Originated in the mid-19th Century, the peplum has evolved from a mere extra overskirt that dropped from the waist to one that’s fitted to a jacket or dress. It’s a godsend to women with its nipped in waist, creating an illusion of an hourglass figure whilst maintaining a flirty feel. Everyone’s wearing it; from the runway to the red carpet and even the Duchess of Cambridge has been spotted in this comeback style. The extra material off the waist will hide any junk in the trunk, so if you’re not one for dieting, the peplum may be your ticket to looking trim on your wedding day. Go on, strut your stuff.
Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Junko Yoshioka – Brook Dress, Tara Keely/JLM Couture, Watters – Grafton Gown, Vera Wang – Fern, Alvina Valenta/JLM Couture, Elizabeth Fillmore – NuriaTag Archives: Vera Wang
Bride Wedding Fashion Bride Bridesmaids Royal Wedding Wedding FashionRoyal Wedding: XOXO. Gossip Girl.
February 6, 2012 – 11:06 am
What? Which Royal is getting married this time? If you’ve been religiously watching Gossip Girl or a fan of Vera Wang, then you may know that the Upper East Side princess Blair Waldorf tied the knot (or tried to) with Prince Louis Grimaldi of Monaco in last week’s 100th episode. I don’t really care about the plot, but more importantly what the bridal party wore. Blair’s hair may have looked like she just went for a dip in the pool and distracted our eyes from the intricate lace Esther dress and the bridesmaids looked like swans (props for being thrifty and choosing the budget White by Vera line) but it was maid-of-honour Serena Van Der Woodsen’s sheer one shoulder blush coloured Farrah dress that stood out as the winner. xoxo.
The Princess.
Photo credits (from left): CW Network, Vera Wang, CW Network
The Blush Bridal Party.
Photo credits (from left): White by Vera @ David's Bridal, CW Network, Vera Wang
Cover and Reveal: Sheer Neckline Wedding Dresses
October 25, 2011 – 4:37 pm
Photo credits (from left): Peridress.com, Images via Anna De Leon Blog
Thigh high may not be every bride’s cup of tea but that’s not to say you can’t still be sexy. Opt for the sheer, transparent panel look a-la Duchess of Cambridge, Ivanka Trump and Grace Kelly. You’ll still maintain that sexy edge but in a more romantic and demure kind of way. It’s the unexpected sheer neckline twist that’ll leave guests and most importantly your hubby gasp for air.
p.s. The sheer panel doesn’t always have to be lace. Monique Lhuillier’s 2012 Spring Collection of sheer tulle dresses are absolutely to die for. Cannot stop coo-ing. L.O.V.E.
Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Reem Acra Spring 2012, Monique Lhuillier Spring 2012 Lina Dress, Vera Wang Esther Dress, Monique Lhuillier Spring 2012, Romona Keveza, Sasso Holford, Carolina Herrera, BHLDN Panes of Lace Gown, Anna Barge, Angel Sanchez
Sort Your Photos the Easy Way.
October 5, 2011 – 12:57 pm
So you thought you can take a breath after months (or maybe years?!) of planning interspersed with bouts of stress, nervousness and euphoria? Think twice. There will be plenty of friends and family members constantly chasing you for photos and videos of your special day, as if you are a photo printing machine. All you want is to click a magic button for your memories to be captured in one place, stress-free.
Well, hello Mr. Kaptur. This amazing site somehow, through those geeky codes, miraculously gathers all yours, your photographer and guests’ photos and videos via social media platforms (so you’ve got Facebook, Flickr to name a few) to present one integrated online wedding album. You can even tag guests who attended, allow them to comment and share the link with as few or as many people you’d like. Oh and as a bonus, add your favourite tunes (using YouTube links) to the album to give it some extra personal touch and to stop those viewing from snoozing.
It’s as easy as a few clicks and best of all, it’s free. Go on, give it a try and Kaptur your memories in a jiffy!
Photo credit: Kaptur
p.s. Kaptur has collaborated with Beyonce, Vera Wang and WeddingWire to create an album with Beyonce’s “Love On Top” as the soundtrack. Now, that’s one big partnership.
Workout the Kim Kardashian way?
August 19, 2011 – 10:53 am
All of Hollywood’s eyes are on and her impending (tomorrow!) nuptials with Kris Humphries (we still think the massive height difference is a problem) and her Vera Wang dress, or shall we say dresses? What we’re more interested in is her grueling wedding fitness regime. Her personal trainer, Gunnar Peterson revealed that Kim alternates five sets of strength training with five sets of cardio and this is done not once, but sometimes twice a day. No wonder she’s always photographed in her gym gear.
Photo credits (clockwise from left): Headlinephoto/Splash News via Daily Mail UK, Everyday Health, Man Alive Magazine
For those of us who do not have the luxury of hiring a personal trainer (honestly, her backside is still hmmm….how should we put it nicely? Serena Williams-like.), here’s Bridelicious’ workout tips and didn’t require forking out HKD500 per hour to trim down. That means extra money towards the honeymoon.
Regime (3x per week):
15-20mins cycling with resistance on 7 (tip: if there’s no T.V. then bring a gossip magazine…it’ll be over before you even know it)
2mins stretching
2x 30reps of Lat Pulldown
2x 20reps of Seated Leg Press
2x 50reps of Sit Ups on the Ab machine
All this in under 30minutes AND you can still eat like a normal person – now you don’t have any excuse to be lazy right? Go on, you can do it.
