Update! Empire waist VS. mermaid

[Missrocks]

Continued from earlier thread "Empire waist for wedding dress". So I love the Empire waisted Reem Acra. And I absolutley LOVE the detailing / beadwork. The picture does it no justice- those of you who have tried it on would understand. The fabric is to die for.
But I keep going back to this Alvina Valenta because it just is so flattering to my figure. It is much simplier than I envisioned.

I thought about incorporating the two designs (RA style beading on AV dress), but I think part of what I like about the RA is the flowy drapy design in combo with the stitching beadwork.

Then I started thinking about when my hair is all done up with a ribbon and some flowers, or a brooch. And my bouquet. And I am probably going to be wearing some fairly large diamond stud earrings with pave'' borders (I don''t have them yet).
Maybe once the whole picture is together, with makeup, hair, ect...the Alvina would be perfect. And maybe the Reem might be a bit much. Think Hawaiian outdoor wedding.

Any comment? Keep in mind, the photographs don''t quite do the Reem Acra justice, so its no quite a fair comparison. Everyone was so helpful on my last thread! Thanks!




Reem Acra

 

[Missrocks]

...

 

[Missrocks]

Alvina Valenta

 

[Missrocks]

..Agghh...won''t let me post

 

[Harleigh]

I may be the only one, but I adore the Alvina dress on you! I think your figure is to die for, and I love how it shows that off, whereas the other gowns are flowy and pretty, but I don't particularly care for the empire waist, but that's just me!

You have a hot body, and I say ROCK IT!!! (Just my two cents!

)

And hey, your name ain't "MissRocks" for nothin', right???

 

[ringster]

wow the reema looked great on you but i think the mermaid style is way better! va va voom

ETA : i think the mermaid one that you tried on has an empire-waist type of detail with the lace. i am not that crazy about the lace in the bottom flair part. but this style does show off your figure to it's maximum benefit and it makes you look taller and your posture looks great in it

 

[emilina22]

oh wow this is a tough one...they both look amazing on you!!!

 

[urseberry]

I prefer the Reem Acra, even for a destination wedding in Hawaii. The fabric and draping are just so beautiful. You mentioned that the RA in the picture is too big, right? So perhaps when it is in your size, we'll see a little more of your great figure?

I also don't think the jewelery plus the RA will be too much. Even the biggest, blingiest diamond jewelry is still teeny tiny compared to the scale of a dress.

ETA: I don't think you can make a bad choice here. Both look fantastic on you.

 

[karasue91]

is it a beach wedding or Hawaiian garden-type wedding? if beach, i think the reem would be great since the AV won''t blow around in the wind. but if it''s more of a garden/tropical setting, i think the AV would be fantastic. actually, i still think the reem would be perfect in the garden/tropical setting too! but i just feel like a flowy dress that will blow in the wind looks so great for beach weddings!!!

 

[CrownJewel]

I still vote for the Reem.

I''m not a fan of the horizontal lace detail on the skirt of the Alvina. But you do look great in it though!

The Reem is a total showstopper...but not too much, even when the ensemble is all put together. It''s just heavenly. Sigh...if only I could wear 5 different dresses to my wedding...

 

[door knob solitaire]

Date: 2/18/2008 11:44:51 PM
Author: Harleigh
I may be the only one, but I adore the Alvina dress on you! I think your figure is to die for, and I love how it shows that off, whereas the other gowns are flowy and pretty, but I don''t particularly care for the empire waist, but that''s just me!

You have a hot body, and I say ROCK IT!!! (Just my two cents!

)

And hey, your name ain''t ''MissRocks'' for nothin'', right???

No Har...you aren''t the only one...I ditto EVERY thing you said...plus the creative way to remind you that she rocks! Miss Rocks!

Honey, you can''t hide that figure on the day that photographs will be taken under that beautiful other dress. It is beautiful and with your height it does look most elegant on you. But you are a mermaid!

Lets do the mermaid!!

ROCK ON! ROCK ON! ROCK ON! ROCK ON! ROCK ON! ROCK ON! ROCK ON! ROCK ON!

