Spring 2013 has SPRUNG...for some!

And here they come...Wedding Gowns of Spring 2013!!! Normally, I am NOT a negative person. I also learned at a young age that if you don't have something nice to say, not to say anything at all. I'm just a little confused about some of the styles that came off the runway!!

Have we as humans evolved in to some odd-shaped martians? I understand we're talking about 2013 collections, but some of these gowns look like they were made for the year 3,008! A few of these gowns which were actually my "favorite" of the designer's bunch (if I had to choose at least one) are not practical for any BODY! What were these designers thinking? I understand everyone wants to create showstoppers, but stopping the show on a bad note...that's not good! While I was not too enthused with some of the greatest designers in the world, I did find myself able to take a nice sigh of relief thanks to innovative designers creating gowns for brides of TODAY!

That being said, let's start with Oscar de la Renta who not only created one of these "3008 gowns", but did a complete reversal and brought out a gown that looks like it may've been from 1975 or earlier even! Basically, the line looks like someone got happy playing with bedsheets and curtains, rolled around in them, and voile! After being disappointed in their Fall 2012 collection, I'm still frowning unfortunately.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Dear Vera...I'm always eager to see your designs and although they are stunning, I'm just not sure that I agree with brides wearing red and dark shades. I finally got used to pink on brides, finding it very feminine and fun, and I'll even bend a little with incorporating black WITH white, but that's probably where I personally draw the line. That being said, if I can find something positive through this, I do love the style of this gown!

VERA WANG

Now granted, this is my top pick of the Monique Lhuilier bunch, but what is this? Such an odd shaped skirt, isn't it? It makes me laugh! Somehow I kinda like it though!

MONIQUE LHUILIER

This is what I mean by futuristic-looking. This gown, although my favorite from Carolina Herrera's collection because it's so sharp and clean, reminds me of what Princess Leia would wear years from now!

CAROLINA HERRERA

Taking a turn back to normal, is Romona Kaveza, however I believe she missed the mark with her collection. This gown is my favorite of hers, but other than this one, I'm not too impressed.

ROMONA KAVEZA

Although I was unhappy with Maggie Sottero's line as well, (I know, I know, I sound so negative here, but I'm just not feeling these gowns), I do think she may've had the prettiest pink gown by far!

MAGGIE SOTTERO

Props to Alfred Angelo for incorporating black in a different and elegant way.

ALFRED ANGELO

A welcome spark of simplicity by Amsale!

AMSALE

And then there are my favorites for Spring 2013 - Reem Acra and Ines di Santo! Whereas with others, I found it hard to pick a gown I liked, these two designers produced too many gorgeous gowns for me to choose from. So, here are some of what I think are the best! I'm just one person with one opinion, but if you value it, here's what I think...

I love what Reem Acra did with the hi-lo design (I'd consider wearing it myself) and I love Ines di Santo's use of micro crystals! I also love the styles, shapes, and bodices! To me, they nailed it with many uses of tulle, ruffles, and bling...what Heather likes!!!

REEM ACRA

INES DI SANTO

*Pics from Brides.com*

MISS-MATCH

Men's Formal Wear Fashion Expert, Paul Pannone, brought up a question today that sparked a great debate between some of us wedding and fashion professionals. He presented us with a not-so-appealing picture and asked us for our honest opinions. I always get excited to see where Paul is going with these questions, and this one had me scratching my head at first. Paul showed us a picture of a light canary yellow bridesmaid dressed standing next to what would be a groomsmen outfit made of a grey tuxedo with a vest in a dated looking shade of green paired with a tie striped of what looked like a hunter green, mint green, olive green maybe. First reaction = "ewww"! Understanding where Paul was going with it = "ahhh"! The question is basically...would you mismatch the attire of your bridesmaids with your groomsmen? My answer...100% YES!!! I LOVE this idea! I dare to be different! That's what I'm all about! Other people, maybe slightly more old-fashioned or just really in love with the idea of uniformity, did NOT love this idea! So, what I decided to do was create an inspiration board to prove that Paul's vision can be supported!

It's brilliant! Working with colors is what makes for incredible photos! There are so many things you can do when you think outside the box. Have fun when styling your wedding. Start with a special color palette or pattern that you may like and then bring other elements such as attire in to play.

