Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Bridesmaids Archives - Flair Boston | Wedding Dresses in Boston MA | Bridal Gowns, Bridesmaid Dresses, Accessories, Wedding Dress Cleaning Bridesmaids Archives - Flair Boston | Wedding Dresses in Boston MA | Bridal Gowns, Bridesmaid Dresses, Accessories, Wedding Dress Cleaning

Bridesmaid Dress Alterations

Brides, what YOU need to know!

I don’t know about you, but when I first started planning my wedding I was determined to do everything myself. Not down to the cooking, I wouldn’t subject my guests to that, but in terms of style and décor, I alone was going to make every single decision. Then, months passed and wedding planning became overwhelming and suddenly I was more than happy to pass off tasks to trusted people around me. As a bride, it’s important to delegate and know what’s most important you to, and what can be handled by others. When it comes to your bridesmaids and their dress tailoring, you may think that you can leave it 100% to them, but we recommend making a few small decisions yourself before cutting them loose:

Of course, the first step is getting your girls a proper fitting dress! Check out our website for our measurement guide, or ask us any questions you have!

Of course, the first step is getting your girls a proper fitting dress! Check out our website for our measurement guide, and feel free to ask us any questions you may have!

Length – You don’t need to go so crazy as to tell each girl exactly how many inches she should take off her hem, but you should let them know your shortness threshold. The last thing you want is for one girl to show up in a mini that you did not authorize. Consider giving them a head start by saying that you prefer “two inches above the knee” or whatever you think is best. If you’ve chosen long dresses, remind your girls to bring their shoes with them to the tailor, so that he/she can perfectly align your girl’s hem with the floor.
Location – We get it, being a bridesmaid is expensive, but that’s no reason to cut corners and go cheap on the tailoring. A good seamstress is well worth the money, especially considering how many photos will be taken! Consider doing some research and giving your girls the names of a few reputable places to get them going. That way, you can avoid a chop job emergency in the final days before the wedding!
Lingerie – Well, undergarments is what we really mean, but we had an alliteration thing going on there. Since it can’t be seen and therefore doesn’t affect your wedding per se, you can’t really force your girls to buy certain pieces, but you can make suggestions. Choose a dress with a clingy fabric? Lightly recommend a shaper so that you don’t see any underwear lines. Select a strapless or other low cut style? Discuss choosing a bra that keeps the cleavage at a tasteful level.

Of course, if you have any questions on tailoring your girls’ dresses, don’t hesitate to give Flair a ring!

Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Caring for your wedding wardrobe

As we unpacked box after box of shiny, new bridesmaids’ dresses this week, we got to thinking about what happens to these beauties after they leave our showroom. We LOVE getting photos from our brides’ big days; seeing the dresses come to life and fit in with all of your other gorgeous wedding details. But what about before the wedding day? We realized that maybe it was time for a little crash course in “I just received my bridesmaid’s dress, now what??”

Just a small sampling of the dresses we unpack on a daily basis. Side bar, this is going to be one beautiful, blush bridal party!

Just a small sampling of the dresses we unpack on a daily basis. Side bar, this is going to be one beautiful, blush bridal party!

So you pick up your dress, you’re all excited, and then you get it home and kinda freak out a little. This is a super important dress and you have to keep it safe and in perfect condition until the wedding day (which for some people is months away). Don’t panic, here’s what you do:

1) Try it on…ASAP! – We’re going to start off by saying that 99.9% of the time our dresses leave the store in perfect condition. However, there is that other 0.1% to consider. If you get your dress home and you think something isn’t quite right, we have to know about it right away. Most likely, it’s not an actual problem and we can talk you through it. In the event that there is a true issue, though, our designers will only consider fixing a dress if they know about the problem quickly. The longer it’s in your care, the more likely the problem occurred on your end, and the less likely they will be to remedy it.

2) Find your dress a home – Once you’ve tried your dress on and are happy with it, it needs a place to live. Find a nice, dark place (like the back of your closet) to keep it safe. Avoid anywhere that gets direct sunlight, as prolonged sun exposure overtime can affect the color slightly. Also, make sure the dress isn’t smashed/crushed; giving it ample space will avoid wrinkling. Last but not least, always keep your dress in the bag we provided it with!

