Wedding Dress Trends 2016: The Gospel According to Vogue.

Dear Reader,

This week Vogue Magazine published their guide to bridal trends for 2016 – based on the latest couture collections. 

Wedding dresses by Monique Lhuillier, Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa

I'm not sure my clients would agree with all of them – and I'm not giving away my own predictions yet! As always, I'll make mine at the end of this year, based on what my brides are loving and asking for. But it's fun to see these from Vogue, and to give you my take on them…

Wedding Dress Trend 1 – Sweet Nothings
The first trend Vogue noted is for barely there dresses, almost lingerie. This is a very couture look – much easier to carry off on a catwalk than in an English church or a garden reception. Super pretty, though. And very reminiscent of all those slinky 1930s and sultry 1940s dresses…

1930s inspired Butterfly wedding dress from my Heavenly Collection

Original 1940s lace wedding dress from my West London vintage studio.

Wedding Dress Trend 2 – Sparkles
Always in fashion, and rightly so. A generous sprinkling of sparkle appeared on the catwalks for next year, particularly from Badgley Mischka, Carolina Herrera and Marchesa. A little sparkle has always been one of the delights of vintage wedding dresses, of course. With many of the dresses in my Heavenly Collection, you can choose to add just a little bling… or a lot!

My 1940s style wedding dress, Bette, with its sparkly trim.

Pretty bling: Florence, 1940s style dress from my Heavenly Collection.

Wedding Dress Trend 3 – Knee Length
Shorter dresses made a welcome appearance on the bridal catwalks. But to see this trend at its best, simply look to the 1950s for the most fabulous tea–length wedding dresses…

'Blanche', 1950s style wedding dress, from my Heavenly Collection

Original 1950s 'cupcake' wedding dress from my West London vintage studio.

Wedding Dress Trend 4 – Bare Shoulders
Always popular with so many brides. Yet vintage dresses often take a subtler approach. Think of pretty keyhole openings, lace shoulders or tiny petal sleeves. Every bit as sexy, but a lot more subtle.

Angel, 1930s inspired lace wedding dress: vintage is more subtly sexy.

Original 1950s wedding dress from my West London vintage studio.

1970s off–the–shoulder wedding dress, from my West London vintage studio.

Wedding Dress Trend 5 – Separate Overskirts
A full-length transparent overskirt, cut to reveal a shorter one underneath...? Oh so fashiony! Very modern, a little bit mad, and quite fun – but not exactly a classic look. What do you think?

Wedding Dress with Overskirt, by the usually classic designer Vera Wang!

Wedding Dress Trend 6 – Cream
Ahhhh, beautiful. Now here's one I really can enthuse about – drawing as it does from the softness and romance of vintage wedding fashion. White is lovely too, of course. But cream, blush and ivory are so much more flattering to all skin tones. Often my clients come to me expecting to choose a white wedding dress, but once tried they fall in love with these lovely muted tones. That's why I offer my Heavenly Collection dresses in a range of pretty and flattering shades.

Full length lace wedding dress in cream by Oscar de la Renta

Butterfly, from my Heavenly Collection in a soft ivory.

Florence: a lace wedding dress with toning underslip (Heavenly Collection)

Well done, Vogue – fun predictions and a good showing for vintage styles. What did you think of them? Later this year, you can see how my own predictions match up!
Love
Helena
Heavenly Vintage Brides

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1930s Vintage Wedding Dresses - A Guide to the Decade of Glamour!

Dear Reader

Who can resist the allure of the 30s, with all the glamour it conveys? I'm often intrigued by the gorgeous vintage wedding dresses I've sourced, so I have done a little research into the subject...

Beautiful white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

One question that interested me was, why it is so difficult to find beautiful gowns in great condition that pre-date the 30s? Well, the main reason is the introduction of Rayon. This fantastic strong fabric was originally called Artificial Silk, and was immediately embraced by all the major fashion houses. It was perfect for the draped styles of the day - it ruched and hung so beautifully, as it had a wonderful weight to it.

Stunning white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

Rayon was also more affordable than silk too - a huge advantage during the Depression Era. So whereas so many of the 1920s silk and chiffon gowns have lost their appeal, due to the silk 'breaking down',  the stronger 1930s Rayon dresses can be restored to their full beauty with a little know-how and a lot of love. There are certainly some amazing vintage wedding gowns from earlier decades, but dresses from the 30s seem to have lasted so well.

Glamorous gold satin 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

The main influence for the shape of 1930s wedding dresses was Hollywood. As the Great Depression drastically altered peoples lives, Hollywood films offered escapism and glamour. And so wedding gowns were modelled on the evening gowns worn by the Stars.

Simply glamorous. VIOLETTE 1930s-inspired silk wedding dress, from £1450

Hem-lines had started to rise in the 1920s, but they fell right back to the floor in the 30s, and simplicity and pared-down elegance became the only way for the modern bride. Madeleine Vionnet’s 1920s and 1930s dramatic bias cut gowns had a huge influence on fashion, and revolutionised the way dresses fitted. Although this technique had been used earlier, in the 1930s it was developing into a new way of dressing.

Slinky white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

Other features of the dresses - like the cowl neck and draping - reinforced the fluid idea of the design and became part of the whole. Low backs and open backs were subtly sexy, and combined with the sinuous fabrics, made a striking statement. 

Subtly sexy - white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

VIOLETTE 1930s-inspired silk wedding dress with lace sleeves, from £1450

VIOLETTE 1930s-style wedding dress with petal sleeves in silk satin, from £1450

It was during also the 30s that the idea of a 'white wedding' really took root. This was not a new idea - the white wedding dress was originally popularised by Queen Victoria. But from the 30s onwards, manufacturers started to produce gowns specifically for the bride, and the bridal gown became a cherished possession.

