Best Modest Bridal & Formal, Part 2

There's no need to sacrifice modesty for style when you can have it all in one gorgeous gown!

The difficulty, of course, is finding that gown.

Boutique Narelle hasn't done a formal/prom/wedding dress promotion for a while, so in the Spring I went in search of up-to-date gorgeous gowns to usher modest ladies toward their glamour moment.

Our new discovery was Margene's Bridal, which Boutique Narelle explores here: Best Modest Bridal & Formal, Part 1.

I remember when I first discovered the prom sections of these Latter Day Saints modest fashion stores:

• www.BeautifullyModest.com
• www.LatterDayBride.com

I was speechless with awe and delight. I experienced this all over again as I explored Margene's Bridal. I could easily say (once my speech faculties returned) that the modest gowns from Margene's Bridal are stunningly beautiful with nothing to detract (or distract) from their sweetness.

You can find more modest and beautiful gowns at these LDS stores:

• www.TotallyModest.com
• www.EternityGowns.com *

*See comment at end of post.

That being said, if you're Downunder as I am, you may yet feel frustration, because the featured stores in this post are located in the USA. Both the above stores ship internationally (a refreshing option to find at an American store), but I suggest you use this currency calculator [click here] to help you figure out whether it's worth it.

I took a hopeful spin through www.MaggieSottero.com and was utterly disappointed. Two to three years ago this Australian designer offered several fabulous, modest designs, but no longer. Every single design in their current catalogue is seriously (dangerously!) strapless.

Most of us don't have the cash to buy a designer gown for our special event. Boutique Narelle suggests that you browse the Formal and Bridal sections on the "Labels" section of the sidebar to find helpful tips on how to find a dress that's adorable and modest.

A number of these BN posts feature gowns and links from Modest By Design which is now closed . These links will still allow you to windowshop for inspiration, but their front door won't open. Designer images courtesy of deceased stores are still useful, however, serving as inspiration for you and your seamstress.

Learning of the sad demise of Modest By Design spurred me to check the other links we've recommended here since Boutique Narelle opened four years ago. There have been quite a few shop deaths. I'm happy to report that the following stores and designers are still swishing with a few modest options.

• www.Chadwicks.com
• www.DavidsBridal.com
• www.VenusBridal.com

Most of the modest options at David's Bridal are jacket dresses (an utterly charming range that I would feature here except that this post is long enough). The store also offers a Personalize Your Look sleeves/coverage option for adapting standard dress designs.

Venus Bridal offers Temple Bridal and Temple Maids, available only in the USA, and associated brand www.BellaFormals.com, a catalogue which can be ordered through bridal stores anywhere in the world.

Venus Bridal's Temple collections offer the greatest variety of necklines of any of the modest formal stores BN has seen, but just one sleeve style.

Note: We are very sorry about the missing images. They were unexpectedly and irreversibly gobbled by Google+. 😱😭

Best Modest Bridal & Formal, Part 1: Shopping Tips for Formal Occasions

Pretty dresses make me smile. How about you?

Early in the Spring, I started work on updating Boutique Narelle's wedding/formal promotions. Blissfully have I wallowed in images of gorgeous fabrics and dainty trims.

Are you ready to wallow? Come with me to the amazing

Margene's Bridal, an American store with two outlets in the state of Idaho.

Not every bride has the luxury of 6-12 months to plan her wedding and shop for the perfect details (personally I'm in favour of short engagements), so do you know what colours and styles allow you to look your best? When the bridegroom comes, you want to be ready. Knowing where to get a modest wedding gown or how to make one will be significantly helpful!

I don't expect to be a bride any time soon, but I do know of other occasions when an elegant gown might be required. When I browse formal fashion websites, I love studying the styles and accent details of the prom gowns, and I tend to be distracted by vibrant colours, but I'm learning, from my prowls, to be more discerning in what will work for me. This will simplify future shopping/sewing experiences.

