Your Herts and Beds Wedding - Page number 75 - June/July 2021 (Issue 86)

A PASSION FOR FASHION My bridesmaids are all curvy and want to show off their hourglass figures. What style of dress would work best for them? We find that A-line silhouettes look amazing on many body shapes, but we’re seeing that hour-glass figures benefit from fit-and-flair styles and opting for satin, sequin or Jersey fabrics are a great option. Here at Just Curves Bridal, we have our own personal label offering complete structure, flattering fits and internal corsetry – and why not stand out from other brides in one of our one-off patterned designs regardless of your size? Linda Phillips | Just Curves Bridal www.justcurvesbridal.co.uk THE BRIDE TRIBE I’m looking for bespoke dresses for my bridesmaids, but I have no idea where to start. What advice can you share with me? When it comes to finding bespoke bridesmaid dresses, there are several places you can look to get started. I recommend searching online for inspiration or exploring local wedding-related Facebook groups and asking for dressmakers with experience designing and creating bridesmaid dresses. Ideally, the dressmaker should be centrally located between your bridesmaids so they can easily attend fitting appointments. The next step is to talk to your bridesmaids about what their preferred or least favourite physical attributes are – this should be considered. Task your bridesmaids with collecting a few images of evening gowns they usually wear from either Pinterest or magazine tear-outs and pin them to a foam board. This is a fun task that will certainly generate excitement! Take these boards along with ideas of your colour scheme and photos of your bridesmaids to a designer-dressmaker who can design subtle variations of a style to suit each bridesmaid. A good designer can unite the varied styles using the colour scheme and fabric selection to achieve a cohesive look. It’s important to note that making several made-to-measure dresses will take time and your bridesmaids need to arrange fittings into their schedules, so make sure to find a couturier as soon as possible in the planning stages. Caroline Versallion Caroline Versallion Designs www.facebook.com/cversalliondesigns David Lester Photography www.gett yimages.co.uk DRESSING THE BRIDAL PARTY 75