Style Me Vintage: Weddings
3/5
()
About this ebook
The fifth book in the successful 'Style Me Vintage' series is designed to inspire
brides-to-be to create their own vintage-themed wedding. Harking back to
styles of previous decades is often the basis for a truly stylish wedding, but it
can be difficult to get all the details right, without a little bit of guidance. This
beautiful and accessible book looks at how to source and put together bridal
outfits and event styling for a themed occasion, from the Edwardian era,
through the decades to the 1970s. From the dress itself, through to accessories,
flowers, make-up and hair, even extra details such as how to style the
attendants, venue, cake, stationery, photography, and entertainment are
covered. Featuring beautiful photography from weddings photographer Joanna
Brown. An ideal gift book for brides-to-be.
Related to Style Me Vintage
Related ebooks
5 Tips on How To: Pick the Perfect Wedding Dress for Your Body Shape! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bridesmaid Guide: Modern Advice on Etiquette, Parties, and Being Fabulous Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Weddings in Color: 500 Creative Ideas for Designing a Modern Wedding Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCountdown to Your Perfect Wedding: From Engagement Ring to Honeymoon, a Week-by-Week Guide to Planning the Happiest Day of Your Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wedding Fairy's Big Day Breakdown: Planning for an Unforgettable Celebration Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings50 Ways to Wear Accessories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Style Up Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWedding Inspirations: Ideas & Advice for Your Perfect Wedding Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Big White Book of Weddings: A How-to Guide for the Savvy, Stylish Bride Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5What to Wear, Where: The How-to Handbook for Any Style Situation Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Little Black Dress: How to dress perfectly for any occasion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/551 Amazing Ideas for Your Wedding: Ultimate big day must haves and A-list planning tips Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Wedding, Your Way: Break with Tradition and Create a One-of-a-Kind Celebration You'll Never Forget! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vintage Wedding Style: More than 25 Simple Projects and Endless Inspiration for Designing Your Big Day Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond the Veil: Secrets from a Bridal Boutique Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Style Me Vintage: Weddings: An Inspirational Guide to Styling the Perfect Vintage Wedding Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping: Insider Tips, Helpful Hints, Hip Shops Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFashion For Less: A Success At Finding Fashion Bargains! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Style Your Luxury Fashion Accessories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCupcakes and Cashmere: A Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Style Checklist: The Ultimate Wardrobe Essentials for You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Style Me Vintage: Accessories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Vintage Hairstyles: Simple Steps for Retro Hair with a Modern Twist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fashion Forward: Creating Your Look With the Best of Vintage Style Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Discount Diva: All The Info You Need On Finding Inexpensive Fashion! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat's Your Bridal Style? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Priceless Wedding: Crafting a Meaningful, Memorable, and Affordable Celebration Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGuide to Smart Wedding Planning Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Goddess Guide to Soul Styling Lifestyle: How to Dress to Feel Your Best Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe DIY Wedding: Celebrate Your Day Your Way Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Weddings For You
Emily Post's Etiquette, 19th Edition: Manners for Today Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wedding Officiant's Guide: How to Write & Conduct a Perfect Ceremony Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5First Orgasm: Female Masturbation for Beginners Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/51001 Ways to Be Romantic: More Romantic Than Ever Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wedding Hacks: 500+ Ways to Stick to Your Budget, Stay Stress-Free, and Plan the Best Wedding Ever! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOur Haggadah: Uniting Traditions for Interfaith Families Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRomantic Love Poems: Poetry Collection of Adoration and Praise Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWedding Planner (Printable Version) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Everything Wedding Book: Your All-in-One Guide to Planning the Wedding of Your Dreams Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Depression Fallout: The Impact of Depression on Couples and What You Can Do to Preserve the Bond Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Things No One Taught Us About Love Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Before You Tie the Knot: A Premarital Counseling Workbook for the DIY Couple Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDiane Warner's Complete Book of Wedding Vows, Revised Edition: Hundreds of Ways to Say I Do Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Budget Weddings For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wedding Planning For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up Revised and Expanded: What to Wear, When to Wear It, How to Wear It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Wedding Vows Book: How to personalize the most important promise you'll ever make Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWedding Readings and Poems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Everything Wedding Checklist Book: All you need to remember for a day you'll never forget Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Wedding Toasts 101: The Guide to the Perfect Wedding Speech Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Business of Being A Wedding Planner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Guide to Micro Weddings: The Ultimate Source for Planning a Small and Meaningful Wedding Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Jewish Wedding Now Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wedding Weight Loss Made Easy: Wedding Weight Loss Made Easy, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Everything Weddings on a Budget Book: Plan the wedding of your dreams--without going bankrupt! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Big White Book of Weddings: A How-to Guide for the Savvy, Stylish Bride Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Everything Groom Book: A survival guide for men! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Right One: How to Successfully Date and Marry the Right Person: A Marriage On The Rock Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Style Me Vintage
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
Style Me Vintage - Annabel Beeforth
INTRODUCTION
The feelings a woman experiences on finding the wedding dress are a mix of excitement, exhilaration, wonderment and awe. If only you could bottle the feeling, you’d be a sure-fire millionaire. There is something about the experience of wearing a wedding dress that has always thrilled and intoxicated women, but never more so than in the past century, when bridal fashion became big business. Gowns moved from being furbelowed, formal, corseted and restrictive to the far more relaxed, fluid, comfortable and flattering silhouette we see today. Given that a wedding dress is probably the most expensive item of clothing most women will ever buy, it holds great emotional significance — it will steal the limelight on the wedding day and be talked about for years after. Many dresses are so esteemed, they become much-loved heirlooms — pass-me-downs for the younger generation to keep safe and maybe wear again.