3) Plan your tailoring – Most dresses will need some adjustments, so use this time to research where you want to take yours. Of course, Flair has a preferred, amazing tailor, but ultimately you can take your dress wherever you like. We strongly recommend choosing a reputable tailor with great reviews (ideally someone you know has used/loved them). Remember, the cheapest option is likely not the best option. This is not the place to cut corners!

4) Let out some steam – While many tailors will offer to steam your dress for you, it is likely to get a few wrinkles between pick up and the wedding day. See if the venue where you will be getting ready has a steamer on hand for last minute adjustments. If not, most dresses can be steamed in the bathroom during a nice, long, hot shower. Just avoid actual water contact with your dress; keep it far enough from the stream to just get a nice, little steam.

Perfect steaming form! Pull the fabric out and get the steamer close, but not touching the garment. Fab photo courtesy of Calvina Photography

Perfect steaming form! Pull the fabric out and get the steamer close, but not touching the garment. Fab photo courtesy of Calvina Photography

See, nice and easy! If any other questions come up between pick up and the wedding, though, just reach out to Flair, we’re always here to help!

Meet Mariell!

Mariell: Your New Jewelry Best Friend!

Don’t get me wrong, I love living with my husband (most of the time) but I often find myself missing the years I spent living with my girlfriends. Watching trashy TV together (for some strange reason I just can’t get my husband to sit down and watch The Real Housewives with me), having impromptu dance parties, cooking together; I miss it all! One of the hardest things about moving away from them though is that my closet was cut in half! No longer can I roam into their bedrooms and go “shopping” for something new to wear. It was the perfect situation; tons of new (to me) items that I knew would be stylish because well, my friends are fab. I bet it’s something all of us girls miss as we get older, so Flair tries to recreate that experience for you. When you shop at Flair, we want it to feel like you’re shopping in your friend’s closet; easy, quick, fun and full of items handpicked to please! Case in point: our new jewelry designer, Mariell! Flair spent a long time looking for a jewelry designer that has the three necessities: high quality, stylish products, at great prices, with a quick turnaround time. And boy, have we found it! Check out some of our favorite items below and then give us a call to stop by our “closet” and poke through all of our fabulous, new jewelry collection. You can also check out tons of Mariell products on our online site, Frills, from the comfort of your own closet! Happy shopping, Flair friends!

This cushion cut necklace and earring set is a steal at only $85.00!

This cushion cut necklace and earring set is a steal at only $85.00!

Sigh, we love these vintage style earrings, and they're only $56.00!

Sigh, we love these vintage style earrings, and they’re only $56.00!

We are swooning over this art deco bridal headband, and you can to for just $85.00!

We are swooning over this art deco bridal headband, and you can to for just $85.00!

Fall Fashion + Award Season!

Here at Flair, we always have mixed feelings about the return of Fall. It’s a lot like when leggings came back into style. At first, we didn’t like it, we fought it, and then ultimately we accepted it. True, summer is over, but fall brings so many great things; pumpkin spice lattes, boots, sweaters AND the start of award show season!

You know we at Flair love us a red carpet. First up: the Emmy’s! The Emmy’s have a special place in our hearts because it combines two of our favorite things; gorgeous dresses and TV! Over the summer, we really missed our TV friends (Hi, Schmidt! What’s up Mindy?!) and the Emmy’s is the first time we’ve seen them in months. That’s exciting enough, but it’s even better because we get to see them all dressed up!

We love award shows for the glamour and the fashion, of course, but we also love the amazing inspiration they provide for the upcoming wedding season! While some looks should stay on the stars (or in their closets – talking to you Amanda Peet), we did see a bunch of trends that can totally transfer from the red carpet to the wedding aisle!

 

Blue: Forget the “red” carpet, this Emmy’s carpet was all about blue! We’re not talking about navy here, but a true, vibrant blue. It’s a great color for bridesmaids’ dresses; super flattering on all skin tones and hair colors and it pairs with almost any color you want for your bouquets. Perfection!

Inspiration: Allison Williams in Ralph Lauren. Hello gorgeous! The cut is so elegant and timeless, making the color the real statement of the dress. The best part? ANY girl could wear this dress and look and feel amazing in it. Let’s also try and recreate her curls, she definitely had the best hair of the night!

