The Empress's New Clothes

[smokingboot]

Tentative forays into Bride land were disappointing. I'm not really going for it until after Oz, but I thought I would have a quick attempt, not least on seeing something interesting at Net-a-porter:


This is contemporary and light, as is the venue, so I popped down to Mr McQueen's establishment on Old Bond Street to see if it would do.

Everyone complains that these things are only designed to look good on tall whippet thin models... this was not the case. The dress seemed to have been cut for a person of ordinary size and height with the shoulders of an American quarterback and the arms of a cave troll. The sizes were generous but even in a 10 the cuffs hung down over my hands, the assistant explaining that they would have to be folded back. So what was the point of those dinky little buttons then? There was also a weird gap created by too much material at the back; somewhere to hide a spare groom I presume.

Not that more traditional wedding gowns were any better. Lace and heavy beading is very in this year, and I don't necessarily look great in either, which is why I went to check on the dress in the first place. I expected the broderie anglaise to be the problem, not the cut. Oh, but wandering through Debenhams/House of Fraser etc,the bridal gowns look hopelessly dull and cheap while costing silly amounts. The one that looked least offensive on me was one of the cheapest of the lot, seriously http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_008010450485_-1 Then I tried a Jenny Packham creation that just fell to the floor in a hideous avalanche of curtain material and fringe...lord! who would buy this stuff? then a couple of things from Coast, Phase 8, and Biba, evening dresses with dodgy zips, not a risk to take on the wedding day. For all this fuss and considerably less cash, I could find something interesting in Camden.

There is of course, Pro Novias, but just looking in the window seems like a major commitment.A visit to Pro Novias appears to be a group affair, groups of women clustered on sofas, brides and wedding advisors looking through vast catalogues, assistants rushing up and downstairs with endless variations on 'The Dress'. It hurts my brain just to contemplate it.

Comments

Re: so gorgeous

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

You say lovely things, thank you! Some of the pieces shown here are gentle to silhouettes, so perhaps many might look better in them than we think... though a very gallant friend has sent me this link to the kind of thing she thinks I would suit. She told me enthusiastically that it has a slimming corset included :-D I think this is what is meant by 'The internal boned bodice negates the need for heavy-duty underpinnings – a considered finishing touch. '
http://www.matchesfashion.com/products/1025381?qxjkl=tsid%3A30065|cgn%3A*ntwVx3S3nw&c3ch=LinkShare&c3nid=*ntwVx3S3nw&utm_source=RAN_UK&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=*ntwVx3S3nw