The popularity of original vintage or vintage-inspired bridal fashion has soared in recent years. As a consequence, the original vintage wedding gown has become a valuable and sought-after commodity, and many businesses have been set up to specialise in the supply of original vintage wedding dresses, or modern replicas. Even designer brands are hopping on board, creating pieces in their latest collections that pay homage to the popular styles of the past.
Subconsciously I always knew I was a lover of vintage style, but it didn’t become evident to me until 2007, when I set off on a 15-month journey to plan my own nuptials. During my research, I found myself drawn time and time again to glamorous, floor-sweeping, red carpet-inspired gowns reminiscent of the deco fashions of the 1930s, that look just as gorgeous today as they did back then. In the end, I opted for a Jenny Packham design that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo, with Art Deco detailing and panel beading around the bust, and what seemed like miles of silk charmeuse draping to the floor behind me and trailing into the most elegant of trains. I was smitten. I felt like a million dollars. It was then that I discovered my passion for vintage and vintage-inspired bridal wear and it has been a true love of mine ever since.
Through Style Me Vintage: Weddings, I aim to bring my adoration of vintage bridal fashion and passion for weddings together in one useful, inspirational resource. I am a firm advocate of working with a professional event stylist on the style aspects of your wedding day, but this book will provide some great starting points and inspiration as to how you can style your own vintage-inspired wedding.
The book provides a potted history lesson of bridal fashion, decade-by-decade, from the Edwardian era to the 1970s. Original vintage wedding photography, historical facts and references will help you understand the bridal styles of the time, as well as contextualise these fashions against their cultural and social backdrop. Styled bridal fashion images will suggest how you can replicate the styles of that particular era – focusing on fashion, beauty, detail and décor. The images have been styled using a mix of original and replica vintage wedding elements and have been designed to inspire and encourage you to try different things, to mix and match until you find your own personal vintage style. Each chapter ends with a look at how real brides have incorporated a vintage-inspired look into their own wedding day. Towards the back of the book, you will find detailed lists of recommended suppliers and online resources.
Style Me Vintage: Weddings has by no means been produced for those who consider themselves ‘purist’ in vintage terms. Rather, it has been created to inspire any bride interested in vintage wedding style, no matter on what scale. Whether you choose to simply dip your toes into the rich pool of vintage fashion or go diving in head-first, the inspiration and advice contained in this book will help make your ‘vintage wedding’ experience fun, satisfying and rewarding.
I do hope that when you finish reading this book, you will feel inspired and just a little bit more in love with vintage wedding style.
WHAT IS A VINTAGE WEDDING?
There is something ineffably fascinating about using something old to celebrate something new. Until fairly recently, the tradition of incorporating ‘something old’ into your wedding might have included borrowing a piece of jewellery from a close friend or family member. Nowadays, couples have realised that they can personalise their entire wedding day by styling it according to the fashions and aesthetics of an era that they admire.
The term ‘vintage wedding’ tends to provoke a love/hate response; purists reject the loose application of the term in regard to weddings with a subtle reference towards the past, and some wedding industry professionals have turned their back on the use of the term altogether – possibly fearful that the perceived trend will pass or become unpopular, and weary of how the description has proliferated the wedding blog community. Like it or not, there is no denying the beauty and appeal of a vintage wedding dress and all that exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail, or of the elegant accessories rediscovered after years tucked away in storage boxes, or of the heirloom veil that your grandma wore at her own wedding.
