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Lace, pastels and back interest for brides
Pale pink crepe-satin gown, $3,615, by Rosa Clará; rosaclara.es. Feather shrug, $395, Cassin; cassincollections.com. Floral hair spirals, $200 for a set of six, Boutique de Voile; boutiquedevoile.com. Earrings, $130, Kenneth Jay Lane; net-a-porter.com. Cuff, $395, Alexis Bittar; alexisbittar.com. Glitter pumps, $895, Christian Louboutin; christianlouboutin.com. | Alessandro Dal Buoni, courtesy Rachel Leonard, Brides.com
Updated: April 15, 2013 6:14AM
Almost as soon as a girl gets engaged, the quest for the perfect wedding dress begins.
With good reason. Between choosing, ordering and fittings, bridal gowns can take up to six months to become reality. Brides often start by visiting shops to see what’s available.
This year, according to Annette Hebel from Doris Bridal in Highwood, they’ll be seeing lots of lace. “Lace gowns with cap sleeves are a hit this year, along with fit and flare dresses.”
Between Kate Middleton’s 2012 wedding dress and the elegance of Downtown Abbey, lace, with its whiff of yesteryear charm was bound to be in style.
Back interest is also a top request. Wedding guests see all sides of the bride as she moves up and down the aisle, and takes the dance floor. So, notes Brides.com Fashion Director Rachel Leonard, “One trend we’re seeing is dresses that concentrate detailing on the back — plunges, bows, baring and cut-outs.”
Leonard also mentions some color trends. “We are also seeing some pale pastels and ombre (a graduation of color) dresses,” she notes. You saw that in the pale pink wedding dress Jessica Biel wore when she married Justin Timberlake.
Rachel Alvia, head designer at Evanston’s custom gown shop, has had some unusual wedding dresses requested via the Internet. Steampunk, anyone? But she notes that “The local market is pretty traditional,” though there’s growing interest in pastel gowns.
As for style, “Strapless is still the most popular type of gown,” Leonard says. Avila has found that as well. “The strapless sweetheart remains most popular,” she says. “It’s easy to wear, a classic look.”
Practicality is scoring points with today’s brides. Many want to change into another dress after the ceremony for the reception, and designers are making their wishes come true with convertible gowns — two dresses in one. These dresses have removable trains, removable skirts and removable capes. When I got married many years ago, I actually had a convertible gown. It was a long sheath-fitted dress with a removable tulle full skirt and train. Right before the reception, I unsnapped that tulle skirt and train and was ready to party.
