The MOST Beautiful Vintage 1950s Wedding Dresses Evar.

If you dream of wearing a 1950s vintage Mad Men-inspired wedding dress (though hopefully you don't aspire to a marriage like Joan or Betty's) AND have a waist that's less than like 27 inches, check out these dream-worthy vintage wedding dresses from Etsy seller Fab Gabs, who even styles her seller's photos so it looks as if she's partying like it's 1959.

($395, William Cahill, Fabgabs.etsy.com)

This dress has FIVE -- count 'em, FIVE -- Mcdreamy layers of tulle. You could be riding a bike or wearing snow pants under there and no one would know. It's so gorgeous I can barely breathe. Bury me in it. But leave the back unzipped, because this bad boy's got a 25" waist. Talk about waiting to exhale. (Shooby!) And credit where it's due -- The Bridal Wishlist scouted this one out!

($225, Fabgabs.etsy.com)

SIX layers of tulle! FOR WHEN FIVE will not do! It's SO beautiful, and I love the sweetheart neckline, but with a 28" underbust: 28" and 24" waist, I'd have to get several ribs removed and drink all my meals through a straw. Ah, but what price fashion? (Side note: the woman who sold me my wedding dress told me that a girl she sold a dress to had to cancel her final fitting because she'd starved herself to the point that she fell over and cracked her head open and had to get about 40 stitches. AHH, admirable committment!)

($250, Fabgabs.etsy.com)

My absolute favorite for that super lacey post-modern dash of Madonna.

PS -- I know I'm probably tardy to the party, but did you see Christina Hendricks on/ in In Style Weddings? (That's my only other non-barfy bridal mag besides New York Magazine Weddings.)

TEAM JOAN! Girl, you could do sidebends and sit-ups, but PLEASE don't lose that butt!

To-Die-For Vintage Wedding Dress On Etsy!

($300, VonlenskaVintage.Etsy.com)

Granted, you'd definitely be flipping the script a little, but if you're looking for a super non-traditional vintage wedding dress, then seriously? Yes. This cream-colored, beaded drop-waist dress has more potential than Lindsay Lohan circa late 2004 -- like, right after she did Mean Girls but before she slid down the coke ladder and into the anorexic abyss.

I love how it's sorta '30s-meets-'80s but not overly either, which makes it still sort of modern without screaming "I THRIFTED THIS AND THEN WORE IT TO MY WEDDING!" Because there's a time and a place for yelling about thrifted stuff, but maybe your wedding isn't it.

Anyway, this could also be a lovely end-of-night dress, if you're so inclined. I'm not, but if you are, then go for it.

A PLAGUE ON YOUR HOUSE, STUART WEITZMAN!

($360, Stuart Weitzman, Zappos)

Not only are these Stuart Weitzman Trianon a fashion MIRACLE -- I mean LOOK at that Deco heel. Could you DIE and come back to LIFE? -- but they'd match my Jenny Packham wedding dress (bought it, btw, at Mark Ingram. Totally painless, and they were wonderful!) PERFECTLY. It's like Jenny Packham and Stuart Weitzman collaborated and MADE my dress to GO with these flipping GORGEOUS heels. Like to borrow a line from Beauty Blogging Junkie's Amber, I'm breathing into a bag over these. HOWEVER, I'm out for BLOOD because they're only available in a 9.5. I breathlessly emailed Zappos who were all like "oh, you're a total doll, lovey, but you're SHIT OUT OF FUCKING LUCK BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY MORE IN." (They didn't swear, but still.) SO NOW WHAT?

Look, I realize that if I DON'T get these, it's not the end of the world. I know I've lived a Very Good Life and that I'm really truly fucking blessed just to have functioning body systems and arms and legs and hands and feet, but speaking of feet, I WOULD STEAL THESE OFF OF SOMEONE'S ACTUAL FEET -- RIP THEM OFF THEIR ANKLES (if they were a size 8). LIKE, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? WHO DO I NEED TO SLEEP WITH TO GET THESE IN A SIZE 8? Because I'll do it, and I'll sleep with them (quickly, drunkenly, and then deny that it ever hapened). I'm effing serious here.