The way I see it, fashions and styles of the past are timeless, beautiful pieces of history, that should be accessible to all who admire them today – including brides. ‘Vintage wedding’ is simply a descriptive term applied to evoke the style and aesthetic chosen by a modern bride or couple, which reflects a major element of their wedding day. And, for me, an original vintage dress or replica vintage dress is the first qualifier of a vintage wedding.
Regardless, whether you opt for a full-on, authentic vintage affair, or a more vintage-inspired wedding with just a few light references to a bygone era, what really matters is that your day reflects your personal tastes and preferences. Craft your wedding by cherry-picking the details you love the most. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to vintage wedding style and this book will encourage you to be as creative or varied in your style as you like. Explore and discover different eras – mix and match various looks if you so wish. It’s entirely up to you.
WHY WEAR VINTAGE?
Grab yourself a telephone directory or check any online search engine and you’ll soon be able to locate the details of a seamstress, designer or tailor who should be able to produce a replica vintage wedding dress at your request. Rip out the pages of a magazine and take these ‘tear sheets’ along to early meetings with your seamstress or designer and they will be able to draw up ideas and create a ‘toile’ (an initial mockup of a design, often created in cheap fabric such as calico, in order to perfect a bespoke cut and fit, before the final design is produced in the chosen fabrics). This bespoke option is a popular choice amongst brides who are inspired by vintage wedding fashions but may be cautious about investing in an original vintage design.
But original vintage is not something to be afraid of. Whilst it is a known fact that most vintage wedding gowns tend to be small in fit (particularly around the waist), can carry imperfections and be damaged, this shouldn’t put you off exploring the past to find something beautiful and unique to wear on your wedding day.
Fashions fade, style is eternal …
Yves Saint Laurent
Deciding to wear an authentic vintage wedding dress has several key benefits:
One of a kind Every vintage wedding dress available today is a one-off – a completely unique piece of history that you can guarantee will not be seen on any other bride, no matter how many wedding magazines or wedding blogs you browse through. The vintage wedding dress wardrobe offers rich pickings too, with over 100 years of style and choice available.
Current fashions and trends aren’t important Researching what vintage looks you love the most will help you to discover more about your own personal style and what works best with your body shape.
Fine craftsmanship Most vintage wedding dresses were produced prior to mass commercial manufacture and so boast beautiful craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Value for money Almost all original vintage wedding dresses are less expensive than modern-day replicas or designer wedding dresses (although some designer vintage bridal gowns, whose provenance can be traced, will be much more expensive and available only via auction or specialists with a niche in designer vintage).
A style to suit every body shape Certain era looks tend to favour particular body types and each chapter ahead will touch on this in more detail, e.g. the more loose, dropped-waist looks of the 1920s tend to better suit a more slender frame and smaller bust; the fluid bias-cut styles of the 1930s suit tall slender figures, but also look amazing on curves; and the fuller-skirted, layered petticoat look that became popular in the 1950s will flatter the fuller figure.
Recycling Fashion Those with environmentally-friendly preferences can feel satisfied knowing that a vintage wedding dress is effectively being ‘recycled’ and given a new lease of life.
Ethical On the whole, choosing to wear vintage presents a better choice ethically; with the exception of bespoke dressmaking, most (though by no means all) contemporary wedding dress manufacture takes place overseas, utilising low-cost commercial production services. This raises an ethical question mark when a wedding dress is then sold on for many times more the amount that it cost to manufacture because it holds a designer name tag – or, more often than not, simply because it is a wedding dress.
BUYING AN ORIGINAL VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS
Vintage wedding dresses are more accessible now than ever before: check your local vintage clothing stores or charity shops; visit a specialist boutique; view online auctions, such as eBay; browse through an independent online store or the fabulous Etsy.com marketplace; or visit a vintage wedding fair and you will soon find yourself immersed in a world of original vintage bridal fashion. Whichever way you prefer to approach your vintage wedding dress shopping experience, there are a few things you need to know before you do:
Know your measurements This especially applies when shopping online or at a vintage wedding fair (a specialist boutique owner will take your measurements for you). You need to be aware of your neck, bust, waist, hip and thigh measurements — even your cuff measurements for dresses with