VIOLETTE 1930s-style dress with chantilly lace inserts, £1450

The white dress was promoted as an ideal from an earlier age. During the First World War and the Depression, brides had simply worn a suit or a day dress, so the new style of wedding dress heralded a return to glamour and romance.  

Movie-star glamour! White 1930s satin dress priced £1250 incl slip

Hollywood romance in white silk satin, VIOLETTE from £1450

The dresses required little in the way of ornamentation. Diamante dress clips were worn and still look great today. And beaded necklines were also popular in the later part of the decade. Technological developments during the 30s meant that costume jewellery was better made and much more widely available. There are many fabulous examples of 1930s diamante brooches and dress clips in fantastic condition, which look perfect with a satin gown. 

VIOLETTE 1930s-style dress worn with diamante dress clips

At present I have around eight or nine beautiful 1930s vintage dresses - including the two original beauties shown here - priced between £950 and £1350. (Dresses of this age are never lined as the ladies always wore a slip, so the price includes an individually-matched slip of the same age and style as the dress.)

Super-glamorous gold satin 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

And of course, my vintage-inspired Heavenly Collection features a number of 1930s-style dresses such as Violette shown here in different versions, priced from £1450. 

VIOLETTE in silk, from my vintage-inspired Heavenly Collection

I also have about fifty other vintage wedding dresses for sale for sale from every period, and the only way to find the best one for you is to pop over to visit me and try them on! 

Hope to see you soon,

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

All photos with thanks to Robert Lawler Photography

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1950s Lace Vintage Wedding Dress of the Week

Dear Reader,
For my Vintage Dress of the Week, I've chosen this sweet 1950s lace wedding dress…

1950s lace wedding dress, price £995

1950s lace wedding dress, price £995

1950s wedding dresses are always popular and I try to seek out the very best examples. This one is beautifully well-cut, with a three-quarter sleeve, and in tea length (such an elegant and flattering length).

1950s lace wedding dress, price £995

I always hunt for these pretty, well-proportioned dresses - ones without too much volume in the skirt, but just enough swish! And isn't this veil gorgeous too...? More veils coming up very soon! 

Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by, my dears.

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you like this post, try

A GUIDE TO 1950s WEDDING DRESSES

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"Oh Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars." Vintage wedding dress inspiration from Bette!

Dear Reader

Since we have 'Bette' as our lovely vintage wedding dress of the week, I'd like to share the inspiration behind this glamorous design...

The fabulous Bette Davis, in 'Now Voyager'

Bette was recreated from a gorgeous black crepe 1940s evening gown which was one of my very favourites. I always loved the simple elegant shape of it. 

1940s inspired wedding dress 'Bette', priced £1295

The original dress was remodelled slightly to flatter a modern figure, and then a pattern was created from it. The silk crepe I used - in a heavy weight and almost matte - was very popular in the 1940s. This matte effect is easier to wear and can look more sophisticated than satin. And the dress's little asymmetric peplum is very forgiving on the tummy area.

A young Bette Davis, in a gorgeous low-back 1940s dress

The dress is named after my style icon: fabulous 1940s actress Bette Davis. (Yes, you've probably guessed by now, I am a big fan of the black and white so-called ‘women’s films‘ of the 40s!) The quote at the top of this post is Bette's last line from the wonderfully romantic 'Now, Voyager'. 

And so naturally I wanted to have a dress in my collection with that same laidback easy glamour. 

Bette, blonde again, in elegant pants suit.

As well as Bette, I have another gorgeous 1940s-inspired dress in my collection: Florence, which I'm currently remodelling a little to make it even more flattering. I'll be showing new pictures of Florence soon, so do keep watching! 

And please pop back later this week to see Susie, a real bride who looks absolutely beautiful wearing the Bette dress...

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

PS If you like this post, please try:

Another darling 1940s dress, here.

Or my guide to 1940s hairstyles, here.

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1960s William Cahill Wedding Dress for fabulous vintage bride Carolyn.

Dear Reader
This week's Real Vintage Bride is darling Carolyn…

For her Hambleden wedding to Jim, Carolyn chose this fabulous 1960s mini wedding dress, by iconic 60s designer William Cahill. 

The dress is a perfect example of swinging 60s style - in gorgeous lace with a flattering wide boat neck and swingy cape back. What a groovy bride!

We knew this was the right dress for Carolyn as soon as she tried it. In her words…

"I wanted to say a huge thank you for my beautiful Cahill dress. From the moment I tried it on it felt just right for the feel of for the wedding we wanted – beautiful and fun all at once. And I  especially love that it came from such an important time for women.

The whole experience of  choosing and fitting the dress with you and seamstress Grace was absolutely wonderful. Thank you again for being such a positive part of the whole wedding planning experience.” 

Handsome groom Jim was rather fabulous too in his traditional kilt – perfect for a cosy country wedding...

Their day looks wonderful down to the last details. From Carolyn's teal fur wrap, perfectly toning with Jim's tartan, and even with the scrumptious nature-inspired cake made by talented bridesmaid Jenny!

And of course, one of the big advantages of a mini wedding dress – aside from being extremely fabulous and groovy – is there's no holding back on the dance floor!

Happy days. Congratulations Carolyn and Jim!

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you like this post, please try…

A Guide to 1960s Vintage Wedding Dresses

And for more Real Vintage Brides, check out my website page here...

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