Lovely Bridesmaid Dresses

I am in love with these Lela Rose bridesmaid dresses.  The chiffon, the rosette details, the varying styles...what's not to love!?  I think having your bridesmaids each wear a different style all in the same color would be so chic.  I have to admit, my own bridesmaids wore one of these styles, and they looked fabulous, if I do say so myself.

Saying YES to the Dress

A bride's search for THE dress is a daunting but exciting time.  I had many mixed feelings about going wedding dress shopping:  fear of not finding the right one, dread of feeling too fat to look good in them, joy at thinking of yourself on your wedding day, and relief that you are finally getting to shop for a wedding dress for an actual wedding for yourself!  I had poured through bridal magazines tearing out pictures of gowns I loved for 5 months before I went gown shopping.  My mom flew out to LA and we went to a couple of bridal boutiques in an effort to track down the perfect dress.  It was such a memorable experience that we had together, and not just because of a Denzel Washington encounter that we had on our way home!  In the end I found my perfect gown, the one I had loved most from my magazine ripping phase, and the first one I tried on. 

For some brides, it is an easy thing to find a wedding gown.  Others search far and wide and can't make a decision.  Luckily for the newly engaged, there are many gorgeous gowns from the Spring 2010 season to choose from.  Here is a wrap-up of the highlights, plus a few of my all-time favorite from past seasons:

Ballgown:

   Left:  Monique Lhuillier

Right:  Vera Wang

A touch of bling:

  Left:  Ramona Keveza

Right:  Jenny Packham

A-Line:

 Left:  Vera Wang

Right:  Anne Barge 2008

Simple & Elegant:

Left:  Lela Rose

Right:  J.Crew 

Ruffles:

    Left:  Vera Wang

Right:  Badgley Mischka

Floral touches:

    Left:  J.Crew

     Right:  Rivini

Crumb Catcher:

   Left:  Carolina Herrera (2009)

Right:  Amsale

Vintage Inspired Lace:

  Left:  Melissa Sweet (2008)

Right:  Rivini

One Shoulder:

   Left:  Ramona Keveza

Right:  Reverie by Melissa Sweet

Short:

   Both gowns by Amsale

Unique Details:

 Left:  Amsale

Right:  Carolina Herrera (2009)

I am LOVING Vera's 2010 Spring Collection!  The Lela Rose gown would be so elegant worn in an urban wedding and the simple J.Crew gown has a beautiful back and would be great for a gallery venue.  The simple Vera gown is perfect for a summer garden wedding or a beach ceremony.  The Anne Barge gown is more beautiful in person and has amazing details (pockets and pleating on the bodice) that would make it perfect for a preppy, nautical themed wedding.  I love the neckline of the bottom Amsale gown and the polka dots in the bottom Carolina gown are adorable.  Both short dresses would be perfect for a simpler affair, a city hall wedding, or as a second dress for a bride who wants to change for the 'party' portion of her wedding.  Both gauzy ballgowns are perfect for a more formal affair...or for any bride with an inner Cinderella.  And my very favorite is the vintage inspired lace Melissa Sweet gown...because it was mine!

Photo by Jennifer Roper

Talent Show

Mid-July is kind of an unofficial holiday for us. Why? Because it's the time when we can finally get our hands on those fall runway styles we lost our minds over last February at fashion week. What have we snapped up so far? Well Derek Lam's uptown bohemian Off the Shoulder Dress and pretty plaids from Ports 1961 for starters, plus Lela Rose's ladylike Lantern Sleeve Dress and Thakoon's punk-meets-posh Luiza. The "most wonderful time of the year"? For fashion-obsessed folk it's right now. Celebrate with fresh-off-the-runway fall dresses, from right here, in the Designer Boutique.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

For Lela Rose, "design is about creating beautiful, hand-finished clothes that exude a casual luxury and refinement." A Texas native and Parsons graduate, Rose launched her collection in 1998 after working for Christian Francis Roth and Richard Tyler. With her penchant for juxtaposing classic silhouettes with uniquely detailed embellishments, Rose made fans of starlets and socialites including the likes of Katherine Heigl, Rachel Bilson, and Chloe Sevigny. She even designed the bridesmaids dresses for the wedding of the President's daughter Jenna. Our current favorite from her fall collection? The '50s-inspired Strapless Tiered Dress with Feather Embroidery. Where to shop all new styles from Lela Rose? Right here, in the Designer Boutique.