Strut Bridal

TREND ALERT: Fancy-back Wedding Dresses

We just came back from the Fall Bridal Market (we shop in the spring for gowns for fall, which arrive late summer) and fell in love with some of the wedding gowns with fancy backs on them. Some featured beautiful lace, others intricate beading on a delicate backing. Here are some couture designer wedding dresses that show off this trend in the recent Brides magazine:

These gowns are subtly sexy but can be tough to do as a plus size wedding dress for two reasons:

1. Let's not mince words: back fat. Yes, not all women have those stubborn areas on their sides and back, but if you do, these low back gowns don't offer any support or coverage for those areas. Some backless wedding gowns cover more than others, though, so they're worth trying on. We just want our brides to feel completely comfortable and confident on their wedding day, so if that's an area of concern, then let's stick to a gown with more coverage.
2. Foundations. Proper foundations can make all the difference in the fit of a gown. Putting "the girls" up where they belong can change the whole shape of your body! So these backless gowns can be tough to wear if you're a bride that needs to wear a bra. Some options are finding a very low back long line bra (not impossible, but difficult to find in some sizes) or adding bra cups to the front of the gown for more support. Still, most of us wearing plus size wedding dresses need more support and love the shaping that long line bras give. So just know you'll have limited options in these backless wedding gowns.

But don't despair--we can help you get this look on nearly any wedding dress. We recently ordered a special lace piece that can be added to any dress to give it that keyhole back look--but it works with our gowns that have a higher back to them. We'll be able to get it beaded or un-beaded, and in a couple of different kinds of lace.

You can get that illusion neckline look by adding fabric to the bodice and back of any dress. We can buy matching fabric, appliques and even beading so it matches your wedding gown perfectly.

Brides can even buy a bolero jacket in a variety of fabrics. If you don't want the jacket to look like a separate piece, then your seamstress can sew it right to the bodice of your wedding dress.

If you love the look and want to know how to make it work on your wedding dress, just ask your Strut Stylist for ideas!

NEW DRESS ALERT: Allure 9018 Lace Mermaid Wedding Gown

The lace trend continues to be hot in wedding gowns, but now weddng dress designers are adding a lot more sparkle to their lace wedding dresses. One of our favorite new wedding gowns in the Phoenix store is Allure 9018. Here's a photo of the model in the gown:

Allure describes this as a mermaid gown, but it's fitted only to the mid thigh before it flares out. The dress comes in light gold (pictured above), ivory, and white.

We love this as a plus size wedding dress because the construction of Allure gowns allows for outstanding fit. And since the Strut Stylists love to try on gowns (we say it's so we know they fit, wink, wink), and because you love to see how gowns look on plus size women, here you go:

Clearly this would work better as a plus size wedding dress on someone that is also a bit taller, but we love the shape it gives. Even more, we adore the beaded lace detail. The bottom of the skirt is just incredible! Because you can't see beading detail well on the Allure website, here's a close up:

There is also beading on the top of the sweetheart bodice. We put this plus size lace wedding gown on with a mermaid slip to give the skirt more shape. Give us a call if you'd like to try on the Allure 9018 lace mermaid wedding dress!

Plus Size Prom and Pageant Gowns Are Here!

If you're wondering what the hottest trend is for prom dresses in 2013, it's SEQUINS! We have such a huge range of plus size prom and pageant gowns with sequins that we can find the perfect gown for your body type. We just got in another shipment of prom dresses and have sequins in:

• Ballgowns
• Hi-low hems
• Slim fitting sleek gowns
• Fit and flares (fitted through the thigh then flare out--very dramatic!)
• Ruffled gowns with sparkle
• Chiffon gowns with sequin bodices

Strut has the largest collection of plus size prom and pageant gowns anywhere in the Phoenix area. 

Ask us about our exclusive plus size prom line. It's so special for our girls because:

• You can't buy these prom gowns online
• You can't buy these dresses ANYWHERE else in Arizona
• They can't be re-ordered, so once they're gone, they're GONE!

Give us a call to set up a visit with one of our expert prom stylists!

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2013 Prom Trends for Night Moves

Gray Is the New Black

The Great Bridal Trend Gods report that next year's key accent color will be gray. It's less of a contrast than black and perfect for the softer palettes that we're seeing with vintage-inspired weddings. We're so smitten with gray that we've started a new Pinterest Board to express our love. Ask for an invite if you want to pin on it it!

In the meantime, enjoy a couple of great photos with gray wedding accents:

 

Besides doing your wedding flowers, invites, and tables in gray, you can get gorgeous shades of gray for bridesmaids dresses. You can even add a gray sash to you dress!

We looooove grooms in gray, too!

Keep checking our Pinterest boards for more gray wedding detail inspiration!

1950s Wedding Style Returns!

Our Arizona brides are still looking into the past for inspiration, but they're asking for looks that aren't tea length, a trend that has largely passed. In it's place we're seeing the emergence of wedding gowns that feature a peplum, which is a small flounce or ruffle at the waist. It's 50's style in a more formal look. Check it out:

Peplums will cover small tummies, but we don't recommend them for pear shaped brides. Pair peplum wedding gowns with a class structured clutch, like one of these glamorous gold ones:

End the night on a sweet note with a truly classic confection--the two tier round wedding cake:

Bling Is In for Your Wedding Accessories

We recently came back from the bridal market, where wedding dress stores go to buy our dresses for the next season. We love the new looks for Spring 2013 and wanted to report that bling is still in for next year!

