As you know, we’ve been doing Spotlight on Dresses highlighting some of the best dresses.  We offer SO many dresses that it’s easy for some of the best to be overlooked.

Today we talk about dress #VN-V041.

This dress has been a favorite from the beginning (it will NEVER go out of style!).  The full, frothy multi-layered tulle skirt makes every girl feel like a Princess!  Sequins are scattered lightly on the skirt - on the 2nd layer under the top layer giving it a really nice effect but also helping to keep the sequins in place (since sequins and beading are so apt to come loose - this helps a lot).

But the focus is the bodice. This dress frames a girl’s face beautifully!  Made of fine bridal satin, the sleeveless bodice has added style panache with a very modest V shaped back neckline.

And more than that, the entire waistline and neckline - both front and back - are accented with a wide band of VERY delicate bead work.

This dress passes the TWIRL TEST in a very BIG way!  What is the “twirl test”?  When a girl loves a dress, she can’t help but start to twirl round and round in it!

If you’re looking for a VERY special dress, consider #VN-V041.   It is understated elegance personified.

Who would wear this dress?

• Flower Girls.  It is available in white or ivory to coordinate most weddings.
• First Communion - wherever a sleeveless dress is allowed.  If you are required to wear sleeves but love this dress - just add a jacket over it!  We offer several
• Pageants - GORGEOUS!

This is also one of the dresses available with EXTRA LENGTH for the tall, slim girl -and- in plus sizes for our extra fluffy lasses.

Dress #VN-V041 has it all!

We get this question a lot: 

 ”What length dress is the model wearing in the picture - tea or formal?  I can’t tell.”

We understand what you’re really asking - how long will it be on MY child?

We usually don’t know which length dress the model was wearing when the photo was taken.  Why not?  Because it really doesn’t matter . . . . that dress is going to fit every child differently.

So how do you know?  By using the size chart linked in the description of that dress.  It tells you how long that dress is expected to run (it will be within less than an inch of accuracy). 

A formal length dress on one child may be a tea length dress on another  -  and a tea length dress on one child can be a formal length dress on another.

How do you  know how it will be on you child?  By using the size chart and measuring.

That’s the ONLY way to determine fit.

And be sure to use the extensive tips & directions provided under Measuring & Size Selection.   A link is included in the description of every special order style and is under “Need Help?” in the top navigation link from every page.

You know, it got so busy here the other day that I never really got to finish the entry on Dress Spotlight - #US-820.  So much is happening around here that it becomes overwhelming at times!  But more on that later . . . let’s talk abont color coordinating for weddings and how style #US-820 can be used perfectly for this.  We show it here in different color combinations from the previous post so you can see just how versatile this dress really is!

NOTE:  This dress isn’t just a great flower girl dress, either.  It is perfect for recitals, Daddy/Daughter dances and perhaps a Mitzvah too (with a jacket, of course).  Remember - the flower can be removed.

First, you order the dress in a color that coordinates with your wedding party - white, ivory, black or champagne.  This is one of the few dresses actually available in the gorgeous champagne color - that coordinates SO well with all the browns and taupes that are so popular right now - and black too!

Then, you order the sash and flower in a color to accent. 

Will that color match brides maids dresses?  No.  That’s a given.  We’ve discussed why extensively in this series - and more is available under FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) in our website and also in our FREE Wedding Tips (have you requested yours yet?).

The beauty is that it’s just a sash - a splash of color - so matching isn’t required! 

Another option is to order the sash in the color of the FLOWERS instead of the color of the brides maids’ dresses.  This can be a terrific choice!  It enhances your color scheme and looks perfectly coordinated.

And, as we mentioned before, you can always have a local seamstress make up a sash from the same fabric as your brides maids’ dresses - you would have to order that fabric at the same time as their dresses.  See our previous post about that.

Since this dress is ideal for both older and younger girls, it is EXTREMELY versatile.

