Family says 'yes to the dress' with generations making their own

Rather than the frills and extravagances of modern weddings on reality television, Margaret Hoffman's time walking down the aisle was a modest affair.


With World War II shifting to the Pacific theater, her sweetheart, Frank -- a Navy yeoman -- was home on a month's leave from England.

In the two years or so since they met, their courtship had been from afar, mostly in love letters sent back and forth across the ocean.

So when they officially decided to get married in July 1945, the planning was rushed. She had one week to prepare for her own wedding at the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Nashua.

And instead of going to the store to purchase a dress, as they had talked about getting married in letters, she spent the time working as a secretary for the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington D.C., sewing and hand-embroidering her own.

It was something of a de facto family tradition, said her daughter, Francis.

Margaret's mother Ruth had also made her lace wedding dress for her 1916 wedding.

Again, their daughter Mary ended up making her own wedding dress and sewed the dress when her daughter eventually became a bride, said Margaret's daughter Francis.

Other brides making their own dresses is not entirely unusual.

An Oklahoma woman told ABC News this month that she spent $70 in materials and eight months to crochet her own wedding dress.

Hoffman swapped stories last week as a group of newly-married six staffers -- including five nurses -- from the IOOF Home & Community Therapy Center in Mason City where she now lives decided to parade for residents in their own wedding dresses.

Wedding party robbed at the Arch, "irreplaceable" dresses stolen

A family in town celebrating a wedding had items taken from their rental car Sunday including "irreplaceable" dresses worn at the wedding.



Mike Sweeney and Irene Wan were married in Forest Park this past Saturday and celebrated afterwards at a downtown venue celebrating their marriage and their city, they say.

Sunday, Irene's family from South Korea made a stop at the Arch on their way out of town around 12:30 in the afternoon. They parked near Pine Street and Memorial Drive, and when they returned to the car, they found nearly everything inside stolen.

Their luggage, passports, money, jewelry, electronics and five specially made gowns from South Korea were all gone.

They're very specific, and have a lot of cultural significance," says Irene fighting back tears. "And they might not get that back."

Mike and Irene are hoping someone will spot the gowns and help return them.


With the redesign of the Arch grounds the old parking garage is gone. The plan is to have people park in downtown and the group Downtown STL recommends lots and garages with the circular "P" signs. They say that's seal of approval for lighting and security.

Say “I do” to these gorgeous white wedding dresses

If you consider yourself traditional lady, you should probably envision wearing a white dress on your wedding day.


Whether you want a small, intimate ceremony on the beach, or a full-blown extravaganza, there is a dress -a white dress- out there for you that will make your big day as special as you are.


Need some inspiration for your wedding? Check out these 7 amazing white wedding dresses.

Top Designers for Plus Size Wedding Dresses

Many beautiful, plus size brides are used to hearing the typical stigma about a lack of plus-size wedding gowns for sale. Not only are they looking for gowns that make them look as fabulous as they feel, but they are also looking for brands and designers that will accommodate to their figure. Here, at BravoBride, we did the dirty work for you and found our favorite designers for plus size wedding dresses.

Alfred Angelo offers every single one of his designer gowns in sizes 16-26 for absolutely no added charge. Making your decisions of wedding gowns endless! With a variety of different styles, every bride is sure to find her perfect gown at Alfred Angelo.
Not only does Sydney’s Closet offer plus size wedding dresses, but they also offer plus size bridesmaids gowns and Mother of the Bride dresses, helping to make your entire party happy! Sydney’s Closet also offers wedding gowns in sizes 16-38.

4 Awesome Mermaid Wedding Dresses

Mermaid wedding dresses have quickly become one of the fastest growing wedding gown trends of the past few years. This style offers an easy way to show off your silhouette in a timeless and elegant way. Here at BravoBride, we went ahead and did the dirty work for you and compiled a list of our top five favorite mermaid wedding dresses.

Duct tape prom dress pays off

Bekah Mecham has many great memories of her junior prom, especially after learning her dress won second place in a national contest.

“I heard about it my sophomore year and I was like, no way. I am not that person,” she said.
                
With pressure growing to earn scholarship money, she kept thinking about the “Stuck at Prom” contest, intended for those brave enough to make and wear duct tape attire to prom.

There was a big difference between making the dress and actually wearing it on prom night.

