The designer behind this collecton, Amsale Aberra,  now also works with Austin Scarlett from the popular television series Project Runway.  Celebrities that have worn her dresses include Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Angela Bassett, Lisa Kudrow, and Salma Hayek.

The lien is popular because the lines of the designs are crisp and youthful looking. Still they have that bit of a Gone With the Wind flair to them, especially since Amsale Aberra brought the whimsical and glamorous designs of Austin on board.

The dresses aren’t that expensive considering that it is basically a celebrity loved line. The price is between $3000 and $12,000 a dress.  You can buy these gowns at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

Photo by bhollar

The Ball Gown Style Dress

You know it can be identified as being a ball gown if you need to wear a crinoline with it. This is a very formal style and the crinoline keeps the skirt – wide and full. The look is very much like Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. This type of wedding gown usually comes in all kinds of colors and can be either short sleeved, puff-sleeved, off the shoulder or completely strapless.

It also usually is made out of silk or satin and it can be layered with tulle and stiff netting to give it a fairy tale look. The pure white versions of these dresses are often studded with rhinestones or sequins. They also sometimes come with detachable bustles or trains so that bride can enjoy going to a wedding reception.

Ball Gown Drawing courtesy of Bridal Basics.

The cheaper option is to let the child simply wear a suit of his own that matches the color scheme of the wedding. You can also add a bowtie or flower that matches the color scheme to your ensemble as well.

The traditional outfit is a little stifling. According to Emily Post who wrote a famous book about wedding etiquette the ring bearer should be a boy and wear short pants and an Eton style jacket.  White is the preferred color of the suit of a male ring bearer.

It is also traditional for the parents of the boy to dress him but the responsibility of the bride and groom to supply him with the ring bearer’s pillow.

Photo by  phos365

There is an answer in the form of wedding dresses made of hemp. Material made from help is apparently very similar in look and feel.  There are a couple of designers who have been working with organic fabrics like this to create custom-made wedding dresses. One of the most important of them is Crystal Millar who designs for a hip eco-aware clothing label out of New Mexico called Conscious Clothing. Here are a few of their wedding dresses.  

Some other eco-conciouse weeding dress designers such as Robin Denstin recycle parts of older wedding dresses to make newer ones in order to conserve on energy and natural reserves.  She operates a shop called Recapture Vintage Bridal Designs in Oakland California.  Here are a few examples.

Amanda Wakeley Sposa
80, Fulham Road London SW3 6HR
0207 590 9108

Photo by Sherry’s Rose Cottage

One of the very heights of fashion is in fact the Mermaid style gown done in a glittering champagne colored silk. You know this look. It was adopted by all kinds of 1930s screen sirens like Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo. The effect is very glam.

It is also interesting to note too that these wedding gown styles tend to come back in style whenever there is a major recession in the United States. Psychologically it competes with the idea of tightening in one’s belt or poverty.

Mon Cheri Bridals
1018 Whitehead Road Extension
Trenton, New Jersey 08638
Read more here

There are restricitions as to what the contestants use when they design these dresses. They are only allowed to use the toilet paper supplied, tape and glue. The end result is a beautiful gown in most cases, complete with ruffles, ruching and flower details. In fact many of these dresses are so nice they actually look like light Indian cotton dresses.

First prize for designing a Toilet Paper wedding gown was also nothing to sneeze at. One thousand went this year to a designer named Katrina Chalifoux for her dress which had a seersucker type drop waist, hand tied shoulder straps and layers of ruffles at the bottom.

The dresses are very lacy and formal despite their short length and often are decorated with wide grosgrain ribbons at the waist or on the collar.  The neckline is also often square or beveled.  This type of dress look great in ivory satin or lace and many of the couture designers are wearing them.

If you want a tea length dress that is less vintage in quality and more sleek and romantic you can find many of them at David’s Bridal. This type of dress also looks fantastic on a bridesmaid  and your bridesmaid will thank you if you choose them in a color that allows them to wear the dress out again.