Vera the Bridesmaids
June 25, 2011 – 10:38 am
Brides, just because you don’t want to be outshone by your bridesmaids doesn’t mean they need to wear unshapely, ghastly-coloured prom dresses that won’t flatter any girl no matter how fit or pretty she is. They are part of your bridal party and they’ll be in many of your photos, which are yours to keep for life (hopefully!). If they look bad because of your doing, people will talk…behind your back. So how do you present yourself as the gracious bride? Let them wear Vera!
Back in April, I mentioned that Vera Wang had debuted her budget bridal collection, White by Vera Wang which was only available at David’s Bridal. Now, she’s branched into bridesmaids’ gowns and bridal accessories. I am jealous already. Whoever gets to wear the gown is one lucky bridesmaid. What’s even better is that the dresses are affordable (USD158-USD198, around HKD1,230 – HKD1,550), stylish and comes in varying sizes (0 up to a whopping 26! This is America we’re talking about). The only downside is that the collection is only available in the U.S. but who says you can’t make a trip there.
Oh be nice to your bridesmaids. Afterall, they’re your nearest and dearest (that’s why you chose them right?!). Tip: they may even volunteer to help with everything since you’re making them look pretty in Vera and if they don’t, you still have time to reshuffle your team. Trust me, they’ll be more than happy to return the favour.
p.s. After my own wedding in the UK, one of my lucky bridesmaids ran into none other than Vera herself in Selfridges, London. GASP. I was told she was extremely friendly, classy and even posed for a photo.
Designer gowns at budget prices
April 16, 2011 – 8:54 am
Finally, there’s hope for those of us that are not the rich and famous to buy designer gowns (Bridelicious wishes this miracle could’ve happened a year ago although she is very much in love with her current dress). Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier and Isaac Mizrahi have all launched budget-friendly collections, giving brides quality dresses at affordable prices and of course in plenty of style. The only problem for Hong Kong brides is that these are only sold in the U.S. but hey, who said you can’t fly over? Your wedding is a once in a lifetime event. It’s so worth it.
White by Vera Wang is available at David’s Bridal and prices range from as low as USD600 up to USD1,400 (approximately HKD4,700 to HKD11,000). Hello Brides, the cheapest gown is the amount you pay to try on the couture Vera dresses at Central Weddings in Hong Kong (even if the HKD5k is redeemable for other Vera products i.e. veil. It’s so pointless.). I’d say, buy an air ticket to the U.S. now.
Then you’ve got Monique Lhuillier who’s launched the Bliss collection. They range between USD2,300 to USD3,500 (approximately HKD18,000 to HKD27,300) but is still a fraction of what you’d pay for one of her luxurious gowns. The dresses are available at various bridal retailers across the country.
Isaac Mizrahi, the flamboyant designer and TV presenter you’ve probably seen on the E! Channel has teamed up with the Aisle New York, an online bridal retailer, offering gowns ranging from USD2,200 to USD4,500 (approximately HKD17,200 to HKD35,000) even if the bride is plus sized. You’ll need to sign up for a membership and provide an address so ask one of your U.S.-based friends if you can use theirs.
Hurry up. What are you waiting for?
Wedding dress to have and to hold
April 4, 2011 – 11:24 am
Have you thought about what you’ll do with your Vera Wang or Monique Lhuillier after your big day? It must be a rather poignant moment saying bye-bye to the dress you’ve been dreaming of wearing, wrapping it up in a box and hoping that the humidity will not find its’ way to it. I’ve heard friends say they want to be buried in their dress, those who will pass it onto their daughter when she gets married or simply sell it. How about the Gwen Stefani way and donate it to the V&A museum? Ok, John Galliano, the designer for her frock, may have been sacked by Dior but he is still a fashion great and her dress may not be every bride’s dream but it sure speaks character: edgy and cool.
Bridelicious is not boring but she wants to preserve her dress in ‘the box’ way.
Black is the new white
March 17, 2011 – 10:23 am
Call me traditional but I used to think black was a no-go for weddings because of its association with death, goth and evil until I attended a charity event last night. It was an art auction so instead of decorating the table with flowers, they used paintbrushes as centre-pieces and contrasted it with black tablecloths. Simple but effective.
Weddings are meant to be a happy occasion filled with bright colours to mark such a special, loving day. Not that I’m suddenly changing my mind and want to go all dark for my own wedding but I am seeing it in a new light. Just as white is an empty canvas to work on, black can be mixed with all the colours you can find (ok, perhaps not dark chocolate) and it certainly adds a bit of elegance and sophistication to your wedding. If the groom’s allowed to wear black, why can’t you dress your tables with black too or if you think the older generation can’t handle it, just add some black accents: a black sash for the chairs or a black ribbon for your cake.
Be bold. Be chic.
Vera Wang…I adore.
March 9, 2011 – 1:26 pm
I know this may not apply to those living in Hong Kong, but who knows, perhaps you happen to be in London this weekend? If you are, you’re one lucky gal. The wedding shop in Selfridges is having its closing down sale and they’re slashing the prices. You can get a Vera Wang dress for as low as £425 (that’s roughly HKD5,400 for you Hong Kong gals out there). It’s almost worth buying a plane ticket just to get your dream dress.
