Romantic Gowns from Elizabeth Dye

Pretty much any girl on the planet just loves a gorgeous dress. Whether it's retro style with a full, flouncy hemline or long, wispy and ethereal, an amazing gown captures the imagination and makes turns you into a princess. It makes us feel beautiful, feminine and on top of the world. And that's a very nice feeling. :)

On no other day is that amazing dress and the wonderful feeling it gives you more important than at your wedding. Today I'm going to be showing a few of the gowns from the wonderfully talented Elizabeth Dye's gorgeous Spring 2010 wedding collection, and using them for fashion inspiration (I'll be sharing more on this fabulous designer later).

Total icing on the cake... The collection is called Heroines and each design's name references a favorite literary lady. How amazing it that? ;)

 

This collection appears to be all about simplicity and subtlety, two things that are so important in fashion. So often clothing (especially from high end designers) is overdone, chaotic and distracting. I believe that the dress should be a palette for the woman wearing it, not the other way around. We are not mannequins!

These two designs (Eventide and Storyville) showcase true subtlety and real beauty. Each design is so simple, made from ivory silk shantung and enhanced with chiffon to create a fabric blossom. This allows the superb craftsmanship to stand out. When a gown is so very simple, the work must be perfect. These ones are.

 

A shorter dress can be just as lovely and romantic as a full length one, and more suited to less formal events. I love how old-fashioned and yet up-to-date these two designs are (Oysters and Pearls and Ghost). The former has a beautifully decorated bodice, made up of tiny chiffon ruffles, high quality lace and pearls. The wide ribbon cinches pulls the full skirt and bodice pieces together beautifully and adds a "party" touch.

The later gown has cascading layers of English tulle, which creates a wonderful uneven hemline. The bodice is pleated and tucked and accented just below the bust by a piece of flowery trim. The shoulder straps on both dresses are so pretty - just pleated pieces of fabric. This is a great way to add straps to a sleeveless design.

 

This first gown (Honeychurch) has to be my favorite in the collection - it's so sleek and flattering. The ruching over the bust enhances the sweetheart neckline and the skirt is made up of lovely, sheer layers. The lace attached to the shoulder straps and the gorgeous buckle at the ribbon-sash waistline add the perfect touches.

Although I am usually not a fan of lace dresses, this sweet little number (Beatrix) really gets it right. The tulle has lovely little flowers sprinkled all over it. At the bodice, they are embroidered with gold thread and accented with pearls. The teeny-tiny straps finish the dress off and the chiffon flower is a fabulous accessory. Amazing how simple and yet stunning a dress can be.

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Elizabeth Dye runs a lovely blog (featuring photos of many of her brides) as well as a boutique in Portland, Oregon called the The English Dept. You can purchase some of her gorgeous designs in her Etsy shop. Be sure to check it out!

I don't know about you, but I would wear any of these dresses (with a few modifications ;) for any occasion. There are events throughout each year that warrant a pretty dress - these fashions deserve to be worn more than just once for a wedding! How about Valentine's day? It's coming up! (Is anyone planning on buying or making something special for that holiday? I would love to hear your plans!)


P.S. Just as the usual disclaimer... I know that the gowns featured in this post do not meet most people's standards of modesty. However, I believe they serve as some lovely inspiration and can provide us lots of ideas we can apply to purchasing or creating our own modest wardrobes. :)