Hot Style 2012 Part 2: Bridesmaids

So you’ve got your wedding gown sorted. Now it’s onto the bridesmaids. With so many styles and colours to choose from, where do you start?!!

This year we are seeing lots of girls opt for soft, floaty fabrics like chiffon. Satin and taffeta are still popular, but chiffon seems to be the big winner for 2012.

You think floaty, you think ‘Grecian’, and Dessy has a fantastic range of Grecian style gowns to choose from, (such as style 6623, pictured left) with empire line and natural-waisted styles. These are light and comfortable to wear.

 But if you think Grecian is the limit of what chiffon can do, think again! You can go for the slightly more sculpted look that is created by Truebride’s M521 - pictured right - (possibly the hottest bridesmaid style this year!), with its cowl back and button detail. We think this is a little bit inspired by Pippa Middleton’s dress at the Royal Wedding, but far FAR easier for normal sized women to wear, with the soft pleats across the tummy and the cowl at the back.  This is so cleverly cut that you can even wear a normal bra underneath - great for when your bridesmaids are running around looking after you!

If you want something a little more formal and traditional looking, then how about the M974C (pictured left)? This is cut more like a satin or taffeta dress, and even has a lace up back, but is made from soft chiffon fabric which gives it a really romantic look. Underneath that soft ruching is a fantastic structure with the same boning you’d expect in a dress made of heavier fabric… the result is a fab figure, smooth lines, and a strapless dress that stays put all day.

Necklines are changing too, with more and more brides choosing straps or high necklines for their bridesmaids. It’s not always about matching the necklines exactly with the bridal gowns any more either, and there are so many choices of dresses in the same fabric, you can even put each of your bridesmaids in a different dress!

As for colours... well that might end up warranting a whole separate blog post, but Cobalt Blue is proving to be a massive hit.  Purple is big this year, and hot pink is making a splash too.  Lots of strong colours, but charcoals, taupes, golds, and ivory, are all colours that are bang on trend for your bridesmaids too.  Add in a splash of colour with your flowers and you'll have a beautiful, soft, vintage palette to work with.

We are actually rather excited at Aliya Rose about helping to style bridesmaids this year.  So far it's proving really rather lovely and interesting.  Can't wait to advise you on yours!

Hot Style 2012 Part 1: Bridal Looks

Every year we sit and make predictions about what will be our top selling dress styles. Then we sit back and wait to see what happens in the New Year. Sometimes we are surprised, and sometimes we feel we’ve got it spot-on.

This January, I am struck by the fact that brides are more often than not looking for something a bit different. They still want to look like a bride. But they don’t want the same as everyone else, and the dresses they are choosing often have something unique about them.

Take the Ellis 11127 (left). We’ve never seen anything quite like it from any other designer. The back of this dress is breathtaking, and whilst it still has a traditional, bridal look, the lace train really adds something different.

Then there’s the Ella 5497 (right). The optional shoulder covering on this dress is proving a real hit as brides look for an alternative to what seemed to be the endlessly popular strapless gown.


Benjamin Roberts 2251 (below) has the lace and vintage styling that are so much en vogue right now, but the dark beaded embellishment and splash of subtle colour are going down a storm – not once have we been asked ‘does it come in all-ivory?’

Of course, how you accessorise your dress will also give it your own personal touch. One of our favourite look-changing accessories at the moment is a full length beaded lace-edged veil. It’s incredible, and can turn a lovely gown into a goose-bump inducing, jaw-dropping bridal look! The right accessory can totally make the outfit.

I haven’t even touched upon the customised option yet. Take a plainer bridal gown, and use a bit of imagination and creativity… a brooch, a jacket, add straps, or a one shoulder covering, maybe a belt… and you have a look that is entirely your own.

 We are loving helping brides to create a look that’s really unique. But ultimately our advice never changes: stay true to yourself and find a gown and a look that you feel really comfortable in. If you feel great on the day, then you will look great.