PPinterest Addicts Anonymous?
13
May2013
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BBlue Sky Bridal + Trove Boutique = Vintage Wedding Heaven
13
May2013
We are excited to announce that Blue Sky Bridal has moved our vintage and antique wedding gowns to the amazingly awesome Trove Vintage Boutique in Ballard!
If you haven't visited yet, you need to. Cyrena and Sara have a well-curated collection of vintage home decor, apparel and accessories. Fabulous finds for your new home, a unique mother of the bride dress, bridesmaids gifts, or just a cute party dress for you.
Happy hunting!
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VVeils for Sale
9
May2013
Once again, despite our best efforts, we find ourselves overrun with wedding veils.
Starting tonight at midnight, we'll have several of the best ones available for sale on eBay.
These veils are not available in our shop, only through the eBay listings.
Seven days and they're gone!
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SSummer Sale!
6
May2013
These dresses have been "specially priced" and are in need of happy brides:
Size 2
Kate (70% off of retail)
Betty (60% off)
Caroline (75% off)
Size 4
Tabitha (65% off)
Size 6
Micah (80% off)
Size 8
Diane (75% off)
Size 10
Michelle (60% off)
Cara (70% off)
Size 12
Sarah (65% off)
Size 18
Chloe (60% off)
Jennifer (65% off)
Appointments available this week!
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DDress 101: Bustles
10
Apr2013
In wedding usage, “bustle” refers to the decorative manner in which the train of a gown is hooked, buttoned, gathered, or tied, so as to no longer trail on the ground.
Done well, a bustled train will look like it was “meant to be” part of your gown, and you’ll feel as though it’s not there at all.
Why does it matter? While most gowns need bustles, they don’t come with them already added. You and your seamstress will need to decide what type to have added to your gown.
Main Types of Bustling:
While the exact method of bustling a gown can seem infinite, there are basically just three methods:
1. Over
For an over-bustle, the train is folded up and hooked to the outside of the gown.
Other names and variations for over-bustles*:
Traditional
English
American
Ballgown or ballroom
Royal
For an over-bustle, the train is folded up and hooked to the outside of the gown.
Other names and variations for over-bustles*:
Traditional
English
American
Ballgown or ballroom
Royal
2. Under
For an under-bustle the train is folded underneath and hooked to the inside of the gown.
Other names and variations for under-bustles*:
French
Tufted
Flip
For an under-bustle the train is folded underneath and hooked to the inside of the gown.
Other names and variations for under-bustles*:
French
Tufted
Flip
3. Gathered
The train is gathered along a ribbon either inside or outside of the gown.
Other names and variations for under-bustles*:
Austrian
These three methods can be used individually or combined, and use one to over 20 points (hooks/buttons/etc).
For more information…
Leanna Studios has some great photos of the different types, along with more thorough descriptions.
The train is gathered along a ribbon either inside or outside of the gown.
Other names and variations for under-bustles*:
Austrian
These three methods can be used individually or combined, and use one to over 20 points (hooks/buttons/etc).
* For extra confusion, there isn’t always agreement on exactly which type some of the names belong to. For example, what David’s Bridal calls a ‘ballroom’ bustle many other seamstresses refer to as a ‘flip’ bustle.
How to Choose a Bustle for Your Gown
The main factor in choosing a type of bustle is personal preference. Find some “real life” photos online of dresses similar to yours and see how the brides have bustled them. Pick the one or two you like the look of best to discuss with your seamstress.
A few other factors to consider:
Weight
A heavy fabric and/or a long train can equal a weighty bustle. The more bustle points, the more the weight is spread out and the less pull on any given spot (and the less you’ll notice it).
Ease of use
While decorative, the main point of your bustle is to allow you get out and join your guests! You don’t want something so flimsy as to keep breaking (requiring you to leave the party to fix it or carry your train for half the event), but you also want to avoid something so complicated that it’s going to take four bridesmaids an hour to figure it out.
Cost
A small factor in this case, but nonetheless…most bustles are charged by the point (each point = more seamstress time). If your heart is absolutely set on 20 gathers, go for it, but otherwise you might want to consider a less complicated solution.
Wear to the Gown
Also not a large factor for many brides, but the type of bustle you have will often affect what sort of shape your dress is in after the reception. Any folded fabric that is touching the ground may be snagged, torn, or otherwise damaged. (Particularly a concern with flip-style bustles). Anchor points may wear or tear holes in some fabrics.
A few other factors to consider:
Weight
A heavy fabric and/or a long train can equal a weighty bustle. The more bustle points, the more the weight is spread out and the less pull on any given spot (and the less you’ll notice it).