Anyone know anyone in Stuart Weitzman PR? Anyone know Stuart Weitzman? I REFUSE to believe that there isn't a size 8 sitting in a warehouse somewhere. And I... I'm gonna go Nancy Drew on Stuart Weitzman ass and I'ma FIND 'EM!

YEAH, BISHES!

Erin Fetherston Dream Dress + My Trip To Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier

Ok, sure, it's fucking see-through, but this Erin Fetherston Spring 2009 RTW dress is so floaty and ethereal that I can't help but fantasize about it as an amazing option for a non-traditional wedding dress, you know? Bonus: it looks like a wedding cake, AND it's the color of gay unicorns!

In other bridal news, after my Nicole Miller fail and my thanks-but-no-thanks trip to Kleinfeld, I MAY have found a wedding dress! It's, um, more costly than the Nicole Miller dress yet still "less" (and note: less is in quotes) than a lot of the wedding dresses I've seeing in bridal mags. It's at the Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier, where Kelsey, the manager, really really helped me out. It was just a MUCH more up-to-date experience than Kleinfeld. I didn't feel pressured, and the whole experience was a lot more inviting yet low-pressure at the same time. I don't know. If I'm gonna drop > 1 month's rent, I'd rather do it at Mark Ingram... We'll see!! 

Potential Wedding Dress Fail: Nicole Miller Strapless Silk Dress

($725, Nicole Miller, Nordstrom)

Oh Nicole Miller Strapless Two Tone Silk Gown with Train from Nordstrom. I had remotely high hopes for you. You were a perfectly silvery/ not purply color when I unboxed you. I thought my visions of being an edgy, not-boring, modern-yet-subtly '80s bride were about to come true. Except... Except. There's often an except, no? This dress looked like it was thrown together in 14 seconds using old thread and some remnant fabric. The side seams looked stretched out and appeared to be almost bursting (um, before I tried it on, okay?), and there were threads hanging off of the band at the waist. The bodice seemed to lose shape as I took it out of the bag. Also, I ordered a size 10 and I couldn't even zip it up my back, which made almost no sense because while it was big in other places, and while I could definitely stand to drop a few, I have a tiny back (my band size is 34). (HOW was that size 10? And this was a street size 10, not bizarro bridal size.)

Anyway, it was too bad because the train started in a spot that made my ass look great. Too bad the OTHER 80% OF THE DRESS WAS A COMPLETELY DISASTROUS SHIT SHOW. Truly, it had the feel of a knock-off prom dress. The fabric felt like one of those vaguely ethnic pillowcases you buy at a street fair for like $12.

$725 would've been considered a STEAL for a wedding dress, but for ANY dress at ANY price, this was made like an absolute raggy piece of garbage. (Seriously, was this a pre-worn sample? A mock-up?)

Anyway, back to Nordstrom it goes. Next?

Non-traditional Wedding Dress Picks By Nanette Lepore!

Dudes, whether or not she knows it, Nanette Lepore is SERIOUS about making the BEST wedding dresses for non-traditional brides. Check it:

($252, Nanette Lepore, Bluefly)

The "Sequin Starlet" dress is a little too Bollywood in green, but I love it in smoke. And if you're not sooo in loves with your upper arms, these slightly longer sleeves are perfs.

($159, Nanette Lepore, Bluefly)

The "Pave Diamond" dress is so cute for bridesmaids or an outdoor picnic-style rehearsal dinner, you know?

($695, Nanette Lepore, Shopbop.com)

Sure the "Sahara" dress is, well, black, for one, but I think it's perfect for a beach wedding or a rehearsal dinner for a beach wedding. It also totally reminds me of a dress that Betty Draper would wear on the French Riveria. BTW, this dress also comes in neon pink, but I can't stand it.

+ More non-traditional wedding dresses! And an awesome one from Lela Rose!

More Non-Bridal Bridal Inspiration: Blake Lively In Pink And Orange Oscar De La Renta

(Credit: Redcarpetfashionawards.com)

True, Blake's hair's a little too, um, loosey goosey, but I LOVE the pink and red (or is it orange?) Oscar de la Renta dress she wore to the Berlin premiere of The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. And it was so comfy that she wore it to McDonald's later. Hee. Cool non-bridal wedding dress, no?

