The Charleston Cup is upon us again! This steeplechase is the only race of its caliber held in the low country where many of the best steeplechase athletes in the south come to win! This year is the 19th running of the race and many people come dressed to impress.
It is a tradition when attending a horse race to dress up and look glamorous! The sport of kings is prestigous and you may even see a king at the race so looking fabulous is essential (just kidding but in Europe it is possible, the Queen of England, Duchess Kate, and Prince William are often attending races and the prince himself even rides in polo matches which is another event to dress up at!)
It is first important to understand how the race works so you can look pretty and be aware of the race! The steeplechase is a form of horse racing that derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple. Jumping fences, ditches, and bushes generally make up the course which is on a turf track that requires at least two laps.
Hats are usually an accessory worn at horse races but certainly not required! Horse racing on the flat, such as the Kentucky Derby, are more outragous with large beautiful hats and designer dresses, but steeplechases are appropriate to wear hats to as well!
Although we do not carry hats in the store, we can help you pick out a fabulous cocktail dress for the race! Below are some dresses chosen for the race on Sunday that will make you look fashionable and race appropriate! These dresses are all available off the rack for you as well.
This dress is by Jim Hjelm in the wildly popular peplum style for fall 2012. Paired with pearls is a classic look that is always appropriate in the south. This is a favorite in the store!
Jim Hjelm also designed this color block dress that would be a wonderful addition to your closet for the race as well as for a special occasion! Color block has been a popular look this year and continues to shine.
Another winner by Jim Hjelm has beautiful details on the shoulders and its flowy style is a flattering look on almost any body type!
A second popular peplum look by Jim Hjelm is flying off the shelves in the store. How this dress cinches at the waist is extremely flattering and gives the appearance of a taller woman due to the flare effect of the dress.
This dress is also by Jim Hjelm (can you tell our obsession for this designer?!) that would be appropriate for this race but may be more comfortable to wear to the Carolina Cup held in March in upstate South Carolina! The exposed shoulders may be too chilly for November but would be perfect for a spring Steeplechase.
This is another store favorite by WTOO that has a delicate lace detail with nude lining. Timeless dress that can be worn multiple times and never gets old. Paired with pearls would be a classic southern belle look ready for the races!
This dress is by Belsoie and has just been reduced in price! The classic box pleating paired with the trendy cut out back combines perfectly! This dress could be worn at multiple events and would look fabulous paired with a hat.
This dress is on clearance as well! The details on this Dalia dress cannot be ignored! The draping of the fabric is placed perfectly to flatter any body type. The belt cinches the waist and the gray fabric is neutral allowing for many different colors of accessories.
Lastly, this dress has a metalic sheen that would be great for holiday parties as well! Simone Cavalli designed this dress that is also at a reduced price. Black accessories to match the belt would look chic with this dress.
Feel free to come try on the dresses in the store and to browse the large selection we did not get to show! The point of dressing up at these events is to have fun with it so know no boundaries! Show your personality and choose to stand out, it will be appreciated I assure you! Keep in mind to possibly bring a scarf, blazer, umbrella, cardigan, or maybe even a jacket for the race. It will run rain or shine, cold or hot so be prepared! Also boots are a great shoe to consider since you will be on your feet often and will be outside rain or shine so you will be more comfortable with a closed toe that will not sink in the grass! (think Steve Madden boots, trendy equestrian boots, wedges, etc.)
Overall, have fun and do not be afraid to show your fashion wild side and watch beautiful horses breeze past you in person, there is nothing quite like it!
Mismatched bridesmaid's dresses is an emerging trend in the bridal industry. Whether or not this is just a trend that will vanish within years or a new classic look is up for debate. Classic matching dresses or the mismatched bridesmaid's look both require guidelines in order to keep peace and organization for the bride and the bridal party.
The classic matched dresses look allows uniformity and makes the decision clear without the fear of someone picking a dress not suitable to the guideline. The bridal party all wearing the same color palate and dress does draw the eye in towards the beautiful bride in white, but everyone will be looking at her anyway!
Considering the plummet of the economy, budget-conscious brides have been choosing the mismatched dress look. Considering many of the girls have to travel to get to the shower, bachelorette, and wedding parties, a majority of money is spent on travel, gifts, accessories, shoes, and so much more just to be a part of the wedding. Allowing the girls to choose their own budget for their dress is helpful so they can put more money into other ventures.
Here are some guidelines to help the bride with a successful mismatched look:
-Require a fabric. Tell the ladies that they all must choose a certain fabric such as chiffon, satin, dupioni silk, etc. This will still allow some uniformity and recognition as the bridal party.
-Require a color. It can be a specific fabric and color so they will all look even more similar and close to the classic matching look while still allowing them to choose their own dress. It does look beautiful allowing a certain color and different looks as well because it still looks uniform and formal, but that is for the brave bride that trusts her ladies in the wedding! For example, the dresses pictured below are purple but all different fabrics and styles. When pulled off correctly it looks very unique and glam!
-Require a style...or not! If you want to stay uniform by making everyone wear strapless, but still allow different fabrics, that still works. If you want the ladies to choose from different styles, that is an option. Strapless, halter top, one-shoulder, wide sleeves, etc. are all options for a bridesmaid's dress. Different body types look flattering in certain styles of dresses as well. If you have a large bridal party, allowing the different styles is desired. A pear shaped woman will not look the same in a dress as a top heavy woman, so this is a way to make every body type happy!
-Require a brand. Some women are not familiar with companies that carry a wide variety of fabrics and colors geared for a bridesmaid. At our boutique we carry Bill Levkoff, Belsoie, Jim Hjelm, Watters, etc. so choosing a designer may help the ladies in the decision process. The bride could even choose a few style numbers and have the ladies in the bridal party choose from the bride's selection. For example, the Bill Levkoff dresses below are all chiffon sweetheart dresses that can be similar yet different options for the ladies.
-Require length. Everyone having long or short will make the dresses less distracting. Long dresses are typically more expensive because of the added fabric but they will cover the shoes which can be one less thing the bride has to coordinate, the ladies could choose shoes they already own. Short dresses are functional for places like here where we live in Charleston since it is so hot here and hotter longer! Requiring a color of shoe is something to consider so someone does not choose a distracting shoe with the short dress while still allowing them to choose from their own shoe collection!
-If the mismatch look is too complicated for you, then allowing the ladies to choose their own jewelry, shoes, handbag or hairstyle is a way to be trendy and different while remaining traditional.
Sometimes all these decisions are overwhelming for brides but have a vision for how you want the bridal party to look and giving direction is appreciated by the bridal party. Often too many opinions are given whether the bride chooses the dress for them or if they choose their own dresses, just remember it is the bride's day and her vision.
Allowing the ladies to choose their own dress almost guarantees they will wear it again. Since they personally chose it, there shouldn't be any complaints about never wearing it again!
Whether or not you consider the mismatched look to be a trend or future classic is up to you to decide. It makes sense for the economy now but in a few years hopefully when the economy is more balanced, maybe the classic look will be more common again. As long as it timeless (think '80's poofy sleeves and scary accessories like umbrellas eek!) then you will never regret your decision to be budget conscious and open mided about bridesmaids dresses.
Either way, you want the experience of looking for bridesmaids dresses to be a fun one while having everyone involved and feel special.