9/11 What HAS Been Forgotten

Some questions were recently brought up by reporter Joe D'Aquila at the Trentonian newspaper, and although I'm sure he was searching for answers leaning more towards public safety, government, etc., I had an answer all my own and I'd like to share it with you!

9/11 is often referred to in the media, as the "day everything changed," or "the day America changed." Do you think this is accurate? What has changed for you? What needs to still change? Does anything need to change?

The fear, the terror, the uncertainty, and the anxiety made a huge impact on America on the eleventh day of September of 2001. As buildings came crashing down and mass hysteria set in, the world came together. Strangers were hand-in-hand whether fleeing to safety or hugging in grief. Men and women risked and lost their lives to save others who in some cases they had never even met. Everyone rushed to the aid of those in need with food, money, transportation, and shelter. Ten years later, even though we say "never forget", it seems as though, too many already have.

Maybe people haven't forgotten the sight of the planes crashing in to the buildings or people jumping to their deaths. Maybe some people are still terrified of the safety of public transportation or feel uncomfortable visiting their once favorite city. Maybe heroes are still honored in homes by their families where they are missed. And maybe once a year, we bow our heads and take a moment of silence to remember those innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, what I don't believe anyone seems to remember is how on that one day, despite the great losses we suffered, we all united!

For a short period of time, race, religion, and social status did not matter. It was not every man for himself. It was a time of brotherhood. I remember having a great sense of peace watching Mayor Guiliani on the television speaking and assuring everyone we would be okay, and I remember a sense of hope as distraught men and women covered in soot hugged, carried each other, and walked together. Even though it was sad that it took a tragedy to bring everyone together, I thought at that time that we were going to become a stronger nation than ever before!

Ten years later, it seems as if many have forgotten that gloomy day and how much we needed to rely on our neighbor. It seems as though we have become a nation divided. It seems as though the middle class is disappearing as we are becoming labeled "rich" and "poor". It seems as though we have taken steps back when it comes to prejudicy. It seems as though we still live in fear. It seems as though it does unfortunately take a catastrophy for people to come together whether it be through hurricanes, tornados, or earthquakes, but when we are living in "normal day-to-day life", we seem to forget one another. We seem to forget that we need each other. We seem to forget that we are in fact all equal and that one life is not more important than another.

On this September 11th, I hope that everyone can take a moment to extend a helping hand to someone in need, offer a smile to a stranger, and most importantly realize from the great words of Ronald Reagan, that "If we ever forget that we are ONE nation UNDER GOD, then we are one nation gone under". And that is what I'll never forget.

Kim Kardashian's wearing GREEN!

Kim is the new face of a product...and judging by the advertisement and wrapping my twisted brain around it, I think I have unravelled the thread on the wedding dress she will be wearing on Saturday! I think Kim is going GREEN! Whether I'm right or wrong, I think I am 100% right I know what's in her signature drink!

Most of the world was obsessed with the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The days leading up to their big day, there were speculations flying as to what type of gown Kate would be wearing, how she'd have her hair done, and so on. Well, I don't "know" Kate Middleton. She's not in my house on my television every Sunday night, and I do not "Keep up with the Middletons". I do however keep up with the Kardashians as I'm sure most of the country does, and because of that, I am UBERexcited about Kim's nuptials this weekend! The fact that it's been said that her wedding is going to trump the recent royal wedding fills me with that much more anticipation to hear about it and see pictures! Those are big shoes to fill, but Kim knows how to strut her stuff in them!!

Personally, I'm obsessed with wedding attire and I think it's fun to take guesses at what the bride will be wearing. Some people like to bet on basketball games, call me crazy, but I like to make bets with myself about what people are wearing! So, as you can only imagine, I've played detective and disected everything that's going on in the media and have come to my own conclusions. We'll see how close I come to getting this right.

