Vera Wang wedding gown, front

Vera Wang wedding gown, back

I promise, there are some more traditional wedding gowns that I do enjoy, but for some reason all I ever want to write about is the atypical gown. This, like the Oscar de la Renta gown I featured last week, is still very obviously bridal in spite of its color.

Let’s start with the bodice, which is truly a work of art. Ornate, impeccably constructed, and complex, though that black sash does nothing for it, and I think it actually hides some of the beauty of that spectacular design. Flowery and shimmery, satin and textured, and I love the way it sort of melts down into the dress. The skirt is of course a draped crinoline piece of heaven, like so many Vera Wang gowns, bridal or otherwise. And the colors are amazing. Greyish mauves, lilacs, lavenders, and pinks make the skirt look as if it’s made of air, billowing out like smoke instead of fabric.

I’m not in love with the way the fabric crosses over itself and then poofs out the middle when you see it from the back. I’m somewhat opposed to trains – I think unless you’re royalty, they’re just too much – so perhaps that’s why I don’t love the way the fabric parts to make way for a mini-train. But I do wish I could see a veil in that amazing smoky lilac color – that would perfect this gown, which is already an alternative bride’s dream come true.