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Bridesmaids’ Dress Trends 2017

From the runways to the wedding aisle!

When New York Fashion Week ended, I went into a slight depression. It was so fun seeing all of those fab, fresh looks (via celebs in my Instagram feed) and learning what hot trends we can expect for this Spring/Summer. Now that it’s over, what am I going to see in my feed now?? Back to shots of my friends’ babies and meals? Boring! OK, just kidding, we love a good baby and/or food photo, but seriously, we need our fashion fix too! Good thing for us, London Fashion Week kept the chic snaps coming! London is such a trendy, fashionable city, and there were inspiring looks all over the place! Here are a few trends we caught that you can totally incorporate into your bridesmaids’ styles:
Red and Yellow – See ya later, muted colors, bold is back in a big way! In particular, reds and yellows have been all over the runways, so why not all over your wedding too? Yellow specifically, though, can be a tricky color on some skin tones, so just be sure to have all of your girls try it on before you commit. Red, on the other hand, has a tendency to read Valentine’s Day and/or Christmas, so be sure to pair it with non-holiday shades to give it a more weddingy (yes, we made up that word) look. Tiffany blue, aubergine, and dove gray are a few favorites that come to mind.

Anna Elyse has one of the largest color palettes we've ever seen; plenty of reds and yellows for you!

Anna Elyse has one of the largest color palettes we’ve ever seen; plenty of reds and yellows for you!

Cut outs – OK, we know that cut outs have been around for awhile, but we’re not talking about the typical ones that you’ve seen at the waist. We’re seeing cut outs in whole new places, including the backs of dresses. If you want to show a little skin but still be wedding appropriate, this trend is for you!

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Red AND a cool cut out?! This Dessy dress is soooo on trend!

Mixing Prints – Prints have become popular in the bridesmaids’ world over the past year or so, but this year if you really want to step it up, then mix them up! Have your girls wear a few different coordinating prints for a modern, unique look!

We can't think of much chicer than mixing different floral prints. Way to go Jenny Yoo!

We can’t think of much chicer than mixing different floral prints. Way to go Jenny Yoo!

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Destination Weddings: Closer than you think!

Photo Shoot Fabulousness: Destination Weddings Edition!

Not to overstate things, but New England is literally the best place to live in the entire world. Bar none. End of story. OK, we may be just a little biased and yes, it’s true, we have to put up with some killer winters, but our stunning Springs, Summers and Falls make it all worthwhile! Plus, with all of our fabulous little states so close together, you can take an amazing vacation without going more than a couple hours from home. Also, we have the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics. Boom. Enough said. Going back to vacations though, on the same note, New England brides can throw a stunning destination wedding without ever having to board a plane! There are tons of amazing spots around New England that will be new to you and your guests, but still close to home. The smart, talented staff at Southern New England Weddings Magazine realized what a destination wedding gem New England really is, and they decided to dedicate their new issue to just that! Check out this stunning Nantucket themed shoot to see how easy it is to create a fresh, destination wedding look in our own backyard. Plus, Flair provided some of the gorgeous attire for this shoot, so yeah, it’s pretty epic! Grab the new edition of Southern New England Weddings today to see the entire shoot and start to plan your close to home, destination wedding!

Sigh. We're swooning already and we're just on the cover!

Sigh. We’re swooning already and we’re just on the cover!

True, the weather in New England can be unpredictable, but who cares when you consider how stunning this overcast shot is!

True, the weather in New England can be unpredictable, but who cares when you consider how stunning this overcast shot is!

I spy Anna Elyse's Madeleine bridal gown on the top right and Theia's petal gown on the bottom right!

I spy Anna Elyse’s Madeleine bridal gown on the top right and Theia’s petal gown on the bottom right!

We love the soft, romantic color palette of this shoot, and that cake with mussel shells is kinda fantastic!

We love the soft, romantic color palette of this shoot, and that cake with mussel shells is kinda fantastic!

Wedding Inspiration courtesy of Pantone!

We love when Pantone comes out with their color picks for the upcoming season! Per usual, though, the fashion world is a little ahead of the rest of us. The New York Fashion Week happening right now is featuring Spring 2015 looks, and Pantone is following suit by highlighting colors that will be hot in that same season. That’s perfect for the wedding industry though! We’re starting to get super busy with Spring/Summer 2015 brides who can now all take advantage of Pantone’s psychic vision into what will be hot in their wedding season! We’re highlighting a few of the stunning shades below, with Flair dresses to match, of course! There are tons more to choose from, though, so give us a call to stop in and start envisioning the looks that will be coming down your 2015 runway/asile!

