SPOTTED: Gorgeous Vintage-Style Wedding Dress by Caroline Castigliano

Walking past bridal gown designer Caroline Castigliano‘s Central London store on Berners Street is always an exciting experience.   The dresses in the window always make me stop and stare but, being a lover of vintage bridal designs, I often find her elegant gowns too modern for my tastes. Until today.

The vintage-inspired gown seen below took my breath away. I love lace, sparkle and sleeves and this one has all three (thank you Princess Kate for starting the sleeved trend again!)… Despite the fact that marriage will never be in my future, when I see a dress like this one, I feel a wistful pang (sad and pathetic, I know):

Caroline Castigliano Bridal Gown - Berners Street Window Display

Caroline Castigliano Wedding Gown - Vintage Style

The dress was difficult to photograph through a glass window but I’ve blown up sections of the image and added colour effects to try to bring out some of the gown’s intricate, gorgeous detail:

Caroline Castigliano Gown - Amazing Detail!

The above images don’t do the dress justice but I tried my best! Whichever brides may get to wear this stunning gown are very lucky indeed. Wishing you all a beautiful wedding and a blessed future.

Vintage 1940s Wedding Gown

How beautiful is this white chiffon wedding gown from the 1940s? It’s now for sale in Etsy shop Dear Golden Vintage , priced at £426.93.

I love the ruched, sweetheart bust line and the detail at the waist creates the perfect Marilyn Monroe silhouette. A must-buy for your big day!

High Street Vintage Bridal In Pics!

Vintage Bridal On The High Street

Next time you’re looking for a stunning vintage gown, head to Marylebone in London. The charity shops there contain a treasure trove of gorgeous gowns – at great prices.

Whether you want extravagant frills, simple empire line, beautiful beading or sparkly sequins, you’ll find the perfect vintage wedding gown at your perfect price.

Last year, I stumbled upon the selection pictured and spent ages marvelling at the pretty dresses!

Picks of The Week – Vintage Wedding Glamour

Check out this show-stopping gown from the 1950s… perfect for a retro themed wedding or special occasion:

With its gold brocade, sweetheart bodice and a wide, champagne chiffon skirt, this dress will give you a beautiful Marilyn Monroe shape without the need to spend hours in the gym. Priced at $380 US dollars, it’s a steal for this mint vintage gown.

Even sweeter is this beautiful antique-styled wedding cake from Little Venice Cake Company:

It’s their ‘Baroque’ cake, which has drawn on Faberge in Russia for inspiration so expect superb hand-piping and ornate detail. Quality comes at a price (three tier 3”, 5”, 7” & 9” extra deep serves 100, for £1,000) – but it’s well worth spending because even celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey apparently finds his mouth watering at the Little Venice Cake Company’s yummy creations – wow!

A 1940s Cure For The …

To say I’ve had a bad week doesn’t even begin to describe it. It has been upsetting, emotional and truly frightening. Though feeling good right now isn’t coming naturally, I still need to try. It’s important to have something to cure at least part of the blues… or to occupy my mind long enough to at least forget about them for a portion of the night.

I took to trawling the web to immerse myself in my favourite hobby; antique & vintage. Vintage beads, vintage gowns, antique jewellery – I love anything from a bygone era where everyone’s problems were easily concealed behind a vaneer of glitz and glamour. I wish my life was a glitzy postcard right now. Sadly, it’s not, but sometimes it’s the little things which really help…

I happened upon this show-stopping 1940s wedding gown on Etsy – a welcome pick-me-up to take my mind off things. When I gaze upon its beauty I feel a sense of warmth and hope. There is beauty in the world. There is beauty in our endeavours and achievements as human beings. There is beauty in the love we can find in our own lifetimes.

We may never know the background of the bride who wore this gown, but I hope that hers was a happy story, unfolded throughout a life-long marriage filled with love. The beauty of her life continues through this gown. It has endured for 70 years; a lifetime. It has carried with it the memories of a deep love which was celebrated and marked by marriage. Should you chose to buy it and let it share in your own experience of love, perhaps it will endure for another 70 years and bring warmth and wonder for many more brides in the years to come:

1940s Bridal Glamour... Priceless

 

I love the collar and clinched waist

 

Wow your wedding guests from the back as well as the front

The bow draws attention to your best asset

It has a collar to draw attention to your face, a lace waist to draw the eye down and a beautiful bow at the back to amaze the wedding guests during your vows. If only my life was as perfect as this dress. Sigh.

This Week’s Top Picks – Vintage Wedding Must-Haves

Summer’s here and the wedding season is in full swing. Couples tie the knot under the sun’s watchful gaze, radiating their own warmth as they say their sacred vows. Tear-filled eyes shine with the reflection of love and joy as boyfriend and girlfriend finally become man and wife. At last.

