Bridesmaid Style Guide
(Continued)
Ladylike Bride
There
are wedding divas who still want their dressy weddings to show a certain
amount of restraint. Victoria Hadden and Lisa Kenny of Serafina,
a made-to-order bridesmaids' dress label, have them covered. High-end
fabrics from Indian Duppioni and rice-paper-thin chiffon are their
specialties. The racks in their garment-district showroom are like
boxes of pencils in every grade of every color imaginable. Clients
can customize any dress with piping or ribbon, even switch the straps.
Classic strapless gowns, either in iridescent silk taffetas or with
embroidery, are a perennial. This season, halter dresses are big,
as is "the whole Moulin Rouge thing," Hadden notes, which at
Serafina translates into a duchess-satin corset top with a flared
mermaid skirt to match. $250-$450.• serafina.net; 212-253-2754
Bridesmaids will never complain about not being able to re-wear dresses
from Thread, as its designs are a lot like what the fashion-forward
would want in their closets anyway. Possibly because, as co-founder
Beth Blake says, "we're the most un-bridesmaidy girls you'll ever
meet." Blake, a former market editor at Vogue, and friend and
Parsons grad Sophie Simmons started Thread after Blake — surprise!
— couldn't find a decent dress for her sister's wedding. Because
they're not personally obsessed with all things bridal — Beth
had only three bridesmaids at her own wedding (wearing ivory cashmere
cowl-neck dresses she designed), and Sophie would rather get married
in a field with ten guests — they believe they can help their
clients have fun with the process and not take it too seriously: "We're
not very formal. If people come in the door and say, 'I'm having a
black-tie wedding at the Plaza,' that's not really us." A wedding
in the Hamptons, Napa, or Nantucket, however — that's a different
story. New this season are subtle floral prints. Ever-popular red
is being ordered for spring as well as fall. Their twenties-style
georgette dress with a buttery silk-charmeuse side sash is a favorite,
as is their strapless knee-length silk organza, which doesn't cling
to hips. For fall, look for fifties full skirts à la Dolce Vita.
$260-$400.• threaddesign.com; 212-414-8844
Anything-Goes Bride
As
much as some brides want to micromanage their big day down to the
last rose petal, a burgeoning trend in the wedding world is for brides
to let their bridesmaids have more of a say in what they'll wear.
Often those are the more understated brides, who see no point in swathing
their friends in yards upon yards of silk organza. Nanette Lepore's
girly frocks have a devoted following among downtown party girls and
can do double duty as special-occasion garb long after the wedding.
"The shapes aren't so intimidating," says Lepore, whose spring collections
are often wedding-friendly. "They look more retro to us than wedding.
I'd say they have more of a pretty vintage look to them." We love
the embroidered silk-shantung patterns. Pair them with a matching
ruffle-trimmed cardigan to cover shoulders for a religious ceremony
or a chilly spring night. $150-$350.• Nanette Lepore, 423 Broome St., 212-219-8265; nanettelepore.com
If
Nicole Miller is the queen of the black cocktail dress, then
bridesmaid fashion is her subspecialty. "I don't like bridesmaids
to be too bridesmaidy," she notes, "just simple and elegant." At a
recent trunk show, Miller met six different brides planning destination
weddings at resorts. They needed something more casual in both cut
and fabric for their bridesmaids. "There was so much satin. Satin,
satin, satin!" she says. "It still sells well, but silk satin really
wrinkles." Lucky for them, Miller has come up with some less formal
but still elegant options. We love a floral bias-cut silk dress that's
clingy in all the right places, perfect for beach bridesmaids or even
beach brides. $275-$300.• Nicole Miller, 780 Madison Ave., 212-288-9779; 134 Prince St., 212-343-1362 ; nicolemiller.com
| PREVIOUS DRESSES |
Email
PrintFrom the 2002 New York Weddings Guide
