Happy Thursday everyone, I hope you are all doing great! Today’s post is a very special one because it highlights a recent collaboration I have been working on with Sydney’s Closet. So while this girl has never been married we are going to talk wedding dresses!
If you asked me a few months ago if I thought I was going to do a blog post about wedding dresses my response would have been hell no. To be honest I have not been someone who has been lucky in the love department and at 42 (and yes I know I am not that old and you should never say never), I honestly felt like it was something I wasn’t going to get to experience. And this is coming from a die hard Say Yes to the Dress fan who loves the idea of a fairy tale dress.
But when I was brainstorming for my Chafe Zone post I realized that it would be great to not have to wear shape wear or chafing shorts if you don’t want to on your special day. To make my vision come to life I needed a dress and it was an obvious choice for me to reach out to Sydney’s Closet. I have admired their selection of formal wear and bridal dresses for quite sometime. And what they have done with their prom line is simply amazing.
Working with their team on this project showed me what a great brand they truly are. They were so helpful in suggesting the right silhouettes and the right size based on my measurements depending on the specific dress. And I love that they carry up to a size 40 and while traditionally bridal sizing runs small, theirs in comparison I would say is fairly true to size.
But ahhh the story of how it all began is what truly tugs at the heart strings. It’s rare to see a brand that only offers formal and bridal options only in plus sizes. So I had to wonder why. And when you hear the story of Sydney’s Closet’s Founder and President Phyllis Brasch Librach it will put a smile on the face of any women who knows what it was like to be a plus size teen in the 80’s and 90’s. She did all of this for her daughter who couldn’t find a prom dress! She didn’t want any more young plus size girls to have to go through such a terrible shopping experience. I respect the fact that she felt we deserved better and has since then helped to make what is such a special moment for many women a happy one. And now we look damn good too!
So I think most of you have seen the traditional bridal look that I shot for the Chafe Zone ad. I absolutely loved creating that soft romantic look with touches of my favourite colour and a floral print shoe. But they had also sent me a 2nd dress as a back up in case the first one didn’t work. And when I opened up the box I fell in love with it too. My creative juices started flowing and I knew I had to take advantage of having this other dress so I decided to style a second look.
This dress is the Starburst and is one of their most popular styles for a less formal look. It also comes in several different colours so that you can wear it as an option for other formal occasions. This has a classic empire waist, a butterfly bodice with pleating and a statement making burst of sparkle. It also has thin spaghetti straps but as you can see it can easily be worn strapless which is what I chose to do. And the full A-line skirt is oh so twirl worthy. It comes complete with a full layer of crinoline for the perfect amount of volume.
I know that it can seem daunting to try an order a wedding dress online but I was really impressed with the detailed descriptions that they provide for each dress. They also recommend what measurement you should go from to choose your size depending on the dress. For example, for this dress you should choose based on your bust measurement. And they have great customer service specialists that you can call who will help you choose the right dress and size.
I am wearing a size 30, I had to size up because my bust measurement fell in between two sizes. So the bodice did end up being a little big but it wasn’t a difficult alteration. I think you have to be realistic and know that any bridal gown is going to require some alterations regardless of whether you buy it in store or online. Overall I was very happy with the fit and the quality of the fabric and beading. For only $298 US this dress is a perfect choice.
When I was styling the first traditional look I reached out to Bryan Greenwood, the owner and designer of Crystal Countess jewelry. Bryan specializes in designing high end Swarovski pieces that make a statement. At the time he didn’t have anything that fit the traditional look I was going for but he mentioned this super spectacular iridescent set that he had designed for a runway show complete with a headpiece. When he sent me a picture I instantly was inspired to create this non traditional bridal look. Most brides want to inject their personality into their look and some just don’t like a traditional one. I think this is a great way to combine the look of a more traditional gown with unique accessories.
For such a fabulous headpiece and jewels I had to keep it going with these fully decked out sparkly shoes complete with a bow that I got from Eloquii last fall. And it couldn’t be complete without a statement clutch from none other than the fab Cameo de Bore. The combination of the white and metallic leather with the hint of black and that stunner of a brooch as an accent totally played off the iridescent sparkle in the headpiece crystals and the shoe
I realize now that I am grateful for the opportunity to do something I may have never gotten the chance to do otherwise. I had a bridal moment with both looks and I will always have that memory. Thank you Sydney’s Closet for making it happen. And who knows maybe mister right is out there and we will get to do it again.
Special thanks to Katie of Katiuska Idrovo Photography for bringing my vision to life.
Wedding Dress by SYDNEY’S CLOSET | Headpiece & Jewelry by CRYSTAL COUNTESS (custom design) |Clutch by CAMEO DE BORE | Shoes by ELOQUII (alternative here) |
