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Hello and happy ROYAL WEDDING MANIA WEEK, everyone!!!
I hope that you all had the chance to make happy memories with family this past weekend!! I love holidays because no matter your personal invested interest in the celebration at hand, the fact that a majority of the population IS celebrating means that you get a window of opportunity to celebrate YOUR own amazing life for a few moments of much needed R&R.
Today’s post (and this entire week, in fact!) is about celebration, too — the quite GRAND event of Prince William’s and Kate Middleton’s marriage-to-be this Friday, April 29th.
Fashion-inclined Britons and their American counterparts have been anxiously awaiting (and hypothesizing!) for Kate’s big white wedding dress debut. Recent reports are strongly predicting that designer Sophie Cranston, founder of the UK-based line Libelula, will be designing Kate’s dress.
Since fashion reporter Yvonne York of the Huffington Post swears that Sophie IS the designer, I decided to take a peek at the pre-existing bespoke bridal collection of the Libelula line. The collection consists of 7 dresses which operate as “foundation” pieces to inspire the personalized, perfectly tailored design (i.e. “bespoke”) of the wedding dress for the princess-to-be.
Sophie isn’t just ANY fashion designer. Not only does she share the same graduate fashion week “Designer of the Year award” title as renowned UK designer Alexander McQueen, but she’s a critically-acclaimed designer who promotes the fact that **vintage fashion inspires the Libelula collection.**
A quick read of her about section reveals this fact, and it was after my comparison of her bridal collection to vintage wedding dresses for sale on Etsy & Vintagewedding.com that her love for inspiration past truly shined its light to me.
Keep reading after the jump to see what vintage wedding dresses & accessories hypothetically may have inspired Sophie’s bespoke bridal collection for Libelula, and to keep with the trends and predict my two cents, what vintage style elements & accents I hope Kate wears to wed on her special day.
The hype surrounding the “wedding of the century” has turned a personal occasion into an international Superbowl, and I hope that Kate is drawing personal satisfaction from the big event.
Her brilliant smile and sparkling eyes radiate an aura of authenticity and grounded personality, so I feel that no matter the flashing lights and play-by-play reporting as thousands of eyes watch her kiss “her prince,” she will remain centered to know that this is a moment of magic that she can experience with the same peace of a backyard, countryside wedding.
Admittedly, I’m jumping on the paparazzi bandwagon and devoting this week at Sammy Davis Vintage to discussing all things vintage WEDDING. I feel the timing is not only trendy … but seasonally appropriate! Many of us have weddings of our own to attend (or possibly plan!) and like any element of our personal style, integrating vintage into the attendance or participation of a wedding is certainly & most stylishly possible.
After reading today’s post, be sure to check out some other fashion-related how-to advice as inspired by Kate Middleton … including How to Wear 11 Vintage Hats Like Kate & Vintage Wedding Dresses Wearable for the Everyday.
I’m still planning the week’s content & FUN, so if you have a suggestion, a request, a wedding dilemma!! please let me know by saying hello on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or email!
With vintage love & royal style PEACE!
xx, SD
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #1
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: Delicate cap sleeves for a touch of “coverage” without putting your arms completely out of sight.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage wedding dress on Etsy, $225
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #2
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: A built-in shawl by way of extra fabric embedded in design of dress. The Libelula design has added an embroidered shawl that appears to be a separate piece, while the dolman sleeves of the vintage lookalike dress operate similarly for the same “back coverage” effect.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage dress for wear as a wedding guest on Etsy, $60
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #3
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: While the back of this vintage lookalike is designed with seamless dolman sleeves (also called “bat wings” because of width like a bat), the front of the dress is cut to flare with pleated sleeves which lay gently on the dress when arms are on the dress, and expand to greater widths (again, like bat/dolman sleeves) when arms are lifted. Both dresses add sheer coverage by way of these flowing sleeves, attached to a forced high waist that lengthens into a slimming maxi skirt bottom.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage dress for wear as a wedding guest on Etsy, $60
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #4
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: Both dresses cinch at the waist and draw attention up toward the face with a v-neck design. The vintage lookalike is “V neck” however covers your actual skin, but the ruffled collar & conjoining sleeves establish the same attention-directing visual from the waist up.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage dress to wear as a wedding guest on Etsy, $148
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #5
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: A thick belt made from the same material as the dress or a light cotton, which can is tied around the waist to hang from the front as an subtle accessory flattering on a dress without ornate detail or appliqués. Also used to tie a bow in the back, as seen on the vintage lookalike.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage wedding dress on Etsy, $89
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #6
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: Each dress is designed with ruffled “butterfly” sleeves, adding structure to an otherwise flat design. The vintage dress has additional structure thanks to a ruffled collar and buttons.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage dress to wear as a wedding guest on Etsy, $280
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #7
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: Each dress takes note that less really equals more, especially when delicate lace draws attention to the place that matters most: your beautiful, fresh face! The ’30s Depression-era dress was designed for stunning simplicity, which I predict will be a motif of Kate’s dress du jour.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage wedding dress on Etsy, $175
VINTAGE WEDDING DRESS INSPIRATION #8
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: The design of each dress emphasizes a ruffled, rounded collar. The vintage lookalike is a Spanish ruffle design (like the tiered ruffles of a Spanish flamenco dancer’s skirt), while Libelula takes a one-layered approach to the style.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage dress to wear as a wedding guest on Etsy, $38
VINTAGE WEDDING VEIL INSPIRATION
VINTAGE PREDICTION: Kate will wear a sheer piece of lace with delicate lace trim. The veil will hang long, possibly past her waist keeping with the length of what I also predict will be a maxi-cut dress.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage reproduction veil at vintagewedding.com, $85
VINTAGE WEDDING SHAWL INSPIRATION
VINTAGE LOOKALIKE: I actually couldn’t find the vintage lookalike I wanted to show you — which is what I’m calling a “shaggy fringe veil” that is very ’70s inspired and almost resembles the fringe of an oriental floor carpet. What I did find was a vintage shawl reproduction with wrinkled trim, serving the same design function as shaggy fringe.
WHERE TO BUY: Vintage reproduction shawl at vintagewedding.com, $68
I am a USA clothing designer, and I have my redition of Kate Middleton’s Royal Wedding Dress. Available at
http://www.senseofashion.com/hautecurvture
Its available in all sizes including plus size up to USA womens 40.
This price is for the cathedral train,I have it available with no train, a small train or chapel train for lower price.
Contact me for more details.