It was cool in the '80s.

What is it with wedding gowns in Malay bridal shops looking really dodgy? I would think there are other ways to cover up the arms or shoulders without having to don a puffy and stiff looking bolero! I wouldn't mind a slinky looking one, or a demure lacy bolero, but we're talking thick, ones which can pass off as neck casts here! The other day when I followed kakak to do her fitting for her reception gown (which by the way is gorgeous - it was actually my initial idea for my nikah attire, but because I'm a nice sister I'll give that one to her :P), and I started browsing through the store's selection of 'wedding gowns'. As I suspected, most of the gowns had tacky looking bits sewn unto them, like cheap looking pearls or sequins, puffy sleeves - as if we have never moved on from poofy wedding dresses that were so in during the '80s! Don't get me wrong, I love the '80s, just not on wedding gowns thankyouverymuch. And of course, there was a bolero that went with almost every gown in that store. Of course.

All the rage in Malay bridal shops!

So just as I was about to call it quits, I spotted this lace-y numbered gown, which looks decent from the waist up. Some would even say really nice. It had tight long sleeves, a nice sweetheart neckline and was made entirely out of lace. I guess my description makes it sound dodgy, but it's quite nice. As I was checking it out, my eyes scanned it from top to bottom - and stopped at this PUFFY, PUFFY THING at the bottom of the dress. Why why whyyyyyyy? It's not your average trumpet silhouette, which can be classy - this dress just had both sides at the bottom sticking out, with bunches of netting which formed a long train. Okay, imagine this if you will..the bottom of the dress formed into a 'V' shape and tufts of netting stuck out from the sides of the V. '80s wedding dress much? Sigh.

One of these days I'm going to pull my girlfriends together and hit the Chinese bridal shops. I heard PJ is where it's at for wedding gown shopping. Not sure what the price range is like, though..if all fails, I'll just have to make a dress from scratch - which can cost an arm and a leg, chopped off by my mother herself.

Does anyone know of any places with nice wedding gowns (Please don't say Jovian Mandagie, a gown by him would probably be the cost of my whole reception put together) which are reasonably priced? I'm considering getting Arma Wedding Couture to make my dress, because their tailoring is quite good - although I've never actually seen any of their wedding gowns, but they seem open to ideas. It can get a tad pricey though. Sigh.

Maybe I should change the title of this blog to 'Bridezilla on a budget'........


Anyway, here are some pretty gowns with sleeves, WITHOUT a bolero *gasp*:

























...there are more, but they're in my bridal mags. Proof that you can have sleeves on your gown without having to wear a bolero! HAH!

sloppy bridezilla kisses!