Inspiration

It's all very well, you may be thinking, wanting to make a dress. But what you need is a vision.

Well, you'd be right. In fact, vision is another reason why I've decided on the DIY(WM) (Do It Yourself (With Mum)) option. There are a huge number of wedding dresses for sale in the world. Unfortunately the vast majority of them are almost exactly the same, give or take a detail here and there. Strapless. Floor length. And, beautiful as they are, these are the two very things which I would never want in a wedding dress.

"Oh" you may cry "but there are plenty of designers who don't just do that". And yes, you'd be right - in fact I'm going to post about some of my very favourites soon. But in reality, I have sat through entire bridal fashion shows and been interested in only one dress out of 90. And it's only been because it was short. Not because it was what I dreamed of.

The thing is, I've never been a fan of floor-length. In fact I can think of only one occasion in my life where I've chosen a floor-length skirt (my sixth year prom) and it just... isn't me. My first thought was of a fifties, prom-dress style look - which you'd understand if you could see my wardrobe. Big skirts are definitely the way.

So when trying to explain this all to my
dearest, and initially horrified mum, I had to come up with some good ammunition and description. My mind, as it often does when trying to think of a simple explanation, went immediately to Grease. The Perfect Prom Dress - Sandy's dress during the dance off. And it's even white. (There will be plenty more Grease references in the future so if you're not a fan... sorry).

But what really swung it in my favour with mum was the Audrey Hepburn pic at the top. From her role in Funny Face, she has, as is customary for Audrey, the perfect look.

The dress we want to make won't be a perfect replica of either of these. But it will take the elements I most adore - the big skirt, the layered petticoats, and the overall sense of elegance - from each.

And if anyone shows up looking like Cha Cha, they'll be shown the door immediately.