One thing we saw a lot of was more belts and sashes. These are a great way to dress up a more simple gown or to customize it for your perfect look. You can get belts and sashes in a variety of widths, fabrics and finishes. Keep in mind that big rhinestones=$$, so expect to get these starting at $200. The sky's the limit from there!

Here are some that we love:

Another trend we've seen is designers showing their gowns with statement necklaces. These can be multi-pearl strands, chunky metal or bling. Here's an example we adore, shown by Lazaro:

For something more subtle that still makes a big impact, check out this bauble-covered cake the latest Martha Stewart Weddings:

So brides, even though you're seeing lots of lace and vintage trends, don't dispair--we've ordered lots of beautiful sparkly gowns for Spring 2013!

3 Tips for Making Any Bridesmaids Dress Fit Your Vintage Theme

We know that finding the perfect bridesmaid dress can be so hard--coordinating all your girls, finding a flattering style for different body types, appeasing different personalities... And on top of that you want them to fit your vintage-inspired wedding theme!

Well, we came up with three super easy ways to make nearly any dress fit your vision. First, a "before" the rules" shot of some bridesmaid dresses. 

 

These dresses are perfectly fine! And they already fulfill a major DO: definitely order a dress in chiffon. If you love a satin dress, ask your stylist if it can be ordered in another fabric for a small charge. But if you want that vintage-inspired look, you should:

1. Pick appropriate colors. If you want a more romantic look, go for soft pastels. Blush pink and champagne are particularly hot. If you want to go more vintage or glam, dark brown and bronzes look great.
2. Go for flowy hair and soft faces. Makeup and hair are key here--think long, flowy locks (or short with soft curls) and natural faces. Avoid formal styles like super-neat updos. If hair is worn up, be sure it's soft and a little messy looking.
3. Pick great accessories. Think GOES WITH not MATCHES for this--use mixed metals and pieces that look a little worn to give it that vintage feel. And when your girls wear different dresses (or just different accessories), you'll get that slight boho-chic look!

The rules are so easy. Check out our after photo--similar dresses but they follow the rules to give it that vintage-inspired look.

There you go! So just pick a dress you love and trust us to help you make your vision come true! Leave us a note if you have any other tricks for finding the perfect bridesmaid dress.

To Market, to Market... to Buy Wedding Dresses!

Woohoo! It's co-owner Ann's favorite time of the year.... Bridal Market! This will be our fourth trip this year to buy wedding dresses. It's so fun to see the newest collections, meet designers, see runway shows, and meet store owners from all over the US. 

We've made our list of gowns we're dying to get in the store. Want a hint? In one word....

ROMANTIC!

Yes, we're looking for lace, but not just any kind of lace. We want some interesting new fabrics and patterns. We also want some Swiss lace (dotted lace) and vintage-inspired gowns. 

But bolder brides, we won't forget about you: we have on our list to get you ballgowns "with stuff on the skirt"! From beading to flowers to lace and other textures, we hear you when you say you want more visual interest on the skirt.

And headpieces--we want some more interesting veil options. We're seeing more of the combless kind and want to bring those in. Either you can just lay them on your head (like the Princess did) or wrap them Bohemian style. Either way, we'll get you covered.

Leave us a note for any trends you think we should be on the lookout for, and stay tuned for a complete report when we return!

Until then, Jill and Stephanie will be running the store; we know you'll be in capable hands!

Would You Wear a Blue Wedding Dress?

Blush wedding dresses first made waves with couture designers before the more mainstream wedding dress makers started giving us blush, champagne and light pink wedding dress options. While we carry several blush wedding dresses here at Strut, our Arizona brides haven't fallen hard for them, opting to order the gowns in more traditional white or ivory instead.

The fall issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and the September issue of Brides magazine both show couture gowns in blue. So we wanted to ask our readers, would you wear a blue wedding dress?

Here are some of the new blue wedding dresses featured in the two bridal magazines:

Bold floral print by Douglas Hannant. At the bridal market last spring, where we go to buy the next season's wedding dresses, we noticed that floral wedding dresses were not being embraced by designers; we saw just one.

We suspect most brides would be more open to wearing a much softer shade of blue, like this tulle gown, by Lazaro.

But the cover of MS Weddings made our jaw drop:

And that was before we saw the back of the Oscar de la Renta gown!

Isn't that just incredible??

Ok, ladies, now it's your turn! Let us know if you'd wear a blue wedding dress. We're headed to the Chicago Bridal Market this weekend to buy the Spring 2013 wedding dress collections. We'll keep your reactions in mind!

3 Soft Wedding Makeup Styles

With the huge trend toward soft, romantic wedding dresses, vintage-inspired weddings, and lots of long, flowy hairstyles, we thought we'd show you three beautiful faces that pair prefectly with this season's hottest wedding dresses. Be sure to bring makeup photos to your stylist for a trial run to find your wedding day look!

We love the hair, which is loosely pulled and secured in the back. The slightly messy look is great for a backyard or garden wedding; it tends to look a bit less formal. This is great with a dress with layers of tulle, lace, little flowers, etc. Texture on the dress would be great with this textured hair! Think boho-chic! The eyes are a subtle brown with pretty pink lips.

 

The makeup is similar to the first photo, but the hair is higher and slightly more styled. This is great for Grecian or goddess wedding gowns because the more formal hair will give it more the wedding look (and not the nightgown look!).

This one has a bit more of a dramatic eye, so we love it for an evening wedding. Wear this with lace, especially with a v-neck lace wedding gown.

Leave us a note below and tell us your favorite makeup looks for the romantic and vintage wedding dress trends!