Inspiring fashions for prom dresses

In the current ‘credit crunch’ it makes sense to get the most for your money when choosing bridesmaid’s gowns. While conventional bridesmaid dresses at bridal stores may not lend themselves to wear again in the future, prom dresses  may be a stylish and affordable option.

Online retailer, Prom Girl, has a huge line of prom dresses from sexy and slinky to elegant and ethereal. They also boast some of the lowest priced gowns available online, and ship to anywhere in the world. With high quality fabrics, well known designer names and low prices, there is temptation galore at their large website.

Their collection of prom dresses 2009 have some dazzling designs for those who dare to be different, with high-fashion cuts and sexy, low backs.

If bold patterns appeal to your sense of fashion, then their high-end line of designer prom dresses has some sure-fits hits. 

Many of their white gowns make great choices for weddings dresses for brides who are looking more for fashion than fairytale.

Editors picks:

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Green Wedding Dresses

Ok, so going for a green wedding dress literally may be too much of a break from tradition for most of us, but Green Union has put together a list of companies that can help you find an environmentally friendly wedding dress. 

Choose to re-use, re-make, or reduce and we can save the planet one wedding dress at a time.  We choose our favourites from their list. . .


Re-Use

There are three very good reasons for buying a second hand dress.  Firstly,  you will probably be helping a good cause, as most second hand wedding dresses are sold through specialty shops that donate profits to charity.  Our friends over at Green Union give us St Anns Hospice as an example but you can also check out your local Oxfam or other charity shop nearby.   Second,  you will be cutting down your carbon footprint as no additional energy or materials will be used to create your dress.  Last but definately not least,  you will probably make a huge savings on your gown by buying second hand from a charity.  If you are feeling inspired by these three notions then why not organize your very own wedding gown auction for charity?  You will raise money for a good cause and get to see a wide variety of dresses available in your area.


Re-Make

puffy sleeves or yellowed lace putting you off wearing your mum or grandmother's wedding gown?  Many wedding dress designers are able to re-work, re-design and re-fit a vintage gown into a brand new creation styled just for you.  This is Junky Styling's speciality.  We love this flowy combination of fabrics (left) that you wouldn't find in any high street bridal store.

Another plus?  Your dress will be completely unique, reflect your own personal style, and be hugely sentimental to you and your family.



Reduce

Do you do enough to reduce your carbon footprint?  Your energy consumption?  Your waste?  Now is your chance to make up for it by choosing a wedding dress that is made of environmentally friendly and sustainable fabrics.   Annatarian have built a reputation for creating gowns from sustainable, environmentally friendly fabrics such as organic silk or bamboo. (What, you didn't know that bamboo can make a viscose-like fabric?  Well stay tuned to our blog for future posts on more eco-friendly fabrics.)  These designs have enough floaty fabric to please any hippy, but are stylish for even the most fashion-conscious bride.

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Fan-tastic fashion accessory

If you are planning a destination wedding in the sun, and are worried about keeping yourself and your guests cool,  Boda Boutique has a great new selection of wedding fans that will do just that without putting a kink in your bridal look.   The white fans come in affordable paper, fabric or lace to suit all budgets and bridal styles.

Luxury Lace Bridal Fan

Keep cool on your wedding day with this beautiful Spanish fan.  Made of wood and lace,  this elegant fan won't look out of place next to your gown.

€29,00

Fashionable Flower Fan

Wooden fan with a modern print of pink flowers on the fabric.

€6,50

 

Sandalwood Fan

These lightweight fans are made of cut-out wood and have pretty sunflowers.  They are subtly frangranced with Sandalwood, and each fan comes in it's own organza pouch.  Large enough to keep all of your guests cool at a hot wedding in Spain, Cyprus, Italy or Greece.

€3,50

 

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Maggie Sottero

What I love about Maggie Sottero is that they offer such a wide range of styles, to fit any budget. While other designers focus on the luxury market (that wonderful combo of rich and thin), Maggie gowns offer couture style to brides of all shapes, sizes and means.

The Maggie Sottero collection gowns are undeniably glamorous, with plenty of diamante embellishment, embroidery and ruched fabric. Or, if you are looking for something simpler, the Destinations collection is made up of slinky, streamlined designs ideal for a wedding by the pool, or on the beach. In the Sottero & Midgley collection, the brand has teamed up with designer Kelly Midgley to create a line of dresses that explore exquisite and contemporary fabrics.

The collections also offer more colour choices than most, with dresses available in champagne, ivory, gold, as well as subtle shades such as 'blush' and a silvery 'oyster'.