Things we do now know are that the dress code for guests is very strict. Everyone has been asked to wear black and white. That being the case, I don't believe Kim will be blending in by any means. We also know that Vera Wang who made sister Khloe's gown, is also making Kim's gown. What I know about Vera Wang is that she has been playing with a lot of color in her wedding dresses. She has really been pushing the envelope. She's not just creating pinkish hues that we've already seen, but she's been using blues, silvers, reds, greens, and so forth. Some of her gowns even have mixtures of colors. Could it be a new trend in the making that the guests show up in black and white and now the bridal party is in color? Flip it and reverse it! Hmmm...keep that in mind as I ramble on.

One might think that as a socialite, Kim would wear pink. I think that color has probably been claimed by Paris Hilton, and in girl code, should not be touched by another socialite (What? You don't have a socialite guidebook too?). Some would suggest red as it would in fact be dramatic against the black and white. A thought then came to my mind. I often see Kim decked out in GREEN in pictures. It seems to be her color of choice to wear. In fact, she does have a t-shirt she wears that says "Green is the New Black". Maybe she is claiming that color. Maybe for more than one reason...

I then thought I'd research a little bit about Armenian wedding culture since Kim is Armenian and embraces her heritage which her late father taught her about. Through my research, I found out that there is a ceremony in Armenian weddings in which green and red ribbons are used. The red symbolizes health and the green symbolizes happiness! We KNOW Kim is happy settling down with Kris Humphries! However, I don't think this had anything to do with the color choice.

What may have inspired Kim though is something she has recently done! Being the new face of Midori liquor, I shouted "BINGO"! When I googled Kim and Midori...I found the following ad that shows Kim "standing out" in green with the folks in the background wearing white! Kim MUST be wearing green! Vera Wang even has some very pretty gowns that are part of her collection now in shades such as celadon! I have to be right!

Then I saw in the media that when Kourtney was asked by a fan on Twitter what color the bridesmaid dresses were, she replied "GREEN". Well, that was a blow to my ego. I thought I had it all figured out. So now, in my head, only a few things remain and I narrowed it down to my final guess.

1. If the bridesmaids are wearing green, would Kim wear red (to represent health and happiness)? No. Her pictures would look too much like a Christmas card.

2. Could Kourtney be fibbing? Why would she give up that detail so easily? Maybe they're wearing a different color while Kim is wearing green? Then again, why would it be necessary to keep the bridesmaid dress color underwraps especially knowing it only makes people like me (not sure how many of me there are) sit here and spend endless hours conjuring up all possible scenarios of a wedding I'm unfortunately not invited to. lol. Or, maybe the bridesmaids are wearing green and Kim is going to wear something like a nude color hue? That would look pretty!

3. ORRRR...Since the guests are all in black and white and we are going to be introducing COLOR...could we be going to Emarald City?!?! Could ALL of the girls be wearing green? I think it's possible! It'd most likely be a first in the wedding world! There have been brides who have worn white and dressed their bridesmaids in white as well, but have you ever seen a bride in a color matching her bridesmaids to her?!?!

Now, as for the silhouette of the dress...it has been reported that Tyra Banks gave Kim some advice the other day telling her to "go with a silhouette she doesn't normally wear". Kim must've been swaying with trying to make a decision. Kim flew to New York the other day and I saw where Vera Wang did some tweeting telling Kim something on the lines that she was glad they made those changes, but time was basically of the essence.

As for my thoughts...Kim is generally always in short dresses. I don't think she'll be doing short and if she was, I have a feeling there is now a skirt attached and maybe that is the change. She's done the one-shoulder several times, so I do not see that happening. Khloe's gown was a mermaid and Kim has done mermaid on the red carpet, so I'm thinking that might not be it either. Being known for her curves, Kim has shown them off plenty of times in tight fitting dresses and gowns, so doing something different, to me, would mean that Kim IS going to trump royalty when she makes her debut in somewhat of a ball gown! My guess is that Vera is busy in New York adding tons of tulle and ruffles.

Whether I unlocked the secret to this weekend's big day or not, it sure was fun just playing for a moment! Although it's a sin, I bet a lot of people will be seeing green on Saturday whether it's a color incorporated in to the wedding or not! Kim is a trendsetter and I'm so excited to see what the outcome is!