BN's Top Shopping Tips for Formal Occasions

1. Know what suits your figure and complexion.
2. Know what you want. Impulse buys are rarely successful.
3. Know what your modesty standard is and don't compromise.
4. Know your budget, but don't view this as limiting.

Allow yourself to be creative in finding ways to stick to your budget. 'Good old Kiwi ingenuity' is the think-outside-the-square factor in my heritage that has taught me to say, "Now how else could we achieve this?"

Next week we'll explore how else you might achieve your goal of a modest and gorgeous gown.

Yay! More wallowing!

Browse these gorgeous gowns at Margene's Bridal

Note: We are very sorry about the missing images. They were unexpectedly and irreversibly gobbled by Google+. 😱😭

Misleading our Girls about Beauty

"Never Too Young? Misleading our Girls about Beauty" by Dr. Albert Mohler


The New York Times reports that even the youngest of girls are being targeted as consumers of cosmetics and beauty treatments. The elementary [primary school] set is showing up in trendy salons for pedicures and manicures.

The intense self-focus that many young women display and their attention to how they present themselves is affecting 6- to 9-year-olds. “We live in a culture of insta-celebrity,” Ms. Skey said. “Our little girls now grow up thinking they need to be ready for their close-up, lest the paparazzi arrive.”

You can read the article by Dr. Albert Mohler here, or listen to or download the audio version here.

Are you training yourself in True Beauty? Are you sharing what you've learned with your daughters, nieces,  younger sisters or friends? Or, are you and they, through neglect, wide open to the destructive influences of the pagan culture in which we live?

Girls are never too young to start learning, and if wise women do not take up the mantle of instruction, they will automatically assume the prevalent characteristics of their environment which flood insidiously from television, movies, the internet, books, magazines, and urban graphics, and are cultivated as attentively in churches as they are in the world. Suicides, eating disorders, and early promiscuity are just some of the tragic results. Now that you're warned, what are you going to do about it?

Modest Swimwear: a Wealth of Choice!

Summer is on its way to the southern hemisphere and we're turning our thoughts to warm-weather clothing. The most challenging of summer wardrobe quandaries is modest swimwear, but fear not! we have an encyclopedia of gorgeous solutions for you!

I recently visited the swimwear links BN has supplied in the past and was saddened to discover several of those modest swimwear stores have closed. On your behalf, I surfed the cyber waves for new resources and am happy to announce the range is exciting.

If you haven't already seen it, check out BNTV's 3-minute video, an in-depth promotion (pardon the pun) of Simply Modest Swimwear, our top recommendation for modest swimwear because of the flexibility of the style and unparalleled fabric choice.

We have discovered other modest swimwear stores providing many creative options. Isn't it wonderful to have a choice in styles? Some of the websites are a little confusing or tedious to navigate, but if you have the patience to explore, you'll find a wealth of style and colour choices.
  
MODEST SWIMWEAR STORES
www.Ahiida.com the burqini; raglan sleeve, optional hood
www.Bodykini.com similar to burqini
www.HydroChic.com large range of active-wear separates; skirts with built-in leggings
www.ModestSwimwear4u.com 3-piece outfits that look like street wear
www.MarSeaModest.com boho to simple sporty styles in prints and plains
www.RadicoolAustralia.com rash vests and leggings
www.SeaSecret.biz modest 'haute couture' makes its show on the beach! love this range
www.Simply-Modest.com 2-piece skirted suit; BN favourite! unparalleled flexibility and fabric choice
www.SwimModest.com above-knee tropical-print sarong one-piece; softcup option
www.WholesomeWear.com spandex/taslon swimmer dresses, 3 styles

These stores are also listed in the Modest Clothing Stores tab beneath the BN header banner.

Let us know how you get on with your shopping!
We wish you happy summer splashing!


Note: Some of these links may be out of date now. Please check the Modesty Mall in the bar at the top of the page for current store links.