What will you wear to your wedding?
By Harriette Cole with Natalie Hippolyte
You just got engaged. Now it’s time to find the perfect dress. Start with what you dreamed about as a young girl. What inspires you now? How do you see yourself on your wedding day? Have an idea?
Great, now where do you look? There are so many options that it can be dizzying to try to figure out what’s right for you. And now, there are more offerings than ever from a global community of bridal designers who have been busy creating looks in the hope that there is something perfect—just for you.
We set out to discover the trends that might interest Black brides during New York Luxury Bridal Fashion Week. And wow. We found ourselves everywhere. There were clusters of bridal showcases all over New York City featuring designers literally from all over the world—England to Australia, France to Ukraine, Senegal to Israel, across the United States and more. Each designer spent months imagining and then producing samples for retailers and consumers to consider for what is arguably the most important day in a woman’s life.
Our harvest of ideas is overflowing. After sorting through endless files of photos, we have come upon several trends that we think may interest you.
LACE
A classic for brides for decades, lace today is often sheer and sensuous. Some designers show it with bare skin peeking through. Others present large-scale patterns that provide a modern edge. Some combine lace with flowers—another point of emphasis this season. Eritrean designer Nardos created a form-fitting lace bodice with a voluminous tulle trumpet-flared skirt, perfect for hugging the booty.
FLOWERS
Outdoor weddings are becoming popular again, and brides are gravitating toward a garden feel in their garments. Hand-designed flowers are being applied to many gowns at the bodice and sleeve. Some are being sculpted by the fabric itself, which sweeps into a dramatic fold below the waist. Nardos applied an oversized flower to one gown, giving it a bold, modern twist. Iranian designer Sareh Nouri embroidered a large, graphic flower onto a strapless gown (image 8), giving a contemporary edge to an otherwise classic silhouette.
SIMPLE AND SLEEK
Sophisticated urban brides are drawn to sleek silhouettes that slide over the body as a column or even a fit-and-flare, providing a subtle elegance. Paulette vön Cleghorn, who presented for the first time this season, showed a luscious leather strapless column gown that features the tiniest floral pattern that will surely turn heads. Australian label, Hera Couture, featured nearly 50 gowns. Among them was a fitted strapless white satin gown with ruching at the hip and a demure shine.
SHEER
Some daring Black brides may go for the sheer look that appeared in a variety of silhouettes. The bustier gown with a mermaid or column skirt was popular. You just have to make sure you like how you look from behind. Take a picture so you see what your guests will see while you are standing at the altar.
CONVERTIBLE
Another trend that brides have taken to is wearing 3-4 looks on their wedding day. Imagine! While that can be fun, it can also be pricey. An alternative is to adopt a tried-and-true trend: get a convertible dress. This is one that has multiple parts. It starts with your basic gown. It may have a ball-gown overskirt that you step out of, or a half skirt with a hook-and-eye closure that attaches to the waist. Lee Petra Grebenau showed a lace column dress with a detachable satin skirt. For a bride who needs to cover her shoulders in a sanctuary there may be a capelet, shrug or veil that drapes the shoulders. Hera Couture showed a dress with billowing detachable sleeves. The options are endless.
THE LINGERIE LOOK
You may have seen corsets sewn into wedding dresses to offer extra support. Well, sometimes that corset is actually the bodice of the dress itself. Yes, if you dare to wear a lingerie look as the signature of your gown, many designers shared their version to satisfy your sensuous appetite. Check out Verdin’s look that has a corset, fitted body and ball-gown hip—all in sheer fabric.
BALL GOWN
Drama still has its place in a wedding. A big ball skirt that wafts as you walk down the aisle announces a bride’s entrance and brings every guest to attention. Some of these gowns feature cathedral trains, adding more drama. Others are just grand and can twirl exquisitely at your reception before you step out of it to seriously get your party on! Mark Ingram loves a good ball gown, especially one that features a defined back so guests can feast their eyes on the beauty of the bride from any angle.
CLASSIC
For the bride who wants to look beautiful and feel comfortable, there are plenty of classic looks to consider. Designer Mark Ingram says his bride still wants a bit of modesty and a full dose of elegance. The same is true for a number of designers we met.
COLOR
Not every bride has to wear white. Blush, pink, lavender and gold made their way onto the runway this season. Sareh Nouri showed a flounced gown in bronze lace. Valentini showed one convertible dress that had three layers, including a blush-toned top that became a dress to wear later to a black-tie event.
ANDROGYNOUS/FLUID
Not everyone wants to wear a gown at the wedding. Designers are recognizing the shifting trends and responding with hybrid looks that include bustiers and pants, tuxedo shirts, trousers and trains. You can have whatever you can envision! Project Runway finalist Bi Pham had fun gender-bending in his collection.
COCKTAIL
A shorter dress is making its way into the wedding wardrobe—for more casual, daytime events, second weddings, and reception dresses. They come flirty with flouncy skirts, fitted, sheer—the gamut. Mira Zwillinger showed a sexy, sleek, graphic floral dress with sheer illusion neckline and a detachable train, while Nardos had fun with three-dimensional flowers on a girly strapless dress that’s perfect for an outdoor affair.
NOTE TO BLACK BRIDES:
When it comes to finding the dress for you, it is imperative that you try on something close to what you like. If you are like most Black women, you are not sample size (0–6), which means you need to ask a few questions in advance. Call your bridal shop to find out what sizes they carry in store for trying on gowns.
Many shops have samples that only go up to size 10. If you need a 14 or higher, say so. Don’t be shy. Many cities now do have dress shops that carry inclusive sizing—for trying on. Many designers will also make a dress for you in your size. Those we met at Fashion Week typically said they design from size 2–22, with some going to size 30.
Be sure to ask whether prices go up for larger sizes, how much time it takes to make alterations and what alteration charges typically are. Get as much information in advance to avoid pricey surprises.
Feature image courtesy of Ugochi Iwuaba
