Comments on: An Open Letter to Wedding Gown Designers

By: dani

dani — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:15:12 +0000

Finally! I tried writing letters and had no luck. I am going to vietnam to have my dress made. I am so sick of seeing strapless, boring all the same gowns. Designers are by no means DESIGNERS! They are the most unoriginal, boring and ridiculously same as each other. I am also forty and marrying for first time and finding a dress has been by far, the most difficult thing I have done.

What is wrong with you people??? I want to see what a sleeved dress will look like on a size 14 – with boobs and flabby arms….!!! Not a stick thin professional model with NO boobs!

Also, I am sick of the rhetoric sprouted by the designers and the crap they dish out. Why can’t we have a design your own dress online with a depiction of the correct size and how it looks? I have found 2 sites – one design your own dress, but it’s on a one size animated model and the other depicts size, but not with a full dress design ability.
Can someone please put a program online – I would even pay a subscription! To put an animated model with the ability to vary sizes and to put together a dress anyway you wish and see how it looks.

By: DC

DC — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:25:44 +0000

I couldn’t agree with you more. I am uncomfortable showing bare shoulders and arms in general, much more especially in a church setting. I think sleeves done the right way can be absolutely beautiful, elegant, and classic. I want to wear something that I or my children/grandchildren can look back on 50 years from now and say how lovely and classic my dress was…not, “what were you thinking?!” I’m thinking something to the effect of Grace Kelly’s wedding dress…that dress is gorgeous even now! Most recently, Ivanka Trump tied the knot, and she looked stunning in sleeves. I found a clip of Vera Wang (who made her dress) and said that their inspiration was Grace Kelly. I love Ivanka’s dress and it’s nice to see a younger woman who isn’t willing to go with the (strapless) styles that are out now. Demure doesn’t mean boring or ugly!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:02:18 +0000

I’m so glad I found this article!I was googling because I am thinking of making silk wedding dresses next year,(I have school to do right now)and wanted to know what woman are looking for.Almost all the wedding dresses I have looked at ARE strapless,or have plunging necklines,ect.Vintage dresses are great,but most of them are smaller sizes,so that can be a problem for a lot of women.If anyone would like to email me with ideas or anything theyd like to say about wedding dresses,they can at:jennystreasuresforu@gmail.com.I also make handmade jewelry,spin crochet,and knit,so you can check out my website:www.JennysTreasuresForU.etsy.com,if you’d like.If I were to sell wedding dresses on etsy(where you could return most dress if needed),would a seperate shop be better just for the dresses?Thank you!

By: Marie

Marie — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:47:31 +0000

It’s so wonderful to read comments about wedding gowns from women who are really sick of seeing all the strappless “trashy” so called bridal gowns that are being sold in stores these days. Many of todays brides (in my opinion) look like hookers! It seems that they are trying to find a style that shows the most amount of skin that they can get away with. Are they trying to seduce the groom in church??? In front of their families and everyone else that is watching them?? Sure seems that way to me.

It’s so sad how much our society has changed. I plan on writing to bridal designers and asking them directly to start designing bridal gowns that are much more modest and with sleeves.

The designers NEED to be challenged! They need to be TOLD what we want or else they will just keep on designing “JUNK”. Designers should be overwhelmed with letters from women like us that want and demand wedding gowns that are modest, that’s the only way they will get the message and change their designs. Don’t be silent anymore! Spread the word!!

Write or e-mail all of those expensive and famous designers and demand that they STOP designing strapless wedding gowns. TELL them we want to SEE the new and improved dresses in bridal magazines AND on the shows they are in. Let us see how creative they can really be…..I think they can come up with some fantastic designs, BUT they MUST be challenged!

By: Terri

Terri — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:27:24 +0000

I am so glad to see all of you saying this! I am also over 40 and going to marry for the first time this June. I have been looking everywhere for sleeves and they are nowhere to be found. I looked at the Maxcinda gown that was mentioned earlier myself, but I am also concerned about buying online. Another problem is that my over 40 sister will be my matron of honor and we can’t find a dress for her either!!!
THIS IS INSANE!!! How on earth do we get the word out to the designers that we hate their designs??? Will they actually read this?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:11:39 +0000

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I feel like someone is with me on this. I have been searching for a dress with sleeves. The only dresses I have found with sleeves are very reminiscent of the days of Dynasty and Knots Landing. While I loved both of those shows back in the day. I am not on a quest to look like Krystle Carrington. I also feel that strapless dresses are beautiful. But they are not beautiful on EVERYONE…

By: Tia

Tia — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:06:01 +0000

I totally agree! With 3 months before my wedding, I am at my wits end trying to find somthing with sleeves. Being a bit flat-chested, a strapless will not do for me. Designers would do much better if they offered more variety. Thanks for all the suggestions–I’m definitely going to look them up as well as write to some of the bridal magazines.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:12:02 +0000

I feel everyone’s pain and frustration! As a 44 year old first-time bride, street size 14 who used to wear a street size 24, I have no desire to wear a strapless or sleeveless dress (nor do by friends and family want to see that!). On top of that, I have vitiligo (unpigmented skin that does not tan) under my arms almost to my elbows.

I would like a sleeve that goes to just above the elbow. What I’m not crazy about the LDS or Temple Ready dresses is that the necklines are more conservative than I want. I have no problem showing a bit of cleavage (but just a bit)!

Talk about discouraging to walk into a bridal store and be limited to the 3 or 4 dresses with sleeves in size 20 (that hurts and brings back bad memories)!

I did find a dress that I think I really like on onlinebridalstore.com (Maxcinda style) which is also about the best priced dress I’ve seen but I just wish I could try it on before committing to it. After attempting to shop today and becoming so discouraged I think I’m going to have to take the plunge and just order it. Wish me luck, ladies!

By: Lucy

Lucy — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:53:15 +0000

Ladies, Casablanca Bridal also customizes their wedding gowns! When I ordered mine, the bridal salon took the measurements for the sleeve length I wanted, discussed the fabric options with me, ordered the gown from Casablanca, and ta da! I had a modest and gorgeous ballgown (and they raised the neckline for me as well!)

By: Jennie

Jennie — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:10:43 +0000

My niece just got married. She couldn’t find anything she loved (and she is a bit of an original) so she went on line and found a beautiful vintage dress for around $50.00 including shipping. It took a little bit of tailoring to get rid of the Muttons on the sleeves but it looked fabulous. Not only was it beautiful but it was enviromental friendly to repurpose something that was wasting away in a box. With “green” as the newest buzz word, it’s not a bad idea….