We’ve discussed several ideas on how to match/coordinate colors for your wedding party between your Bride’s Maids and Flower Girls now. 

Another tip for adding a sash in the color of your choice is to purchase very wide (2.5″) double-faced satin ribbon.  About 2.5 yards will make a lovely sash with bow on any dress that can take a sash.  Simple AND inexpensive.  You can change the color of sash on any dress instantly and as often as you want this way.  Ribbon can be purchased at any fabric store and many places on line.  Why double-faced?  It gives the perfect finish and has a bit more weight to hang better.  Cut the ends on an angle; if they fray, just trim them a little bit again.

The terms “Christening gown” and “Christening dress” are used interchangeably by many.  But we see quite a bit of difference between the two terms.

Think of the difference between a “dress” (as in street-length) and a “gown” for girls, teens or women.  That’s the difference here as well.

A Christening gown is 28″ or longer - often as long as 36″ or more.  It is a long garment that hangs long when the infant is held, well beyond the length of the child.  Of course, a child is never allowed to crawl or toddle in a gown.

A Christening dress is a typical-length baby dress that is styled suitably for a Blessing or Dedication ceremony - or for the family get-together afterward.  It is typically white though color is becoming more and more popular. 

Then there is the “daygown”. A “daygown” is roughly toe-tip.  They are typically “bishop” style, which means that the entire gown is gathered into the neckline and hand smocked similar to the daygown style shown here.  This creates a very easy-fitting garment and can be worn casual or slightly dressy.

You’ll find a wonderful selection of all these in our Baby & Christening Department.

Why is silk so popular these days for special occasion wear?

First and foremost, it has a lot to do with bridal wear.  Today’s wedding gowns feature all sorts of luxurious silk fabrics.  What happens in bridal is reflected everywhere else.

For instance - flower girl dresses will reflect trends in bridal wear.  But eventually, even Christening will!

It goes deeper than “trends” though. 

• Silk epitomizes understated elegance.  While it can be richly embellished, silk can”stand on its own” and make a statement by itself. 
• Silk is never bright white; the off-white looks better against many complexsions.
• It FEELS luxurious.
• It holds up better than many other fabrics.  It wrinkles less than other natural fabrics, for instance.
• It breathes, which can be VERY valuable in warm climates.

The US Angels line of Flower Girl dresses has been a classic for years.

They did it again by launching two wonderful new styles:

• US-572
• US-583

We think that you’ll agree both of these dresses are classics too!

And as you can see from the photo here - they’re available in the HOTTEST colors — including Blush, Champagne and Chocolate!

As always - let us know what you think!  Just leave a Comment for us.

The following is a quote from Earnshaws Magazine July 2006 edition. 

“Being a flower girl is an exciting moment in any little fashionista’s life.  With options from short and sweet to long and sophisticated, today’s flower girls are no longer limited to wearing poufy replicas of the bride’s dress.

“You’re not going to see them in a mini-wedding gown; they will play off the bridal party’s look,” said Kim Sunshine, fashion editor of  The KNot, a bridal magazine and online resource. 

“When I look at the couture houses that are now showing in Milan, London, Paris and New York, I’m seeing a feeling for the more feminine styles.  Dresses are coming back in full force,” reported Leonard Given of Sarah Louise. 

For flower girl dressing, the basic premise is easy:  “You want them to look cute and pretty, and bein a beautiful dress,” said Julie Sabatino, founder of The Stylish Bride, a New York-based bridal style consultancy. ”

And here at The Perfect Pear - we have it all!  You’ll see that our Flower Girl Department is really three separate departments to help you find just the look you want for your wedding. 

If you want the Miniature/Junior Bride, we have the dresses! 

If you want a simple, sweet little flower girl dress in a myriad of colors, we have them too!  You can also find dresses for your Flower Girls to mirror the fashion of your Brides Maids.  In fact, you can now find your Brides Maids’ dresses here too!

If you have older girls who would be more suitable as a Junior Brides Maid, we have the perfect dresses.

And, if you have a wide age range, we have Sisters Dresses that come in styles from pre-toddler to 14 - even some 16!

It’s all about choices - lots and lots of choices - at Perfect Occasions by The Perfect Pear!

Kasey, one of our Customer Service Reps, brought this url to our attention - it is on the subject of “Be Your Own Fashion Guru”.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=490285&in_page_id=1879&in_page_id=1879

Some times we need to just get back to the basics, so I thought we should share this with everybody.

