New Autumn Bridesmaid Dress Styles Now Available at Persun

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The Wedding Accessory Superstore is now carrying beautiful new bridesmaid dresses for autumn weddings. This fall’s top colors for weddings include pink, tangerine, ultramarine green, honey gold, lavender, titanium, French roast brown, Olympian blue, and chartreuse green.

“We have gorgeous discount bridesmaid dresses in all of the hottest colors for fall,” said Kim Strauss, owner and founder of The Wedding Accessory Superstore. “Most of our pink bridesmaid dresses are available in a variety of styles in the same color, so bridesmaids have a choice of the exact dress they will be wearing.”

More and more brides are taking a different approach when selecting their bridesmaid dresses. Rather than picking the same dress for everyone, many brides are delegating the choice to each bridesmaid. “There are so many manufacturers with so many styles, fabrics and colors that finding the perfect dress or dresses is not that difficult. It can be a really fun experience shopping for white bridesmaid dresses,” said Strauss.

If the bride prefers a more traditional approach, and would like all the bridesmaids to wear the same dress, she should choose a dress with a soft empire waist line or a dress with side shirring or rouching. “We recommend staying away from tight sheath dresses and dresses with halter tops as these styles don’t always look good on everyone,” advised Strauss.

Keeping your eyes and mind open is the secret to finding Bridesmaid Dresses，you will find that the classic lines of the newest bridesmaid dresses uk 2012 are improved with delicate embellishments. A black jeweled belt in the waist, a pert bow on the bateau neckline, or perhaps an asymmetrical bow in the waist – this style suit for Different venues of the wedding.

 

Susan Miller: High school prom — pricey, or priceless?

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Read or watch enough news coverage and you might become a cynic. A recent cover story in USA Today about the price of high school proms had me proclaiming the absurdity of the big dance. The article noted that the average national cost of attending a high school prom was more than $1,000 a student.

In an era of financial bailouts, home foreclosures and spiraling deficits, I couldn’t help but ask what this expense was teaching children about living within one’s means not to mention how misplaced our priorities might be.

But after this weekend, I have to say I’ve changed my tune about prom time. You can read the stats and the accounts of inflated spending, but having watched from the periphery of this year’s Anderson High School prom, I’ve tossed my cynicism aside.

A high school prom can actually be an opportunity to teach fiscal fitness. Making choices about clothing, transportation and restaurants is a chance for young people to differentiate between the “wants” and the “needs” of life, as well as the need to make trade-offs.

Yes, some of the short white prom dresses cost more than one might expect to pay for a wedding gown, but catalogs also have dresses from reputable retailers for much less. A Rent the Runway rental company will mail a dry-cleaned designer dress to a renter for as little as $50.

Locally, small and even micro- businesses benefit from prom. I might never have found the amazing “Mobile Seamstress” tucked away on the third floor of the PNC building if I wasn’t asking around for a seamstress to alter a prom dress 2012.

And who says business is slow? Salons around town were filled last Saturday with girls getting glamorous, glittery ’dos, makeup and tans. I talked with some prom goers and learned that they’d been saving up for the big day. Saving; now there’s a novel idea. Even the employees were having fun while making money and exercising their creativity.

Without the creative marketing of business owners, I might never have known that the Chicken Limo now has a rival in the Hippo Party Bus. I hate to think about a drag race between those two vehicles!

Granted this year’s Anderson prom fell right before Mother’s Day but the flower shops were working full tilt with energy evocative of what we often associate with “the good old days.”

Except for prom dresses business, local businesses of formal cocktail dresses were still booming the day after prom as I stopped in the drugstore only to see the photo team deluged with prints and pickup orders.

Forget about the good old days. Under the marquee of the Paramount with families and friends lining the sidewalk and an emcee announcing red carpet arrivals, this year’s prom was a point of community pride.

Perhaps I’m trading cynicism in for sentimentalism, but seeing happy, spiffed-up young people supported by the community is evocative of the wisdom in the MasterCard “priceless” campaign. Try as the media pundits might, magical prom moments really are priceless.

Riverside life skills students enjoy special prom

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Julie Matthews had never been to prom, but on Wednesday, she sparkled.

In a new navy knee-length gown and sequin-adorned sandals, Julie twirled inside her life skills classroom at Riverside Junior-Senior High School.

Julie and her classmates probably won’t go to the school’s prom in two weeks, so the prom came to them.

Students in teacher Stephanie McManus’ culinary arts class wanted to do something special for their peers, who have moderate to severe developmental disabilities.

“Some of the students get nervous with large groups, so we thought we could have a smaller setting and still have just as much fun wearing short red prom dresses,” senior culinary student Samantha Donahue said.

When a limousine bus donated by Feel Good Limo pulled up to the school in the morning, the excitement of the students was contagious.

