Affordable Wedding Dresses: Ethereal

This week's affordable wedding dresses post isn't inspired by a certain era, rather a certain look; an ethereal look. It's quite hard to explain the term ethereal but I'm sure you all know what I mean. An ethereal wedding dress is usually light and floaty, like Kate Moss's wedding dress and often infused with a natural feel.

An ethereal bride will look like she's almost from another world; a celestial being.

You may think that this sort of look will cost a fortune, but I've found five beautiful dresses that not only make perfect ethereal wedding dresses, but are also affordable.

Ethereal Fairytale Dress - Free People

With a name like Ethereal Fairytale Dress you know that this is going to be ideal as an ethereal wedding dress. It features a short strappy slip with a full-length lace overlay with fluted sleeves.

It's definitely far away from a traditional look but it's ideal for a bride who wants an ethereal and laid-back feel. It would be particularly perfect for a beach wedding.

Priced £228

Celine Silk Chiffon Gown - Dreamers & Lovers

Floaty sleeves are a staple of the ethereal wedding dress look, and this Celine wedding dress definitely delivers.The gown is crafted from chiffon and satin and manages to be both bohemian and elegant.

The sleeves are the main feature and make the dress ideal for a woodland wedding with a lot of flowers.

I also love the V-neck and the empire waist detailing. It's very feminine and a little bit elvish.


Priced $1,105

Kate - Ruche Bridal Collection

I was going to include this Ruche wedding dress in last week's Medieval Affordable Wedding Dresses list, but in the end I decided it would suit this one a lot better. It's a very unusual wedding dress, both in cut and colour. It has a dark gold lining overlayed with white chiffon. This creates a dusty pinky-gold colour which is feminine and unusual.

The pretty dress is wonderfully floaty and can be worn off or on the shoulders. Personally I prefer the off the shoulder look. It makes it that much more special and unique.

Priced $248.99

Custom Hand-Embroidered Whimsical Wedding Criss-Cross Long Dress - Etsy

This lovely wedding dress from Madabby on Etsy is weird and wonderful. It's a beautiful soft off-white dress made with criss-crossed lace and tulle. It creates a unique gown with a tight fitting bodice and a floaty skirt.

It also has beautiful floral embroidery which gives it a lovely finishing touch.


Priced £178.77

Emily Dress - Minna

Short wedding dresses can provide an ethereal look too. The Emily dress from Minna is short and sweet. It is made from Scottish lace and silk Georgette and has flower embellishments on the skirt.

It's a simple sleeveless dress but the material and the details make it extra-special. I love the way it's styled with a large flower belt and a floral crown.

Priced £530


That's all for this week folks. Check back next Monday for more affordable wedding dresses.

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Clara Bow - Domestic Sluttery

Check out this great blog post about silent movie actress Clara Bow over on Domestic Sluttery. It's part of their Excellent Women series and provides a glimpse of the amazing woman she was; a great actress and ahead of her time in her views and lifestyle.

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Affordable Wedding Dresses - 1950s

Sorry this is late but I felt rubbish yesterday. Plus, it was bank holiday so I couldn't be bothered.

This week I'm bringing you a collection of 1950s affordable wedding dresses. When you picture fifties dresses you immediately think of voluminous skirts with fitted bodices; like Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress at her wedding to JFK in 1953. This incredibly flattering style is very feminine and evokes a princess feeling, It's not for everyone but a lot of people are choosing fifties-style wedding dresses for their big day.

On the other hand, the fifties also saw the popularity of wiggle dresses sore. Marilyn Monroe was largely responsible for their popularity and she wore a tight fitted dress to her wedding to Arthur Miller in 1956. This style is less popular nowadays but it's a very chic look that can give the wow factor if you're brave enough to go for the shape showing style.

I've got a great selection of five affordable wedding dresses with a fifties feel.

Pearly Queen - Kitty and Dulcie

First up is a classic 1950s-style wedding dress from Kitty and Dulcie. It has a fitted bodice and a knee-length full circle skirt. The dress also features delicate beading on the top.

I love the way they've styled it with the hand gloves and the gorgeous emerald shoes.

Priced £350

Raw Silk Dupion and Lace Wedding Dress - Not On The High Street

This beautiful fifties-style wedding dress is handmade by Brighton based company Dig For Victory. They make lovely dresses with a fifties look. This wedding dress is a classic example. Again it has the typical fifties fitted bodice and circle skirt. This one has delicate lace sleeves which add interest to the plain silk dupion.

Such a pretty dress.


Priced £242.50

50s Satin French Lace Wiggle Dress - Etsy

This affordable wedding dress from Simplicityisbliss on Etsy has a different look to the previous two, it's a wiggle style dress that's beautifully fitted and features a scalloped lace top.

It's a real 1950s wedding dress that's beautifully crafted and apparently still in excellent condition. It'd make a really stylish wedding dress.

Priced £173.91

1950s Halterneck Ivory Duchess Dress - Vivien of Holloway

This is another classic fifties look. The halterneck wedding dress is extremely flattering on almost any figure. It has a supportive bodice that nips in and pushes out at all the right places.

The circle dress is crafted from plain ivory duchess satin, a simple but beautiful look for your big day.

Priced £89

1950s Vintage Wedding Gown - Etsy

Last but not least is this beautiful vintage wedding gown from Etsy shop FabGabs. Unlike the other dresses this one is full length, it has a similar feel to Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress with the nibbed in waist, large skirt and off the shoulder sleeves.

Normally I wouldn't usually go for a full skirted look but I'm in love with this wedding dress. It's got a beautiful cut and I particularly like the contrast of the plain gown with the pretty lace collar.

This is a real vintage 1950s wedding dress so you'd be wearing a part of history.

