Claire Pettibone might be one of my favorite wedding dress designers. She always stays true to her romantic and whimsical roots, and I think she’s one of the best designers if you’re looking for a vintage style.
Claire has said that she was inspired by the French countryside for her Fall 2012 collection, and I can definitely see it. Having recently returned from a trip to France, I’m already trying to scheme up ways I can get myself back there. I can picture it now…lounging in Provence…in one of these dresses…tending to my sheep. Ahhh, yes. It will be so!
Below are photos of my favorites from the Claire Pettibone Fall 2012 collection.
"Genevieve", from the Claire Pettibone Fall 2012 collection
"Marcelle," from the Claire Pettibone Fall 2012 collection
"Toile Francais", from the Claire Pettibone Fall 2012 collection
"Toulouse", from the Claire Pettibone Fall 2012 collection
"Pirouette", from the Claire Pettibone Fall 2012 collection
A friend of mine who is engaged recently started her search for the perfect wedding dress, and asked if I could send some ideas her way. As we all know, finding THE wedding dress is one of the hardest parts of planing a wedding (but admittedly, the most fun). Her request? “A ’20s-bohemian-style wedding dress with a simple silhouette but a hint of pizazz.” I thought I would start a search to see what kind of dresses I could find that fit the bill, and that came in under $2,000 (an ideal wedding dress budget, I think).
When looking for a vintage-style wedding dress, one of the first things you should do is decide which era you like best. For example, the 1920′s was all about straight-lines, knee and calf-lengths, dropped and free-flowing waists, and simple and more lightweight silhouettes. (the 1940′s, for example, was also a simple decade, but dresses had broader sleeves and more cinched waists.)
Granted, you can take cues from a past decade for your wedding dress, but you don’t necessarily have to find an exact replica. You can look for dresses that have a 1920′s vibe, without looking like you’re going to enter a costume contest!
Here’s some ideas I sent to her:
I am obsessed with Yolan Cris’s designs. They don’t sell in the U.S. yet, but they are great to use as inspiration, and to show bridal boutiques in your neighborhood to see if they can come up with any dresses with the same look. The Yolan Cris “Colección Revival Vintage” is GORGEOUS.
The Vintage Wedding Dress Company, which sells only out of its London store, is another great place to find inspiration. Their vintage dress recreations (broken down by decade) are beautiful, and a great excuse to suddenly plan a London vacation!
Claire Pettibone is a really great designer doing vintage-style wedding dresses, with lace and simple silhouettes. She has a good selection of dresses under $2,000.
Google is your friend. A search for “vintage 1920′s wedding dresses” will pull up a lot of junk, but it will also pull up a couple winners. If you’re looking for a less formal dress that can be worn again and again, something like this 1920′s-style dress from LeLuxe would be great.
Ever since I saw the movie Immortal Beloved in 1994, I’ve had a very confusing crush on Beethoven. Was it Beethoven himself that I liked, or was it just the fact that I had a crush on the actor that played him in a movie? I still don’t know. Regardless, I’ve been super into Beethoven FOR SOME REASON ever since the movie came out…reading countless biographies and even writing term papers on the composer, and of course becoming obsessed with his music. So needless to say when the movie comes on cable, which it did this week, I squeal like a little girl.
In addition to covering an interesting subject matter, the movie also captures what a gorgeous time period it was for fashion and interior design. As far as decor is concerned, the scenes I’m most obsessed with in the movie are supposed to take place between 1800-1827 (Beethoven was born in 1770, and died in 1827). During the early 1800′s, Empire dresses were in, with their raised waistlines and cap sleeves. The Chemisette, a long, flowing, Grecian-like dress, was also popular. Fashion in the early 1800′s was, in stark contrast to the ornate 18th century, more subdued and “comfortable,” with corsets being temporarily abandoned. Men’s clothing also became less ornate (but still refined), with long, tight breeches (pants), and short coats with sidetails. Hair wax became popular as wigs faded out, and “mutton chop” sideburns became all the rage. Interior design incorporated a combination of a several styles, such as Rococo, Gothic, and Chinoiserie. Popular fabrics were damask, chintz, silk and velvet, and colors often seen were sulpher yellow, crimson, deep green, and royal blue ( I love any combination of those for your wedding colors).
What better inspiration for a wedding theme than the story of an immortal love set in a gorgeous time period? Below are a few suggestions for how you can achieve the look from Immortal Beloved for your wedding.
(Clockwise from bottom left)
Opera (aka Versailles) Chair
$4.95 and up for rental. Look for rental companies in your area (Google “versailles” or “opera” chair rental)
For easy wax seals, try the self-adhesive ones at Nostalgic Impressions Self-Adhesive Wax Seal
$0.81/each for 125-249 pieces
For baroque table linens like this one, BrightSettings.com offers something similar. Damask Tablecloth
13-24 runners, $12.19/each
Price: The Anne Barge Bridal Collection has three lines with different price points: Black Label (starts at $7,000), Couture Collection ($4,000-$6,500), and La Fleur ($2,400-$3,900).
Based in Atlanta, GA, Anne Barge started her bridal design career working as Jim Hjelm’s assistant for Priscilla of Boston in 1969. She launched her current line in 1999, Anne has said her biggest inspiration for her wedding dress designs are historic costumes and old movies from the 1940′s and 1950′s. Her gowns were selected for the Today Show weddings in 2003 and 2009.
I think her designs are perfect for the bride who wants to be classical yet vintage with just a little bit of whimsy. I love when she does some sort of sleeve/straps—I get tired of seeing so many strapless gowns!
As a newly engaged writer, I had a hard time finding the practical information I needed to plan my wedding. While the wedding books, magazines, and websites I read had pretty pictures, they seemed to just skim the surface when it came to providing helpful ways for me to create the wedding of my dreams. Now that I'm married, I hope this blog serves as a resource for all you other bride-to-be's, with unique ideas for wedding venues, wedding decorations, wedding dresses, and more!
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