Maggie Sottero is available at bridal stores throughout the world, and there is a handy store locator on their website.

More Resources:

View all the dresses at MaggieSottero.com

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The White Stuff - Finding Accessories for your Wedding

So you have found your perfect gown, and probably bought a veil in the bridal store too, but I am constantly astonished at how few boutiques stock other accessories such as shoes and bags to complement a wedding gown sale.

Not only is it bad business sense, but it is downright inconvenient for a bride who then has to tour her local shops, or spend hours online searching for a white bag that doesn't resemble a satin gymbag from her school years (á la most feeble online offerings) and the perfect pair of white kitten heels.

Well girls, here at WFF we have done some of the searching for you, and hope that the following can give you at least a place to start:

Wedding Shoes:

For the ultimate in style, check out Hen UK for handmade designer bags to suit any bride. From small and discreet to bold and beautiful.

Why not try artist outlets such as Etsy.com to find a designer who can create you a special, one-off bag to match your dress? Not only will you have an exclusive design, but you will get the warm fuzzies from supporting someone in their trade.

The Accessory Boutique offers a nice range of handbags in the UK, along with a collection of wedding shoes and other accessories. Wedding Mountain in the US has an even larger range of purses and shoes, some of which are dyable so that you can buy matching ones for your bridesmaids.

Shoes

It is a bit easier to find shoes than bags, with plenty of online specialty shops offering shoes for brides. From pumps to kittens to killer, Bellissima Bridal Shoes has one of the largest collections on the web, and we have to thank them for including some thoughtful pedicure goodies on their site too. Oooh, and they also have some nice bags, letting you kill two shipping-costs with one purchase.

Hen UK gets a second nod for their wonderful collection of white shoes for brides. Handmade, all shoes are comfortable and fashionable, something that us girls know from painful experience is not a common combination. They even have an amazing pair of bridal boots for those of you getting married in colder climates.

I have mentioned them before, and I will probably mention them again, but the reason I love Gina shoes so much is simply because they have such a great range of designs for brides. Whether your gown is long or short, voluptous or slinky, traditional white or glittering bronze, there will be a shoe for you.

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Pushing the boundaries of fashion - that Thom Browne wedding dress.

Gender confusion is nothing new to the world of fashion. Chanel practically started riots when they started a trend for tailored suits for women in the 50's, men in the 80's sported more eyeliner than women had ever dared to use, and the 90's saw a general androgynous ambiguity on the catwalks. Yet Thom Browne still managed to cause a bit of a stir at Fashion Week, with his Spring/Summer 09 show featuring plenty of skirt/trouser combos, and even a wedding dress.

The wedding gown outfit worn by a male model that was the finalé to Thom Browne's Spring/Summer tennis themed show, has been one of the most talked about designs of Fashion Week so far. Although there may not be a waiting list to purchase the outfit, my guess would be that enough designers will have taken note of the design for us to see tailored white blazers with black trim filtering into high street stores in time for Spring 09.

In a world where a general malais of 'been-there-bought-the-Tshirt' threatens to dampen creative thinking, (if it has all been done before, why bother?) fashion designers are one breed of artists who continue to inspire us anew.

While Thom Browne's sensationalist collections aren't designed with the average high-street consumer in mind, they challenge us to look past the limits of conventional or current clothing rules to find our own sense of style. And that is what couture fashion is all about.

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Rosa Clara

Rosa Clara is one of the biggest names in European wedding fashion, despite only starting the company in 1995. The brand has over 50 boutique's in Rosa's home country of Spain, with others scattered throughout the rest of Europe, South America and Mexico.

A new venture in New York is set to propel the fashion house into the high-end wedding market in the US.

Founder, Rosa Clara, was inspired to create gowns that changed the world of bridal fashion, and offered women a wider range of styles. Since then, she has revolutionized the wedding dress design industry, raising the bar for designers to come up with elegant yet interesting dresses, combining cutting edge fashion with a nod to the traditional roots that are essential to a wedding.

She has designed dresses for some of the most famous female celebrities in Spain, including Paulina Rubia, and Shaila Durcal.

The 09 collection from the fashion house boasts work by some of the famous designers in the world, such as Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld and one of my personal favourites, Jesus del Pozo. These designers have continued the company's trend of creating couture dresses for women who lust after something to express their own unique style, without being too flamboyant.


More Resources:

Rosa Clara, official website. (English and Spanish)

View Rosa Clara catwalk images at Wedding Style Magazine

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