This delicious color, Custard, is the perfect shade of yellow! Check it out in Anna Elyse's Slender Sweetheart dress in Lemon Meringue (catching the dessert theme?)!

This delicious color, Custard, is the perfect shade of yellow! Check it out in Anna Elyse’s Slender Sweetheart dress in Lemon Meringue (catching the dessert theme?)!

Glacier Gray is the epitome of chic, as is Jenny Yoo's Suri dress in Dove Gray!

Glacier Gray is the epitome of chic, as is Jenny Yoo’s Suri dress in Dove Gray!

The name of this color, Classic Blue, says it all! It is super flattering and will pop against the bridal gown. Check it out on Lynn Lugo's Sophia dress in Royal; gorge!

The name of this color, Classic Blue, says it all! It is super flattering and will pop against the bridal gown. Check it out on Lynn Lugo’s Sophia dress in Royal; gorge!

Wine Country Wedding Wonder

Guys, we are OBSESSED with Southern New England Weddings. It is seriously one of the most beautifully put together wedding publications we’ve ever seen. Everyone at SNEW has a passion for weddings, and they work hard to produce a magazine that any and every New England bride can turn to for inspiration. There’s nothing we hate more than flipping through a magazine only to find that every idea is out of our fiscal reach. Another bummer? When we see an ad for a cake (cue drool) and then learn that the baker is located across the country. So, Southern New England Weddings is perfect for us! They take the time to feature products and ideas for all budgets, and they shout out all of the best local vendors. Speaking of which, this seems like a good time to segue into a sneak peek of the most recent shoot Flair did with SNEW. (See what I did there…best local vendors…Flair…duh). So sit back, relax, and take a nice, long sip of this delicious wine country themed shoot. Oh, and be sure to grab the newest issue of Southern New England Weddings to see the full spread and get the scoop on all of the fab wedding pros who also collaborated on this shoot! Cheers!

Our Nicole Miller "Mia" gown is perfect for a rustic, wine country wedding!

Our Nicole Miller “Mia” gown is perfect for a rustic, wine country wedding!

Our Mia gown has the most gorgeous sweetheart top, and check out that stunning headpiece by our friends at Ti Adoro!

Our Mia gown has the most gorgeous sweetheart top, and check out that stunning headpiece by our friends at Ti Adoro!

We love this strapless lace gown by Theia! It is soft and comfy, while remaining glam (and well priced!)

We love this strapless lace gown by Theia! It is soft and comfy, while remaining glam (and well priced!)

We are DYING over this detail shot of our Theia lace gown!

We are DYING over this detail shot of our Theia lace gown!

These bridesmaids look effortlessly chic in the Laurie dress by Coren Moore (left) and the Casey dress by Anna Elyse (right). Swoon!

These bridesmaids look effortlessly chic in the Laurie dress by Coren Moore (left) and the Casey dress by Anna Elyse (right). Swoon!

Anna Elyse 2014 Collection Trunk Show!

We are so excited to have the new Unzipped Collection in the store this weekend!  Not only are these dresses perfect for mixing and matching they also require little to no tailoring!!  We still have a few appointments available for Thursday and Friday of this week!! We can’t wait to help dress your bridal party in Anna Elyse dresses!  And as an extra special promo we are offering 25% off the entire Unzipped Collection!!

AETrunk

To Market We Go: 2012 Edition!

Sorry this blog is coming about a week late Stacey and I have been exhausted from all our travel and excitement! Two  weeks ago we traveled to NYC for bridal market to check out the newest styles from our designers. Yes you read that right, we worked ALL weekend. We went to fashion shows and chatted with our fabulous designers/friends and shopped on 5th Avenue. It…was…awful.

JK, it was amazing!! It’s seriously one of our favorite weekends of the year, for two reasons. 1) We LOVE our designers and this is the one time a year we get to see them in person. Yes, it’s fun to see their new dresses, but it is equally fun just catching up with them. 2) We LOVE our brides/bridesmaids and we literally cannot wait to show you the new dresses, you’re going to be obsessed with them! While we don’t want to give away TOO much (the new samples will not be here until after the New Year), here are some fresh, new trends we saw for the upcoming season!

1)      Straps on bridal gowns: The time has come ladies. We’ve been asking for more strapped bridal gowns for years and this is the first year where we really saw a good amount in the new collections. V-necks, cap sleeves, and halters, oh my!

2)      Printed bridesmaids’ dresses: We are sosososo excited for this one. Doing a print on a bridesmaid’s dress is so fresh and modern, and makes for really unique and special photos. Not ready to come around to something so outside the box? Think one print, one textured fabric and one solid, all in the same color way. Google Molly Sims’ bridal party and that’ll give you a gorgeous example. Not all of the bridesmaids need to be in the pattern, but it’s a great accent to solid dresses’. VERY fun!

