Photo: Courtesy of Hayley Phelan
Meet our latest guest blogger Hayley Phelan, fashion features editor at Lucky Magazine. From finding the right dress to perfecting her bridal beauty look, Phelan will be chronicling her experience while planning her New York City wedding to fiancé Chris Black, a creative consultant for brands like New Balance, Wool and the Gang and Harry's. For her second installment, the editor shares how she chose her bridal shower and rehearsal dinner outfits.
One of the most amazing things about getting married (besides, like, lifetime partnership) is that your wedding is a really superb time to live out your fashion fantasies. All eyes will be on you and things you normally wouldn't consider doing (getting full hair and makeup, spending $600 on shoes) are somehow totally justifiable.
So it comes as no surprise, being someone who has worked in fashion most of her life, that I had quite a few fantasies for the day. Too many. And all quite distinct from each other. Ever since dial-up Internet, I've been obsessed with the wedding ensembles of three of my favorite style icons: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Bianca Jagger and Jane Birkin. Unfortunately, none of their outfits have anything, whatsoever in common. Carolyn's a silk bias-cut gown, is minimalist and sleek, Bianca's, a white double breasted suit, badass and glam, and Jane's, a long-sleeved lace dress, is ethereal and romantic.
After already deciding to channel Carolyn on my big day, I naturally (obsessively) set about finding outfits that would emulate Jane and Bianca for my bridal shower and rehearsal dinner, respectively.
Jane was easy. I already had a white lace, long-sleeve dress (okay, several) I had bought for the exact reason that it reminded me of her. It was perfect for the lovely garden-party bridal shower my aunt and cousin threw me, overlooking The Bluffs in Toronto.
Bianca was a bit more challenging. Working in fashion, I have the privilege of wearing whatever I want to work everyday — and rarely (if ever) does it include a suit. I had no idea how hard it would be to find a well-fitting one, let alone one that was white, double-breasted, wide-legged, and slightly lowcut. Thankfully, I am nothing if not a determined shopper. I eventually found just what I was looking for on Net-a-Porter: A perfect specimen of Bianca-ness from Danish label By Malene Birger. Bonus: It was under my price limit. After a quick trip to the tailer (to nip in the waist of the jacket a bit) it was perfect.
Read Hayley's search for "The One" here.