ruffles!

No, not that Ruffles...although Ruffles will hopefully be involved in the wedding somehow. I'm talking wedding dress ruffles. And pleats. Ruffles and pleats, and how much I am in love with them.

Here is an observation I've made during my extensive online searching of dress styles: I love dresses that are structurally pretty. I look more to a dress' silhouette than to its beading and bows. I think this is because I make and design costumes. I know what goes into making clothes, and so I'm looking for something that is beautiful because of how it is made instead of how it is decorated.
One pretty structural thing that I love is ruffles and pleats.

>Now this dress is structural fantasmo. Pleated bodice AND pleated bottom. See how the decoration (except for that trim) is sewn into, not sewn onto the dress? That's what I mean by structural detailing. I love how the dress is smooth in the middle between the two crinkle areas. Actually, the more I look at this dress the more I am falling for it. I'm sure that middle section would make me look like a brick. And I'm sure it's beyond expensive. And the only retailer near me is Lincoln. But nevertheless. Te amo, pleated Jim Hjelm dress.

Here's another Hjelm with a slightly more demure pleat. It also has the separated bodice which I'm loving pretty hard at the moment, in dresses like this one and in the Eden Informal dress that I posted about before.

(Update on that dress: The boutiques I emailed all said they don't carry that dress. But I love it! Don't they understand a little thing called destiny? If I don't find a decent "in person" dress in the next few months I am embracing the modern age and ordering that one OFF THE INTERNET--horror. Gasp.)




And here is some vintage pleating, kicking it old school, keeping it real, etc:



That, friends, is rounded pleating and it is beautiful. This 1950's original sold for $99 (oh, oh it hurts) and had a, um, a 33" bust. That would not work for me. Also, I haven't had a 25" waist since I was born. But still, vintageous has all sorts of wedding-esque options that fill me with longing for simpler times and smaller measurements.










Oh, and in case you hate ruffles and pleats and this post was painful to you, here is something else I found in the "ruffles wedding dress" search:
Mr. Fiance calls it "whimsical." Ha. You totally want me to get it, don't you? Well, it IS only $278. Which is totally in my price range.