Thursday, September 10, 2009

Dear Dallas,


Some women's diamonds are bigger than others. Other women just throw the rule book out the window for their big day. So, look out Texans because two impressive designers will be rolling their trunks into the Neiman Marcus' Downtown Dallas location to showcase their Spring 2010 collections.

Monique Lhuillier will be on site September 25th & 26th. The designers gowns are always made for the woman looking for something different. Her spring collection is refreshingly soft, but her fall gowns are truly crowd pleasers. They have more detail, feathers, and volume than I ever knew I wanted. I've always considered myself pretty simple, but I've got to put one of those on my body. I can see why women rant over how spectacular she is. You can spot a Lhuillier gown for about a mile away and you definitely won't be forgotten. Isn't that what all brides want? She is a celebrity favorite, not only for her bridal, but also for her ready to wear designs.

Amsale (pronounced Ahm-Sah'-leh) will also be stopping by October 2nd and 3rd. Amsale is known for her elegant, simple and modern silhouettes. She designs a dress that any woman, with any taste, of any shape could put on and love. I personally love that she has created a little white dress collection. Many brides are switching out of their ball gowns and slipping into something smaller and a little more comfortable for their receptions. Plenty of brides are opting for the short dress altogether, which is a brilliant idea.

Designer Hellen O'Connor for Thurley also makes a beautiful little white dress. The designs are simple, usually shift dresses with lace and zero volume. Definitely for the bride that wants to be true to her taste. Thurley also has an array of other sweet dresses, check them out here.

I'll leave you with the pictured Monique Lhuillier gown. I had to disrupt my writing two or three times just to go back and look at them. They are simply that spectacular.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Dear Average Woman,



I was once told that JCrew was far from chic. Six months later, I still cannot stop obsessing over it. Perhaps I am defensive on the matter because I wish I were a walking JCrew catalog, but to me, they embody chic for the average woman.

The average woman can't afford to deck herself in Chanel or swing by Hermes to get a new handbag. (I will say that it is completely reasonable for the average woman to make occasional splurges on key wardrobe pieces that will last from season to season. Stacy London and Clinton Kelly have jobs because they know that exception to the 'I'm average' rule so well.) But, the average woman is a lot like me. While I have serious label lust, I also have about $100 bucks in my bank account and my sole source of income is my nannying gig. Dealing with children has taught me that women will most likely end a day with peanut butter on their shirt and have to do an unnecessary amount of diaper changes. It is far from glamorous. Lusting ladies out there like myself, can't wait until they save the cash to splurge on that designer dud they've been longing for. They want it, and they want it now. The answer? JCrew.

JCrew makes a woman look effortlessly put together and dare I say, comfortable. They create pieces that are just as classic and well-made as the big labels, except for a fifth of the price. They also don't limit themselves to certain products, if you can wear it, they've got it. Cashmere sweaters, sweet cardigans, silk tiered tops, leather ballet flats, suede booties, far from tasteless jewelry and a certain velvet blazer I've been eyeing. They've got everything from shorts you can hike in to attire for an entire bridal party. As you can already imagine, I'm obsessed. I wait for Jenna's picks (the creative director) every month just to see the things that I wish I could own too. If you thought that JCrew was just seersucker pants with lobsters on them, take another look.

Oh, and their bridal! I am an aspiring journalist, which basically translates to broke perpetually. So when my time comes to try on gowns, I will visit Kleinfeld to try on Carolina Hererra and probably end up getting mine from JCrew. They are classic, classic with a twist. They are for that average woman who lusted after the labels, but decided to feed her guests instead. I must say, their bridesmaid dresses are so refreshingly un-bridemaidy that I couldn't possibly even THINK about looking at David's Bridal. (Not that it ever crossed my mind.) The dresses shown are just a taste of what they've done. Make sure to look at the bridesmaid dresses! Your friends will thank you.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Dear Grocery Man,


At times, I wonder if the local grocery man scans my monthly wedding magazine purchase and wonders to himself why it is that I, a twenty-year-old college student, am consuming myself with such nonsense as marriage. Placing it in the plastic bag, I am sure he thinks to himself about the tragic train wreck my life is bound to become when he sees me fumbling through coupons to find that dollar-off-bagels deal I've been saving. I bet he is even more confused when he scans my ring finger on my right hand to find it completely bare.

Take a sigh of relief, Mr. Grocery Man, because I am not planning to tie the knot anytime soon. But I don't blame you. It is unfortunately popular among college campuses to find young, wedding mag-toting women who have yet to receive their bachelor's degrees, but already have the diamond. I won't go into too much detail on how I feel about that subject, but I will say that divorce statistics say that around 50% of people that marry, divorce. That's something to consider before you say 'I do.'

I believe that my love from weddings comes from a very different place. I have a Wedding Crashers outlook on weddings. It is the place where indulging in cake, screaming YMCA at the top of your lungs and getting drunk with grandma is not only normal, but expected. It is the one place where an entire celebration revolves around you and your other half, completely personalized from the cake to the decorations and the vows to the ever-coveted dress. Weddings scream style, but even when you commit bridal fashion suicide, nobody really criticizes you because it's your day. (Although, I've seen some absolutely terrible bridesmaids dresses that, if given a feather duster, could double as halloween costumes.)

As for now, I don't have a fiancé, nor do I have a boyfriend, or even a love interest. But, I do have a lot of friends and when they start getting hitched, I will surely be in attendance.

Until then, a girl can dream. The featured Kenley Collins masterpiece will find a way on to my body... even as a bridesmaid. Friends, I apologize in advance.