Ease of use
While decorative, the main point of your bustle is to allow you get out and join your guests! You don’t want something so flimsy as to keep breaking (requiring you to leave the party to fix it or carry your train for half the event), but you also want to avoid something so complicated that it’s going to take four bridesmaids an hour to figure it out.
Cost
A small factor in this case, but nonetheless…most bustles are charged by the point (each point = more seamstress time). If your heart is absolutely set on 20 gathers, go for it, but otherwise you might want to consider a less complicated solution.
Wear to the Gown
Also not a large factor for many brides, but the type of bustle you have will often affect what sort of shape your dress is in after the reception. Any folded fabric that is touching the ground may be snagged, torn, or otherwise damaged. (Particularly a concern with flip-style bustles). Anchor points may wear or tear holes in some fabrics.
Best Bustle Tips
- Have one of your attendants use their phone to film your seamstress doing the bustle (or at the very least get a picture of the finished look). That way day-off, you have fool-proof instructions.
- Have safety pins on hand! If any points break they are easy to fix with pins. And worst case, if no one can figure out how to do the bustle the right way, you can wing it!
For more information…
Leanna Studios has some great photos of the different types, along with more thorough descriptions.
We started a board on Pinterest just for bustles.
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110 Signs...
3
Apr2013
...that you might be spending too much time with wedding dresses:
- You know your hem-to-hollow measurement.
- You have strong opinions about bustles.
- You can not only pronounce "Lhuillier," you can spell it.
- You can differentiate more than five shades of white.
- You know more than one way to lace up a corset.
- You've described a fabric as "whimsical."
- When you flip through Vogue, $1100 for a skirt now seems reasonable.
- You can guess what designer made a dress just from the lining.
- You find "lace" and "vintage" to be woefully inadequate descriptions.
- When you see the full moon, you think, "what a beautiful ivory."
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FFAQ: Sizes and Sizing
28
Mar2013
Q: What size am I in "bridal sizing"?
A: It depends on which designer or manufacturer is doing the labeling. At Blue Sky Bridal, we sort dresses using our own chart:
We've found that most of our brides do best by starting in their usual size (whatever size you'd normally check first at a regular clothing store) and looking at those dresses plus one to two sizes above that. For example, if you are usually shopping for a size 6, you would look at our sizes 6, 8, and 10 for the best fit.
Q: Why wouldn't I just look at my size?
A: You certainly could, but we've found you'll have the best luck looking at more than one size because paper charts don't always correspond very well to actual bodies. You might be between sizes or fit into two sizes depending on your body type and how the dress is shaped. There's also a chance that the perfect dress is hiding in the next size. Since the difference between sizes can often be just an inch, it's worth looking to make sure you don't miss it.
Our sizes also have a bit more "give" to accommodate more variations in body type and consolidate the size charts of other designers. If you are usually a size 0 or even 00, you'll probably find that your measurements fit those of our size 2. However if you usually wear a size 2, you may find that our size 4 will fit closer to what you are used to (depending on where you shop), and so on down through the sizes.
Q: What if the dress I want is out of that size range?
A: It's possible a dress slightly smaller or much larger could be altered to fit, but it depends very much on how that particular dress fits you. We strongly discourage buying a dress that is too small (except in cases where the addition of a corset will be appropriate),or buying one that is more than two sizes too large. In the rare cases where the amount to be altered is more than usual, we offer the option to purchase the dress on a 24 hour basis and take it to a professional seamstress for a consultation.
Q: Why do you need your own chart when there are tags in the dresses?
A: Unfortunately, the size tags usually don't mean too much! There is no standardized sizing in the US, and the variation in sizes between brands can run to over three inches. A "size 8" in one brand might be a "size 6" or even a "size 4" in other brands. So, we took a look at the size charts of several large dress makers and tried to come up with an average based on their published charts. Many of our gowns have also been altered, so we try to go by what size the dress is closest to now rather than when it was made.
Do you have more questions? Please feel free to write us at "mydress@blueskybridal.com"!
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NNew Website!
12
Jun2012
Ta-da! New site.
Now for the important bit: dress photos, dress photos, and more dress photos. You wanted them, you got them. There are still a few more pictures coming of current inventory, and every week we'll be adding the new arrivals (and subtracting the departures).
The photos will never be 100% complete. It's not humanly possible, at least for me, but it will be as close as I can get. Most of what's in the shop will be online, and most of what's online will be in the shop.
Want to see a different angle of a certain dress? Have questions about it? Come try it on! You can even schedule online. When you visit, you can get pictures of YOU in the dress, and we can answer all of your questions at length.
Much more to come. Enjoy!
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