3)      Sherbet: First things first, is it sherbet or sherbert? I always thought it was sherbert but the computer disagrees; the red squiggly line underneath – indicating a misspelling – is really bugging me, so I’ll say sherbet from here on out. Anywaysssssss sherbet colors are going to be HUGE! We saw pale colors take the front seat this year (think blush and champagne) but cool greens and flattering oranges may just steal their spots next year. Stay tuned to see them in person!

4)      Tea length bridal gowns: This trend has been slowly creeping up on us. The past few years we have seen 1 or 2 at market but this year it EXPLODED. Every designer had some shorter options, but have no fear, they are still totally bridal looking! Plus, this is a great way to get a gorgeous dress at a lower price AND you don’t have to worry about bustling a train (definitely nice for outdoor weddings).

I could go on and on, we saw SO many amazing dresses! Stay tuned in early 2013 to see them in person!

XO

Lindsay and Stacey

Anna Elyse’s NEW Silk Essence Collection!

OK I’ve got a question, when is this whole economy thing going to turn around? Anybody know? I’ve been doing pretty diligent work on my end, revamping my Spring/Summer wardrobe and all. Now I understand that that alone may not be enough to turn the whole economy around (though my husband might beg to differ…he put me on a budget the other day…silly Jay) so we’re trying to help out at Flair as well.

Having planned our own weddings during this economy, Stacey and I understand how hard it is to ask your bridesmaids to spend a ton of money on their dresses. We also know, though, that you want them to look super cute. Know who else understands all of that? One of our fabulous designers…Anna Elyse! So, she has come to the rescue with a gorgeous new fabric called Silk Essence. It looks just like real silk, but since it’s a poly you save tons of money! For such a great deal you probably think your options are going to be kinda limited though, right? Wrong! There are about a million colors to choose from and most of Anna Elyse’s styles are available in her new fabric. So, bottom line, come check it out ASAP! We just got our first sample in and it’s adorable! We know you’ll agree.

Happy Shopping!

Lindsay

XOXO

Heart Pounding Pastels!

The struggle of having to decide what to wear to a friend’s wedding, can be as difficult as deciding what to have your own bridesmaids wear on your big day. However, fashionistas like yourselves may take note that the Spring 2012 trend of pastels, lends itself to wedding fashion this current season. Hues such as pale pink, yellow, and blue took over the Spring 2012 runways, and have begun to trickle down into the  bridal scene. Although one might think that only Easter eggs should come in pastel, when done in the right manner the colors can look quite classy and feminine.

Designers such as Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg sent their models down the catwalk in flowy pastel pieces, sometimes even throwing in a pastel colored floral print. Rodarte took the dominant trend to the extreme and closed their show with a series of floral pastel green, blue, and yellow printed dresses. This trend translates to the bridal industry in a major way, as it can easily be applied to dresses for spring and summer weddings. Our featured designers Anna Elyse and Coren Moore offer many of these trendy colors in much of their collections, which makes it easy for any bridesmaid or wedding-goer to be fashion forward! Worried that you or your bridesmaids won’t look good in pastels? Have no fear! Pastels truly go well with all skin tones, pale or dark and are not eccentric so that everyone can feel comfortable. The subdued feel of the tones also promise not to take away from other important details of a wedding, such as the color theme… or even the bride!

So now that we’ve sold you on either choosing pastel for your bridesmaids or for a dress for yourself, we would like to offer some suggestions that we have for you here at Flair! Anna Elyse offers gorgeous pastel colors in her Silk Chiffon and Sponged Silk Charmeuse Fabrics, which are both also fabulous lightweight fabrics for a spring/summer occasion.

Another designer who falls does a rendition of the trend is Coren Moore, who has great pastels in her silk shantung and silk chiffon fabrics. The designers offer many of their pieces in these fabrics, and they are sure to be perfect for spring.

We hope that if when it comes time to choose a dresses for your special occasion, you have difficult time during the Spring 2012 season, you will go with the trend of pastels. It is a simple, classy, yet fashion-forward way to show off your stylish side at the next wedding that you are in or attend. Who knows, maybe you will even be able to re-wear your pastel piece during this mad wedding season! You’re sure to be the most stylish group of bridesmaids or attendee at any wedding!

XOXO

Intern of the year 😉

Joy

New York Bridal Market at a Glance

Saturday October 15th – Day 1

9:30 AM – Lindsay and Stacey board the Amtrak to NYC! A few episodes of Glee on our computers and we’re there!

