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Simple A-line srylesand dreamy bdl gowns at Jenny Yoo, versatile tea-lengtlu and
sophisticatedeveninggownsat Vera Wang fresh cocktail dressand retro looks at Nicole
Miller, stylish new bridesmaidlines by BCBG and J.Crew,plrrspreppy paaernsand ribbon details - bridesmaiddresscshavecome a long way from their gaudypredecessors.
Tirdaya bride needn'tworry about embarrassingor bankrupting her bridal partp shewill
find styles:nd colors to complementeverytype (and she may choosemore than one of
each) at reasonableprices ($zoo to $3oo on average),especiallyfor dressesthat wont
gathbrdust after their weddingdebut.
SwleWatch
From a firll-length blacksatinAjine with a bustier and backdrapeby Watten & Watters
(tlu* A* tlnrcee,t&) to a layeredchiffon low-cut hdter dressby BCBG (think Studio 54)
to a pastelseersuckerlnee-length with rufiles by Thread (think barcfoot on the beach),
the style choicestoday are endless.Beth Blake,co-owner of Thread, sap, 'The current
trend is makingyour bridesmaidshappy which meansdressesthat arc sexierand more
stylish- dressesthat they canwear again."
'Strapless,A-line,
below-the-kneedressesare the most popular right now' sap Jenny
Yoo,who designspretty,modern dresses.
Two current hvorites in Nicole Miller's line are
'charmeuse
a
rufile &ess and a straplesssilk georgettewidr a charmeusesash,-saysBrand
ManagerDesireePadovano.'Both are short, which seemsto be the trend aow:" Nicole
Miller, who takesloola from her ready-to-wearcollectionand translatesthem into briies,
maid dresscs,hasaddedanothertwist this season.'We havea new vintage-inspiredbody'
explainsDesiree.'It's a high-ncclqV-back with a bit ofan A{ine - veryfackieO. It's the
first time Nicole has integratedvintagedetails from ready-to-w€arinto the bridesmaid
line." JaneGamcsik,co-ownerof Glenn & Companyin South Norwallq saysthat in Vera
Wangdrcsses- the only line shecaries - 'halfare slink)' and halfare structuted. Long
evening-gownlools are in, and we alsohavea lot of'shorties,' which translatewell into
reheanal-dinnerdresses.'
Two futors should dictate style choices:the style of thc bridal gown and the figuresof
tle gids in the bridal party 'Ifyou're wearinga formal ball govm,the bridesmaidsshould
look formal. Ifyou're in a slinkydresson a beach,go minimal,'fane advisesbrides.'lfyour
bridal party includesa wide rangeofshapesand sizes,a more structurcd &ess is best'
A popular option is having the bridesmaidschoosetheir own style in a dressof the
samecolor andfabric."This givcsa nice,cohesivelook but eachgalis comfortable,'says
Jane.The bold can go strapless,biggergids may opt for an empire waist, and skirt
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lengths can vary to complement each maid's height. Vera Wang even has a new matetnity style that is available in satin or chiffon. Thread also offers three silhouettes for
mothers-to-be. This may mitigate the challengeoffitting ever-changingpiegnant bodies. Still, bridcs may savethemselvesand their friends some stressifexpectint moms
do a reading instead of trying to "fit" into a slender bridal party, especiallyifwcdding
date and due date may collide.
7/''-\lrl
Lolor. Lolor Lvcrlvnere
Mint green, buttercream,cinnamon, champagne,chocolate,lirtie, merlot, espresso...with
such a smorgasbordofcolors, hov/s a girl to choose?
"Some gals sweat through the decision," saysJane."l ask brides if they have a favorite
color. Ifnot, then I ask ifthere are certain flowers they want to incorporate." )ane paints
a vivid picture ofsome popular color schemes."Chocolatebrown. sometimeswith a touch
ofgold or bronze, continues to be so hot and works well as a neutral palette with vibrant
flowers againstit. Ruby or merlot will continue to be popular year-round, with decp red
flowers. Navy blue is the new black people think ofit asa fall or winter color, but nary
from
and crisp white is really a traditional spring look. Pink is the hottest color ofall
paler pinks for spring and summer to deep rose in the fall. which, paired with peonies,is
just gorgeous.")ane saysthe traditional blucs are still popular, and champagneis Vcra
Wang s number-one color nationally.
The new colors at Nicole Miller are tangerine, lavender and citron (an applc green).
