To bolero?

[E B]

Yesterday morning, I shot out of bed with the realization that I''m getting married in less than two weeks.

And among other panicked thoughts, I decided (probably in my sleep) that my dress NEEDS a fitted lace cap-sleeve bolero. We''re getting married at the end of September, evening, in a garden...a bolero would complete the look, right? But now I''m wondering if I''m just having wedding dress jitters. I love my gown, and I picked it and STILL love it without the bolero.

If I''m going to have one made, I need to do it fast. What do you think? Bolero, or no bolero?

My dress is pictured below. Ignore the satin bolero, mine would be lace.

 

[E B]

And I''d have something like this made (courtesy of the lovely knottie HNN):

 

[decodelighted]

Wow -- time flies!! OK- bolero ... hmmm. I like the idea ... I actually like the satin one proportionally & puff-sleeve wise. I DO NOT LIKE the lace one below it ... it looks like an afterthought -- lace shoulderpads?? Just stuck on?? And it is NOT flattering. (JMHO)

IIRC -- Nordstroms has a bunch of lace boleros & shrugs & things when I was looking for a little sweater (found one on Ebay of all places) ... even Bluefly had some .. hmmmmm ... will look.

 

[april diamonds]

Ooooh that is a really tough one. (I love your dress btw) This is probably of zero help to you but I''d say it''s perfect EITHER way. But if you can get one made for a reasonable price and in time I''d go with it. Cause you can always not wear it right?

 

[oobiecoo]

I think either way would be beautiful! I''m not sure where you live and what the weather is like there but it might be nice to have that little something in case its slightly cool in the evening. I would probably get one made but that''s just my opinion

 

[Stephanie]

Is just the ceremony in the garden? If the reception is indoors, then it might not be worth worrying about. I love your dress, by the way! Have you gone out at night recently and been chilly? Or is it just to have in case? I love a lace bolero, so this is hard...

 

[decodelighted]

Here is one lace shrug I found ... I like the proportions of this better than the "lace shoulder pad" one ... this one has a seam & a mini cap sleeve. Maybe you could use this pix if you get one made??

link

 

[E B]

Deco, April, oobiecoo, and Stephanie,

Thank you all for your honesty! Both our ceremony and reception will take place outdoors, in the evening. As far as the weather''s concerned, the 14-day forcast says a high of 87 and a low of 65, but in Texas, you never really know. I really love the look, and I guess in my panic, I''ve become a bit strapless-shy. I''ve always been on the modest side, and though the lace bolero won''t cover me up much at all, really, at least it''ll feel like it, you know? I feel silly saying that.

Deco,

That''s perfect. Thank you SO much! Now, I''ve got to find someone to make it, and fast. I talked to the bridal salon where I purchased my gown, and the woman was very nice, and told me "they''ll make something for me", but I''m sure it''ll come with a pretty high price tag.

 

[AmberWaves]

Ebree, I love the bolero Idea, but I totally love the satin one. I think it''s the adorable puff sleeve. It could also be because of the lack of lace on your dress, though. I definitely think bolero!!!

 

[april diamonds]

I''m going to disagree with others and say I love the lace one. Am I correct in thinking there is a bit of lace design on the sash in the middle of your dress? I think it just goes great with the dress. So delicate and flowly.

And totally understand what you mean about strapless-shy. I ordered my dress and its strapless and now I''m freaking out about it! *does push-ups*

but just having something ON your shoulders does make you feel a lot less self-concscience even if it is lace or see through. And if it makes you feel more comfortable and prettier than I say go for it!

Someone also just posted pics from their wedding and they were wearing a lace bolero too, no? I thought it looked fantastic.

 

[april diamonds]

oh haha, Ebree, I just caught up on the Dress forum and see that you saw the pic I was talking about. Chellebelles gorgeous dress photos. yeah, that''s what I was thinking.

 

[blondie23]

I am also going to have to disagree. I LOVE the lace one! And you''re getting married at the arboretum right? I think lace will be beautiful.

 

[Independent Gal]

I think you need to HAVE the bolero, so you don''t stress about it, and you can decide whether to wear it on the day. It''s the sort of thing you can use again with the right summer dress anyway.

It looks pretty easy to make. A few snips. A few seams. I''d head to a fabric shop, find a pattern (online?) and bring the fabric and the pattern to a good dry cleaner who has a seamstress. Then it should only take her (or him) about an hour to make. Just snip snip snip, stichstich stich. You could even try it yourself, since the seams are short, you could sew it by hand in about 2-3 hours with a loose hem stich around the edges and a tidy one at the sleeves.

