Oh, Val, I would LOVE to get you started on wedding dresses. Please, let me prime the pump.

First, we can see the classic high waist coupled with a gently gathered skirt, with soft lace along the bodice and shoulders. Cap sleeves complete the effect, with just a touch of lace along the top. Unfortunately, the gathers in the back destroy the effect, making the dress on the whole much sharper in appearance. For those who desire a more draped effect, we can examine the lower waisted and more softly gathered option, for those who want more taffeta, less lace. The smaller gathers are still accompanied by lace over the bodice, but has an overall softer effect.

For the thin and tall among us, we can examine the graceful AutumnLyn. This dress is built to accentuate the willowy-ness of the wearer, while neatly hiding the evidence that one hasn't been making it to the gym with diagonal and lateral lines. The high collar completes the effect, by making the dress present as a masterpiece designed for the wearer, not pieced together to make it work.

Of course, we can always refer back to the Greek column look. Coupled with a three-to-four inch heeled hot pink peep-toed shoe, even the shortest bride can teeter confidently down the aisle.

If bold and loud and help-someone-dropped-a-chandelier-on-me is your style, you can go with the highly beaded and gathered taffetta dress in the wine and platinum combination from bonny. Not loud enough? Perhaps the open backed, rhinestone flowered Incandescent Iridescent Satin Organza would be best your choice. Truly the perfect dress for any bride.

Wow, that was fun to write. I'll have to write a part two tomorrow.

Aah no wedding dresses again! I can go on for AGES! They're so beautiful!

here are some weird yet awsoem dresses.

I think for my one-day-future-if-I-ever-get-married-wedding, I probably wouldn't wear a traditional wedding gown. I've never been a big fan of wearing white anyway, it's one of my WORST colors and I'd rather look my best on my wedding day. I like to think I'd be wearing more the sort of thing that celebs would wear to walk the red carpet at the Oscars or something---something super fancy, and glamorous, just not necessarily a wedding dress. I'd probably go for something with sparkle, and probably in lighter shades like grey, silver, pale blue, or something.

Here are some things that I would love to wear as a wedding dress (some of them are actual wedding gowns, others just pretty dresses )

As for bridesmaids dresses, I would definetly get them from J.Crew. I think the key to bridesmaid dresses is making sure that your bridesmaids actually look good, that the color and style suits them. I always kinda feel bad when I see weddings where all the bridesmaid gowns are strapless, there's almost always at least one girl who looks nice enough, but is obviously NOT suited to a strapless dress. The J. Crew dresses are simple, come in many colors and have many different style (V neck, halter, strapless, A line, sleeves, etc), so you could one color and a different style to suit each girl.

Back to wedding dresses

While the color wouldn't suit me, I love the simplicity of this style: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/Wedding ... /24385.jsp
And this one: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/Wedding ... /96062.jsp

I think my favorite silhouette would be the "mermaid", where it is tight fitting to the torso, waist, and hips, then flairs out at the bottom. I think I'd probably look a little lost in a princessy gown, with a big poofy skirt

I once had this idea that if I (the bride ) wore a color, then the bridesmaids dresses would all be white...I probably wouldn't do that though.

Back to the subject of awesome tights-- Here are a picture where I have the spotted tights on

... =772919061

I really like your second JCrew link, Val. One of my friends recently got married in that same sort of dress, and it was incredibly pretty. Hers was off-white, not white, though, a sort of natural color, and it complemented her hair (blonde, and up with the exception of a few ringlets) very well.

I like Carey's dress, too.

A wee bit more wedding dress critique, since Djaq and I have been having a fine time surfing the net...

First off, we have the fabulous character weddings. A popular theme this year seems to be Cruella De Vil, starring a fuzzy train for all our fur lovers. For those still wanting the Dalmatian patch look, there is a solution for you, complete with a period hairstyle, or an over-dress of black lace. Those who prefer to go with Cruella's dinner-party style, there is plenty to choose from. Ranging from poofy to straight, styles add a new twist to the story of the Dalmatian loving pyromaniac.

For those who would instead prefer to go with the lighter story of Beauty and the Beast, there are plenty of recreations, beginning with Belle's ballroom dress and stretching to include Mrs. Pott's tablecloth.