It made Principal Joe Moceyunas cry.

Rainy weather kept the group from posing outside, so the limo took the students to the Radisson at Lacka-wanna Station hotel, where parents met them to take photos.

Soon, it was back to the high school for lunch and dancing. As the students walked through the hall, other students — spending their day in English or math classes — turned their heads. The life skills students, the boys wearing boutonnieres on their dress shirts and the girls with curls in their hair, were the center of attention.

“We go to prom, but they never have. They look so handsome and pretty. Just the smiles on their faces, it’s just priceless,” said Samantha, who wants to be a special-education teacher. “It makes me want to cry, but in a good way.”

Six of the 11 students in Kim Weidow’s life skills special-education classroom will graduate this year, and this is a memory they will not soon forget, she said.

“It makes me so happy,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye.

The life skills students worked with the culinary students to pick out a lunch menu, create grocery lists and help prepare the food earlier this week.

In the buffet line, careful not to spill on their cocktail dresses, the students scooped servings of ham, chicken, meatballs and several side salads. The usually plain tables were covered in lace and cloth napkins, and fancy goblets held punch.

After lunch, it was time for dancing. The “Hokey Pokey,” and “YMCA” were favorites, and the “Chicken Dance” had the students clapping their hands, flapping their arms and spinning in circles. Their teachers, and Mr. Moceyunas, danced with them.

Junior life skills student Amy Thubborn said she loved the food and the dancing.

“It was great,” she said.

The group then formed a conga line and danced back to the culinary classroom for dessert. It was time for servings of chocolate mousse and “dirt pudding” — a creation made with Oreo cookies.

Amy, wearing a black prom dress , sat down and smiled.

“I hope I can do that again someday,” she said.

Urban Outfitters Under Fire for Lesbian Kiss, Puke on Prom Dress Comment

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Urban Outfitters is under fire for a same sex kiss featured in their catalog as well as a comment that indicates their support of underage drinking.

The group One Million Moms is angry over the lesbian kiss photo, but the retailer is also drawing plenty of criticism for their comment about “puke” on prom dresses online. Is the old “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” in play here?

One Million Moms warned followers: “On page two of this catalog is a picture of two women kissing in a face holding embrace!”

Read: Vogue Editor Talks About How Fashion Influences Anorexia

Further, they added that their followers should cancel their catalogs and cease shopping at the store, writing: “Tell them you will also no longer shop at their stores if you hear this type of advertising continues. The content is offensive and inappropriate for a teen who is the company’s target customer.”

You may recall One Million Moms got their panties in a bunch over the choice of Ellen DeGeneres as JCPenney’s spokesperson — and tried to get her fired.

Where did that get them? Nowhere.

Urban Outfitters has yet to respond to the group or made any explanation for the picture of two women kissing. (Really, what’s the big deal?)

Adding fuel to the angry mom group uproar, Urban Outfitters posted the following to their Facebook page:

“Don’t know how to do The Electric Slide? Not sure how to get puke out of satin? Ask us! Post your burning prom questions here on Facebook and we’ll answer them on the UO Blog!”

Does their comment about getting puke out of your white prom dresses would seem to indicate their endorsement of underage drinking?

Facebook fans of the company left comments like: “Great job promoting underage drinking, Popular and Influential Corporation.”

Another commented: “Are you guys saying it’s okay for high schoolers to get so drunk (or drunk at all, really?) at prom that they barf all over their expensive pink prom dresses? this is disgusting. i’m really going to think twice before even stepping foot into your stores again.”

Today’s Prom Attire Is Either Too Scandalous or Too Sleepy

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Prom used to be an opportunity to wear a Molly Ringwald-esque puffy peach confection or a tulle princess ball gown. Nowadays, according to various reports, white prom dresses are looking less Cinderella and more Snooki, with the styles turning more and more revealing.

The popular site promgirl.com offers a selection of prom dresses with plunging necklines, substantial slits and midriff cut-outs. Other retailers like PromDressShop.com and Jovani also sell similar risqué formal wear, including backless and skintight dresses.

Why is prom all about showing skin? Buzzfeed’s Hillary Reinsberg’s piece on barely-there ensembles notes how many experts blame the skimpy white prom dresses 2012 trend on reality shows like Dancing with the Stars and celebrity revealing red-carpet dresses.

Catherine Moellering, prom trend tracker and executive vice president of ToBe Report, explainED to Buzzfeed: “This whole idea of the red-carpet obsession and getting dressed up is at the forefront of our culture. “The idea that [award show] coverage comes on TV three hours before the show even starts — that’s something new.”

(MORE: Couldn’t Afford to Send Your Kid to Prom?)

With the emphasis being as much on the dress as the party itself, many high schools are now implementing strict dress codes for prom. One school near Oklahoma City gave their students a 12-page packet of restrictions— complete with pictures of dress “dos and don’ts,” according to Fox4 Kansas City.

