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Calvin Klein 2005 Summer Collection
Calvin Klein - a name we all recognize and a designer who is world renowned for his fabulous fashions. So how did Calvin Klein come to be.?
As a young boy in the 1940s Calvin was already pre-occupied with designing and sketching fashions for women....
Estate Jewelry is Ready For Teen Fashions
If you've ever gone shopping with a teenage girl you know that teenagers can be a very picky bunch! Their physical and mental growth has them experimenting with all kinds of fashion items to improve their image and their look. Teenage girls have a...
Ideas to Entertain a Bored Toddler
We asked the experts (other parents!) for tips on how to calm a fussy baby. The response we received was a treasure chest of creative ideas. Try one of our favorites the next time you have a fuss budget on your hands!
"The best thing to stop...
Preparing A Layette For Your New Baby
First of all, in case you do not know, what is a layette? Well, the definition of layette is quite simple: a kit consisting of a complete outfit (clothing and accessories) for a new baby. Whether your new baby is going to be your first or fifth,...
What Do Your Earrings Say About You?
Earrings are an important part of every woman’s wardrobe, whether we are headed for a day at the beach, to the office, or to a wedding. Your earrings give a subtle hint about your personality.
You can change the entire look and feel of your...
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The (American) Bride Wore Red
Increasing numbers of American brides are thinking about doing something that used to be unthinkable -- getting married in a bold red gown.
Not that red is a stranger to marriage. Hardly. Red plays a major role in Chinese, Hindu, and some Muslim weddings, and was a popular choice in medieval times. But for modern Westerners? Yes -- we too are starting to marry in red. At least some of us.
It's been happening more and more in Europe over the past decade. Maybe that's because Europe recalls long stretches of time when wedding gowns weren't white. For eons, a woman simply wore her best dress -- one she could certainly use again -- although to keep luck on her side she might gravitate to certain colors and avoid others. With all the choices, it was harder to keep the good colors straight, so the folk world offered a poem with a few fortunate outcomes and many poor ones:
Married in White, you have chosen right ...
Married in Brown, you will live in the town ...
Married in Blue, you will always be true ...
Blue gowns were popular since early times, since blue represented purity and the Virgin Mary. This tradition continues in the "something blue" a bride wears today. White was less common, especially among anything other than the bluest bluebloods, because of its difficulty in coming clean in the wash.
But eventually, several big players popularized white, most notably the fashion hound Queen Victoria. Ever since -- especially in a world where clothes are mass-produced and a woman can afford many dresses, even one she'll only wear once -- white's been all the rage.
Yet even more recently, some have found this timeworn symbol of purity and affluence a little constricting. Some brides want a little less predictability and more choice. And not everyone looks
good in white, as some brides point out.
While a percentage of European brides have snapped up dramatic red gowns for the past decade, Americans have been more cautious. It's only been about the past four years that tentative pastel washes and small colored accents have made the scene here.
That's beginning to change. A small but growing number of brides -- and designers -- are getting bolder. Formal, stunning, all-red gowns are making inroads into Christmas or holiday weddings, especially the cozy kind in front of a crackling hearth. You'll see more red at Valentine weddings, rose-themed weddings, and Las Vegas weddings -- not to mention second weddings where the bride's more apt to select exactly what she feels good in, and nothing less.
Thinking of red for yourself? Maybe your forebears did too. During the American Revolution, it wasn't uncommon for brides show their support for the rebellion by donning a red dress.
Fortunately, these days it's not a political statement. A bride wears red because she wants to. She's comfortable with herself and with the dress she finds most beautiful -- even if that choice still raises some eyebrows in the back of the chapel.
About the author:
Blake Kritzberg is owner and proprieter of FavorIdeas.com Stop by http://www.favorideas.comfor a huge selection of wedding favors, Bridezilla's weekly adventures, and free resources for brides: save-the-date eCards, screensaver, wallpaper and web site templates.
For today's red wedding gowns at a glance, please see: http://www.favorideas.com/red-wedding-dress.htm
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