Bridal Market presents modern-meets-traditional looks

I also tried on a princess gown, but I’m not sure it's my style.

When people generally think of wedding dresses, usually the first image that pops into one’s mind is the archetypical princess look.

Rocking the fullest silhouette you can find in bridal fashion takes a special kind of bride. She’s a bride of grandeur. She’s a woman of confidence.  She knows she doesn’t need to wear something slinky, or a form fitting dress to be the most beautiful, sexiest woman in the room.

To be honest, I’m not sure I’m that bride.  Sure, I’m confident. But while I know I’ll look fabulous on my wedding day, I think my child-bearing hips may not appreciate the extra added tulle. But of course, I had to try at least one on for myself.

After all, the most admired women in today’s media rocked their own versions of the ball gown at their high profile weddings: Kate Middleton and Kim Kardashian.

Vera Wang designed the beautiful gown Kardashian strutted down the aisle in, and now she’s presenting it in her Spring 2012 collection White by Vera Wang at Bridal Market. It’s a bit of “old-school” poof meets sexy strapless—the perfect combo for the modern, traditional bride.

While it looked GREAT on Kardashian, I’m not sure it would be the best fit for me. Even if I did lose 20 more pounds, my height may be an issue as well. Plus I’m sure I’d get swallowed up in that sea of tulle. But for the taller girl who fancies herself just as glamorous as celeb royality, I’d vote this dress hands down.

Middleton too created a modern-meets-traditional feel when her ball gown donned lace sleeves. And who said sleeves couldn’t be sexy? I was actually really excited when I saw that sleeves were coming back. My family tends to lean on the more conservative side of fashion, so I knew something like this would be a hit. However, with my July wedding, sleeves may not be appropriate given the weather.

Still, sleeves are catching on and as a modest gal, I am thrilled to see other designers presenting similar looks for 2012. Check out this dress by Dennis Basso for Kleinfeld. You could wear these sleeves in any weather since coverage or warmth is not the aim of this style. This is definitely for the daring bride longing for that princess feel while not wanting to lose her sexiness.

While this dress falls within my mother’s “no cleavage rule,” I don’t think she’d appreciate the sheerness of the dress. Even with the strategically placed lace applique’, I’m pretty sure I may want to leave a little more to my husband’s imagination before the wedding night.

But of course, sleeves aren’t just for the ball gowns. This sleek, classy look (also by Basso) has a great cropped jacket with not too much sleeve and just enough drama on the shoulder to say, “Hey. I’m the bride and I’m fabulous.”

While a perfectly modest look, it’s almost too conservative for me. Luckily, my mom isn’t THIS conservative. While I’m not quite ready to commit to the blingly, poofy princess look, I do want a little more of a girly, romantic touch than what this dress offers. Still, the silhouette is awesome, and I think this may be great for the move advanced career woman who finds that she’s moved past overly sexy or frilly looks. I know a couple friends of mine who would look incredible in a dress like this and would love how different is from the traditional idea of what a wedding dress should be.

If you’re looking for that extra special, larger than life, fabulous dress, I’d keep an eye out on these two designers’ lines for 2012. They know what being a modern day-royal bride is all about. As for me, I may try to find a different silhouette than the ball gown. Perhaps there’s a happy medium out there? Considering the hundreds of dresses at Bridal Market this week, I’m sure I’m bound to find something that speaks to me.

How about you? Any of these dresses call your name?

Nikki

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