Priced £442.40


That's all for this week, check back next week for cheap 1960s wedding dresses.

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Affordable Wedding Dresses - 1940s

Following on from last week's affordable 1930s wedding dresses I've now got a collection of cheap 1940s wedding dresses.

The 40s is an era that tends to get overlooked when it comes to wedding style; brides tend to go for the glamourous 20s and thirties or skip to the ball gown skirts of the 1950s. But I love 1940s style; it's womanly but also practical, plus it makes for an elegant and stylish wedding look. Think Lauren Bacall in her tailored suit at her wedding to Humphrey Bogart.


1940s Wedding Dress - Etsy

This is a real 1940s wedding dress from Etsy shop simplicityisbliss. This is why I like 1940s style; it's simple and elegant but still feminine. I love the long sleeves with the draped collar.

The dress is made from satin with a subtle floral print. A total classic.


Priced £151.33

Vintage 1940s Suit - Etsy

Another Etsy find, all but one of these cheap 1940s wedding dresses are Etsy by the way, this is an original 1940s linen suit from FabGabs. You can really channel Lauren Bacall in this.

It has a nipped in waist that creates an hourglass figure and is very flattering.The cut combined with the soft cream colour make this suit ideal for a wedding. Plus, it makes a great alternative to a wedding dress, perfect for those brides who want to avoid the meringue look.

Priced £80.55

Off Shoulder Satin Evening Dress - Elliot Claire

OK, so this off the shoulder dress is black but you can get it made in an array of colours, including white, which would make an amazing Hollywood glamour-style wedding dress. Or go with black for a daring look, I've featured a few affordable black wedding dresses before.

This dress looks like it's straight out of the Hollywood Golden Era. It would make an amazingly dramatic wedding dress.

£365

Vintage 40s 50s Wedding Dress - Etsy

This genuine vintage wedding dress from DaintyRascal has a princess theme, but isn't overly frilly like some fairytale-style gowns. It's made from sheer silk and has a chantilly lace scoop neckline. It covers you up but is also feminine as it has a fitted bodice and a flattering neck.

Priced £88.48


Next week it's 1950s dresses, check back then.

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Affordable Wedding Dresses - 1930s

Following on from last week's 1920s affordable wedding dresses post, this week I've got 1930s wedding dresses with low price tags. They're inspired by the thirties era and especially the lovely wedding dress that Claudette Colbert wears in It Happened One Night, one of my all time favourite films.

The thirties is one of my favourite vintage eras and I particularly love the wedding dresses. They are usually bias cut so very flattering. Also, the thirties style is feminine but not weighed down with flounces and layers, so you won't feel like a meringue on your wedding day.

These dresses are all 1930s-themed and there are a couple of real vintage 1930s wedding dresses.

Vintage 1930s Wedding Dress - Etsy

I'll start with a real 1930s wedding dress. This gorgeous ivory silk wedding dress is from Etsy shop Simplicityisbliss, it's a U.S. shop but they ship to the UK.

It's got a high bias cut which is really flattering. I love the sleeves and the buttons down the back; small details that make this dress a classic.

Priced £517.09

Leyna Gown - BHLDN

This BHLDN dress is so unusual. It's not a classic 1930s dress as it also has a Grecian look, but it does have a thirties feel with the fit and the slight train.

The Grecian draping on the front manages to be flattering but also a little bit sexy. Similar to the back; the lace shows some skin but also keeps you covered.

Priced $400 - down from $600

Nina Bridal Dress - Monsoon

I've featured a few Monsoon dresses before on my Affordable Wedding Dresses posts, actually I've featured four; a lace wedding dress, a blue one, a black one and an embellished one. Monsoon is pretty damn good for cheap wedding dresses as the price tag is low but the quality is fairly high.
This week's dress, the Nina one, is very subtle, with a flattering soft cowl draped neckline and a low back.

It has a thirties feel but is not over the top. Plus, you could style this a number of ways; continue with the thirties theme, add a floral headpiece for a Boho look or just wear it by itself with a swept up hair do for a chic style.

Priced £229

Vintage 1930s Wedding Gown - Etsy

This is another real 1930s vintage dress from FabGabs on Etsy. It's made from ivory satin charmeuse and, of course, is bias cut. The fabric looks like it's been poured onto the model, like it's liquid.

I love long-sleeved wedding dresses, they have real class, and this one is a beautiful bridal gown.

Priced £517.88

Ariella Charlotte Satin Back Crepe Lace Dress in Champagne - John Lewis

Last but not least is this lovely champagne dress from John Lewis. It has a thirties feel but is also quite modern, so it's ideal if you want a touch of vintage but don't want to go overboard.

I love the mix of satin crepe and lace overlay. The lace is incredibly flattering on the arms.

The back is really simple and has a classic cut. Plus, I love the off-white colour.

Priced £186.75


That's all for this week. Next week it's 1940s affordable wedding dresses.

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Photographs of Hollywood's Golden Era Celebrities Unearthed

Images by Famous Photographer George Douglas Found in a Filing Cabinet

Audrey Hepburn putting on her make up - George Douglas

Audrey Hepburn, Roger Moore and Angela Lansbury are among the stars that feature in the lost photographs of George Douglas. The famous photographer died in 2010 but several previously unseen photographs were recently found in his Brighton home. The pictures span the 1940s - 1960s and capture celebrities during their down time.

Angela Lansbury - George Douglas

Negatives of Peter Sellers - George Douglas

Tony Hancock with a group of penguins - George Douglas

George Douglas was known as Speedy George because of his fast work rate. As well as celebrities he also turned his hand to capturing other subjects, including the first female chimney sweep.

The photographs are due to go on display in Brighton this month. Definitely one to see if you're in the area.

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