I have been married for nearly two years and for the past week I have reviewed more than 800 wedding dresses! 800! (It is borderline insane.) Anyway, the research came after Bridal Market, akin to New York Fashion Week for weddings.
I have identified many trends, and as a reminder, my rule for identifying a trend is that it has to appear at least three times, three times a charm (and a trend)!
Let’s walk down the fashion aisle together!
Color and Prints: The runway for Fall 2012 showed a lot of beautiful gowns that went far beyond the traditional bridal white. I loved the unique patterned treatment in the Seeing Spots collection for a modern and sophisticated bride. The dresses in Golden Moment stand apart for the bride who wants to make a statement. The dresses in Black Magic are for the bride who is fashion forward while abandoning tradition.
Shape and Design: There were a lot of very specific construction trends I identified. Starting at the top, several designers showed visible corset and boning construction, see The Core Set, in a way that was at once sexy and sophisticated. The Mini to the Max collection is a favorite new trend, and is definitely for the bride that wants to stand out, it would make for a fabulous party dress. The Tiering Down set showed the very common trend of full skirts assembled from layers of cascading handkerchief hemmed chiffon and silk. Thigh Do is a strongly contrasting look, cut close to the body – but not tight – the emphasis of this trend is all in the slit. The Princess Bride set is significantly reminiscent of a famous bride from this year, it is full of volume, but still conservative and demure in the styling.
Details: Lots of trends were found in the little details. A favorite new trend is in the Shoulder Moment, the design showcases the bride’s collar (always flattering) with a demure half sleeve in delicate lace. Another very popular trend was the use of sheer fabric and netting to create illusion necklines and panels, as seen in the It’s an Illusion set. Pockets are back, I don’t personally love this trend, because no bride is actually holding her keys in her dress, but I can appreciate a trend in Corner Pocket(3x is the rule). Lastly, texture is key in the Light as a Feather trend; in seasons past runways were filled with oversized creped roses, I like the softer feather trend in this trend.
Do you want to say “I Do” to any of these trends? Tell me in the comments!
The Daily Batch 