I’m on a Wang kick this week. Hahaha, did I just say that? I mean Vera Wang, of course. I am not lying when I say you’ll be doing your bridesmaids a favor by dressing them in Vera Wang Maids. The dresses are both on the edge of affordable and entirely re-wearable. Observe:

Being rather busty myself, I tend to stay away from plunging necklines. And, being also roundish in general, I also have made a point of avoiding the bubble hem trend. Nonetheless, I feel I can safely admire this dark ivory taffeta Vera Wang gown from afar. It features a draped bodice, an English net pleated underskirt, and an absolutely striking black bow.

I can understand the desire to advertise impending nuptials and the occasion of marriage. But I don’t know that I’d want “Soon to be Mrs. The Beard” printed on my behind. And I’m quite sure that The Beard doesn’t need to be reassured by my wearing panties emblazoned with his moniker, like this from a store called (ahem) Classy Bride:

Of course, that’s more of an ‘any time’ statement. After the wedding, there are so many ways to proclaim that you are taken.

Wear it:

Fly it:

Decorate it:

Flaunt it?

Manolo says, for the next week the Manolo for the Brides blog will be conducting the survey of the readers for our internet friends at the Coutorture Network. If you would be so kind as to please fill out the survey in the column to the immediate right, the Manolo would be most grateful.

My mother took me out to breakfast this morning, and we ended up dining in one of the nicer hotels in Boston. Their dining room had a lovely robin’s egg blue and tan color scheme. At one point, my mother fielded a business call and I had plenty of time to admire the decor. Alas, the popularity of blues in general has made finding the true subdued (and slightly green) robin’s egg a little problematic. Of course, even among the actual eggs, you will find a great deal of variation, so that’s one problem solved

In case you wondering, here is a picture of an actual robin’s egg:

Now, we can parlay that into a favor:

An invitation:

A bridal party theme, as displayed by the lady to our left:

And an expression of gratitude:

I’ve come across a lot of these Western-style wedding dresses and skirt sets (like this one fromRenton Western Wear) lately…and it’s not by choice, believe me. But there must be a market for this sort of thing. I’m just stymied as to what that market is. Theme weddings? Second weddings? Rodeo weddings?

I stumbled across a wonderful article on the history of the wedding dress today, written by Elizabeth Davies. While the piece is quite comprehensive, what really makes it shine are the hand-drawn illustrations. Here is a sample:

A well-to-do middle class woman (like Giovanna Cenami in 1434, right) would aspire to velvet or silk fabrics, and because she could not usually afford mink or sable, she would wear fox, or rabbit fur to impress her friends. The poor bride’s dress would be of linen, or fine wool, instead of the usual coarse homespun, and she would use as much fabric as she could. For an everyday girl, clothes would normally be as sparingly cut as was decent, so a gown with flowing sleeves or a train was a big status symbol.

Those forced by economics into wearing a dress that would soon become regular daily wear would adorn it for the day with temporary decorations. Up until the nineteenth century ribbons would be tied into bows, or “love knots” and loosely attached to the dress. These “bride laces” would be pulled off by the guests during the post ceremony festivities, and kept as wedding favours, or souvenirs. This custom gradually died out, being replaced by flowers instead. This custom has, of course, remained to this day – most brides, no matter how simply dressed, will have a flower or two somewhere on their outfit! When Charlotte Pennell (left) married George Hill in 1910, she was nearing 40, and had no intention of wearing a “once only” dress. She did however, decorate her fashionable ensemble with a posy of flowers in her hat and a matching bouquet.

Sleeves were the big feature of seventies dresses. After twenty years of tight sleeves cut to a point over the hand, Princess Anne led the way with her extravagant Tudor sleeved wedding gown, and the brides of this decade followed suit with sleeve styles culled from every era.

Yeek! What is it about the 70s, anyway? She could stow the flower girl or two in her sleeves and have room left over to tuck away a few bottles of bubbly for the afterparty!

If you want more pictorial wedding dress history, check out The Bride’s Book: A Pictorial History of American Bridal Dress, Foreign Brides from Antiquity, or The Royal Wedding Dresses, all three of which are absolutely chock full of wonderful illustrations of gowns throughout the ages!