MORE THAN A DRESS
You want to wear something timeless, a piece of art rather than merely an article of clothing. This season gowns are progressing toward a sheer quality of beauty with softer fabric overtones. A-Line and Sheath gowns are slinking their way down the aisles in multitudes.
Also, color has found its way onto the bridal host as accents of reds and blacks adorn the garnishing and trimmings of dresses. This season’s most popular fabric trend by far is lace. Full lace coverings produce that sweetly satin charm and buffet the eye in downy tones.
“Bridal gowns have gone very soft, very romantic this season,” said owner of Formal Fantasy Stacia Smith.
One need not break the bank in searching for that timeless piece either. “With a budget of about $1,000 you can find a gorgeous gown,” said Smith. Of course extravagance is available it is not uncommon to find gowns in the $6,000 to $8,000 price ranges and beyond. Abundances in designers both recognized and new have blossomed styles in every taste making beautiful gowns affordable if you’re willing to hunt them down.
With the change in bridal gowns inevitably bridesmaid’s dresses have also undergone fashionable movements, albeit more radical. The avant garde in bridesmaid’s are shorter lengths, from knee to cocktail being most abundant.
“Many bright, fruity colors, almost tropical in hue,” said Smith. Ranging from fuchsia to bombastic oranges that she assures me have nothing to do with the local collegiate affiliations, color seems to be the shock of the season.
There’s something almost mystical in that dress. True it is fabric and thread, but there is nothing bare about the emotion embodied in those folds. Wedding gowns are often kept and even handed down as family heirlooms. A wedding gown is more substantive than just clothing naked frames in lace and frills. It is the plumage of burgeoning love, a kaleidoscope of the heart.