SEPARATES DRESSING

Oscar de la Renta

The further the Dow drops, the less sentimental my clients are becoming. A couple years back the majority of my brides wouldn’t think of re-wearing what would eventually become their much-loved keepsake. Here’s the typical after life of a bridal gown in a boom economy: It’s packed and professionally sealed in a box to be put away. Fast forward 2008. Suddenly brides are asking for boned corsets they can wear again as a separate with blazer and jeans; ballerina length skirts in fabrics that can go from dressy to casual. Also in demand is the short dress, the wool jersey dress and the exquisite imported Swiss cotton dress. We’re seeing chic separates in hemps and linens. Some brides are going streamlined in a simple dress or suit, putting heavy duty concentration on bridal accessories (veil, gloves, satin shoes) to pull that real wedding look together.

Lunn Antiques

Stewart Parvin

Escada
The more conscious we become of being excessive, the more some of us realize this isn’t the direction we can afford or necessarily want to go. Rather than a wedding gown, consider a wedding ensemble with interchangeable components; this way you might work a different look going from ceremony to reception, or--even further than that--from reception to incorporating it somewhere into your wardrobe and life. The photos here give some examples of separates dressing from casual to formal with a little over-the-edge runway chic thrown in for inspiration.