Photo by Oeil Photography
Dress by Alley Cat
I have my crystal ball out today. I’ve learned nailing next season’s chic has more to do with experience (age) and looking back to the future. I was twelve when Jackie Kennedy became Jackie Kennedy Onassis. She wore a white mini dress, a bow in her hair and had a groom twice her age on her arm. In the era of Jackie O, I remember the string of young brides breaking tradition as norm. Mia Farrow wore a silk suit when she married Frank Sinatra and Bianca wore a very wide brimmed picture hat when she and Mick Jagger tied the knot. Fast forward forty years. Camilla Parker-Bowles married Prince Charles in a coat and dress ensemble while movie bride Carrie Bradshaw donned a strapless ball gown with an avian headpiece. Wow! So what’s next?Informal Dresses Again- Just like the sixties, weddings are still big events yes, but the times they are a' changin'. Some couples are scaling down and scaling down can mean on the dress as well as food and entertainment. We’re going to see more of a trend toward casual weddings, with designers offering informal yet stylish dresses. Let’s say the all day mega bash is fine for some but not every couple wants or can afford what comes with that lengthy guest list. So, we’re likely to see shorter hemlines like the one pictured above in exquisite, luxe fabrics as well as those easier fabrics we’ve missed for so long like cotton, linen, eyelet and embroidered organdy. This will create a whole new niche for designers—to still work with some awesome fabrics, but a on a different level.
Photo by ejones photography/All rights reservedTwo piece and Interchangeables-The trend for interchangables is growing. We’ll definitely be seeing more of these ensembles like the one pictured above. Underneath a swathe of tulle skirt is a silk sheath. An interchangeable is a look that can go from ceremony to reception—coats over sheaths in exquisite fabrics like brocades and failles, hook on/off over skirts in tulle and organza that can go to ceremony with one look, reception another.
The Suit. No matter how simple or paired down a gown can get, some women just can’t get into wearing a dress even on their wedding day. For this reason the suit is destined to become a stylish alternative. Though suits haven’t quite taken off down the NY runways, hopefully designers will heed the call of the suit and send it into flight soon. Like the sheath, a classic suit is long and columnar only in two-pieces with a jacket and straight skirt. There are of course exceptions like the one pictured above. Skirt shapes can be flared like A-lines or take on full bell contours even under man-tailored jackets. Pantsuits are another option with pant legs varying from slim cigarette widths to wide culotte cuts. If you’re uneasy wearing a dress, by all means, consider a suit one of your choices.