Yes, our main site was down for 1/2 a day today.  We’re so sorry!  It was our fault.

The wrong button was pushed - and BLAM!  It was gone.  Whole computer system crashed here, in fact.

We’re back up now. 

We apologize for the inconvenience!

Meanwhile, SO much exciting stuff is happening — keep watching for a really BIG announcement soon!

We get this question every day.  Example:  Can you get this Christening gown (available in sizes 3M-9M) in an 18M for me?

Or this dress doesn’t list a size 7.  Can you get a size 7 for me?  Or this gown says it comes in 3M and 12M but I want a 9M.  Can you get it for me?

There’s only one way to answer these questions - and we hate to use the one-word answer - but it’s ‘no’.

No, we can’t get a size for you that isn’t offered. 

We work VERY hard to keep our websites updated daily (except Sundays) on availability.  Our staff works furtively to stay on top of availability.  As soon as we know - you know too because it shows up on line.

Unfortunately, there’s no “hidden list of other things available” that our staff has hiding away back here.  The information you see is our most recent information. 

“When will you be getting it [size or style] again“.  That’s really another version of the same question, and the answer is very similar.

What we know is the information you read on line.  If a size or style isn’t offered, then it isn’t available.  We’re sorry about that but we feel it is best to let you know what IS available instead of sending you one of those messages weeks from now saying your item is on backorder anticipated to arrive some time in a month or two . . . you know the kind, used by almost all catalog companies.

So if it isn’t offered on line, we can’t get it for you.  Not right now.  It’s sad, but we can’t predict the future.  We may get more, but we cannot promise it so we will not take an order for it.

But what we CAN offer is shown on line - and there are SO many choices available!

I was in the store yesterday picking up some things for our annual charity Tea (see previous post about Operation Christmas Child - you can use the Search box) when I ran into a lovely woman and her mother.  We had quite a nice chat.

Something that came up was the subject of plus-size dresses.  Do we carry them?  Yes, we certainly do!  But we prefer to refer to our plus-size customers as “extra fluffly”.

“Oh, thank you!  Wonderful!” She said.

We have a heart for those with larger-size needs.  I, for one, have been a “plus size” since childhood.  I know the effect it has on the psyche but even more — I understand how difficult it is to find NICE clothing - especially BEAUTIFUL DRESSES - that actually fit.

Plus size - half size - it’s all the same.  We strive to offer a lovely and rather extensive selection of dresses for children and women in plus sizes.  Why?  Because we care.  Because we’ve been there.  Because we know how tough it can be.

And truth is, many children who aren’t really overweight would do best in a plus (or half) size at certain phases in development.

Like, have you ever noticed that a lot of things come in sizes 6 AND 6X?  What is that all about?

That’s the time frame / age / size that manufacturers assume that a child is developing from the rounded baby belly egg shape into a slimmer, taller shape.  From that point on, the proportions of chest to waistline measurements changes and assumes a narrower waist.

But not all children develop right on “que”.  In fact, most don’t.  Many may find that temporarily they will get a much better fit in the plus sizes than in the regular until their growth starts to make this change.

This can frequently happen with girls making their First Communion.   They’re not overweight but they’re right at that age and size range that assumes that they’re beginning to develop a long, lean figure and perhaps they haven’t yet.

It’s ok.  It’s fine.  We’re here to help you.  You’ll find more plus-size dresses here than probably anywhere else in really lovely designs!

Don’t get hung up on a number on a tag.

Don’t get hung up on a number on a tag.  Instead, be sure that the dress is going to fit really well so she’ll look her absolute best.  That’s what is really important.

Do we offer women’s plus sizes?  Absolutely! 

Today’s trend for baby’s Christening / Baptism is more tailored and less fussy, even in girls’ Christening gowns.

More subtle styles are now in vogue.  Instead of gold and champagne, most parents today are opting for off-white or ivory, though true white is still definitely in demand.

Frothy gathered styles and big puffy sleeves are now more refined.  Small cap sleeves are definitely the trend today. 

This is still a VERY classic look and contrasts sharp with the lavish Victorian era gowns.  Even though more tailored styles are “in”, they are far from plain.  Rich embroidery and delicate beading still take center stage.

Still, if your dream is for a frilly or lavish gown, you should go for it!  You are making memories for a lifetime and beyond (with photos and video - several generations can enjoy this very special day).

See all our Christening Gowns and Christening Suits