 

[Future Mrs Polka Dot]

They are both gorgeous on you!! I personally love mermaid silhouettes and I vote for that one on you. But really, you can''t make a bad decision!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 2/19/2008 12:02:43 AM
Author: CrownJewel
I still vote for the Reem.

I''m not a fan of the horizontal lace detail on the skirt of the Alvina. But you do look great in it though!


The Reem is a total showstopper...but not too much, even when the ensemble is all put together. It''s just heavenly. Sigh...if only I could wear 5 different dresses to my wedding...

Ditto! The Reem is just sooo beautifully detailed and special! Plus to me, the style of the Reem fits more with a destination wedding. The Alvina is a lot more structured and seems more like an evening/black tie type of dress. It looks really great on you, but I''m not really a fan of mermaid style dresses and I love empire waist dresses, so I''m biased, of course!

But you have time, right? You can always just keep trying on dresses and keep these two in the back of your mind!

 

[happy in love]

I still LOVE the reem acra. I agree with pp that once it is in the right size it might show you off a little more. It seems much more Hawaii to me than the Alvina Valenta one.
I love the beading and the detail on the RA too.
IMO the AV looks great on you too, but seems more evening ballroom wedding or something like that.

 

[Missrocks]

Whoops!!! I''m on a three inch pedestal in the mermaid..wearing shoes. I was like, wow I look taller. Please subtract three inches from the bottom of the dress on the mermaid shots!

Arrghh. I just keep going back and forth...

Thanks guys for being so awesome and chiming in! All honesty is appreciated. And yes I wasn''t so crazy about the horizontal lace on the bottom of the mermaid at first, but I feel better about it now.

Keep the comments coming.

~Harleigh and Door Knob- I like the new take on my name

 

[FrekeChild]

RA-ethereal
AV-antique

Honestly, I prefer the Reem. I think it''s unique and would look stunning for an outdoor wedding. The Alvina is very structured and I think that''s why I don''t like it as much. I think it''d be fine in a ballroom or even a church, but outdoors?

In the Reem I think you''d look like a nymph that has come from the sea to grace your guests with your presence. I just don''t feel it as much with the Alvina...

And please excuse the nerdy poetic cr4p. I''m overloading on Kool-Aid. Blame MissErin...

 

[sera]

I love the mermaid... it looks great on you! On someone reallllly short, not so sure, but 3in. shorter I think would still be lovely. The horizontal lace works... I guess it just hits at all the right places and doesn''t widen anything.

The other one is very pretty... perhaps for a garden or a Midsummer Night''s Dream kinda thing, yeah. But I would most likely want something more bridal.

Both are beautiful... but the mermaid is WOW.

 

[Missrocks]

Ok, so since the height issue has come up, here is one of me (not on pedestal) wearing heels. I drew a line where I think the dress will be cut off. This pic more acurately represents my height.

 

[VRBeauty]

I love that empire dresses are an option now, and I think a dress like that, fluttering softly in the breeze, would be a nice choice for a garden wedding.

I am a little concerned with the fit of that particular empire dress on you. The bodice looks a little -- er -- crowded, even though I assume (from the clips in back) that you'd be ordering it in a smaller size.

I'm not usually a huge fan of mermaid style gowns, but the second dress is stunning on you!

 

[sunnygirl]

I vote for the AV - you just look too gorgeous in that dress to not wear it!! i dont think the Reem shows you off enough. But I am biased - I think empire waist dresses make people look preggers in general.

 

[Gypsy]

I love the mermaid on you. But, you should go with what is going to make you feel the most beautiful. It sounds like you are in love with the Reem, but FEEL like you should choose the mermaid because of the fit. That''s the recipe for dress dissatisfaction. Pick the one you LOVE. The one that makes you smile.

The one that when you are sitting with your daughter thirty years from now planning her wedding, and you pull out your wedding pic, you want HER to see you wearing.

 

[laine]

Honestly, I don't like the mermaid one. I think the stripes of lace across the skirt look sort of cheap (sorry! it might just be the picture...) and it doesn't flow very well--it's like a sheath dress chopped off at the knee with an a-line skirt attached. Like others have said, it seems much too structured and formal for a Hawaii wedding.