 

[anchor31]

I love the one Deco found for you.

Not loving the puffy-sleeved original one, though.

 

[kcoursolle]

I love the lace ones!!! They are so pretty and feminine. I''m sorry, but I''m not loving the puffed sleaves on the satin one...looks a little outdated to me.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Ebree,

I laughed out loud when I read this post because I literally dug up the scraps of leftover silk from my alterations to see if there was enough for a bolero. I have no clue why suddenly I felt I NEEDED a bolero, but I kicked myself for not ordering an extra yard of fabric.

I love the lace one, Ebree, I think it would look fantastic. And I'm all for having it done, so long as it doesn't stress you out. The thought of adding something right now--2 weeks pre-wedding--sort of made my heart stop a little. That being said, I think this project would be relatively simple.

 

[October2008bride]

I too think you should definitely get a lace one!! I think it is stunning! I love the look from the front, but man oh man, I love the look from the back! There is something so elegant and glamorous about it! PLUS you can take it off if you want to during the reception!

Go for it!

 

[E B]

Amber (where''ve you been, girl?), April, blondie, Indy, anchor, kcoursolle, NEL, and Oct,

Thank you all so much! You''ve definitely convinced me to go for it!

I''m going to get a ''quote'' from the bridal salon tomorrow, and if it isn''t outrageous, I''ll have it made.

Yay! I''m excited. I think it''ll complete the romantic, outdoor, garden bride look I want so badly.

 

[Independent Gal]

Just a thought: should you consider using a non-bridal shop seamstress? I''m just thinking about the possible extra mark-up... I seriously don''t think this is hard to make. Any competent tailor should be able to do it.

 

[surfgirl]

Well I''m a BIG lace bolero advocate, obviously! I loved mine and I preferred the bracelet length sleeve for more arm coverage... take another look at page 3 of my "Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Surfgirl" and look at the bolero photos...I love mine and the best part is you can use it again!

 

[OUpearlgirl]

I love them both! I think a bolero is a nice thing to wear at least for the ceremony (maybe because I''m a bit more conservative when it comes to the actual ceremony) and the lace ones are just gorgeous! I''m Team Bolero (either bolero!)

 

[E B]

surfgirl and OUPearl,

Thank you! surfgirl, I love yours. It was one of the first boleros to get the wheels in my head turning!

Indy-

I'd actually rather use a non-bridal seamstress, because I know the salon'll have a huge markup. The only problem is that I don't have my sash (with the embroidered lace) with me, so I wouldn't know what kind of lace to buy until I'm in town in a week. And apparently, the salon already has several kinds of lace and various scraps so when I go for my final fitting, they'll be able to match it. I'm already looking around for lace to order (in case the salon quote I'm getting tomorrow is too $$$), but I'm afraid I don't have that many options since I'm running out of time. It's times like these I wish I knew how to sew!

 

[E B]

Here's as large a picture of the sash as I can get. How the heck am I supposed to match THAT? Amy Kuschel simply calls it "French Lace".

(I hate how they let that sash sag before letting her onto the runway! I'm having mine sewn so it doesn't sag.)

 

[E B]

Would something like this clash horribly?

 

[E B]

Any better?

 

[E B]

How ''bout this?

 

[E B]

The second one looks the closest, but not close enough. I''m going to hit up two fabric stores here in Portland tomorrow and see what I find, I guess. Fingers crossed I find something fabulous!

 

[door knob solitaire]

To Bolero...that was the question right? Yes yes yes...have it within reach for comfort...or for the just right touch...or for some unique photo ops!!

When I look at the picture of the sash, I actually see appliques placed in different positions. Is that the same as your sash? It looks like there are sequins too! If so, when looking at the lace, please also look at the appliques. A small edge of them may be just enough to really look original. Also an addition of a new one to the sash can tie it all together. Same thought...if you can''t find a match for your bolero, get extra and incorporate it into the sash.

2 weeks

..no biggie...you can do it girlfriend

!! Get busy!!

DKS

 

[surfgirl]

Ebree, of the three photos I like the middle lace best but I agree it''s not quite right. Is it Alencon lace that you''re trying to match? If so, you really need to get Alencon because it has a very distinctive look, compared to other laces. I think the three examples you showed are more like Chantilly lace, which is thinner. Alencon has more body to it. For mine, I ended up lining it with sheer tulle netting to give it a bit more body. If you can look for the higher end fabric shops, they should have better selections of bridal lace bolts. Good luck! I cant wait to see it!