While many may go the way of Disney for their wedding, never fear if you prefer the simpler white-on-white. Beginning with a simple charmeuse with a high collar, Bonny again points out that less is more. If more lace is your taste, we can again refer back to the simple off-the-shoulder design. For a cooler wedding, three-quarter sleeves may be helpful, adding to the soft, floating fairy effect so many brides strive for.

(BTW, there are a lot of really nice colored gowns...I just enjoy picking out the bad ones. )

EDIT: Oh, Val, we did find a silver colored one, too. I think the model doesn't make it look as good as it could, though.

^wait you didn't like any of those dresses ! I liked them all . The silver colored one is my favorite by the model wears it to "strong".

I like the 2nd dress. Best

Nice tights, my sister has a simlair pair.Val

I don't think i will wear white if i ever get married ever. If i could ever get my soon to be husband(if that ever happens) to dress up as like and i could be zelda, that would just be awsome. I could change by then though.

i think it would be cool to have my whole wedding party in pink and black, or at least my husband (to be) in a pink tux. B/c of Relient K's song "In Love with the 80s"

As a Duke Blue Devil fan I tried hard to talk my wife into getting the bridesmaids Royal Blue dresses with jersey numbers on the back. She relented on the color but wouldn't go for the numbers. *sigh* Then I was going to try and have it so that instead of tossing the bouquet we'd have a basketball hoop she could slam dunk with the bouquet...this also did not happen. Ah well....

wait you didn't like any of those dresses

Sorry, let me clarify. I like all of the ones in the last paragraph and the silver one, and I think the first b&w one (don't want to slow my computer by opening the links right now ).

think it would be cool to have my whole wedding party in pink and black

That would be cool, depending on the pink. One of my friends looooves hot pink, and I can't stand it, but a softer, rose-ish color would be incredibly pretty. There are lots of pink dresses, but most tend to be just barely pink tinted. And this and this and this.

Nice, Shadowlander. Nice.

As a Duke Blue Devil fan I tried hard to talk my wife into getting the bridesmaids Royal Blue dresses with jersey numbers on the back. She relented on the color but wouldn't go for the numbers. *sigh* Then I was going to try and have it so that instead of tossing the bouquet we'd have a basketball hoop she could slam dunk with the bouquet...this also did not happen. Ah well....

That would be awsome but knowing my luck i would probalay miss the hoop.

Lady Arwen: I don't like hot pink either- it would be more of a soft rose color

^^ Hot pink hurts my eyes. I like dark colors really, but those neon give me a headache.

LA--nice post

To change the topic a bit from wedding dresses---where do you all get inspiration for outfits/clothes? Do you have a "style icon" or anything?

My biggest inspiration definetly comes from films. Rachel Weiz in The Brothers Bloom, Eva Green in Casino Royale, Jessica Biel in Easy Virtue, *thinks*...any of the actresses in Hitchcock movies...Death on the Nile...

As I'm getting ready to go out I'll imagine the character I'm trying to emulate and what she would wear, and then I even sometimes think about her mannerisims and try to incorperate them into how I act I doubt anyone else notices but it helps me feel more "put together", if that makes sense.

To change the topic a bit from wedding dresses---where do you all get inspiration for outfits/clothes? Do you have a "style icon" or anything?

*ponders the question deeply*

Well, my first consideration, especially with regards to shirts, is...will it fit? After that I don't particularly care, provided it's clean. And of course if you're looking for a good t-shirt to slum about the house in then you should go for a good college/sports t-shirt, because those are cool. A t-shirt whose appearance says "I'm not leaving my couch for the next 72 hours, and I'm comfortable with this" is the Holy Grail of apparel for me, and I've yet to find that magical garment. Also bear in mind that if you go for 100% cotton t-shirts they tend to shrink (this is inevitable) so always order a size larger than you wear.

But which graphic is right for you? Do you have trouble deciding between the classic "I'm with Stupid ---->" t-shirt? Or would you rather wear a bright pink "Daddy's Little Princess" getup? Or do you gravitate more towards the "I saw Blinko's Giant Donut Stand and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt"? The sky is the limit! Also you'll need to make sure the t-shirt doesn't clash with a ballcap, be it advertising a local tractor outlet, small town grocery chain, or standard baseball team logo. It's always best to look the part, and letting your facial hair grow out a few days helps to cover up any blatant color disparities between t-shirt and ballcap helps immensely. If you're female don't fret! You can buy fake beards at your local novelty store, and sometimes even Wal-Mart.

Next Week....Hawaiian Shirts...