"They are soft and feminine. but rich." saysDesiree.Beth at Thread is selling bright-colored dressesin shadeslike "paprika" and "waterfall" (a mint green). "In color, the trend is
anything new and different. like tomato red," shesays."Green hasbeen a big fashion color
"M6rysol."Silk dupioni 5l6pl.is
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ffair stirt shoin in bubbl€ge€n
with applegrc€ntut and petil
oi€-lnch li€, $275. Gr€€n
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Sluat $bi|zrmn, $210. circle
MOPstretch bracelets,
M. Ha.rcll,t15.
"Alice."Silt dupiooislnpl.ss
empireand natuGl r.in
dr€ssshorn in p€lal and
sldb€ny with apple geen
oi€-inch tie, $275. Pink lealhet
sliletto ankle- ap sandal,
Stan Wbitsman,t225.
Circl. t4OPst€tch bracelet,
M. Hasr.ll,$15.
"Feda." GreGnsilk dupiooi
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w:iid d|?$ with tier€d
peasantrulfle skirt and tullr
bottom|ryer, t275. Pal. lim€
pea s .nd gErn-cutlemon
quarta go+d-filledcascad€chof€r, Soptia and Chlo€,t5o5i
rBtchnE e.rings, $18o.
"ilo|a" gr€enslid. wilh
roundjcr.l, Nina, $69.
lately so that translatesinto bridesmaiddressesaswell."
Jenny Yoo puts mint grecn and sagegreen first in her popularity list and also mentions
soft rosecolors and yellow "Brides generallygo with darker colors for autumn and winter
weddingsand more pastelsin the spring and summer,"shesays."But there are no set rules.
August and Septemberand March and April can go either way."Jenny is showing some
dresseswith subtle stripes - a trend other designersare taking a step further with checks
and plaids. "Vera is only doing solids, but I think this is terific," comments lane. "lt's a
more warm-weather,kicky,fun look that works well in this arca,where many weddingsare
outsidein the gardenor by rhe warer.
Having trouble narrowing down the field of gorgeouscolors?Another trend might be
the answer:bridesmaiddressesin more than one hue. "You can choosetwo shadesofcolor
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sleeves strapless
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cuts sexysilhouettes
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balLgowrskirts form-fittinggov/ns
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in the dressand reversethe colors for everyothcr bridesmai{' suggesaJennyYoo "We
alwalsencouragebridesto do somethingdifferent to suit her gi s,"saysDesireeat Nicole
Miller. "whether it be the samedressin different colors or the samecolor but different
styles.We'resecinga lot more&stination and beachweddingsthat lend themselvesto less
traditiond concepts."
One of Glenn & Company'sbrideswasmarried by the water in Stamfordlast year,and
shechose"colorsofthe sea"asher theme."Eachbridesmeidwore a different color skin &om lavenderto periwinkleblue - with a bouquetto match,"recallsJane."The bride has
to havea really good eyeto carry this offthough," sheadds.Ribbon detailsand trim provide another way to draw in either contrastingor similar shades.For example'Thread
showsa pleatedorganzadressin fennel with a ribbon waistbandin a lighter shadeof fennel (color duoscomein sorbet,eggplart arrdlicorice, amongother scrumptiousoptions)
Pari Kreutter, director of marketing and PR for Saksin Stamford,simpliffes the color
dilemmafor brides:" It's your day,sogo with whatevercolor or colorsyou ve &eamed up."
Fabric& Detail
Fabricsalsorun the gamut - from cotmn poplin at J.Crewto satin at BCBG to the ubiql
uitous silks. Inticate details,suchas watters & Watters embroidery beadingand handpainting or the ribbon waistbandsthat areshowingup everywhere,add to the bridet mix
of choices.
At JennyYoo brideswill find "mixing and matchingof shiny and matte fabrics'"aswell
'Ifyour bridesmaidsare different sizes,wen if they have
aslace,ribbon and bow accents.
different chestlines and hips, silk shantungis a good fabric choice and it works year-
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round," advises.fennyYoo. "Stayaway from silk chiffon and charmeuse(spring and summer fabrics) that cling to the body" Jenny also suggestssticking to natural fibers, such as
roo percent silk, that breathe,rather than polyester,which may leld sticky bridesmaids,
especiallyin warm weather
Thread offers ten fabric groups with about ten dressesin each group, and innovative
'Our
fabric combinations give brides more options for flattering a range ofbody types.
chiffon and duchesssatin group is the most popular lt's gathered chiffon over duchess
satin, so they are structured dresses,but the chiffon gives them an ethereal feel,"
explains Beth.