On the other hand, I really like the empire waist dress on you, its so delicate and makes you look so tiny and ethereal. I agree its maybe a bit shapeless around the waist, but I imagine the right size would help a bit. Would it be possible to take in the lining so it hugs your waist more and shows your figure a bit, but keeps the flowy loose look of the overskirt?

When I look at the mermaid dress picture, I see the dress, but when I look at the first dress picture, I see you. Does that make any sense?

 

[Missrocks]

Date: 2/19/2008 1:09:51 AM
Author: Gypsy
I love the mermaid on you. But, you should go with what is going to make you feel the most beautiful. It sounds like you are in love with the Reem, but FEEL like you should choose the mermaid because of the fit. That's the recipe for dress dissatisfaction. Pick the one you LOVE. The one that makes you smile.

The one that when you are sitting with your daughter thirty years from now planning her wedding, and you pull out your wedding pic, you want HER to see you wearing.

You summed me up the best. I do feel like I should choose the mermaid because I do think it is a tiny bit more flattering on me. I feel like I look "sexier / more womanly / stunning" in it. Although I don't think the Reem is unflattering, just not the same type of look. And I feel like I look more "girlish / innocent/ goddess like" in that one. So both of them make me smile, but for different reasons.

That is why it is so good for me to hear everyone's opinions. Stepping back and getting an outside view....

 

[gtn]

I vote for the mermaid (AV) I think it looks amazing on you. The Empire waisted dress doesn''t do you body justice.

 

[FrekeChild]

This is what I think of when I see the Reem. And I don''t know about anyone else, but I gasped when I saw this dress when I was watching the movie. I just think they are both so romantic, ethereal and feminine....

I wish I could pull off a dress like that...

 

[ringster]

even with the 3 inches cut off i think that i like the AV better at least the part before the mermaid thingy area. the mermaid bottom part just seems to cut you off and doesn't flow well - i look at it and am expecting to see more of your figure but then it just stops. i think a trumpet skirt style would look killer on you. a dress that is fitted and has the empire waist detail with trumpet skirt would look so nice on you.

i wish i could find a dress that looks like what i am thinking! has anyone else run across any dresses that fit this description?

ETA : or maybe a mermaid that isn't so severe but more gradually curves out

 

[ringster]

example of less severe mermaid

 

[ringster]

Date: 2/19/2008 1:29:37 AM
Author: FrekeChild
This is what I think of when I see the Reem. And I don''t know about anyone else, but I gasped when I saw this dress when I was watching the movie. I just think they are both so romantic, ethereal and feminine....


I wish I could pull off a dress like that...

me too!

 

[Missrocks]

Date: 2/19/2008 1:36:10 AM
Author: ringster
even with the 3 inches cut off i think that i like the AV better at least the part before the mermaid thingy area. the mermaid bottom part just seems to cut you off and doesn't flow well - i look at it and am expecting to see more of your figure but then it just stops. i think a trumpet skirt style would look killer on you. a dress that is fitted and has the empire waist detail with trumpet skirt would look so nice on you.

i wish i could find a dress that looks like what i am thinking! has anyone else run across any dresses that fit this description?

Trumpet style skirt, hmmm....Is this one more "trumpet"? I doesn't have the empire waist though. I am trying this on this weekend. I like the tulle and girly-ness. Just don't know if I can unhook my attachment to the RA fabric and beadwork.

Thanks everyone so far for feedback.

You guys have made some awesome points so far. By all means, more is welcome!

 

[Missrocks]

I had gotten a few comments on how the fit of the Reem didn''t show off my figure..
Now I am wishing I had asked the SA to clip the RA a little tighter. It felt like it was pretty tight but of course, there is all that extra fabric under the empire waist that can''t be helped with the bigger sample size.
It just makes it hard to get an accurate idea of whether it really would show off more of figure. My friend, whom was with me, seemed to that it would hug my curves a bit more in my size, and she used to be a seamstress.

And I am starting to think twice about those horizontal lace stripes on the skirt. I really didn''t feel like they looked cheap (and trust me, I am soo picky about stuff like that). But it was interesting to hear feedback that everyone thought it was more formal/ ballroom. I thought the pattern of the lace (almost vintage looking a bit) and the "raw" not shiny, satin gave it a bit of a daytime/ garden tea party look. Sorry- best description I can come up with at this time of evening.