BRIDESMAIDS: CIRCUS FREAKS WITH FLOWERS

When I think about J.Crew, it's with that fuzzy, fondly warm feeling usually deployed by my psyche when recalling kind deeds and thoughtful gestures. This is because J.Crew Weddings has saved me, and a number of people I know, from sheer wedding hell. And I adore them for it.

The new J.Crew Bridal Salon in NY!

They design ATTRACTIVE bridesmaids dresses at reasonable prices. Like discovering life on other planets, or the secrets of string theory, this was an insurmountable task until J.Crew decided to do bridal. For decades, hapless brides and their victimized friends have been wondering, why oh WHY! mid-price clients' only options for the supporting cast have zero style. I'll tell you why:  THE BRIDAL MAFIA. This is a secret cartel of industry experts who regulate designers, penalizing anyone who uses insufficient amounts of peach chiffon or polyester. Those that stray are liable to wake up one morning and find a smashed red velvet groom's cake in bed beside them. It took all the corporate power of J.Crew, and the mighty strength of secret superhero Jenna Lyons (clad in a ruffle tee and sparkly cape!) to defeat TBM's evil tyranny. At least that's what I'm guessing.

Interior of the new J.Crew bridal salon.

J.Crew's designs alerted OTHER bridal fashion designers, anesthetized to style, to see what true fashion freedom looks like. And just like Jean Valjean, experiencing the fresh, free air after years of wrongful imprisonment, these designers aren't likely to go back. From Ann Taylor to Chadwicks, numerous stores are styling themselves after J.Crew, adding current trends and a variety of looks for different body types to their racks. 

They make real fabrics affordable! J.Crew's prices for bridal gowns - BRIDAL GOWNS! - range from $275 to $3,500, with many dresses falling into the lower end of the price range. Anyone who has dared to breathe the rarified air inside a bridal salon in the last decade knows this is an insane deal. For polyester. Yet most of the J.Crew gowns are 100% silk, and their tulle and lace is sourced from lace weaver Sophie Halette, based in France.

Perhaps this revolutionary "decent quality for a decent cost" concept will spread into other segments of the wedding industry, such as flowers, veils, and catering. I remember when one of my friends was getting married, she slyly called potential caterers twice:  once to pretend to book a non-wedding formal reception, and once to book a wedding reception. She gave them the same exact details, numbers, and menu for both, and then compared the results. The wedding booking was always quoted for a higher price! It's a racket, a monopoly, and - LOOK OUT! It's The Bridal Mafia!!!!!

So I'll be inside with my doors locked for the rest of the week. And, I'll also be hoping that more companies will join J.Crew in making the bridal industry a better place. Parting plea:  Kate Spade, could you please hop on this bandwagon too? Bridesmaids everywhere would love and adore you!

Until all our dreams come true:  a few brides and maids possibilities from Kate Spade's standard stock. Who doesn't want to be a Kate Spade bridesmaid?!!!

Images:  Racked blog (J.Crew store), Ann Taylor, Chadwicks, J.Crew, Fanpop, Kate Spade. 

POM POM FRENZY

It's not enough that we have trendy shoes, trendy hair styles, trendy decor colors (Pantone says it's turquoise!), and trendy hem lines. There are trendy party decorations too. Last year, it was the chinese lantern. Weddings had them, anniversaries had them, parties for one-year-olds with helicopter mommies had them. But 2010 is the year of the pom-pom. They're everywhere, hovering over baby showers like so many miracle-grow fed cherry blossoms, or turning up at weddings, dangling off pews like over-sized coconut balls. But they're popular for good reason:  inexpensive, adaptable, and they come in every size! What could be better? Here's your inspiration -

             

Want to learn how to make your own? It's easy! Visit HERE.

P.S. TODAY is the last day for THE HOUSE IN MY HEAD book give-away! Click HERE to enter!

{Images: gift: http://hellosandwich.blogspot.com/2009/03/wrapping.html. On sticks: http://media.photobucket.com/image/tissue%20pom%20poms/ljprincess/Picture232.jpg. white: http://sarahlambersky.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/tissue-paper-pom-poms/. black and white tree: http://heavenlybloomsflorist.blogspot.com/2010/01/kates-minnie-mouse-birthday-party.html. polka dot: http://www.weloveindie.com/topic/listview/15/for-the-home/page/106.html. Green: http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/2009/05/fun-tissue-pom-poms.html. hung on chandelier: http://aubreyroad.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html. black and gray: http://designismine.blogspot.com/2008/10/martha-stewart-halloween-pom-poms.html. In trees: http://pinkbyecho.wordpress.com/2008/08/. With chinese lantersn: http://chekdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/07/lanterns-and-pom-poms.html. Around napkin: http://the6chicks.com/2009/07/10/inspirational-boardflamenco-pink-yellow. mini ones: http://www.favorsandflowers.com/martha-stewart-wedding-favors.htm.}

Monogram Me!