Today’s Dress Spotlight is on dress #US-820 - a fantastic dress for many reasons!

Are you struggling to find a style that is suitable for a girl who is not “a baby” any more but isn’t into Jr. Misses sizes yet?   Then take a serious look at dress #US-820.

This dress has a classic A-line silhouette that flatters every figure. The peplum over the hipline adds style detail without being “too sweet” as in “tiny baby dress”.

It is available in white, ivory, champagne AND black.  We adore it in champagne . . . . 

And then you can add the sash color of your choice.  We’ve seen it in just about every conceivable combination by now.  Ivory/chocolate and ivory/champagne and ivory/green are very popular.   Those nice, neutral colors aren’t necessary “flower girl-y” and yet they ARE very popular for weddings this fall.

Champagne with cocoa or chocolate - stunning (that’s in the photo shown here)!  Champagne with black - elegant!  Champagne with pink - darling but not babyish!

And even though we’re proposing this dress for the older girl, it is perfectly appropriate for little ones too.  So, this dress is perfect for SISTERS dresses or for Flower Girls in wide age ranges.

Don’t forget, too, that this dress would coordinate perfectly with other US Angels dresses for little ones such as US-720 or US-705, for instance.

I think you get the idea - we love this dress and think you may too!

With the mid-calf length, it’s a terrific dress for the tall/thing girl.  It will just fall shorter - perhaps around the knee - on taller girls.  This is a great look too!

 This is a continuation of our discussion on “I Want to Match” - colors.  Please be sure to read the previous posting first . . . . 

We discussed the “why” of matching colors yesterday - why it’s not reasonable to expect to match dress colors from different manufacturers or even from different dye lots with the same manufacturers.

So what are you to do?

There are a LOT of choices, really!  First, let’s talk about “perfect match”.

Because of this situation, many flower girl dresses are available in white or ivory with accents in the color of your choice.  Very fine examples can be seen in all the lines we carry.  The Flower Girl dresses from US Angels line does this especially well.

First, you select a white or ivory dress based on the color of the Bride’s gown.  If the bride is in bright white, order the white dress.  If the bride is in silk white (which is always off-white) or another shade of ivory, order the ivory dress.

Then order the sash or flower petals to coordinate with the rest of your wedding party.

Of course it isn’t possible to match perfectly - that dye lot issue applies to this like any other garment.  The smaller splash of color, however, isn’t nearly as critical to match as a full dress, however, and usually works wonderfully.

But that isn’t the only option here.  For instance, you can order a white or ivory dress and have an exactly matching sash custom made for it by your local dressmaker as follows:

When you order your Bride’s Maids dresses (or your own gown if you have one with color in it) - order at least 2 yards of the colored fabric - from the same dye lot - as the dresses you want to match.  You have to do this at the same time as you order the adults’ dresses, of course.

Why?  Because then you can have that extra fabric made into sashes for the flower girls’ dresses that match perfectly!  You’ll likely need anywhere from 1.5-2 yards in length but can get many sashes from the width of the fabric - all depending on how wide the yardage comes + how wide you want the sashes to be.

It’s as simple as that!

We’ll discuss it more shortly.

We hear versions of this every day. 

 ”I want my flower girl dress to match my brides maids.”

There are many reasons or versions of “want it to match”.  Let’s discuss it.

To get a true understanding of the concept of matching garments - which means matching fabrics - we have to discuss fabric itself. 

All garments are made out of fabric, of course.  Every manufacturer purchases their fabric from different places at different times.  That’s assumed too, right?

Every time fabric is woven and dyed, it comes out a different hue.  Even if it is milled and dyed by the same company - slight variations that can range from the dye itself to the temperature and humidity of the day - will affect the shade or hue the fabric comes out.

This means that the same fabric from the same company will look different with each “dye lot”.  What do you care about dye lot?  Quite a bit, really.