"Matte satin gives a rich, formal look that is great for black-tie weddings,"saysJaneat
'Vera's
Glenn & Company.
chiffon dressesalsowork well with dressierevents.The taffewill seeribbons on the dressesin Glenn
tas and lighter fabrics are lessformal." Passersby
& Company'swindow. "lt's a sort of preppy,cutesytrend. But, if they're shapedwell, it
looks fabulous,"saysJane."The ruffled skirts and organzalayerssomedesignersare doing
reflect this fun look."
At Sala, high-end designer trunl shows give brides-to-be exposureto another level of
'Heidi
fabric and detail.
Weisel doessome really beautiful gowns.Sheteamssatin and fur:
cashmereand 6rrr cashmere,satin alrd fur: and she useslots of see-throughfabrics,"says
'Using
fur as shrugsor wraps is an upcoming trend. Beading
Pari Kreutter in Stamford.
and embroidery are big as well."
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Thc Placeof Honor
After figuring out style,color and fabric, the bride facesyet another decision:Should the
maid ofhonor be dresseddifferently from her fellow maidsl
"Brides can put the maid ofhonor in a different style dress (samecolor and fabric) and
the other bridesmaidsall in the same sryle," suggestsJane,though she saysmany brides
'The
maid ofhonor's bouchoosemore subtle ways to highlight their specid attendant.
quet can be unique. Keep it in the samecolor palette but add more cream or white to tie
her in more directly with the bride. fewelry is another way to set her off In one wedding,
the bridesmaidswere all wearing bronze and the maid of honor wore a fabulous topaz
necklace."
Jenny Yoo saysbrides "usuallywant the maid ofhonor to look a little different. She can
wear a different shadeofthe samecolor or a totally different dressthat works with the rest
ofthe bridal party."Jennyadds,H. little trim or unique flower detail is another approach,
or add a contrastingcolor trim on the maid ofhonor's dress."
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You've selectedyour bridesmaidsand youl *Ading uente.'You'r" ready to get down to
business.Where should you shopf Whcnl With whom? How much money -- and whose
money - - should you spend?
Oncc brides have narrowed down the choices. they can make appointments with
designer boutiques. and bridal shops."Our personal shopping area. The Fifth Avenue
Club, is capableof taking people to our bridal salon in New York Ciry and anl showroom that sellsto Saks,suchas Vera M/angand Chris Cole.Then we can havethe dresses sent to this location,"saysPariat Saks,where customerscan alsoorder directly from
trunk show collections.
As far as timing, Pari says,"Get in early. We iust finished up with a bridc who came in
two years in advance-"Dressesat Sakstake from eight weeks to six months, but most
designersestimateten to twelve wceks.Nicole Miller stockssome bridcsmaiddresses,
particularlythe smallersizes:orderscan comc in within a week or two Procrastinators
can buy bridesmaiddressesoffthe rackat f.Crew (Greenwich,Westport.White Plains)
and BCBG (White Plains).
taking alonga bridesmaidcommitteemay precludecomWhcn shoppingfor dresses,
ing to any decision in time for the wedding. "Bring one trusted advisor. someone who
sharcs your vision. This could bc your mom, sister, maid of honor." suggestsJane
'Or
bring the maidsin the sccondtime and havethree sryleschosenfor them
Gamcsik.
to pick from. h can be difficult: if you gct cight women together, you may gct eight different opinions."
Whether you bring them shoppingor not, most bridesmaidsare still expcctedto pick
up the tab for their dresses."When a bridesmaidagreesto be in a wcdding, there is
a dollar amount attachedto that commitment,"saysJane."Sometimesthe bride paysa
deposit and the bridesmaidspay the remainder.Occasionallythe mother of the bride
coverseverything." lenny Yoo estimatesthat brides pick up the tab about z5 pcrcent of
the time.
What's the bottom line? At Saks,bridesmaid dressesaverage$I,ooo each. Fortunatell:
most designcrs' prices don'r hit four figures, BCBG dressesare all in the S2oo range;
fenny Yoo'sdressesare $255to s45oi f.Crew'sare sI75 to $55orNicole Miller's range
from $:75 to $620; Thtead dressesare 52.25to $45o1and Vera Wang's run from SI8o to
S3zo. Chances are, howet er, that if you chose a dress she actually trurtlsto wear again
price won't be an issue
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