The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends
Often for brides, the most difficult part of your Big Day is finding The One.
The One that sets your heart aflutter, The One that clings to you and makes you feel that je ne sais quoi.
By The One I am, of course, referring to the dress you’ll say “I do” in.
While the sartorial options are plentiful, it would appear that there’s been a shift in the way that modern-day brides are shopping for their special dress.
“We are seeing that modern brides are buying more into ready-to-wear dresses than traditional custom gowns for single end-use,” says Heather Gramston, Head of Womenswear Buying at Browns. “We’re inundated with requests from our customers for unconventional bridal dresses.”
In response to its customers’ requests, Browns launched its Bridal Edit in January, swiftly followed by a similar initiative by MatchesFashion, while Net-A-Porter launched its affordable and decidedly re-wearable bridal drop in 2015.
“Brides are now investing in dresses and separates in whites, off white, pastels and even grey as they now shop for their big day with the idea of being able to wear their dress more than once,” Gramston continues. “Some of our favourite brands for the contemporary bride are Cecilie Bahnsen, Simone Rocha and Molly Goddard – they are chic, unique and definitely make an amazing wedding outfit.”
And the figures are reflecting such a shift. Not only has our go-to boho brand LockShackFancy just launched its debut bridal collection, but, according to fashion platform Lyst, searches for ‘white Ganni dresses’ have seen an increase of 41 per cent since January while searches for Cecilie Bahnsen’s signature frothy white frocks are up by a whopping 244 per cent over the last six months. In a similar vein, searches for timeless slip dresses from the likes of Asceno, Galvan and Rasario are also up by 64 per cent since January.
Then there’s the fleet of influencers who have pioneered their own forms of anti-bride bridalwear; creative director Lola Jacobs got hitched in a bum-skimming Alaïa shirt which she accessorized with scarlett ballet pumps and a veil, while founder of French It-girl brand Musier Paris, Anne-Laure Mais, wore an ivory slip dress to her civic ceremony which she finished with a pair of gingham mules.
The appeal of throwing the wedding dress rule book out of the window is evident; if you are going to spend all that money, why not spend it on a timeless dress which oozes cool-girl appeal and which you’ll wear more than once?
Whether you’re more of a sultry slip siren or a flouncy frock aficionado, consider getting hitched in a dress that won’t lay gathering dust at the back of your wardrobe. A dress that you can wear again and again and again till its figurative wheels fall off. These are some of the best to shop now.
Cecilie Bahnsen Tora floral-print rose-chineé midi dress, £2245, buy now
Asceno Bordeaux silk-satin slip dress, £485, buy now
True Decadence white broderie midi dress, £150, buy now
Asceno The Ibiza silk-charmeuse maxi dress, £595, buy now
Galvan Malibu godet-insert charmeuse slip dress, £695, buy now
Cecilie Bahnsen Puffed-sleeve shell dress, £695, buy now
Galvan Ibiza one-shoulder silk-satin slip dress, £1,150, buy now
