I had a heck of a time trying to find a picture of that dress! Seriously, it's super famous, you think it would be all over the internet.

The next dress instantly made me think of an island wedding...maybe on Capri, or somewhere on the French Riviera. When Bianca Jagger married Mick Jagger, she kind of wore a similar look...Oscar's is updated for 2009. I love it!


These next two I posted because I think they are to gorgeous to ignore. One is soft and pretty, and the other is more structured and sexy. See, Oscar De La Renta has a little something for everyone!

Which are your favorites?

:: Oscar De La Renta dresses courtesy of The Knot

Yoo Hoo!

The new fashion season is upon us. Yay! That means lots of new wedding dresses and bridesmaids fashions to browse. I have noticed that the "trend" for wedding dresses is short hemlines. I love that idea, and think that if I were to do it again, that might just be something I choose, with a smart birdcage veil and an amazing pair of shoes!

But, today's post is all about the maids. I was checking out the 2009 look book from Jenny Yoo, and fell in love. All of these dresses would be perfect for a bridesmaid, a guest, or even the bride herself, depending on the style of wedding you are going for.



My favorites are the red and the yellow dresses...what are yours?

::all images from Jenny Yoo

finally, something different!

Please check out this wedding. I love the vibe, love the bridesmaids, love the photographer (Matthew Morgan). It has a casual fun feel, but the bride still looks elegant...I wish I was a guest, it looks like it would of been a lot of fun!

:: image courtesy of Matthew Morgan Photography

Environmentally chic!

Who knew, you can save the planet and look great doing it! We all know that weddings tend to be over the top affairs, that more often than not, increase our carbon footprint. Well, now you can feel a bit better about your environmental future by purchasing a dress from the White Chocolate Label by Scott Corridan. I love the their tag line "couture never looked so green." How amazing is this dress!!


The White Chocolate Label is committed to using sustainable and organic materials whenever possible. They partner with manufacturers who employ free trade principals, and look to reduce waste in their packaging and shipping methods. And only they can say it best:

... And lastly, always strive to be a leader and innovator, offering easy access and open lines of communication with our clients, to insure that our deserts blow clean winds, that our sycamores drink clean water, that our oceans pound at our shores with non-toxic affect, and that the snow that falls from a Sierra’s winter sky is as pure as the heavens they fall from.

:: thank you Ritzy Bee!

some pretty

I was watching Say Yes To The Dress on TLC on the weekend, and thought it was totally awesome that the bridal consultants try on the dresses. That is sooooo what M and I would do if we owned a bridal shop! So, to honour those ladies, here is a little eye candy for your Wednesday morning.

From Monique Lhuillier Spring 2009

a classic Monique Lhuillier silhouette

something a little bit different, I don't think everyone could wear this one

From Monique Lhuillier Fall 2008

love the detailing on this one

this one is just so pretty

saturday afternoon...

Just plain pretty! From Carolina Herrera...

pictures courtesy of Kleinfeld's

cause you know you'll never wear it again!

So you want to have the most amazing designer wedding gown, but you can't quite afford the price? Well have I got the place for you! Encore Bridal, New and Nearly New Couture. They have the most gorgeous selection of new, sample and nearly new dresses. And seriously, if it's nearly new, you know it's only been worn once! They have all the top designers, Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra, Judd Waddell, Amsale and so many more. And you can save a lot, just take a look at some of the selection...

Marissa 737 - size 6 $1198(save $302)...n.b. this is a NEW dress, probably a sample

Pronovias Bangkok - size 14 $1150 (save $850)

Vera Wang Couture - size 2-4 $1970 (save $2030)

This in an online store, and I know some of you are thinking that you could never buy your dress from somewhere online...how will you know it will fit? No worries, Encore has extensive measurements on some of the dresses, and a detailed size chart as well.

There are also lots of accessories to choose from...veils, jewelry and even shoes! Like this Russian Birdcage veil, new at $90.


So don't worry about trying to rework that budget, because you can afford the dress of your dreams!

Fashion Tuesday...

I didn't really know this, but Nicole Miller makes wedding dresses. She's not really a designer you find advertising in bridal mags...and if so, usually for bridesmaid's dresses. Of course, then I realized that M wore a Nicole Miller dress, and thought I would do some further investigation!


Be sure to check out the Nicole Miller website here....

fall forward?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm looking forward to some fall fashion from J.Crew. I know, I shouldn't get ahead of myself, I love summer so much, but I was totally inspired by my new J. Crew catalogue. I think it's a fall preview, though there was no title on the cover, and it's not online yet.

What's even better, is they had a great feature on their bridal fashion. There is a new dress, which is to die for, and I love the chocolate and purple (or aubergine, so sophisticated!) combo, a totally new look for brown! Here's a peek...


And finally, what I aspire my fall fashion to be....chic, effortless and all about cashmere (now, I just need the wallet for cashmere!)

Elegant!

The cover of the current issue of Elegant Bride caught my eye at my local bookshop. I haven't checked out this magazine in a while, and apparently I've been missing some amazing photography. Here are some pictures from the website...

These amazing shots are from the "From Here To Eternity" album on Brides.com, shot in Hawaii...

ruffles

While watching Fashion File, I learned that ruffles are a big trend this season. So I decided to do a little investigating, and see how this carried over into the bridal world. This is what I found:

Eden Bridals

St. Pucchi

Judd Waddel

Carmela Sutera

And it's not all about the bride! There are lots of options for the maids to follow the ruffle trend too:

Lazaro

Tadashi - Neiman Marcus

Notte by Marchesa - Neiman Marcus