Published: February 14, 2008 08:27 pm            

A gown of her own

It’s whatever she wants for today’s bride

FAIRMONT — Wedding gowns have gone far beyond traditional white organza or ivory satin.

From top to bottom, today’s bridal attire has attitude and style.

It’s whatever the bride wants. And the typical bride in Marion County wants something different, say owners of two local women’s fashion salons.

“Every bride has her own idea, good or bad,” said Rina Potesta, owner of The Fashion Scene. “We always have some who like things that are different and colorful, and some are more traditional.

“Mostly they know exactly what they want from being on line and reading magazines.”

Ginger Zaccagnini, owner of Ginger’s Designer Apparels, agreed.

“They see it. They like it. We order it.”

What they’re seeing, liking and ordering this wedding season are gowns with halter tops, splashes of colors and poufy bubble skirts.

In creating the gown of her dreams, the bride’s first task is choosing the color.

The big colors for gowns is champagne and candlelight ... neither as bright as traditional white nor as yellow as antique ivory.

“Candlelight is more like coffee with cream,” Zaccagnini said.

“Champagne color is very popular,” Potesta said. “It’s darker than ivory, almost a light cream. It’s very pretty.”

Next is gown style.

“Straight skirts are out,” Zaccagnini said. “Not too many brides want that.”

Ruffles and the fuller “bubble” or pick-up skirt (think Disney’s Cinderella at the ball) are all the rage right now.

“It’s sewn in different parts to look like a bubble, like a ballroom gown,” said Zaccagnini. “It’s big in prom gowns, too.”

“Young brides like something like that,” Potesta said.

“We’re coming back to romantic, classic styles,” she added. “Gowns are poufy, have a lot of ruffles, and more lace instead of beads and crystals, jackets and shrugs in lace ... very feminine.”

Brides are injecting a little flare and attitude in their bridal gowns by adding color panels, pleats or sashes in a rainbow of colors

from demure pink to bold lipstick red, and all shades and colors in between. Both stores will special-order colors not in stock.

The innocent sweetheart neckline is being replaced by the more contemporary halter-top.

“This is number one,” Zaccagnini said. “We used to sell hundreds of strapless. Now we hardly sell any.

“With the halter, you don’t have to worry about the strap or straight-across neckline.”

To veil or not to veil ... Many brides are asking themselves this question.

“Lately veils are becoming less and less important,” Potesta said. “Some brides don’t even wear one. Or they’ll have a veil with no tiara, or a tiara with no veil.”

Veils can be simple or decorated with beads and pearls. If your dress is heavily decorated, choose a plainer veil, Potesta suggested, and vice versa.

Veils can be trimmed in the color of your choice.

“Not everybody wants white or ivory,” Zaccagnini said. “They see the color trim and they want it.”

In the sanctuary, you can be the blushing, demure bride peeking up shyly through your veil of tulle mesh.

But at the reception, a multi-part headpiece — detachable veil, tiara and comb — will (almost) let you let your hair down.

“Take the veil off at the reception,” Zaccagnini said. “You won’t have to wear it while you’re dancing. The comb goes under your updo and the tiara stay on, and you look beautiful.”

The style of gown you should choose will be determined by two factors.

One is the size of your wedding.

Brides having smaller weddings should opt for a more informal gown, Zaccagnini said.

“If you’re having 200-300 at your wedding, you don’t want it too simple. An informal gown is not for a large wedding.”

“Definitely for a larger wedding you’ll need a more formal gown,” Potesta said. “If you have five or six bridesmaids, you have to have a little bit of a train.”

Some brides wanting an informal gown may say no to a train. Think it over, they advised.

“Some don’t want a train, but they may go for the sweep or chapel train,” Zaccagnini said. “When you’re walking down the aisle, you’ll want to see that sweep train.”

And then there’s your body type.

Face it. Just as not every hairstyle looks good on everybody, the wedding gown of your dreams may be a nightmare if it doesn’t match your body build.

When that happens, Potesta and Zaccagnini use tact.

“I suggest, but I don’t say, ‘No, no, that’s not good,’” Potesta said.

“I nicely tell them if they don’t look good in a style, but if that’s what they want ...

“Sometimes they do agree after they try on a gown. That’s why they make so many different gowns.”

“There are so many things you need to tell a bride she may not be aware of,” Zaccagnini said.

“You can tell how a person is built the style of gown she needs. A new thing is to be measured from the nape of the neck down. The gown won’t need to be hemmed.

“You’ve got it made.”

E-mail Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.

        

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