Lace: Just this past season we started to see lace make an appearance in the bridesmaids’ world and we think it’s going to be an even bigger trend this year! Lace is great because it is a fabric that translates well to any event, making it an easy dress to re-wear after the wedding (even we can admit that some bridesmaids’ fabric have that “bridesmaidy” look and feel which makes them hard to wear other places). Plus, lace has the amazing ability to be both modern and classic at the same time. We’re obsessed!

Inspiration: Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang. Wow! Let’s face it, Sofia could wear a potato sack and look amazing, but this red lace gown really takes her beauty to the next level! Even a gorgeous woman like her can appreciate the texture that lace provides to such a fitted dress; it hides any lines you don’t want to be seen!

Straps: Did you notice that all of the Flair girls’ favorite gowns had straps? Not only that, but they were all different! Stacey loved Julie Bowen’s ruffled v-neck, Jaime died for Rose Byrne’s classy boat neck and Madison fell in love with Michelle Dockery’s chic halter. We are so happy to see the variety of top styles, and we think that that variety will also translate to the bridal world!

Inspiration: The above dresses of course, as well as Tina Fey in Narcisso Rodriguez. She has never looked better! Her gown was tailored perfectly (which is super important) AND she was in the hot color of the night too. A+ for Liz Lemon!

Happy Fall….and award season!

xoxo

Lindsay

Welcome to Flair!

Welcome some new beauties to Flair from the Lela Rose Collection!

LR2

Illusion Neckline is totally in this season and this adorable style would even be great for a rehearsal dinner or bridal shower!

LR3

Well hellllllo Hi-low hemline it is here to stay in this adorable strapless option!

LR1

Lastly, another illusion neckline….this time in a one shoulder!! So lovely!

Call us to set up an appointment to see these beauties! Or book online here!

617.247.2828

XOXO

Stacey + Jaime

A Perfect Combination!

Today at Flair we got to discussing some classic combos. Peanut butter and jelly, peas and carrots, bread and butter….can you tell that we had this discussion around lunch time? The dynamic duo that really sparked our conversation though cannot be found in the fridge; Coren Moore and Kate Spade!

Here’s how the convo got started…our lovely FedEx guy dropped off a huge box of adorable dresses for our Coren Moore trunk show at the same time that we were drooling over Kate Spade’s flash sale website (did you see it? GREAT deals!). It didn’t take long for us to realize how well these two fit together! They’re preppy, classic, and oh so fashionable.

Kate Spade

We just so happen to have a Kate Spade store on our block, so we decided to take a little field trip for some inspiration. We were kids in a candy store! Everything in there is so colorful and fun; very Flair! One piece really stuck out; a gorgeous navy and white striped necklace that Stacey ended up buying for herself. It’s the perfect combo of preppy and modern. We love it! We couldn’t help trying it with some of the Coren Moore dresses we had in and it literally looked good with every single one. So, for any Coren Moore brides/maids out there looking for jewelry, check out Kate Spade. While some of her pieces can get a little pricey, they are a great investment and something that can truly be worn again and again!

Our Coren Moore Trunk Show ends May 19th!  Get those orders in!!

Happy Spring!

Linds, Stace, Jaime, Madi & Hilleary 🙂

Mis-Matched Bridesmaids Dresses!

While we consider ourselves to be pretty fearless most of the time, lately alot of our brides have been saying something to us that truly makes us shudder: “I really like the look of Molly Sims’ bridal party.” <Cue classic horror movie music> Gasp!

If you haven’t seen her bridal party, do a quick Google search. Find it? OK good. It really is gorgeous, and we love to see someone doing something a little different BUT we’ve had a hard time recreating that look for our brides…until now!

Jenny Yoo came out with her first “social collection” this season, which includes pretty prints, luxurious laces and preppy polka dots. They pair perfectly with our already fabulous collection of solid dresses, to help you achieve that effortless mix and match look that so many brides are going for these days. Check out these fab photos from her recent shoot to get a sneak peek and if you like what you see (and we think you will) give us a call to come see it in person!

social-home-1     social-home-2

social-home-3    social-home-4

social-home-5   social-home-11

social-home-6   social-home-7

So go ahead….mix it up!

XOXO

Linds + Stace

Happy Black Saturday + Sunday Sale!!