By Dabney Lee At Home.

Gear up girls, wedding season is coming. Oh - I don't want to hear you groan. Yes, your car is still stuck at the end of the cul-de-sac where the snowplow buried it, and your inconsiderate boyfriend had the nerve to be in Bermuda at the same time you needed him to dig it out. Yes, you haven't seen a sleeveless dress since New Year's, and your sweater habit is single-handedly supporting your local dry cleaners. But friends, it is coming. As the snow thaws, your bridal buddies will begin that most cherished of springtime rituals:  pre-wedding panic. Like Weight Watchers participants, they'll open their eyes one morning, spy that honeymoon bikini, and realize the clock is ticking. 

But don't be discouraged:  borrow from the guy play-book, where the best defense is a good offense. Go ahead and pick out those gifts now, or order the special decor for the shower you'll be throwing.  The more personalized they are, the more you'll look like a stunning bridesmaid (even in a scarlet and chartreuse striped gown. I am so, SO, sorry). 

Dabney Lee (above and below) offers a wide variety of gifts for two - order something with the bride's monogram, or the couple's first initials, intertwined. Below: I particularly love the wall mural (LH). For wedding festivities, personalized coasters, ice buckets, and frames are lovely - even for a bridal shower, perhaps? And Dabney Lee offers dozens of patterns to chose from (background).

For exquisite home service, I especially adore Iomoi's customized Lucite trays. Of all the lovely patterns and designs, Iomoi's are my absolute favorite; you can't go wrong (and their name is a palindrome. What more could you want?).

For really creative shoppers, there's always the vintage route. One of my favorite tricks, handed down from the master of re-design, Eddie Ross, is to cull antique linens and silver for new homes. If you're shopping for silver, choose quality pieces with room for a new engraving, and have a local craftsmen (check your yellow pages) personalize the set for the new couple. Here, an antique serving set from Nelson & Nelson in a strawberry pattern would look marvelous with a monogram in the bowl of the spoon and base of the fork.

You can take the same route with vintage linens - since many quality pieces are already monogrammed, choose pieces that have relevant letters. Single letter monograms are obviously the easiest to match. You can also buy a set of three single-letter items - used together, they'll be a complete monogram!

A few tips:  while the rules these days are fast and loose when it comes to etiquette, if the bride is more traditional, keep in mind that you should choose a monogram composed of her maiden, not her married initials. While it seems odd, monogrammed items, particularly linens, were once part of a trousseau - something a young women would have begun to work on long before she was engaged. 

Once married, however, a traditional bride may chose to incorporate her maiden and her new last name, in which case, her monogram is properly first name, maiden name, married name.

But that doesn't mean you have to do it that way - take your cue from the bride. If she isn't changing her name, the choice is easy. Otherwise, maybe she'd enjoy something that incorporated both "his and her" initials. 
Tip:  if you're not sure what to do, and don't want to give away the details of your gift, ask her if she's planning to use monograms for the wedding. If she is, you'll find out what she prefers. And if she's not, it's an easy way to bring up the subject!

Finally, if you're using a three-letter monogram, remember that the height of the letters determines the order. If the letters are all one height, the order is:  first, middle (or maiden), last. If the middle letter will be larger, the proper order is first, last, middle (or maiden).

For more help on monogram etiquette, visit Crane's.

All images, companies as attributed above. Vintage linens, www.antique-linens.com.

J.Crewaholics Anonymous

Oh no.  I knew I was in over my head the second I saw the blog J.Crewaholics.
As my friends will tell you, I wear a LOT of J.Crew - their quality costume jewelry, colorful silks, and fancifully patterned shoes are always ending up in my closet.  (When J.Crew designer Jenna Lyons was featured in Domino magazine it was a seminal moment for moi.)  But everything will be OK - J.Crewaholics: the blog, is here for me.  Author Leigh canvases everything from special coupons, store openings, celebrity J.Crew attire sightings, and magazine features. There's also a section to help you find missed favorites on ebay, and one on weddings. It's a one-stop scoop on all things J.Crew (and the graphic design is adorable).  Happy Shopping!  

