Dress Up Your Sexy Shoes!...and Hair...and Belts...and...

ManoBello

Back in the 1950's and 60's shoe clips were a popular accessory for spiffing up a regular ol' pair of shoes. Today shoe clips are enjoying a revival of sorts and being enjoyed from weddings to daily wear.

As hemlines become shorter or as the bride daintily, or daringly, lifts up her dress to have her shoes poke coquettishly from beneath, her shoes are on display for all to see.

Sofisticata

Accessories can make or break an outfit and oftentimes are the focal point for what the outfit is built around.

Thrifty brides will love that after the wedding their shoe clips can also be worn as lapel brooches or hair accessories. The creative bride will discover that the clips can pretty much be worn anywhere from boot toppers, to belts, pant tops, etc.

CocoRoseCouture

Check out these wonderful selections from fellow Etsy sellers and remember...just because an item is being sold as one thing, it doesn't mean it can't be worn as something else!

Parisxox

Krissy167

EllieWren

Stephanie Farley
La Coco Rouge, LLC
www.lacocorouge.com
www.facebook.com/lacocorouge

Rainbow of Dresses by Wedding Dress Fantasy

We are huge fans of Etsy.com and alternative wedding products.  WeddingDressFantasy fits into our idea of perfect very well!  Dresses made by Wedding Dress Fantasy in New Jersey are couture creations just for you.  Sized range from 0-40!  Perfect for my curvy lovelies!  Dresses come in 50 (yep 50!) colors but I chose to feature a rainbow to show you the available alternatives.

Gothic wedding dress by WeddingDressFantasy

Masquerade ball gown by WeddingDressFantasy

Do you YouTube?  If so go check out Wedding Dress Fantasy gowns here.

Halloween inspired gown by WeddingDressFantasy

Red Gothic wedding dress by WeddingDressFantasy

Did you know that in other cultures specifically Asian red is the preferred wedding dress color?  White is reserved for funerals.  Who knew??

As always we recommend that you follow your own style and never try to keep up the the Joneses.

Krissy Cartwright

Make Believe'N Wedding Alternatives LLC

www.etsy.com/shop/krissy167

www.facebook.com/makebelieven

Have an Inexpensive Offbeat Wedding

     Like most brides out there, one of your major concerns is probably making your wedding memorable and unique while staying within your budget.  You can actually have a unique yet cheap wedding by saying goodbye traditional type of wedding and daring to be different.  Here are two easy tips for you:

1. Make Do-It-Yourself handmade invitations. If you’re artistically inclined then lucky you! You can design them and personally select materials to use. Making your handmade invitations make them extra special because they have your personal touch. But, if you’re someone who isn’t so creative person yet wants a handmade invitation that is not a problem!  There are several websites that can help you with that. The best example is EARMARK Invitations.

Would you believe that the price of these beautiful handmade invitations ranges from $1 to $3 only? There are not just ‘pocket friendly’ but certainly eco-friendly too.

2. If your mother insists that you wear her wedding dress, give in to her request. If you find her dress downright ugly then beautify it! Bring new life to that old dress by having it restructured, or use some of its fabric to make a new dress. You can also buy a ‘pre-loved’ wedding dress.

      If you really want a brand new one, then research on the internet. If it is possible pick a dress that you can probably wear again on a different occasion. A practical bride-to-be wouldn’t spend so much on something she can only use once.  Have you heard of Chameleon Dresses? They are simply convertible dresses.

This elegant wedding dress by Isadora Clothing can be worn as a one shoulder style and can be converted to a halter neck. This single dress can be converted into different ones! They can provide convertible dresses even for your bridesmaids.

The best thing about these gorgeous reversible dresses is that they are very affordable.  Did you know that the average cost of a wedding dress is $500? Yikes! But these Chameleon Dresses are below $300! Isn’t that fantastic?

     Your wedding dress does not have to cost a lot.  What matters is you like it and look gorgeous in it.A tight budget shouldn't restrict you from having a beautiful wedding. Tradition should not hold you back from turning your dream wedding into a reality. After all, it’s YOUR day, celebrate it the way YOU want it to.  :-)

Confessions of a Seam Ripper

Bustle

Consider this a very brief primer on upcycling /recycling dispelling a common misconception..

Recycled items should cost less.

This is probably one of the most common. You can go the DIY route then and yes it will be smaller cash outlay.Upcycling ,however, is a labor intensive process and as we’ve all heard ‘time is money’.

