Thursday, August 30, 2007

Wedding dresses

One of the most fun parts of planning a wedding, in my opinion, is getting to pick out a gorgeous, fancy white dress that you would never get to own otherwise. However, since I have lost 25 pounds on Weight Watchers this summer and have no intention of stopping, and since my wedding is over a year away, I have not begun dress shopping except for one ill-advised foray into David's Bridal with my friend Jill. What I learned at David's Bridal is that I will never go to David's Bridal again, and also that I do not look good in poofy skirts. What seems to suit me is a structured bodice (maybe corset-style or at least with some boning) and a simple A-line skirt made in a soft, but not clingy material.

So what I'm having to placate myself with is lots and lots of admiring different dresses online. I don't know much about wedding designers (other than the obvious Vera Wang, etc., which I will certainly be avoiding). In fact, I think I'll probably end up picking out a dress at the super discount bridal mart near my parents' house in North Carolina. But I have recently discovered a designer called Maggie Sottero, and I find myself really drawn to a lot of her designs. But of course, as usual, I want your opinions.

1) I really like this one, but I'm slightly concerned that it looks too much like a bedsheet. Thoughts?




2) This one is nice, and I like that it isn't boring, but is it too... stripey? Or busy or something?




3) I'm also a fan of this one, and thought it might be a slightly less toga-ish version of number 1, but I'm concerned about the lace at the neckline. It isn't just lace... it's also "embellished with Swarovski crystals, bugle beads, pearls, and sequins." Is that overkill?



4) I love the bodice on this one, but am I right to be scared of the big draping ruffly thing in the skirt?




5) In theory, I like the concept of this one, but the skirt is too full for my taste, I think (yes, I know I just said I wanted a full skirt). Also, the website describes it as creating "the look of grandeur," and I'm pretty sure that's not the look I want to go for at my wedding.



6) This one looks so pretty on the model, but the skirt is tulle, like a tutu. In keeping with the "I don't look good in poofy skirts" theme, would this be too much for me?



7) I love the bodice on this one, and how simple the skirt is, but is it not full enough? Would it look all mermaidy on me? Because mermaid looks great on some women, but I am definitely not one of them.



8) Before I went to David's Bridal, I loooved skirts like this. Now that I know that poofy looks terrible on me, I'm afraid the pick-ups will make me look like a big puffball. Or do they start low enough on this dress to be okay? And are pick-up skirts just a big trend right now that will look awful in the photos 20 years from now?



9) This one is totally and completely different from how I would have imagined my wedding dress would be, but I'm strangely drawn to it. I like the lace, especially on the train where you can see through it. But would it be too clingy? Does it look like it could hold its own shape? Is it too... different? Would a lace dress be overkill with a veil?



10) Okay, I know I don't like the sleeves on this one (although if anyone disagrees, I'm interested in hearing why). But aside from that, I think I like the bodice, and the split in the skirt with the lace panel is pretty. Or is it just weird?



Okay, thoughts? Favourites? Answers to any (or all) of my questions? Do you hate them all? Do you know of other dresses that you want to share? I need advice here, people.

14 comments:

  1. Is there a reason you're looking only at strapless dresses?

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  2. No particular reason, other than that I like that style and I haven't seen any dresses with sleeves or straps yet where I liked the sleeves/straps. I'd be open to a dress with sleeves or straps, though, if I found one I liked.

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  3. So! pretty! I would need to see them ON YOU to be able to tell for sure which were my favorites. So, get thee to a dressing room! No, I suppose not yet time for that. But I hope you WILL do dressing room photos when it gets closer!

    #2 is the only one that doesn't make me go WOW PRETTY!! It looks a little like she put the dress on and then they twisted it onto her like a candy wrapper. But only a LITTLE. The slant of the lines makes her look off-balance, like her body inside the skirt follows those lines and she's going to tip over.

    I don't think #1 is bedsheety or that the ornaments on #3 are overkill. The ruffle in #4, we'd have to see in person. It looks really pretty on the model, though, I think.

    I like #5; I think they're just doing the "grandeur" thing because of the jewel on the bodice, and because bridal dresses always use dumb words (usually "simple elegance"). I don't like the proportions of it as much as some of the other dresses, though.

    #6 looks a TEENY bit as if that's her strapless bra at the top, with the dress getting pulled down accidentally. I can't tell about the tulle--would need to see it on someone less bitchy-looking.

    #7 looks a little restricting even on the model. It's wrinkling around her hips, and she looks like she has to hold her knees together even just to stand still.

    I think ALL wedding dresses will look awful in the pictures a generation from now. Just like with all the '80s dresses we say, "WHY all the lace long sleeves? And all the high lace necklines? My god, what were you thinking??," in 20 years it'll be, "Why were ALL the dresses strapless?" You just have to pick one that's pretty NOW and hope your descendents won't mock you TOO much.

    I love #9. I don't think a veil would be overkill.

