2 August 2011
My dear friend Alyssa sent in a fashion query this week, and I was only too happy to oblige! She wrote:
Dear P&P,
I’m headed to my boyfriend’s sister’s wedding in two weeks and I’m looking for guidance on an appropriate dress. I’ve been putting it off all summer, hoping inspiration would come to me. But, it hasn’t and so now I turn to you, my trusted fashion advisor. It’s an evening, outdoor wedding with what the bride describes as a ’20s infused spirit. Her color palette is blue, I believe. My boyfriend is in the wedding party and so I want a dress that will not clash with him but that is not similar to the colors of the bridesmaids, either. I’m a blue-eyed blonde and while I do have a slight summer tan, I’d prefer to shy away from any color that will wash me out. I’m also struggling with style. I will be meeting pretty much all of my boyfriend’s extended family for the first time at the wedding and want a dress that is cute and fun but also elegant and appropriate. Yikes, seeing all of those requirements in writing, it’s no wonder I’m struggling to find the perfect dress!
Any suggestions and/or advice you could provide would be most appreciated :)
Alyssa
I went straight to my old standby Modcloth when faced with your search, Alyssa, especially since you were maybe looking for something with a vintage vibe. Modcloth hint: when searching for dresses, I always select the “longer lengths” category — many of Modcloth’s dresses look reasonable on their website only to turn out to indecently short in person (in my opinion!). “Longer lengths” nets you dresses that are more of a true cocktail length.
But on to the dresses!
“Too Much Fun” dress in raspberry (also available in grapefruit) for $78. Cute, but perhaps a tad casual for an evening wedding. I like that you could add a braided leather belt or a jean jacket and be good to go for daytime wear.
“Red-y to Dance” dress for $100. Love this dress! Definitely elegant, but the red makes it fun, and it has a bit of a vintage vibe. I think this color would look stunning on Alyssa!
“Love is the Answer” dress for $65. I think this dress is elegant and darling at the same time. My only concern is that the color might not be the best for Alyssa (depends how tan you currently are, my friend!).
“SoCal Bungalow” dress in purple (also available in scarlet) for $50. Gorgeous color, elegant style, and a great price.
My token non-Modcloth option, this one is from Macy’s for $83. Alyssa, I know you would be pleased to know that this one got the “adorable” vote from John :)
I hope this helps, my friend! Readers, have any great wedding guest outfit options for Alyssa? Leave them below in the comments!
11 July 2011
Though I am an extreme lover of weddings, I will freely admit I’m not a connoisseur of engagement rings. There was never one particular style or shape I loved or hated, so I knew I wanted to try on a few different options before John or John and I settled on the final pick. Going into our “looking” trip, I thought I knew that I wanted a very thin, yellow gold band, I DIDN’T want a halo, and I was most interested in oval-shaped diamonds. Here are a few of the images I gathered in the days before our trip:
Credits, from top: oval gold engagement ring from Asprey, micropave cushion-cut engagement ring in platinum from Harry Winston, horizontal gold setting from Marvin Katz, photo by Kate Headley, photo by Whitebox Weddings
And, well, here’s what I ended up with!
Surprise! I ended up with a halo, since it turns out I liked halos, just not ones that were bezel-set. Ovals just weren’t my shape :)
As for the yellow gold? I LOVE it! All in all, I think my ring is sparkly, while still being classic and simple. I couldn’t ask for anything more!
For those of you who are also yellow or rose gold lovers, here’s a little more engagement ring inspiration…
“Loved” ring from Catbird
Photo by Tec Petaja via Once Wed
Photo by Nancy Ray
Oval white sapphire rose gold ring from EidelPrecious
“The Tiniest Pearl” ring from Catbird
Elisa Solomon 18K diamond ring from Stuart & Wright
Conroy & Wilcox 18K triple diamond ring from Stuart & Wright
Suzanne Kalan white rose ring from Sundance
What does your engagement ring look like?
1 June 2011
Veronica Sheaffer, the talented designer behind the eponymous line of wedding gowns, recently sent me the link to her Autumn 2011 collection, and I had to share. Anyone who remembers this post will know why…
Swiss dot! And lots of it.
I also loved Veronica’s description of her aesthetic:
“Veronica Sheaffer has built a nationwide reputation for classic, feminine gowns and sweet, old-fashioned wedding design… Veronica’s bridal gowns and accessories speak to a bygone era of true femininity and luxury. Only the finest fabrics are used and each piece is the utmost in quality and detailing.”
Check the whole collection out here! Thank you for sharing, Veronica!
26 May 2011
I probably do not need another swimsuit (especially since I currently live disconcertingly far from the seashore), but these two blue and white seersucker numbers caught my eye. Isn’t that bow adorable?! What do you think — would it be too overwhelming in person, or just right?
Top suit from Aerie (top, $20, bottom, $15 — also in red and white). Bottom suit from amourouse on Etsy ($55, made to order).