If you are working with textiles the amount of ‘woman hours’ that go into finding what you need is staggering .I go to my local thrift stores sometimes several times a week because good stuff gets purchased right away.(okay I like going too!) Usually I have a mental list of what I am looking for but keeping an open mind if I see something worthwhile. For me this tends to be any silk garment with an interesting color and sometimes pattern, though I usually go for the solids. For someone else it might be lace, or broken jewelry but you get the idea.

ecoblingcouture

Once purchased and after cleaning you sit down with the most important tools in your arsenal-the very high tech seam ripper. And a good pair of scissors. If you have ever had to take out stitching then you know how tedious it can be. It is a time suck to be sure but there is no way around it. Again-time is money.

It is easier to buy yard goods and cut your pieces from a nice flat consistent width fabric but they just don’t make fabrics like they used to or if they do they are prohibitively expensive, possibly milled in sweatshop conditions and spewing chemicals in to our environment.(Moment of gently preaching here)

So you see how much time and care goes in to preparation for an upcycled garment. I haven’t even gotten into the design process and the making process so you see that this is a large amount of labor. A labor of love.

LondonParticulars

Has the Tradition Always Been White?

Vera Wang

The wedding dress has inspired women for generations…most assuredly what it will look like but most definitely white.

The thing is…white is a recent phenomenon! With the advent of Queen Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert in 1840 one of the greatest love stories of all time took the imaginations of women by storm, and the Queen wore white thus setting the fashion for years to come.

It used to be that women would wear their best dress to wed in – no matter the colour. In the 1400’s blue was considered to be the colour of purity.

Today we see a happy mix of styles, colours and textures to choose from for our wedding day. Many women are choosing dresses that are versatile enough to be worn again for other occasions.

Here is a small sample of what you can find out there for yourself from vintage to rock star to simple beauty…

Romantic Threads



Isadora Clothing


RoselaniJasmin



Vicious Threads


Vintage Frocks of Fancy

by Stephanie Farley
La Coco Rouge, LLC
www.lacocorouge.com

Eco Love - Think Vintage

So, you’re engaged. Congrats. You and your partner have decided to have an eco friendly wedding without sacrificing your offbeat style. Think vintage, the ultimate recycling. I know you’re thinking that you don’t want to look old fashioned but modern hip and dripping with stylish originality. And why not!

If you are lucky enough to find a garment that fits and is not damaged then you have scored. Most likely it will need something. Maybe something needs to be removed or added or maybe it is damaged. Perhaps it just doesn’t fit. My advice is to re fashion.

In the hands of a skilled artisan magic can happen. When looking for a seamstress be sure and leave yourself some time to interview prospects. You will be working closely with this person and the chemistry needs to be right. On your first meeting bring all the pictures and pieces of things that you have collected. My favorite clients are the ones who show up with truckloads of stuff. They know what they want and my job is to help them get there. Don’t worry that there seems to be no unifying concept, bring it all.

AllThingsPretty

You are probably wondering how to find this person. Word of mouth is usually your best bet. Ask at local vintage shops since they often have access to people who do repair work for them.

There are many wonderful designer/makers online that may have a style that meshes with your own.Often they are available for custom work or just tweaking a design they are already offering.

SWANclothing

Make sure you ask or read about their policies. You will probably be required to make a non-refundable down payment to start work. I know this can feel a little scary. Do your research. There are many sites with good resource info. Here is a good starting place

Eco Vintage Weddings

The Dress Edition - Offbeat Bridal Gown of Color

http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageFrocksOfFancy

With so many brides wanting to express their unique individuality, the truly Offbeat bride is making headway in forming new traditions as alternatives to old ones.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mataharisdaughter

As your wedding day is a momentous time, the importance of choosing a bridal gown that not only reflects your individual style but one that also makes you feel comfortable enough to stand, dance, laugh and shed tears of joy in!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/roselanijasmin

You have been planning this day, dreaming of walking down the aisle with the man you love - all eyes will be gazing on the beautiful bride as she recites her vows. This dream wedding is reflecting your style as a couple, and the wedding gown reflects your individual style as a bride.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SwankUnderpinnings

A newer tradition offered to the Offbeat bride wanting to express her individuality is choosing a gown of color! Be it your favorite color or one that makes you feel happy in, you have more choices now with the advent and availability of custom services from independent designers and artists on the internet. Particularly popular is Etsy, where so many unique designers, who understand your needs meet under one venue.

And we at Offbeat Etsy Wedding Team are here to serve you, aiding in any advice you may need for your upcoming Offbeat nuptials, so please feel welcome to shout out to us if ever the need arises.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/liaison

And may your dream wedding be filled with romantic bliss and happiness!

xoxo - The Girls and Guys at Offbeat Etsy Wedding Team