Heaven in a Dressing Room April 1, 2009

Unfortunately, neither of my maids of honor (yes I have two) live in the same state as me. So when my best friend from college and I decided to meet in Pittsburgh which is about halfway between us to shop for her dress, I figured we should make the most of it! Drew and I are level two rewards members at Nordstrom, mostly because we bought his entire work wardrobe there last year, and the program comes with some perks. Some of them, like free shipping on all online orders I’ve taken advantage of, and others like the personal shopping service I hadn’t.

Let me just say, if you ever have the chance, a personal shopping trip at Nordstrom makes the best girl’s day ever! We arrived and were immediately ushered into a huge room filled with beautiful clothes, shoes, and accessories all in our size…of course we immediately zeroed in on the Jimmy Choo’s, and spent a blissful few hours mincing around in front of the floor length mirrors in all sorts of fabulous ensembles. Every five minutes, our man Stanley would knock on the door to bring more goodies or suggest other outfits. Heaven! Even though we didn’t end up buying her dress at Nordstrom, the experience was amazing and as always the staff was incredibly helpful. Here are some of the fun things we tried on:

One of the most gorgeous shoes I have ever tried on…the subtle tie-dye effect was so cool!

 

Robin Piccone makes very flattering bikinis. I still might have to take advantage of this one!

I couldn’t find the exact dress that was our favorite, but it was something like this – simple, a-line, classic, and gorgeous.

Net-A-Porter Wedding Boutique March 18, 2009

There is no better place for couture eye candy on the web than Net-A-Porter, and now they have a wedding boutique! I especially love that they have a stylish mother of the bride section, and a guest section split up what type of affair you’ll be attending. Of course a lot of the items are pretty pricey, but it’s worth a look all the same for fashion forward inspiration.

The deconstructed web-like look of this necklace is gorgeous and would be so pretty on an edgy bride.

A classic cocktail dress with unexpected metal detailing. I love it.

This dress is all about the back, and $895, it’s still cheaper than a lot of wedding gowns out there.

Of course I had to post some shoes. Beach wedding, honeymoon, rehearsal dinner, I could find so many excuses to wear these.

 

 

More Wedding Shoe Shopping February 2, 2009

Yes, I am addicted to shoes. And so far I think I’ve done pretty well by only using the wedding to rationalize  buying one pair of shoes for the the day of…but there’s still the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon to think about right? Here is my current shoe-lust list:

• flat gladiator sandals (but nothing too bondagelike)
• a new pair of Chucks, since mine from high school are getting a little worn out
• a pair of high wedges 

The wedges will probably be the hardest to find since I want something that will be comfortable enough to walk to dinner on the honeymoon, won’t sink into the grass at the rehearsal dinner, and of course something with a high cuteness factor. So far I’ve found:

These Enzo Angiolini wedges come in a bunch of colors and are on sale for $42.90 at Nordstrom…too bad they’re out of my size.

I love Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. line, and you can find the shoes for a lot cheaper at Amazon including the Sandra for $100.

Chunky wood heels, two tone woven leather, what’s not to like? You can find these Colin Stuart wedges at Victoria’s Secret for $99.  

These I may just have to buy whether I wear them to the rehearsal dinner or not. I love the adorable ruffle and they’re only $29.99 at Target!

Vintage Jewelry November 28, 2008

I’ve been on the hunt for vintage or vintage inspired jewelry since my dress has a definite 1940s flair. Amanda at VintageGlam turned me on to Ben Amun, which has some absolutely gorgeous pieces (check out her gorgeous earrings on the site) but I’m never one to stop shopping!

I love the idea of finding a parure (matched set of jewelry) since I want earrings and a brooch to wear on my dress. Thanks for the Memories doesn’t have a lot of those, but they do have an absolutely incredible selection of individual pieces that may end up being too tempting for me to resist.

One of the many gorgeous Art Deco brooches.

I love this era of jewelry because it manages to be girly and geometric at the same time.

One end of this pin unscrews so you can wear it in your hat, your clothes, or your hair.

Yay shoe clips!

Deals at Net-A-Porter November 24, 2008

I’m giving you fair warning, if you love shopping and don’t want to be in serious danger of credit card debt don’t click on this link. I adore Net-A-Porter, but usually the four digit price tags are enough to discourage me from even entertaining the idea of buying anything. But just in time for the holiday season (when I should be looking for other people and not myself coincidentally) they’re having an enormous sale with designer items half off…and they have some gorgeous stuff.