“I had to have my friends help me in the bathroom and get into it,” Mecham said. “It is very sweaty and stiff and uncomfortable.”

Burns and Mecham were among the top 10 finalists in the contest and finished second, earning a $5,000 college scholarship for each of them.

“I thought it would just be another form of art,” Mecham said. “And maybe I could get money for it.”

She talked her friend Wyatt Burns into the project and together they spent 175 hours creating a very unique dress and tux that didn’t cost a fortune.

“It was definitely under $75. We thought it would be a lot more, but we ended up using under 15 rolls of duct tape,” she said. “It was cheaper than most prom dresses.”

Why does fashion hate old people?

The reason people – women, mainly, if we’re honest here – get so especially upset by the fashion industry’s obsession with youth and skinniness is because it is echoing that dark, cruel voice that lives in the heads of so many of us, the one that encourages our own self-loathing. For all that people criticise fashion’s obsession with thinness, the fact is it is very rare to find any non-fashion magazine that doesn’t in some way validate this view, by using very slim models or running nonsense articles about “detoxing” and “clean eating”. What the fashion industry does, really, is exploit our own worst thoughts about ourselves. Look, fashion is a billion–dollar industry, and you don’t make a billion dollars by being stupid (although an obvious exception to that rule comes in the form of future US president Donald Trump.
               

You know, fashion gets a lot of grief from outsiders. Its fetishisation of skinniness, wealth, aesthetics, sexiness and, yes, youth, are all routinely used as sticks with which to beat it. Only last week Topshop was roundly mocked for using mannequins so skinny they barely made anatomical sense. And this is all perfectly to the right and well and good. Criticise away! Lord knows this column does it often enough.

But here’s the rather uncomfortable truth about fashion: all it actually does is take society’s own desires, own attitudes, and exaggerate them shamelessly. This is certainly not to excuse the fashion industry’s loopiness, stupidity and even occasional amorality. But it does explain why, despite the general consensus that fashion is demented, the industry is enormously successful. This also, I suspect, clarifies why people get so upset by it. If fashion items were sold on promises to make everyone, say, grow a third arm, no one would give a good god damn. Instead, they would look at the adverts featuring three-armed models brandishing wildly expensive handbags (an extra arm so you can carry more £1,500 bags – genius!), shrug, laugh and carry on with their day. They would not campaign against these adverts on social media and newspapers would not run long think pieces about how this three-armed fascism was corrupting the minds of our young.

NEW TRADE ORGANIZATION AIMS TO MAKE NASHVILLE A CENTER FOR AMERICAN FASHION PRODUCTION

If you want to be an actor, move to Los Angeles; if you want to form a start-up, move to San Francisco; if you want to be a fashion designer, move to New York; and if you want to be a songwriter, move to Nashville. Or, at least, that was true once upon a time.
                 

While the music industry continues to be the strongest economy in Nashville, the city is also proving itself to be a nurturing environment for young fashion brands looking to make a name for themselves outside of the crowded scenes in New York and Los Angeles. Imogene + Willie might have the most name recognition, but over 150 small-scale brands call Nashville their home. And now, thanks to Van Tucker, a former banker with a history of helping creative brands build business infrastructures, the fashion community has formed a trade organization with the hopes of incubating brands and preparing them for the global stage.

"We took that information back to the community and presented it and said what do you think? What do you want to do with this?" said Tucker. "They overwhelmingly wanted to explore the possibility of forming a council or some kind of governing body." A group of about 150 people split into committees to evaluate different sectors and, flash forward to April 2015, the Nashville Fashion Alliance (NFA) was born. It's mission is to "build this infrastructure and nurture this ecosystem so that our brands can survive and thrive," said Tucker, by focusing on advocacy, education, sourcing and production.

Demi Lovato’s Knot Dress: SHOP 5 Ways To Try This Transitional Trend

Demi Lovato was spotted leaving dinner at Katsuya in LA, in an amazing date night outfit! She threw on a gray cotton knot dress and paired it with fab accessories. We love her dress — you can do so much with it, and the best part is, it’s on sale right now for $31! SHOP for it here.

Demi Lovato, 22, was spotted leaving Katsuya in LA, on June 17 in one of our favorite outfits we’ve ever seen on her! She donned a cotton gray knot dress that we are dying over — not only because it is so cute, but because it’s so affordable too. You can SHOP Demi’s knot dress here.

