Project Runway alum and Southern native Heidi Elnora’s gowns hold a special spot in my heart.   I absolutely loved the sweet simplicity of her inaugural 2008 season.  A scalloped edge here, a pleated ruffle there…all coming together in classic gowns with just enough of a twist to feel special.  Her next two seasons have not disappointed, with some gorgeous silhouettes and wonderfully unique fabric explorations. 

Which brings me to this lovely…Lanie Lou.  Flattering sweetheart neckline, romantic fit-to-flare skirt starting at a ruffled dropped waist, all overlayed in a delicate pointe d’esprit fabric.   The pointe d’esprit is what really gets me here.  I love the informal air the playful polka dot pattern gives this otherwise formal silhouette. 

And if per chance you don’t love Lanie Lou as much as I do, Heidi  offers a completely custom gown design process to her brides.  Pick a silhouette, fabric, adornments and work with a designer to refine until…viola!  You have a completely custom, perfect just for you dress.  Anyone who’s spent any time looking for a wedding dress has surely uttered the words “it would be just perfect if…”. This is the perfect solution to that “if”. 

And staying true to her Southern roots, all gowns are created in Alabama and Georgia.  You’ve got to love that!

My admiration for designer Callie Tein’s Modern Trousseau line isn’t news at this point.  She is hands down one of my top 5 favorite designers.  Season after season I find her gowns to be classic with just a touch of something unique.  Flattering silhouettes, perfect fabric choices and and an unbelievable price point (yay for that!).  She’s an artist at finding that perfect combination of ingredients for a modern look that won’t leave you dying of embarrassment when you look back at wedding photos in twenty years.

So in putting together this series of favorite dresses, I knew a stop at the Modern Trousseau website was in order.  It took me all of 5 seconds to find a winner.  I LOOOOOOOVE this dress.  And I can tell you from my experience at bridal market in New York two seasons ago, her designs and craftsmanship are even more awe inspiring in person.

Hailey is an ivory, v-neck, mermaid, floor-length gown.  I love how this gown manages to be both demure AND sexy at the same time (read: you will not upset grandma!)  The curve hugging silhouette + deep v back are tempered by that oh-so-flattering ruched bodice and that sweet, sweet bow that brings the whole look together (not feelin’ the bow?  I’m positive you can get this dress without it).  Plus let’s not overlook that gorgeous silk satin radiating like a shiny pearl.

Modern Trousseau, you have stolen my heart yet again!

Something you may not know about me – before starting White Thread I was heading full steam down the path of opening a bridal boutique here in the Chapel Hill area.  Foiled by self doubt (will women actually like what I like?  Or do I have some freakish taste?) and worries of whether the local market could support another bridal boutique (oh, yea…and the bottom had just fallen out of the economy), I put my little dream on hold but have never gotten over my love of bridal fashion.

So in honor of the impending craziness that is bridal market in New York City this weekend, I thought I’d do a series of posts sharing my Top Ten favorite wedding dresses from the recent (2008 or later) collections of my most favorite designers.

A bit of context – my style tends to veer more toward the timeless than haute couture.  I’m of the opinion that brides want to look chic and current but never overly trendy.  I’m not a big fan of beading, embroidery or skirts that you can hide small families under  (though I have seen a ballgown or two that stole my heart).  I love a touch of bling, lace and the simple beauty of incredible fabric that drapes just so.  And such would be the stock in my bridal boutique that will (hopefully) one day come to be.

SPOILER ALERT:  There will be no sightings of Monique or Vera on my list.  That doesn’t mean I don’t recognize their genius or love their work (affirmative on both counts) but there are just SO many other incredibly talented designers out there with perhaps smaller ad budgets but equally amazing skills. 

Of course this is all my opinion but then again, it’s my blog!  Have a different view or feel I’ve made a gross oversight on my list?  I welcome any and all comments! 

Maybe you can even help me confirm that I’m not crazy and brides would buy my collection of dresses?

Yesterday I posted my thoughts on the Vera Wang “Diana” dress, spawned by the ad I saw featuring this design in the latest issue of Town & Country Weddings magazine.  The overall consensus seemed to be that while the dress has a very decadent quality to it, there’s just a little too much going on overall for it to be all that wearable by your average bride. 

For a different perspective (and what I figured had to be a more educated one), I sent a quick tweet to the ladies at b. Hughes Bridal for their thoughts.  As a Vera Wang retailer, they carry this dress in their store and have seen how it looks first hand on dozens of different “real” brides.  They graciously got right back to me, leaving this very helpful comment for readers:

We LOVE this gown! As an insider, we can tell you that the bow around her waist is actually a removable bow. Without it, the bodice is so clean and soft around the face and the drama and romance of the tiered layers is left to the skirt. We did love the bow for the runway, but for a real bride, we think it is best with a soft grosgrain ribbon at the waist.

Geesh! Thank goodness for the bridal boutique ladies! Subtle as that change may be, IT CHANGES EVERYTHING!  Don’t believe me?  Compare the ad image from yesterday with the bow-less version below. 

If you need further convincing, Allison from b. Hughes Bridal also provided these images from a recent photoshoot featuring the dress in question, shot by Jose Villa.  And while I will give you that Jose is a master who can make pretty much anything look good, this version of Vera Wang’s  Diana is not needing much help right?

So I’m sold. I defnitely still think this dress could overwhelm perhaps a more petit bride but in general, sans that insane tulle bow the clean bodice paired with that layered skirt is pretty darn awesome.

What do you think? Does this change your opinion? Did you love it regardless?

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some intricate details on a wedding gown.  Three dimensional fabric flowers, intricate ruching, playful ruffles…love it all.  And I really DO want to love this Vera Wang dress with its decadent layer upon layer of fabric details.

But try as I might, I can’t get over the feeling that it’s wearing the model rather than the other way around.  Presumably someone out there can pull this off but I don’t know…it just seems so overwhelming in this image.  Just me?

…and on an unrelated note, why is the Vera Wang website going out of its way to be so user un-friendly?  Yes she’s an icon, dresses speak for themselves, yadda yadda yadda but why the need to block prospective brides from getting any info on her lovely dresses without first creating a user account?

I mean I know the reason (lead generation, market research, etc), but unfortunately the site is failing to provide any really useful information on what most site visitors are surely there for – more detailed images and information on the latest season’s designs.  This despite the fact that it’s the first stop for anyone who’s fallen in love with her gowns after seeing them in her multimillion dollar ad campaign.  Seems a little silly to hold this information hostage from prospective customers on your own site when you can get price info, fabric construction and more detailed pictures via Style Me Pretty’s Look Book (incidentally I do think it looks eminently more wearble in this image).

…someone help me off this soapbox?