    I like the sleevie-weevies on #10, but would be hard-pressed to say why. They just look sort of delicate and feminine to me, I guess, and also I would feel uncomfortable in a strapless so I'm drawn to sleeves. I think the split in the skirt is pretty.

    Reading back over my comment, it looks like all I'm saying is negatives! But it's more like I think they're ALL great (well, except the candy-twist one) so have to evaluate through the little details.

    How fun!

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  4. I love love LOVE numbers 9 and 10. I just think they look classic and elegant and will allow you to wear the dress, and not the dress wearing you. Also, I'm always more comfortable with any hint of a sleeve, even if it offers no appreciable support or coverage. It's just like a wee security blanket. I'm not wearing an actual wedding dress for my wedding, so this will be fun to see you pick out yours!!! And having gone shopping with other girlfriends, I can honestly say that I hate David's Bridal. There are better stores, I am sure of it.

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  5. I really like #3, #9 and #10.

    That said, I like #10 the best because I really like the cap sleeves (is that what they're called?) and the split panel. Very pretty and elegant without being overkill.

    I'm drawn to fuller skirts though, because when I tried on some form-hugging dresses, I thought they looked good, but were very restricting when you wanted to sit or dance or MOVE.

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  6. in my vast experience (read: none) i would probably advise you stay away from anything poofyish if you already know it's not that great on you. i think skirts like #5 and #6 have the potential to make even the twee-est of girls look.. uh.. poofy.

    i have a total thing for asymmetrical details like the ruffle in #4 and the split in #10 so i LOVE those details. i'm also a fan of the delicate little cap sleeves, although i too can't really tell you why. they're... i don't know, cute, without being annoying?

    also a huge fan (inexplicably) of #9. the only thing i'd be wary of there is the vaaaaaast expanses of horizontalness, which may or may not look good on anyone larger than a size .002 model.

    however, from the 4 weddings i've been involved in over the past 2 years, i've learned 2 important things: a) you can seriously never tell if the dress will look good or if you'll love it / hate it until you're wearing it, and b) as long as YOU love it, the style totally doesn't matter, because you'll be workin' it like you've never worked anything in your life, because HELLO, WEDDING DAY. most girls could be wearing sacks of carrots for the walk down the aisle and they'd still look radiant, just because they're so happy.

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  7. I am getting married next year also, and am also one of those girls that can definitely NOT pull off the mermaid look. The one thing the assistant/sales person lady told me that I think sounds like it might apply to you too is that a dropped waist is flattering on people who might look short or bunchy (is that even a word?) in a poofy skirt. I tried on one of the pick-up ones, and it totally didn't work for me, but it might work for others - and since the one you are looking at has a dropped waist, you might be ok.

    I have to agree with everyone that says that you never know what you will like until you try it. I fell in love with the 2nd dress I tried on, but I made myself try some others just to make sure (and so that I wouldn't regret it later, thinking "I wonder what that poofy pick-up skirt one would have looked like on me").

    Good luck!

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  8. I like them all but I love #3 and #9.
    I'm not a fan of any dress with pick-ups. I’m not really sure why but I just find that part of the dress distracting.
    Here is a link to my dress. http://tinyurl.com/85bjg
    The skirt will be a bit fuller and I might go with a long veil.
    Definitely go with what you feel comfortable in. I tried on several dresses with trains and after about the third one I decided I didn’t want a train.
    It was fun, although hot, trying on dresses. Good luck!

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  9. I think that there are two things that are most important in picking out a wedding dress, and in order, they are:
    1. How you feel in the dress - If you try a dress on and feel beautiful and amazing and the minute you put it on you think about how Torstan will think you look amazing when you walk down the isle, then it's a keeper.
    2. How you will feel about the dress when you look at your wedding pictures 20 years from now. Will you think, "oh god why did I pick something so trendy that dress is horrid?" or "I wish I would have picked something more comfortable - I could barely dance in that!" If you think these questions might possibly pop up in your head in the future, then it is not the one :)

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  10. You guys are all amazing. It sounds like nine and ten are the biggest winners. I will definitely have to keep all your advice in mind when I get to the dressing room stage. And don't worry, there will definitely be dressing room photos.

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  11. I like 9 and 1, for what it's worth, which is probably nothing. :) They seem to have nice flows, to me. The first seems very elegant, the ninth very subtle and pretty.

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  12. oh lord, i find this maddeningly fun.

    i love #7 and #10.

    i absolutely love the shape of 7, and the simple elegance of it. gorgeous.

    i actually do kind of like the sleeves on 10, because they remind me of some sort of midieval cap sleeve...

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  13. I would love a sweatheart shaped dress, but with a full skirt...I didn't look at the date of your post but I hope your search is/was successful...

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  14. I think that all ten dress are exceptional, with the exception of (pun intended) #2 and #10. The reason is beacause I think the stripes on #2 are too busy and the sleeves look out of blace on #10. My favorites are #1 and #4 because the are breezy, mystical and very romantic.

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