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Thanks to the fabulous Stephanie James Couture, I finally found my wedding dress groove: retro 1950s styling. YAY! I quickly researched how much a SJC dress would put a dent in the Pretzel purse, and YAY became NAY. Remember, I have a list of things I vowed not to do during wedding planning and “I won’t spend an arm and a leg on a wedding dress” was on the list. I guess I should qualify that over 1K = an arm and a leg (or two) to me. So Stephanie James Couture was out.
But I was still feeling good. I knew what I wanted (finally!) – a tea length 1950s party dress. I was feeling a little Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face.
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I hit the interwebs and did a little retro recon and was rewarded with a large number of authentic vintage dresses. My “Dress” folder became filled with images of vintage goodness. Take a gander at the fruits of my searching.
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Which one of these beauties will Pretzel be rocking? Sadly, none. You see, it seems that in the 1950s waists were a wee bit smaller than my Pretzel waist. A large percentage of the vintage dresses that I found were for very petite women with 25 inch waists. *Sigh* With my 29 inch waist I guess I am more of a “soft pretzel” than a “pretzel stick”. My MOH Tig also pointed out that vintage fabrics can be very delicate and sometimes can be a bit scratchy. Without trying the dress on in person it would be hard to know if it would work.
*Sigh*
All my research was beneficial, though. I validated that this is the style dress I want and I gathered a list of resources to share with other brides. If you are interested in vintage dresses, check out these resources:
On Etsy.com
On eBay
On the Interwebs
So, the search continues.
Would you consider wearing a vintage wedding dress? Do you have any resources for vintage garb?
failing all else, there are a ton of vintage Vogue patterns in this style if you decide you want to have someone make your dress. Gorgeous inspiration!
@Pretzel, have you ever been to the Pretty Parlor on Capitol Hill? 1950s vintage fabulous. I don’t know what they have for dresses in white, but I bet even if they don’t have something, they might have some good suggestions of where to look!
Have you checked out Dolly Couture? http://www.dollycouture.com Her dresses are awesome, and they don’t hurt the budget quite as much as SJC. Wide range of styles and sizes too. Only downside is, you can’t try on ahead of time (as far as I know). Good luck, I can’t wait to see what you end up picking!
So retro and fun. I loved when Mrs Candy Corn went this route as well. Good Luck on your search!
I’m having a tea length dress made out of a full length for our church blessing but found lots of inspiration on:
What if you have one made?? Sometimes that sounds really expensive, but it isn’t always. Loving that your a short dress bride!
I too am going to be having a 1950s tea length dress, because I’m really not about the floor length dramatic ball gowns, or the big meringue dresses!
I will be getting mine from Dolly Couture, but in my search I also found:
http://www.vivienofholloway.com/
http://www.modcloth.com (they don’t have specific wedding dresses, but there are some beautiful pieces on there for a truly ‘different’ style)
http://www.furcoatnoknickers.co.uk/frocks.php
http://www.candyanthony.com/ (which also costs an arm and a leg, but a girl can dream!)
That waist size thing is the worst. I tried so hard to find a vintage dress, but a 22 inch waist just isn’t going to happen. I ultimately settled on something new, but really love seeing people pull vintage off!
@sapphirebride: Ohhh! No I actually haven’t explored the wealth of Seattle vintage shops yet. Thanks for the recommendation.
@polkadot: I looked at Dolly Couture and thought that they had great options. I agree, i don’t think you can try them on ahead of time.
@Mrs. Espresso: 
It was nice to have short dress brides to took to for inspiration!
@Mel: Thank you! Wonderful resources!
@diorable: I like to make myself feel better by telling myself that everyone wore griddles back then
pretzel…
i too wanted a stephanie james dress but decided it was waaaay out of budget. instead, i found a vintage vogue pattern at a local craft store and had my dress custom made. it was beautiful, vintage-inspired, fit like a glove and was sooooo much cheaper than other options. it was also a fun experience to pick out the fabrics myself. good luck!
My girlfriend had a dress made by Dolly Couture. I don’t think you can try it on ahead of time, but she had a great experience with them and found it reasonably priced. I’ve attached the picture…I hope it works! http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AH4T27kgQKc/Se-0MUzKYkI/AAAAAAAAAPI/WiuQIDhxxcM/s1600-h/thedress.jpg
@Gina: I think we speak the same language! Stay tuned.
@tinab1181: Beautiful dress! I’ve heard nothing but good things about Dolly Couture.
Oh I can’t wait to see what you come up with! I second everyone saying get one made for you! Or Dolly Couture looks like an excellent option as well.
Try: http://www.whirlingturban.com/
I found out about them on Offbeat Bride, and they make custom retro dresses!
Mrs Perfume’s mom makes vintage-styled dresses, like Mrs P’s getaway dress. Check out her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/pcolquet
As with comments above, you may be able to select your preferred Vogue pattern and find a dressmaker!
Good luck!
These pictures are all so dreamy! I hope that you find one that works for you, even if the ones you showed wont!
I’m wearing my grandma’s dress from 1951! With some MAJOR alterations. Me: “Gran, what size was your dress?” Gran: “Oh, it was HUGE! a size 12 or a 14!” Me (pulling out the dress) “Gran, this wouldn’t fit a supermodel now!”
… yeah, sizing was different in the 50’s! So my FMIL is adding side panels to it, and altering the waist to fit me. I’m so excited!
I did originally, however, want to wear my other grandmother’s 1953 tea length lace dress, but a cousin wore it before me and she wasn’t willing to share…
LOVE the vintage!
I love #3 (with the pinkish underlay). And boo on the 1950s ladies with their girdle-wearing tiny waists!
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Mrs. Pretzel, Seattle Age and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development Specialist Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing Engineer Engagement Date: September 2, 2009 Wedding Date: July 2010 Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown Studios About Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married. Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
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