Wedding Dress Trendwatch: Michelle Obama’s One-Shoulder Stunner
Posted by Jolene on Nov 30, 2009. Filed under Fashion, Stuff We Love, Trend Watch, Wedding Dresses
Bows, peplums, floral details, jeweled belts and the return of the ball gown all made news at the New York Bridal Market this past October as the 2010 wedding dress collections were revealed. But perhaps the most prominent wedding fashion trend is the one-shoulder gown, which first made an appearance in 2009 and is still going strong for 2010.
Ever since First Lady Michelle Obama dazzled the nation with her Jason Wu one-shoulder formal at the Inaugural Ball, fashionistas have flocked to emulate her—a sure sign of her popularity. Like it or not, a First Lady or a Royal is often judged by her fashion sense. (Princess Di? 10. Nancy Reagan? 7. Hillary? uh… let’s not go there.) Favoring outfits that show off her buff physique, our Michelle has created quite the media buzz with her fashion choices.
And wedding designers have taken their cue from the sleek and chic First Lady. This year, designers got creative with uniquely beautiful interpretations of that now famous one-shoulder adornment.
Read on for some of our favorites from both seasons.
Introducing Vera Wang’s “Behind the (wedding) Dress”
Posted by Jolene on Nov 26, 2009. Filed under Expert Advice, Fashion, Stuff We Love, Trend Watch, Vera Wang, Wedding Dresses
If wedding dresses are the ultimate fashion fantasy, then Vera Wang must be the Fairy Godmother. I’m a huge fan, and have stuffed my closet with as many “Simply Vera” outfits as my Kohl’s credit card will allow. One of my favorite Vera Wang wedding dresses ever is Fall 2009’s “Amelia”. To me, this bridal gown says Glamorous Forest Nymph, and the peekaboo petticoat has just the right amount of sauciness. Plus, as Vera explains, her “recent collections of wedding dresses are tinged with color”—and I love that Amelia and her sister-dresses aren’t exactly Snow White. Imagine my delight to see that my favorite “Amelia” was showcased in Vera Wang’s first edition of “Behind the Dress,” part of her “Love, Vera” exclusive newsletter series.
Starting today, HereComesTheGuide.com will be showcasing select editions of Vera’s newsletters. You can sign up for Vera Wang’s RSVP Club here to get all the content, or check out our blog archive for our faves.
Behind The Dress: Amelia
Vera continues to innovate with silhouettes that convey a light, airy feel. This week’s featured wedding dress, Amelia, was inspired by a sophisticated layering of fabric, jeweled adornment and a new mark of modernity in wedding fashion: color. Vera offers her insights on the design inspiration behind Amelia.
Amelia reflects two important elements of my design philosophy: weightlessness and draping.
The ethereal beauty of a fairytale princess inspired this collection. I wanted to capture the concept of weightlessness through light, frothy skirts. By removing the crinolines (stiff petticoats under the skirt), the wedding dresses gain more movement. The result is a nymph-like sensuality that is both romantic and modern.
Soft draping across a structured bodice is a challenging formula in design. At Vera Wang, we have sought to master this technique and made it a signature of my wedding dresses. With Amelia, I chose to leave the seam allowance at the back of the draped bodice free, consciously adding more detail to the back. My eye is always searching for subtle ways to draw attention there…
I never add ornamentation just for the sake of it. Like jewelry, the crystal corsage at the hip of the Amelia wedding dress can stand on its own. As it is placed here, the crystals add an organic touch of magic to the dress.
Keep in mind, when accessorizing this wedding dress, keep it simple. The mix of design elements speaks volumes; little more is needed or you will overpower the dress.
ORNAMENTATION
I added crystal details on Amelia to introduce drama. As a philosophy, ornamentation on a wedding dress should reflect the nature of the celebration as well as the shape of the dress. When added directly to the wedding dress (as shown here), ornamentation accentuates.
Added ornamentation is particularly effective when beading feels overwhelming or inappropriate, such as for a daytime or an outdoor wedding.
COLOR
My recent collections of wedding dresses are tinged with color to provide a fresh interpretation on modernity. I believe color expresses romance, artistry and femininity. For this particular collection, I focused on a palette of muted colors. Amelia is shown here in pale nude but is also available in ivory and white. Color speaks to each bride in a different way; use it to capture your own sense of style and originality.
Visit the Vera Wang Gown Gallery
Make an appointment with a Vera Wang consultant.
Bachelorette Party Help from MyRecipes.com
Posted by Jolene on Nov 23, 2009. Filed under Bachelorette Parties, Bridal Showers, Food and Drink, Stuff We Love
It’s the holidays again, when I’ll be getting the turkey platter and punch bowl out of storage for the pending hostessing of family and friends. The other thing I usually find myself doing is surfing the net for some cool new recipes (how many times can I subject my relatives to the same string bean casserole?). I’m so happy to have found MyRecipes.com, a user-friendly place for user-friendly recipes—as well as fun entertainment advice. With over 40,000 recipes from the nation’s popular magazines—Sunset, Real Simple and Coastal Living, to name a few of my favorites—this compendium puts easy-gourmet at your fingertips.
From engagement to post-wedding brunch, you’ll be doing your fair share of entertaining, too, and you’ll find that MyRecipes.com will come in handy. Check out these 2 articles we’ve posted for ideas on hosting your Wedding Shower and Bachelorette Parties with good drinks and good eats.
And after the last thank-you card is written, I bet you’ll still find yourself clicking on this useful link, looking for ways to “cook to impress” when you have your in-laws over for dinner!