To get all brides maids’ dresses to match, they have to be ordered specifically from the same dye lot.  This means that to get the flower girl dresses to match, they have to be ordered from the same manufacturer - at the same time - and from the same dye lot.

Expecting one company to match the dye lot of another is, well, rather precarious.  And remember - even fabric samples from this dye lot will be different from the next dye lot. 

In short, getting dresses to match at different times from different companies really isn’t the best or most reasonable expection.  Are there alternatives?  Abosolutely!  We’ll be covering those in the days to come.

In the mean time, be sure to check out our free Wedding Tips - this is covered there extensively along with a lot more about colors and including children in weddings.

We’re starting a new series here - “Dress Spotlights”.  In this we’re going to feature dresses with huge impact.

With so many dresses available, it’s easy for really terrific styles to get lost in the pack, so to speak.  Certain ones are just amazing for various reasons, so we’re going to feature them in Dress Spotlights from on!

Our first featured dress is #VN-V907.

We’ve long loved this dress for oh, so many reasons.  Today we received one in size 12 in cranberry and OH MY!  It’s GORGEOUS!

That’s the thing.  We can only show one or two views of a dress.  But this one has so much going for it . . . .

It’s available in sizes 2-16, to start with.  What does this mean?  Well, for one, suitable for all ages so it’s perfect to  coordinate wide age differences for wedding parties.  A 4-year old and a 10-year old could look great together in this dress, for example.

That means it’s a great choice for SISTERS’ DRESSES, too!

It’s darling on little ones, as you see in the photo.  But don’t overlook the fact that it’s IDEAL for the pre-teen (Tween-ager) too!

The cranberry dress we packed and shipped today is STUNNING with that rich beading.  The A-line style is flattering on just about every figure type and is always in style.  There is detail in front (beading) and in back with the ruched draping.  And what’s more - it can be worn sleeveless without the jacket or with sleeves with the jacket.

As if that wasn’t enough reason to run and look at this dress, consider two other very important features:

• It’s available in SO MANY COLORS - 36 right now!
• It can be ordered with extra length for tall, slim girls too!

Who would wear this dress?  Flower Girls - Jr. Brides Maids - Pageant Contestants - just to name a few. 

 #VN-V907 is a lot of dress for a pretty reasonable price.  It certainly warrants checking out!

We’ve highlighted the fabulous Glam Girls line of dresses for Flower Girls, First Communion and more:  Glam Girl Dresses - Odd Name but FAB Dresses!

Come and check it out!

What are the Ring Bearers wearing?  Brown or ivory, of course.  The PBK-Kevin suit ( http://www.theperfectpear.com/store/stores_app/Browse_dept_items_v3.asp?Store_id=429&Page_id=17&categ_id=3&parent_ids=0,18,1) is now available in brown (and lighter tan too). 

Want a tuxedo?  All the tuxedos can be “upgraded” with brown or taupe accessories (bow tie and cummerbund or vest)!

Hey - just a quick note - gorgeous new formal gowns are arriving from Night Scenes this week!

Who is “Night Scenes”?  They’re one of the best, most reliable and most established formal gown manufacturers for Juniors - Misses - and Women.  We think of them as “the quiet company”.  Why?  You won’t see big, splashy, full-color pages in major magazines heralding their name.  The result?  They provide really nice dresses at VERY reasonable prices (we think because they just aren’t spending $Hundred/Thousands in splashy ads).

Their gowns give you a LOT for the price tag!  Very nice dresses - very nice prices.

Is there a catch?  Yes, sort of.  You have to use your imagination when viewing the dresses.  Why?  Well, simply because they don’t use the best models.  You have to picture YOU in these dresses.  Many of the styles are actually designed for a wearer who is much younger than their models — while the mother-of-the-bride dresses would look better on somebody older. 

   Get what we mean?  

This gown would be IDEAL for Prom, pageant or a Quinceanera’s Court (Damas)!