FashionBinge Goes To Kleinfeld And Goes Bridal, Which Begat The Say Yes To The Affordable Wedding Dress + Non-Traditional Dress Post

So, yesterday I went to Kleinfeld and tried on about 20 dresses. My sales woman, Patricia, was wonderful and not pushy and was so so helpful and listened when I said I didn't want a crazy princessy dress with 1000 miles of fabric shooting out behind me, and that I didn't want a ballerina princess pony unicorn dress or anything. And while they didn't carry the Jenny Packham dress I really love, she and Fashion Director Randy Fenoli were so great about trying to find dresses that looked similar to the Jenny Packham dress I love and listening to my prices concerns (and ultimately, it's fine that they don't have that Jenny Packham dress because it's $5,000. Next!)

Anyway, the stuff I saw at Kleinfeld was nice, but a lot of them felt nightgowny, as my friend put it, and even the one I really did like was really nice but just didn't feel right for me -- too Cinderella-ish. So, while the selection at Kleinfeld is beyond extensive (note: their dresses, as they'll tell you when you make an appointment, start at $1,800), it's not the place to go if you're looking for a non-traditional gown. It all sorta reiterated the fact that a traditional white/ off-white wedding dress just isn't for me.

So, later on, I checked out the evening dresses in the windows at Bloomingdale's and saw some awesome non-bridal/ bridal-for-me options. Then I went home and read Tickled Pink's post on wedding dresses on a budget and was inspired to start my search online at places like Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdale's and the like to find either bridaly or non-bridal dresses there. I found tons of great stuff by BCBG Max Azria and ABS dresses. Read on please, as they say on the makeup boards...

($248, Bloomingdale's)


($435, ABS, Bloomingdale's)

($438, BCBG Max Azria, Bloomingdale's)

Whatever I end up with, I want it to be very modern, so I really love this one!

($375, Coast, Bloomingdale's)


($2595, Templerley, Net-a-porter.com)


($3760, RM by Roland Moure, Net-a-porter.com)

($3400, Marc Jacobs, Bergdorf Goodman)

I know it's insane, but I've always had a little bit of a drag queen in me and would be fine with wearing a purple sequined dress down the aisle.

Anyway, ladies, if you're just embarking on the wedding dress search, have hope. There's cool stuff out there! Will keep you posted, of course.

xoxo,
FashionBinge

Super Sweet Discount Tix To The Wedding Library's Wedding Party Event This Saturday, January 24th!

It's time to get a little more serious about this whole getting-married thing. And instead of planning, I've basically been watching a lot of My Fair Wedding as a passive way of acting like I'm doing wedding stuff when really I'm just watching David Tutera take the tacky, horrid crap out of other people's weddings and plan weddings I could never afford.

Apparently weddings don't plan themselves, you see. So, also-engaged Cat and I are off to The Wedding Library's big Wedding Party event this Saturday, January 24th for a little inspiration.

The event features tons of wedding vendors -- everything from hair and makeup, invites, venues, cakes (yay!), and a bridal fashion show featuring designs by Oscar de la Renta, Lela Rose, Monique Lhuillier, Jenny Packham (one of my favorites), and more.

General admission tickets are $50, BUT, The Wedding Party peeps have kindly extended a two-for-one discount to FashionBinge's finest. Yay! Idea City, here we come!

+ Get two-for-one tickets with promo code" BringaGuest." Buy tickets here.

More info on The Wedding Party
Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM
New York Palace Hotel
Madison Avenue between 50th and 51st Street
New York City
+ Complete vendor list!

Fashionbinge Bridal News!

Oh hai, Binge! I am engaged! As of the other week! No, I don't have a date or a venue or anything yet. Just a gorgeous vintage ring (it's Deco/ Edwardian -- and yes, I too thought Twilight when Matt told me it was Edwardian... I am SUCH a loser), and a wonderful fiance, who looks a lot like my awesome boyfriend of five years.

I'm quite nervioso about the planning and articulating my ideas, and making everything awesome ... not to mention the outrageous expenses we're about to plunge into, but I am pretty excited about the idea of finding an awesome dress -- either something vintage or a non-bridal couture dress.

Or... THIS:


It's by Kenneth Pool -- Austin Scarlett's line! -- and while Austin's designed many gorgeous wedding dresses, this ain't one of 'em, folks. But it's PERFECT for the bride who wants to style herself like Britney, Madonna AND Christina Aguilera at the 2003 VMAs!



