The first wedding dress I bought was a ‘fail’ - literally an online shopping disaster. It was a Vera Wang-style creation that was much more like an imitation than a Vera Wang. It was embarrassing. Unwearable. We still laugh about it.
With only a week to go before my wedding, we set out to buy dress #2. This time, I wasn’t going to let the same thing happen. I wanted to look amazing on my wedding day.
Anyone would think that with a week to go, I really shouldn’t be fussy. The best approach would be to accept any dress at all that looked somewhat flattering and fit the bill.
Near enough is good enough, right? Not on your wedding day. Instead, I set my standards high. I decided I would only entertain dresses that I knew would look great on me and I would love wearing. In a wedding dress shop filled with literally hundreds of wedding dresses, I picked out two.
As I looked at myself in the first dress, I felt gorgeous. I felt a complete assurance that this dress would have me floating down the aisle. I bought it, loved it, felt great in it and never regretted it. My wedding dress is a fantastic style for my body shape, it is my perfect shade of white and it’s exactly my taste. There’s really no way to shop quite as successfully as when you shop for your colours, shape and taste.
I’ve discovered a little something about these three aspects of style. They are the best guidance we can find for landing a piece we will love - that wedding dress that will stand the test of time. The one we look at in years to come and feel so gorgeous about.
I was rewarded by shopping for my Style Essentials that day. I never questioned that dress. I felt amazing in it and ten years later, I still love how I looked that day.
I’ve been helping women discover their Style Essentials since 2017. I think of them like the road signs on our styling journey. We need them to get where we are going, and even more importantly on special days. They are our Personal Colours, Body Shape Strategy and Style Personality.
The first test for your wedding dress is to ask yourself one key question: “Do I love it?” That powerful question will often tell you everything you need to know.
Nina Fountain, Personal Stylist at Style Gorgeous
Remote and Wellington-based styling to help women everywhere unlock personal style they completely enjoy.