1:30 PM – Struggle to catch a cab at Penn Station and Lindsay’s watch goes missing…not a good start…

2:00 – We check into the fabulous Omni Berkshire Hotel in Midtown, thanks to our friends at the Omni in Boston. Seriously, if there is an Omni wherever you are traveling, STAY THERE! They are all so classy and gorgeous, we were in heaven!

3:00 – Explore Midtown a little…we search for a Starbucks that the concierge told us was a block away, but never find it (more on that later) and end up getting sandwiches nearby.

4:00 – Make ourselves pretty and presentable (takes longer than you’d think).

4:30 – Wind ruins our hair as we wait for a cab outside of the hotel…Stacey and Lindsay are NOT happy.

5:00 – Check into Pier 94 (where bridal market is held) and have our first meeting with Anna Elyse, yay! We don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say we are SO excited about her new bridal line. We absolutely fell in love with one gown with a textured skirt…stay tuned! She is expanding and growing her bridesmaids’ line as well and added two new fabrics, chiffon and charmuese. Go Annie!

6:30 – Lindsay and Stacey struggle to figure out where to go to dinner. They end up at the hotel restaurant (Fireside) like major losers.  The salad in the parmesan bowl was fab though!

7:30 – Conference call with Flair’s owner Christine to discuss what we’ve seen so far. We are so excited already!

8:30 – Asleep…not kidding. The beds at the Omni were too amazing to resist for too long and poor Stacey is under the weather. Such a trooper!

Sunday October 16th – Day 2

6:00 AM – Time to wake up and get ready! We are sure to use ample Rave hairspray to avoid yesterday’s windy fiasco. P.S. Stacey confirms that the Omni has the best hotel shower EVER. Bonus!

7:30 – We’re out the door and immediately go looking for Starbucks…which we again did not find. Eventually we stumbled across one several blocks away (with the help of our smart phones – seriously, what did we do before those things?!). A fabulous man in a morning coat compliments Lindsay’s trench and sunglasses (the glasses are forever 21, he thought Tom Ford). Her day is made. Then, a turn for the worse: our lovely cab driver starts to drive away with Stacey still half way out the door. She swung her way in though, crisis averted.

9:00 – Appointment to see a potential new bridal designer, Junko Yoshioka. Such nice guys and gorgeous dresses! We have the best job ever!

10:00 – Time to meet with the Jenny Yoo ladies! We love them! Let us start by saying that Jenny has such a good idea for a bridesmaid’s dress that she is in the process of patenting it. Yes, you heard us, a patent. Can’t wait to show you ladies when the samples come in!

11:00 – Meeting with Coren Moore and her team. They are THE sweetest ever and we love hanging out with them, and of course seeing their new styles! We love their new chiffon pieces, which we’ll have in the store in the coming WEEKS! Eeek, so excited!! Plus, later in the season we’ll have a gorgeous bridesmaid’s dress with a ruffle detail and you know how we love us a ruffle!

12:00 PM – Quick trip to see our accessories designer, A.B. Ellie. Ashley is a true genius when it comes to bridal and bridesmaids’ belts. They really add SO much detail to our dresses. We added a few new pieces for the store and we know our girls are going to L-O-V-E them! Plus, we love seeing Ashley and her sister, they are so down to earth and fabulous!

12:30 – Off to Nicole Miller! Her dresses are so much fun, we love seeing them on the gorgeous models. Plus, she has A-MAZING party dresses that are really well priced!

1:30 – MUCH needed lunch break! Stacey and Lindsay wander the waterfront area for awhile and stumble upon a cute little pub. Slow service but great food, just the pick me up we needed!

3:00 – Lynn Lugo time! We are SOSO excited about Lynn’s new styles! In particular, there are three new tops with ruffle details that we fell in LOVE with. They are super cute and wearable, trust us! Plus, she came out with some great soft colors that we think will be very popular this year. Lynn and her husband Pete are the cutest couple ever, so we just love to chat and catch up with them. Plus, they gave us these amazing cups with her logo on them which we now use every day!

4:00 – Definitely time to grab a coffee in the buyer’s lounge area. We are starting to fade!

4:30 – Quick stop at Dessy. Theirs is always an easy one, we know we’re getting everything! We figured out what colors we wanted and were on our way!

5:00 – Our last meeting of the day is with 57 Grand. We love these ladies, definitely be on the lookout for them. They get the best magazine exposure ever and landed another Martha Stewart editorial just recently! They have a super cool bridal style with a removeable tulle skirt, so cool!