Everyone Lives Happily Ever After

If it isn't that time of the year again.  You made it through Christmas (barely), you survived some birthdays, you thought serious gifting was behind you, UNTIL:  the Wedding Season!  From showers of every description (book, tool, kitchen, lingerie, you name it) to the weddings themselves, it's time to get to some serious gifting.  But never fear, dear reader.  I didn't give you heart palpitations only to leave you uninspired and alone. Here are some ideas for taking the pain out of presents.

1. Preparation:  The calendar is your friend. Write the event down in your planner, then backtrack in your calendar and write "get xxx gift" with a list of the places he/she is registered (give yourself at least a month lead time for a wedding invite; two weeks for a shower). Do not stick invitations to your fridge in the vain hope that you will remember to go and get a gift - you will, the day before the ceremony when the sole item left on the registry is a $500 pet groomer that's only sold online.

2. Upgrades: Don't be afraid to go off the registry. I know, I know. Please brides, don't hurt me. But if the bride is someone you know well enough to match her taste, and you LOVE antiquing but would rather perish than enter a Bed Bath and Beyond, then go and get her something fabulous. Better yet, get her an upgrade of something on the registry - you will know that you're fulfilling a need, and she'll cherish that antique silver salad server years after the Crate and Barrel plastic ones have gone to the kitchen in the sky. If she registered for 400 count sheets, but you saw a sale for 600 count sheets in the same color - buy the 600 count!

3.  Gift Wrap:  Buy wrapping products in advance.  Places like Target or Kate's Paperie have beautiful bags, tissues, and bows in bridal themes.  If your friends are all sporting something glittery on their ring finger come January, then get thee to a store and buy up a variety of bags and papers.  When you purchase gifts later there won't be extra trips to find ways to wrap them, and the pinch on your wallet will feel like a little less too.  

4.  Calling 911:  If you've already blown it or you're scared you're going to, then leave the gifting to someone else (no, not your hapless spouse or friend).  There are professionals with good taste and the ability to take Mastercard to see you through this trial.  One of my all time favorites is Oooh La La Cadeau (hand wrapped frame, above), for her exquisitely wrapped gifts. After peeling away layers of fine french paper, silk ribbons, and rustling tissue, no bride will remember that the beautiful picture frame or set of fine linen napkins wasn't on the registry - and your thank you note will include a lot of exclamation points. 

With a little planning, we can ALL live happily ever after. 

Wedding images, marthastewart.com. Blue and White China, victoriamag.com. Wrapped gift image: ooohlalacadeau.com.

Style Classics: Capucine

I've always loved the first movie in The Pink Panther series, starring Peter Sellers, David Niven, Claudia Cardinale, and Capucine. It's absolute classic 1960s glamor, from the costumes, to the Henri Mancini soundtrack, to the setting in Rome and the Italian Alps. The French actress and model Capucine is the most glamorous of all, and unfortunately, it's difficult to find many pictures of her these days. She was a highly successful model, showing for Dior and Givency, among others. She was also close friends with Audrey Hepburn, and served as a witness at Hepburn's 1969 wedding.

Her elegant "look."  

I believe this is a publicity shot (film unknown).  She often wore classic, unfussy looks.

Capucine played in numerous films, opposite actors such as Peter O'Toole and William Holden (whom she dated for two years). 
Here's Capucine as a french show girl, in the movie North to Alaska, playing opposite John Wayne. 

Stunning even in a shower cap.  From an amusing scene in The Pink Panther.  

The final court scene in The Pink Panther. It's a shame there are so few images from this film, because her entire wardrobe is STUNNING.  Worth watching just for the clothes.  Note Claudia Cardinale as Princess Dala (RH side) lovely in a chocolate and cream ensemble.

Unknown location, but it's a beautiful setting.

Sport fashion.  This is probably from the skiing scene in The Pink Panther. 

Images: fashionspot.com, tedstrong.com, ebay.com, fanpix.net, moviemarket.com, photobucket.com, photobucket.com. 

Oscar de la Renta and Fairy Tale Princesses

When I came across this picture of an Oscar de la Renta wedding dress in the Spring Martha Stewart Weddings I swooned. It's a beautiful confection of white petal-like layers and dreamily floating fabric. Very fairy tale princess, I thought. In fact, it reminded me of a beautiful illustration from one of my favorite fairy tales as a child. Beverlie Manson's exqusite drawings brought the story of Sleeping Beauty to life - and this wedding dress has the spirit of her good fairy, who protects Sleeping Beauty from death by casting her into a deep sleep. Beautiful, no?


















Images: Martha Stewart Weddings, Golden Press.