It's my first true ballgown of this bridal season, and I'm so excited to finally be posting some pics! This gorgeous dress is a custom design made for a super-sweet San Antonio bride named Mary. We found each other on Etsy, of course--I'm still blown away by how many fantastic folks I've met through this amazing site--so many fun, amazingly creative people! Mary is a creative person herself--floral design is her genre--and was looking for a unique, retro-inspired gown that would flatter her figure and incorporate aspects of various dresses that she had seen online. Like so many brides, the bridal gown shopping experience had proved more than a little disheartening, so she set out to find someone who could make her dream dress--and luckily she stumbled across my site!
The creative collaboration experience with my brides is unique every time, but is always enjoyable--my brides most often come up with the amazing ideas, and I just figure out how to make them happen! In Mary's case, she put together an inspiration board to give me an idea of what design details appealed to her sense of style and the aesthetic of the event she was putting together, and then we had a marathon phone session in which we talked through the dress from top to bottom--from the shape of the bodice and the fabric choice to the types of tulle we used for the skirt and the proportions of the dress overall. I sketched as we talked, and we were quickly able to come up with a concept that Mary loved. Then it was time for me to get to work!
Oh, my goodness, did this dress remind me just how much labor women put into their gorgeous bridal gowns back in the day! All that ruched chiffon in the bodice is hand-sewed with invisible thread, and there are eight layers of hand-gathered tulle in the skirt...whew! My Aunt Anne wore a dress that was nearly identical to her prom in 1958--when I put Mary's gown on my mannequin to photograph it, I had a bit of deja vu! And of course my Aunt Anne and my Grandma Ruby (the original seamstress extraordinaire in my family--which is why she's one of the namesakes of my shop!) did all of the work themselves.
Mary's dress is so clearly a 1950s gown-makes me think of white gloves, orange blossoms, big bands and ballrooms and white dinner jackets. And of course, it's perfect for a contemporary bride as well! That's what I love so much about vintage and retro design--the style is so classic and elegant and full of gorgeous detail that it's timeless.
Thank you so much to Mary, who gave me the opportunity to make this amazing dress for her! All the best wishes to you and your hubby-to-be. :-)
I am speechless. You are just the best. I AM making my way to Pittsburgh to personally thank you one of these days. The dress is everything I hoped it would be and I haven't even seen it yet! Can't wait!
ReplyDeletep.s. I love knowing the history of the shops namesake. Thanks to Grandma Ruby and Aunt Anne for the inspiration.