Also, if anyone has a fancy peacock gown they'd like to donate, please let me know! Or a bridal gown you'd like to lend me! Also, please give me like $50,000! KAYTHANKSBYE!

Target Goes Bridal

I'm now convinced there's absolutely nothing Target can't do. It is my hope that someday, their offerings will be so comprehensive that pregnant women will even be able to give birth there. There should be a Target lending library. Target University. Even a Target dental clinic. Sure it's a little "I Heart Huckabees," but the difference is, that movie basically sucked, and Target basically does not.

Anyway, as you possibly know, as it isn't exactly BREAKING news, Targs now carries Isaac Mizrachi designed bridal gowns. Actually it's just Target.com, but let's not split hairs, eh? Anyway, the dresses are totally not bad whatsoever -- nearly identical to the stuff you'd find at David's Bridal and other chain bridal stores -- especially if you're into very classic styles. And I know: I've never been a bride, so yeah, it's probably easy for me to "say" that buying a dress at Target could be cool. And I KNOW that being one SOMETIMES causes otherwise reasonable women to start acting like brides of Frankenstein. And of course I'd like to think I wouldn't be a total 'Zilla. Because it really is fucked up that women are told that we should spend on one day, about the same amount of money that we'd spend on ourselves in a year. If I WERE a bride, I think that looking a.) hot and b.) like I'm wearing something that represented my personality (see a.) would be more important than plunking down $5,000 on ONE dress that I'll wear (and, let's be reasonable... most likely spill wine on) for like five hours. I know women who've spent $99 on a dress from a bridal store in the mall, and they've looked OUTSTANDING. People are going to remember that you (hopefully) looked beautiful. Not that you spent what could part of a down payment on a home in some parts of the country on your dress.

Anyway, that's why I think it's great that Targs is selling bridal gowns. Sure, other people are going to own the same dress as you, but are you getting married THE SAME time, at the SAME place as that person? Probably not, unless you are a woman marrying another woman and you DELIBERATELY picked out the same dress, in which case, more power to you. I say, if the dress fits, wear it. Especially if it's about nine times less than your average wedding dress.

Observe:


($159, Target.com)
My fave.



($159, Target.com)
A bit too bland for my tastes, but a lovely dress regardless.



($89, Target.com)
This could be really nice for an evening wedding.



($49, Target.com)
Very cute too, but the reviews are negative. It's from the bridesmaids collection, which isn't bad but seems more like a bunch of dresses they just stuck a "bridesmaids" label on. Whatevs.



($19, Target.com)
A surprisingly cute wedding shoe!



($29, Target.com)
This one's all about the heel. I hate those stumpy little square heels that seem to afflict so many bridal shoes.



($34, Target.com)
Nice. TRES Madonna circa the "Boy Toy" era... And you can dance...



($16, Target.com)
... For inspiration...



($16, Target.com)
... I'm waaaiiiting...



($39, Target.com)
I think I'm most fond of the fact that they have $40 sashes in seven different colors.


So, speaking of weddings, Disney also has a line of McDresses out. I hate to say it, because I absolutely LOATHE Disney, but the dresses truly aren't that bad. Probably because they got a pro to design them. If you didn't KNOW they were Disney, you probably wouldn't be auto-mortsed. Here are a few that actually aren't totally vomit-inducing. Oh yeah, and they're "inspired" by Disney pwetty pwetty pwincesses, so YOU! TOO! can be a pwetty pwincess, which is TOTALLY vomit-inducing.



The Jasmine..... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!



The Snow White. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!


But they can't all be Disney winners, as Go.com taught us.


The Cinderella. Ouch.


Disney already does a good enough job of pouring shite into the brains of young girls. It's really painful to think of women forking over thousands of dollars for the privilege of being Disney-branded bride. I really hope no one reading this felt/ feels compelled to do so. That said, if they made these in adult sizes I might rethink my stance.







And don't even get me started on the people who actually GET MARRIED at the Magic Kingdom. Something tells me they don't exactly look like this couple from the ad:



They probably look more like this:



And make their "FI"s wear shit like this:


You know this chick probably did.

Weep.