Photo: Leah Haydock | Venue: Colonnade Hotel | Hair: Alexander Maud |Makeup: Dani Wagener | Flowers:Le Flur

 

Let’s face it, Thanksgiving is every bride’s best (and worst) frenemy. Every year “she” brings families together and reminds us all to appreciate what we’ve been given. Good friend! However, she also brings us gravy, pumpkin pie and buttered rolls. What a mean-ie! Doesn’t she know that there are tons of brides and bridesmaids out there trying to stay fit?! I recommend just giving into her girls; you’d have to be part robot to resist Thanksgiving’s goodies. We all deserve cheat days and this is the mother of all cheat days!

Once you awake from your wine/tryptophan induced nap (the BEST kind of nap in my opinion), Thanksgiving also has another “treat” in store; Black Friday sales! Who doesn’t love waking up at the crack of dawn to throw elbows at your fellow shoppers, only to find that the TV you were hoping for is already sold out (and yes, I am speaking from experience)? In theory, Black Friday is a great idea, but here at Flair we wanted to refine it a little.

We’re doing our annual “Black Saturday+Sunday” sale (giving you an extra day to recover from your food coma) and we promise that nothing is going to sell out. Plus, we’re always by appointment, so you can put those elbows away. Basically, it’s the same great dresses we always have, just discounted. We’re thankful for all of you, and we wanted to show you our appreciation by helping you save some money. Simple as that! Save an extra 5% on all Bridesmaid orders placed by November 11th and 10% off all Wedding Dresses + Accessories

Appointments are flying out the door so give us a call ASAP, and we promise you the easiest after Thanksgiving shopping experience you’ve ever had!!

 617.247.2828

Gobble, Gobble

Stacey + Lindsay

 

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

Making and having a successful bridal/bridesmaid appointments!

Congratulations, your true love has finally popped the question and you said “YES”!  First things first, pick a date and a venue!! Now onto fashion…..what will you wear and what will you choose for your bridal party!

We realize this an extremely exciting time in your life and believe us we are so excited for you and cannot wait to hear about all of your plans and ideas! Here are a few helpful hints before you come in for an appointment to keep in mind!

1. Book your appointment at least 2 weeks in advance!

If you have friends flying in from far off lands, you usually know pretty far in advance……so, as soon as you know, call us!  617.247.2828 We hate turning you away when you have your close friends in town but we are a small store and we need more than 2 days’ notice to book you an appointment especially for a late night or weekend!

2. Come in with some sort of vision!!

Lucky for us, we live in a society that is overloaded with information….sometimes completely over the top at all times.  We have so many ways to find inspiration Pinterest, Bridal Magazines, Blogs, Facebook stalking(we know you do it!), and wedding planners! The problems arise when you come in and give your girls free reign of the entire store and don’t pick any kind of direction.  You are just setting yourself up for disaster and a very disappointing appointment.  Your friends do want to please you and help make your day as wonderful as possible so take this opportunity to at least give them a direction to go in!

3. Bring a select group of friends and family!

If you have been to Flair then you know that we are on the smaller side. If you haven’t, now you know!  We are a small store..…you are probably thinking what does that mean for me? Well, it means bringing the entire bridal party or every aunt and cousin you have doesn’t not really work here! Unfortunately we are a small store and we only have two fitting rooms. On Saturday’s we double book so your large groups will be limited to one fitting room.  So, our suggestion would be to pick your most trusted friends and family to come in and help you with your bridal gown or bridesmaid dress process.  You do want some people to be surprised when they show up at the wedding right?

4. If you made an appointment, keep your appointment or cancel it!

So, you called ahead of time to make a special appointment to come in and look at bridal gowns or bridesmaid dresses! Congrats you were able to schedule the best possible time for you and your friends and your special appointment time rolls around……..and we are patiently waiting for you to arrive to show you all the beautiful gowns/dresses we have when……..we realize you are not coming.

Although I would like to say this happens hardly ever, that is not the case.  Not only does this hurt us as a small business, it hurts our other customers that are on our waitlist hoping for a time to be able to get in and check out bridal gown or bridesmaid dresses with friends and family.  So, if you can’t make it that is fine, just let us know so that we can fill in your time slot with the girls who can make it and are calling us non-stop to see if someone has cancelled.

So, now that you have all our pointers make plans with your girls, call early and get in here!! We are dying to hear about your wedding!!

 

XOXO

Stacey & Lindsay

Up Coming Events at Flair

March 9th-11th: Jenny Yoo Trunk Show

March 16th-17th: Coren Moore Trunk Show

March 23rd-25th: Anna Elyse Trunk Show/Bridal Trunk Show