On the other side of the sartorial spectrum, Teen Vogue’s April 2012 prom issue recommends dressing in stylish, silky pajamas for prom, a look they say is inspired by fashion runways and fashion-forward celebrities like Alexa Chung. Showing up in a traditional (or skimpy) dress, is apparently, so passé.

So what can we make of all of us? Will half of high school girls show up to prom in satin slit-up-to-there short white prom dresses while the rest don silky pajamas and heels? Something tells me that most of teenage middle America won’t wear two-piece sleepwear sets to their high school dance.

 

Risque business on prom dresses

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It’s prom season, and scandalized Saugus High School officials have drawn a decorous line in the sand — and woe to the student who dares to bare.

The school’s prim policy breaks it all down for the students by body part: “With arms down at your side, if flesh touches flesh in the midriff section, the prom dresses 2012  are inappropriate.”

“We tell them right up front, ‘If you dress inappropriately, you’re going home and forfeiting your money.” said Saugus High principal Joseph Diorio, who formalized the school’s prom dress code policy with a slide-heavy presentation to students and an email to parents.

The 21-page prom-dress manifesto is filled with explicit fashion do’s and don’ts for the high schoolers’ big night out on May 31 — including images of “immodest” and “inappropriate” pink prom dresses.

Banned in Saugus:

Bare midriffs.

Cutouts.

Thigh-high slits.

Cleavage.

Micro minis.

For the boys, jackets and buttoned-up shirts are required. Shirts and shoes must be worn all night.

While some stuffy grownups may think the red carpet influence of Angelina Jolie and J-Lo should stay in Hollywood, students yesterday said the administration should get its big nose out of their closets.

“They push it too far,” complained Allie Serino, 16, a junior at Saugus High. “If my mom lets me out of the house, then I think it’s fine.”

Pal Victoria Meredith, 16, agreed: “If they have a problem, then they shouldn’t look at them.”

While the informal dress code has been around for a couple of years, the school’s new PowerPoint email leaves nothing to chance. According to Diorio, students are encouraged to get approval before purchasing a dress.

“We’ve had some issues with girls not understanding,” he said. “I’ve already seen many cocktail dresses that won’t make the cut.”

Canadian designer shows first season as head of BASCH

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Canadian label BASCH underwent a re-invention – and some might say elevation – last week under the leadership of designer Wesley Badanjak at Toronto’s 99 Sudbury event space. With his team at clothing manufacturer Eleventh Floor Apparel Ltd., Badanjak brought lady-like elements and careful tailoring to the mass appeal label, which had previously covered all basis – from sportswear to cocktail (sometimes in unison) – under former head “Project Runway Canada” alum Brandon Dwyer.

The BASCH fall/winter 2012-2013 collection was rooted in hues that could pass in all seasons, like red, grape, pomegranate and black, with tiny pebble and brush stroke patterns to add some pop. Although slim suits and gowns were bookends to the show, much of the collection was knee-length formal dresses in various styles and silhouettes, offering office-to-cocktail pieces able to cast a wide net of clientele.

“I thought there was a need in the market for an evening-cocktail line,” said Badanjak backstage after the show. “But what a lot of people don’t know is that most of the dresses retail for under $200…We want to make great special occasion dresses for the market, but they can’t look boring and cheap.”

For his home line, LOVAS, Badanjak had a clear inspiration in mind: Brenda, the child of privledge who ends up dancing in a high-end sex club in Margaret Atwood’s “The Year of the Flood.” While nothing said “exotic dancer” in Badanjak’s collection, ostrich feathers and sequins added texture and an element of the theatrical to dresses and skirts. Ombre tweed skirt-suits, slim pants and collarless jackets stood out as chic options for higher-end office wear, while animal prints and a number of dresses with accented necklines (eliminating a need to accessorize – great for women on-the-go), were sexy items for evening events.

Designing two women’s collections at once didn’t seem to have Badanjak in a tizzy.

“With LOVAS it’s higher-end, so I can find different fabrics and play around that way whereas BASCH is a little more constricting because of the cost involved…You know if it’s too complicated of a design it can’t be BASCH – it’s got to be LOVAS,” said Badanjak.

“In the end, I was looking at both lines and ensuring they really do stay separate. It’s a bit of a challenge, but it’s not as hard as people think.”

The BASCH show was preceded by a parade of two-piece mini collections by fashion students vying for a six-month internship with Eleventh Floor Apparel Ltd. and clothing allowances from BASCH and Eleven boutique in Toronto (where the winning item will be sold). Sarah McGowan, who studies at George Brown College, won the grand prize with a velvet sheath and black cocktail dress with a corset torso and pleated skirt.

Prom Dress 2012