6:00 – Headed back to the Omni!

6:30 – Hour and a half conference call with Christine, we have SO much to discuss!

8:00 – Stacey and Lindsay get brave and venture out for dinner! Watch out NYC here we come! We went to this adorable Italian restaurant with THE fastest service ever. The entrees were there literally 2 minutes after we ordered, crazy! Plus, our waiter had a crush on us and gave us a glass of wine on the house. Not gonna lie, we needed it!

9:00 – Back to the Omni, we laugh and watch The Proposal and fall asleep by 11:00 (such rebels after last night).

Monday October 17th – Day 3

6:30 AM – Wake up time! We were ready super early yesterday so we slept a little later.

7:45 – Out the door, we try yet again to find the “close” Starbucks but again end up at the farther one we went to yesterday. Whatever, we’d travel miles and miles for the bucks.

9:00 – Meeting another new designer, Amy Kuschel. She is THE perfect fit for Flair! Her bridal gowns are definitely going to be a step up for us and we KNOW our girls are going to love them! Plus, former Flair girl Leah works with them at her new bridal boutique so we got to catch up with her there. We miss her! Ladies, you are going to DIE over these dresses, we are counting down the days until we can start showing them to you!!

10:00 – Travel to the Intercontinental Hotel where Siri is showing. She got the presidential suite there, go Siri!!

11:00 – Meeting with Siri. She has an absolutely adorable rouched sweetheart style that we know will KILL at Flair.

12:00 PM – Last stop of the trip, Badgley Mischka in Times Square! No new styles but it was still so nice to see their showroom, it’s gorgeous!

12:30 – Quick change into scrubby, train clothes in the Omni bathroom. We ask the concierge yet again where the closer Starbucks is…and still don’t find it. We are convinced it doesn’t exist.

1:00 – Quick lunch in Midtown. We get to eat outside because it is so gorgeous out!

2:00 – Amtrak home! A man and woman behind us refuse to stop talking even though the train is supposed to be quiet. We give a few mean glances, to no avail. On the brighter side, Stacey meets a new man (in the form of an adorable 7 month old baby, who was a major flirt).

Tuesday October 18th – Back to Flair!!! We only wish we had all of those new styles with us, but we should have a lot of them soon after the new year! Stay tuned brides and maids!

 

We had the best time at Bridal Market this year and we are so excited to share all the new gems!

Here’s to a happy, successful, beautifully dressed and healthy 2012!

XOXO

Lindsay & Stacey

 

 

Fall Favorites

It’s no secret that we New Englanders love autumn. With the crisp air, sweaters and those changing leaves that draw gawkers from miles away, it truly is a magical time of year. Here are a few other reasons we love Fall…

1)      Apple picking: Seriously, who doesn’t love a fun day out at an orchard picking apples right off of the tree? Fact: they always taste like 10 times better than the apples you get at the grocery store. Plus, you just feel productive, going out and foraging for your own food and what not. I felt inspired afterwards to continue the productiveness and cook, making applesauce from scratch. Watch out Martha Stewart. Looking for a fab orchard (and who isn’t?)? Try Belkin Lookout Farm in Natick. They have TONS of fresh fruit, as well as a petting zoo. I mean really, there’s something for everyone.

2)      New fall TV: We admit it, we’re kind of TV junkies at Flair. So, Fall always brings a sense of excitement as new shows come out and old favorites pick up from the annoying cliffhangers they left us off at. We highly recommend checking out “The New Girl” on Fox. It is simply adorkable, Zooey Deschanel is a comedy queen. Also, “Up All Night” on NBC is good for laughs, even though we’re not on the baby track just yet.

Hurry up and snatch up these soon to be discontinued styles from Jenny Yoo!

3)      Fall sales at Flair!!: Did you really think we wouldn’t bring this back to Flair somehow? Seriously though, our designers are feeling super generous in the fall and most are offering really great deals just to order your dresses before the crazy winter bridal season begins. So why not check the bridesmaids’ dresses off of your to-do list nice and early AND save some money at the same time! Check out the 411 on the remaining sales below and call us to set up an appointment ASAP!

Coren Moore: 15% off of all bridesmaids’ orders placed by October 31st PLUS one free sash per dress!

Lynn Lugo: $20 off of all dresses (on top of group discount) ordered by November 30th!

Jenny Yoo: Bump it up Promo add and extra 5% off your bridesmaid orders! Catch those styles before they get discontinued.

Siri: Extra $20 (on top of group discount) off all orders of 2 or more bridesmaids’ dresses by November 30th!

Happy Fall 😉

Lindsay and Stacey