Hello?!? Only the most fabulous something blue ever…you would have to wear a short wedding dress to do these beauties justice. The Louboutins are still $500 with the discount, but even just looking at them is fun.

Yes, I too have a love affair with damask. I could see wearing this to our rehearsal dinner or on the honeymoon.

Speaking of honeymoon…$70 isn’t bad for a silk and lace chemise.

Check out the sale for much, much more!

Spring 2009 Fashion Week – Wedding Gowns September 14, 2008

I feel pretty fortunate to be lounging in my basement blogging and watching the Steelers game right now (ok, more blogging than watching). Central Ohio experienced the remnants of Hurricane Ike today, which were much more forceful than most people here expected. Drew and I, completely oblivious, went out to Barnes & Noble where the power immediately went out, we were bombarded with leaf and dirt shrapnel outside, encountered at least a dozen downed trees on the way home, and arrived home to our patio furniture and grill tumbled all over the backyard. But we’re completely fine, snug and spoiled with our air conditioning and internet access.

Plus this lazy Sunday evening has given me the perfect opportunity to start finally trolling through the fashion week pictures. Of course there is limitless inspiration to be found, so I figured I would break up wedding and bridesmaid dresses into separate posts.

Not surprisingly, Marchesa showed one of the largest collections of wedding worthy gowns, including this sculptural pleated dress I think could be really striking on the right bride.

Badgley Mischka also had sleek silhouettes, but with softer fabrics including this simple delicate patterned lace dress.

Even though the feathered hem is a tad fussy, the short train keeps this L’Wren Scott gown from feeling too overdone, and I like the dotted veil although I would drape it differently.

Oscar de la Renta had so many beautiful gowns I couldn’t just one. Both of these are classic shapes, but I love how one plays with color and one with texture.

There isn’t much new about this Monique Lhuillier gown in terms of draping, but I do like the look of a long pendant worn over a sweetheart neckline and the slightly smoky color is very pretty.

Satin Clutch Sale August 3, 2008

If you changed the wedding rhyme to “something bold, something blue, something fabulous, and something new” this turquoise satin clutch from Hayden-Harnett would take care of all four categories at once. Not only is it oversized, (ie right on trend AND you can can fit all of your wedding day necessities instead of one lipstick and a credit card) but it’s on final clearance for $44. Honestly I would be tempted to wear it with everything!

Sparkly, Shiny July 30, 2008

Sometimes I think I like the shopping more than the purchasing, which is true so far in the case of my wedding jewelry. I love looking at pretty,shiny things! I tend to be minimalist when it comes to jewelry, so I already know I want the focus to be on one gorgeous pair of earrings, probably with yellow stones to compliment my yellow sapphire engagement ring. I like the idea of borrowing a pair from Bag Borrow Or Steal, but so far they don’t have anything quite right. If I had an unlimited budget, I would probably snap up these absolutely fabulous Art Deco earrings from Adin Antique Jewelers, but at 1,300 Euro’s the price is just a wee bit intimidating.

Fortunately, I’ve already found several much more budget friendly options. These canary crystal earrings also have an Art Deco look to them, but are much more affordable at $395.

Normally I’m not a pearl kind of girl, but I like the simplicity and elegance of these fair trade earrings. Plus Drew likes pearls…

These are by far the cheapest option at only $39! I do like the marquis shape of the stones, but I might want a little more drama. What do you think?

Blingtastic Flat Sandals July 10, 2008

I always post about sky high heels because I love them so dearly, but even I recognize that they are not always the most practical or comfortable thing to wear, especially at a wedding. I’ve been seeing the bejeweled sandal trend everywhere lately and I think it would be an adorable look on a bride for a summer wedding. I immediately thought of billowy grecian dresses and garden weddings, but honestly I think these would sweet with any style. These are just a few of the options I found…

Sigerson Morrison sandals, Unisa sandals, Steve Madden sandals, Sigerson Morrison beaded sandals, Giueseppe Zanotti sandals

In Honor of Mother’s Day May 12, 2008

Sadly, most manufactured “Mother of the Bride” dresses are sack-like and unflattering, which is a disservice to the woman wearing it more than anything else, because a wedding day is almost if not more emotional for a mom as her daughter. I understand the urge not to overshadow the bride, but I think my Mom deserves to look fabulous too. I completely accept that we have different styles and that ultimately I want her to pick what makes her happy, but I plan to have her try on more than just floor length pastel chiffon sheaths with matching beaded boleros. I have no idea what we’ll end up with, but here are a few ideas I love...

Badgley Mischka, Diane von Furstenburg, Donna Karan, J Crew, JS Collections