Southern Protocol

Happy Sunday! We hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather in Charleston this weekend; I dont think you can beat 70 degree weather in January!

Now that we are getting well into January, we figured we would do a blog on the top wedding trends for 2012. While every bride’s wedding is tailored to their own taste, the overall main trend for weddings in 2012 is a more formal, elegant and romantic wedding. Since the debut of the Royal Wedding, every bride has been dreaming of a romantic, elegant and feminine wedding filled with lace and sparkles. Here are a few that we think we will be seeing a lot of!

Gold. A white wedding gown will always be a symbol of tradition and elegance. However, in 2012, non-white dresses with hints of gold, nude, and champagne are going to be in. Vera Wang and Monique Lhuiller both have amazing Spring 2012 collections with golden-eque gowns that can be found at our very own local Bridal Chic Boutique, Maddison Row.

Sparkles. Okay, I know this sounds horribly tacky. But, the “sparkle” that I am talking about is far from that. It is, in fact, absolutely stunning. Adding sparkle to table accessories, flowers, cakes, invitations, dresses and even drink accessories is very “in” for 2012 and makes for a lavish, elegant wedding!

Lace. Another trend pulled from the Royal Wedding, Lace Wedding Gowns. Honestly, who didn’t love Kate’s Gown? Lace is also lovely atop table linens and any place where you want a simple, pretty detail.

Burlap. Burlap is a big trend for 2012, and for a southern, charming, rustic wedding it does wonders. It can be used as a table runner, tied around chairs, used on hors d’oeuvres trays, bouquets and even invitations.

Colors. Bright, charming colors are very in, especially for bridesmaids dresses. A simple, all white and neutral wedding can also be given a bit of southern, classy attitude with a small pop of color.

We can’t wait for all of the gracious, charming, stylish and southern weddings to come in 2012!

Pretty. So insanely pretty and ethereal. Those are the only adjectives running through my head when I just perused through Monique Lhuillier’s Spring 2011 RTW collection, which hit the runway yesterday.

A breathtakingly simple and beautiful color pallet of pinks, reds, pale blues and golds took form in light as air dresses and super glamorous sequined pantsuits. I would DIE if I had somewhere to wear the amazing look above. Also if I had the money to wear the amazing look above.

The Lhuillier brand is obviously best and most known for its showstopping red carpet gowns and princess worthy bridal, so it makes me really happy to see how well she has forayed into the ready to wear category over the past seven years. Forget her bridal wear – I want every single one of these ready to wear looks. They’re chic, show every feminine woman how to easily go day-to-night, and need to find their way into my closet immediately! If this is the direction spring 2011 is headed in, let’s go ahead and skip straight to March – or pray the predictions of a super mild winter in the Lowcountry are true.

The hit AMC series Mad Men continues to have an enviable stronghold on current popular fashion! January Jones and Christina Hendricks have easily replaced Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall, turning sexy on-screen fashions from the 1960s into highly coveted pieces for the modern wardrobe.

Now that Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant has already paired with QVC for a clothing line inspired by the hot movers and shakers of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, it only makes sense that she’d move on to another hot commodity: nail polish.

The line, which will be through sassy retailer Nailtini (flawless pairing choice for a show with everyone drinking all the time, huh?), will consist of four colors: Bourbon Satin (brown), French 75 (gold), Deauville (platinum), and Stinger (iridescent). Don’t those colors just scream Mad Men? The colors that dance across the screen during that entire show are rich browns, creams and jewel tones. What a perfect decision to keep the nail polishes in those families – I’m sure they’ll be a big hit come fall!

The polish will be available at CVS Beauty 360 and Duane Reade’s Look stores this fall for $14 a piece. Slather some on, slip into a corseted dress, grab a martini, and hit the town!

How fabulously glamorous did everyone look at the 82nd Academy Awards last night? I can’t remember the last time that I was so smitten with so many dresses. I am obsessed with golds and champagnes for formal occasions, so I’m sure you can imagine my delight when diva after diva exited limousines in my color of choice!

Without question, my number one favorite from head to toe was Sandra Bullock – was it her night to shine or what?! She actually looked like an Oscar in her Marchesa dress…but an Old Hollywood, super feminine version. While every other starlet had her hair pulled back into a bun of some sort – which I do love, it’s sleek and you can see faces – she had a smooth slight wave that made me want hair extensions. And the red lips? You know it was a hit at Southern Protocol. The dress was shiny, which usually makes me nervous, but all in all I adored everything about her look.

Miley Cyrus’s Jenny Packham dress was amazing in and of itself, but it really was not a great fit on her. I’m pretty sure her chest isn’t overly large, so why she couldn’t bare to go up a cup size in the top is beyond me! I do love the juxtaposition of the structured corset and flowing, sparkly bottom – but her thick makeup made her look much older than she really is. Still, I would kill to just wear that dress around my house for a day!

Demi Moore makes me extremely anxious about aging…because I know that no matter how much I pray about looking half as flawless as she does at age 47, it’s just not going to happen. Her showstopping Versace dress was an unbelievably perfect color for her; monochrome with her skin without washing her out, and hugely fluffy while still hugging her enviable figure.

Based solely on principle, I find myself liking anything Chanel. Case in point: upon seeing Sarah Jessica Parker last night, I was a bit “eh, that fits her like a sack, don’t like it.” Fast forward to when she sweetly chirped that it was vintage Chanel, and my opinion somehow morphed into one of “well I guess it IS interesting and pretty!” Final decision: it is a cool dress, but it was so ill-fitting on her.

So happy with the turnout last night! I can’t wait for all the tabloids to come out with the after party outfits…THOSE are always a sight to behold!