The only thing that could make the day more special is knowing that your wedding includes at least one spectacular, vintage masterpiece that has a glorious history of long-ago love. Here are my favourite pick of the weeks, recreating the magic of by-gone eras that were famous for not only their splendour but also for their wonderfully unashamed romance and whimsy:

The beautiful silk dress below is now on sale for $300 dollars on Etsy.com:

Lovely Vintage Silk

Check out the wonderful detail on the bodice:

And the button-up back gives a sexy and stylish finish to ensure you look always spectacular, even from from back to front!

Go back in time with vintage button loops

It’s not all about your wedding day though… don’t forget the wedding night (as if you could!). Believe it or not, you could introduce some vintage glamour into your first night as man and wife. Before you start gagging at the thought of using something already used on on your wedding night, take a peep at the luscious 1950s boudoir slippers below… guaranteed to turn you into a sexy siren in the bedroom, whether you team them with sexy underwear, or decide to showcase them alone 😉

Buffing yourself in your boudoir? 'Go buff' more like, by wearing these & nothing else!

Imagine kicking these off in front of your brand new hubby… but go easy, they’re too beautiful to rough up… even if it is your honeymoon!

Slipping into things on your wedding night...

At $40, these boudoir slippers are a wedding gift you can afford to give yourself, or cheekily persuade your maid of honour to buy for you. Afterall, that’s what bridal showers are for 🙂

Becoming someone’s ‘Old Lady’? Do it old school then…

Old Lady. No, not a woman who is mature in years. I’m talking ‘Old Lady’ to a man. Yes, I’m talking about a wife.

If you’re ready to tie the knot, forget about making it a modern affair. True glamour is old school glamour. Not convinced? Check these out before you make a final decision:

THE PRINCESS BRIDE VINTAGE 1950S SILK DUPIONI AND LACE WEDDING DRESS

1950s Classic Glamour

This lovely, 1950s gown with lace cutouts and a tulle and satin underskirt is now for sale on Etsy for a mere $350. Teamed with a simple bouquet of roses and a simple pair of heels, you’ll be the belle of the ball on your big day if you waltz down the aisle in this stunning dress.

The beautiful shoes below are from the late 1940s (c. 1947) and are simply stunning. More importantly, they’re multi-functional. Unlike many wedding shoes, they don’t have to spend the rest of their years hidden in an old box or buried in a wardrobe – team these with a glitzy dress for a night on the town and they’ll prove a fantastic investment. With a price tag of $25, they’re a welcome money saver because, let’s face it, getting married isn’t cheap!

Dance the night away in these 1940s heels!

If you’re having a summer wedding and looking for a unique sleeveless gown, I reckon this 1960s champagne and pearl number might turn your head:

You always need champagne on your big day!

If lace and tulle or pearls and sequins aren’t your thing, you can wear this simple yet elegant gown as it is, or have it customized with your favourite beads to add a light touch of sparkle:

Elegant '60s chic

For only $30, it might as well be given away… it’s not often you pick up your wedding dress for this tiny price!

Affordable, beautiful and environmentally friendly too, vintage is the way of the future, not just the past!

Vintage Weddings – More Top Picks From Etsy.com

Sequined Evening Gown For Sale on Etsy.com

I did a double-take when I saw this Dynasty-esque sequined evening gown; haven’t seen anything this extravagant hit the market at such a cheap price in years ($325 – nearly half that price in UK pounds sterling!).

Vintage 1930s Wedding Gown

For those looking to burn a hole in their pocket, this vintage 1930s evening gown above screams Hollywood glamour. At $950, so it should!

Of course, having the perfect vintage dress for your big day would be nothing without the necessary bling to seal the deal. Check out this stunning vintage wedding ring set – perfect for a stylish bride who respects the environment through the purchase of second hand engagement and wedding bands:

Vintage Diamond Wedding Band Set

These are priced at just $450 dollars so a UK buyer would get this for just over half the cost, thanks to the great exchange rate at the moment.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…

I never gave much thought to how I would want my big day to be. I haven’t even got a fiance, let alone a wedding date. But, it occured to me as I was clearing out my closet recently that I have a major passion for vintage style fashion.

Rooting through gorgeous Mary Jane shoes and peep-toe courts, pretty ’50s cut skirts and a plethora of patterned dresses, I could see the past starring me in the face. I like classic style; elegant 1930s sweeping gowns, waist-hugging dresses and intricately detailed accessories from yester-year. The sad thing is that I’m currently too fat to wear most of my wardrobe but the joy it gave me to look upon it is quite simply, unparalleled.

Whatever happens, if and when my big day rolls around, I won’t be rolling down the aisle. I’ll be hot-footing it to the gym, streamlining myself to fit into a gorgeous vintage wedding gown Grace Kelly would be proud of…