                                  

Ok, we need to talk about this dress because it is everything. Even though it is a cotton gray dress, it can be dressed up or down, but most importantly, it is a wardrobe essential. You can wear this piece from season to season and its only $31 — that’s a steal!

Demi’s outfit was typical Demi-style and we love her edgy look. She paired the gray Leith knot dress with a black lace bra underneath, which peeked out just a little bit to make the dress look sexier but just sexy enough. She threw a black leather bomber jacket on top to dress it up a bit and added a bright red Celine bag, and black studded heels for a total punk-chic look that we loved.

You can rock this dress like Demi did, for an edgy date-night look, or you can it wear it alone with a wedge for a night out with your friends. This piece can even be worn into the workplace if you throw a blazer on top and a pair of flat sandals — you will be the trendiest employee!

Beyoncé Shows Off Assets In Floral Dress In New York City

Beyoncé literally brought traffic to a standstill as she made her way into her office in New York City on Monday. The 33-year-old singer was dressed in a black floral printed pencil dress with a plunging neckline. The form-fitting dress showed off her curves as well as her cleavage.
             
The pop star, who is up for five MTV VMA nominations, teamed the dress with a white blazer that she draped over her shoulders. She opted for a pair of nude strappy sandals, E!News reported. The “Drunk In Love” singer also carried a matching chain-embellished Dannijo handbag to finish off her look.

For her makeup, Beyoncé kept it simple and chose natural tones, with a touch of lipgloss. Her voluminous hair was styled into curls with a side part while she wore a black wayfarer. The pop diva was all smiles as she entered her office.

Bey’s dress is by Dolce & Gabbana. The orange blossom print dress features a bodice style cut and thin straps. She upped her streetside look as she lightened the tone of her dress with the blazer.

But Beyoncé and Miranda were not the only ones to show their love for the floral printed little black dress. America Ferrera also wore the dress, just a day after Kerr wore it in 2014.

The rose printed dress is not from this season; it belongs to the label’s spring/summer 2014 collection. Australian model Miranda Kerr also sported a very similar D&G confection in March 2014. She went in for a longer black coat and metallic pumps to complete her look.

PROM DRESS ALTERATIONS - HOW TO ALTER YOUR PROM DRESS

Dress Alteration Tips

Whether you’re attending a wedding, prom, or any other formal event, wearing a dress that fits you perfectly is a must to ensure you look and feel your best! One size usually doesn’t fit all and many women find that they need to get their dresses altered. It can be scary handing your dress over to someone knowing that it’s going under the scissors and going to have stitches ripped out or hems shortened.  No matter where you’re going to have your dress altered, these tips will help you to be prepared when getting your dress altered for the perfect fit.

• Where to go:  The first step to getting your dress altered is finding a place that is trustworthy and reliable. Bridal shops are great because seamstresses who have worked with wedding dresses are most likely comfortable altering any type of dress. Going to a private seamstress is a good option, but keep in mind that they may charge more for alterations. Even the dry cleaners can serve as a great and affordable place for minimal alterations. Another option that is extremely convenient is to have a family member with the right skills make the alterations for you.
• When to alter: Getting your dress altered should be planned in a way that will ensure your dress is done on time and fits properly. Going to get your dress altered about three weeks before your event is recommended because it allows enough time to make changes. If you get your dress altered too early, you run the risk of having it not fit properly, since our bodies are constantly changing with weight fluctuations. On the other hand, if you take the dress in too late, you run the risk of having a poorly done job or just not having time at all to have it altered.
• Working with your dress: If your dress doesn’t fit you perfectly, try going up a size and having it taken in. This is recommended because it’s generally easier to take a dress in than to let it out. When you get a dress let out, you run the risk of having to choose a fabric that could mismatch your dress.  By purchasing a bigger dress, you don’t have to worry about a lack of fabric, and your tailor can work with the dress and your body. Similarly, if your dress is too long, you'll need to have the hem shortened to avoid tripping and fabric trailing. When you take your dress to get altered, try it on with the shoes you plan to wear, then have the tailor measure to make the hem work with your height.

When you're shopping for a dress for prom, consider these alteration tips! You'll know what to expect and be prepared to create a dress that fits your body perfectly on your special night.