Black to the Future

It's always been an ongoing joke that bridesmaid dresses are flat out ugly! We all hear funny stories from friends who wore the dresses with the big puffy sleeves or the color that was meant to make you gag! There's the age old thought that the brides purposely put their girls in dresses to be 100% positiviely absolutely sure that they stand out on their big day (and from the looks of some past pictures, you can believe this to be true in some cases like the one that shows the girls in gold lame). In actuality though, times change and so do trends. So what may've once made for the perfect puffy sleeve may now work out better for the perfect puffy pillowcase.

There has been a change in the past decade though with all of the amazing bridesmaid lines out there to choose from who make certain that the bridesmaid dresses are sometimes just as gorgeous as the bridal gowns! Let's face reality...just as you would buy clothes that go out of style or that you don't fit in to anymore, the same may hold true for your bridesmaid dress.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that a large percent of women have never even worn their bridesmaid dress after its apperance at the wedding. Many of us have been a bridesmaid more than once, some more than five times, and if you are like Katherine Heigl in the movie 27 dresses, your poor closet is bursting with tafetta! What do you do with these dresses or gowns that were too costly to just throw away? Hopefully you have donated them, but if you are still holding on to them and would like to revamp your wardrobe, there is something exciting and new waiting for you!

Dessy Group who is just simply brilliant, has created Newlymaid and is now providing you with the ability to pretty much trade in your dress for what every girl needs - a little black dress! When you send your dress in, you will receive credit towards a new dress! The material from your old dress will either be recycled to create new yarns or it will be donated to the charity Clothes4Souls. Some criteria does apply, so be sure to read the website first. And, they also accept mother of the bride gowns and prom dresses!

It gets better though! Would you believe that after you receive and wear your new little black dress, that can also be traded back in to Newlymaid?!?! The fun just doesn't end. It's all about the future - recycling, charity, and reinventing yourself!

http://www.newlymaid.com/

'Fresh To Death' Do You Part!

Let's face it, we've learned a lot from MTV's Jersey Shore. I bet 80% of the population never knew about "T-Shirt time" before the airing of the show! T-shirt time is actually something that takes place after the famous G.T.L. (gym, tan, and laundry) which is what the guys thrive on doing to keep their "gorilla juice head bodies", as Snooki would say. You may've also heard the tagline "Fresh to Death" (coined by DJ Pauly D) on some of the episodes. Well, if you're with me so far, and hip to the situation (no pun intended) then you'll know that being "Fresh to Death" goes hand-in-hand with these regimens. What does it mean? Getting a hair cut, a shave, facial cleansing, styling your hair, dressing to the nines, and accessorizing when going out on the town! All of these words to live by are what makes Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino who he is - one of the most recognizable faces of 2011!

FLOW Formal Alliance, who is a license holder for other lines such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, is looking to keep things fresh and young. Not only have they recognized Sitch's face, but they have signed it (and his body) to their line.

Wanting to engage younger consumers, FLOW Formal Alliance will now have Mike Sorrentino sporting their tuxedos and accessories. Tell your brother, tell your man, tell your best friend's man! Whether for weddings or proms or just to own...do it in style and go with the FLOW!

http://www.flowformal.com/

http://www.tuxedos.com/

Best Dressed Wedding Guests

To have the chance to "people watch" at this Royal Wedding...must have been amazing! I think America needs to take on some customs like wearing hats! Maybe every Friday can be hat day! From the hats to the attire, I picked my favorite guests and named them the best dressed!

I have to start with the Queen who absolutely made my day in her canary yellow Angela Kelly pleated dress with sparkly brooch! You go, girlfriend!

Now, I've never been a girl who went gaga over David Beckham, but today my jaw dropped! He looked beyond dapper in his Ralph Lauren! I see he carried his top hat to not mess up his elegant do. I have to say I wasn't completely fond of Victoria's dress or hat. It just didn't sit well with me. The hat didn't sit well on her head either.

Simplistic beauty was worn well by Charlene Wittstock. I absolutely love the color she chose and it blended perfectly with her gloves, purse, and hat. Very classy and well put together.

I usually like very outlandish garments and accessories, but my favorite hat very well might be Sophie Winkleman's!

In a daring Deborah Milner, while some critics might bash socialite Tara Palmer Tompkinson for her electric blue dress and hat, I have to say that it was dashing and my favorite! It's a little over-the-top, but so is this entire wedding, right?