A S P E C I A L S E C T I O N O F T H E R E C O R D - R E V I E W • F E B R U A R Y 13 , 2 015
An insider’s guide to dressing for the night of your life!
The honor of your presence is requested
By TRACI DUTTON LUDWIG
cessories and splurge on the gown. The gown is what you see the most of and what attracts the most attention.
t might not be cool for prom girls to take advice from their moms, but tips from industry experts are another story. “Celebrations” reached out to some of the best local professionals who generously shared their insight and experience in helping girls look and feel their best on prom’s very special night. So gather round; here’s who they are and here’s what they had to say. Monique Gootkin and Betty Dayan are co-owners of All Dressed Up, a premier fashion boutique in the Rye Ridge Plaza in Rye Brook. They each have degrees from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and they both have daughters — two important factors that make All Dressed Up a special shop for unique party attire. “It’s really a privilege to operate All Dressed Up,” said Gootkin, “because we get to share over and over again that excitement that goes along with all the different events people purchase dresses for.” Dayan added, “These are wonderful moments in young woman’s life, some events are spiritual, some just about fun, but all of them are meant to be remembered.” Melanie Harris, a Scarsdale native, was born and bred in the fashion design industry — and she attended the Scarsdale High School prom in her youth. With this background, it was only natural for her to launch her own brand, Melanie Harris, Inc., which is based in New York City and which focuses on special occasion dresses of quality, exquisite workmanship and innovative, yet classic design — all made in the USA. One of Harris’s daughters, Sam, went to the Scarsdale High School prom last year. “She designed her own gown along with me, which has been selling in my spring/summer 2015 collection,” Harris said. “My other daughter, Sloane, is in ninth grade, and I’m sure she has something brewing in her head already!”
Certain silhouettes look better on certain body types. What are your tips for finding the best look for each girl? H: Several designs will have specific details that will enhance your best feature. For example, girls with a larger bust-line tend to look better in an off-the-shoulder style. This is because an off-the-shoulder dress focuses attention on a girl’s open neckline and shoulders — and away from the bust size. Girls with fuller hips tend to look better in a flowing silhouette or an A-line skirt, rather than in tight and straight styles. However, some girls that are very thin may also look better in a fuller skirt, especially if the volume of the skirt enhances a small waistline. G&D: To find the best style of gown for your body, try on different silhouettes and take suggestions from your salesperson. Salespeople have a lot of experience and generally know what will look good. They are a great resource! Gowns also look different once they are tried on, as opposed to how they look on a hanger — so always give different gowns a chance by trying them on.
I
Tradition remains for wedding invitations By VALERIE ABRAHAMS
T
he internet recently was all atwitter with news that adorable Oscarnominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch and fiancée Sophie Hunter sent out a hasty wedding Evite. Amid speculation that the celebrity couple want to wed before the baby arrives in early summer, the guests might forgive the pair for not following social protocol with ink and paper invites. The rules of wedding etiquette are constantly evolving, but traditional printed, mailed invitations remain the preferred — and more personal — option for special occasions such as weddings or bar and bat mitzvahs. According to a recent wedding planning survey by TheKnot.com and Mashable, two-thirds of brides used paperless options for wedding related events, but only 12 percent went paperless for the wedding invitation. Evites, easily forgotten or deleted, may be acceptable for celebrities or for casual events such as barbecues or birthdays, but, “It will never be appropriate to send an Evite for a formal event,” said Alissa Harvey of Kings Scribe in Chappaqua. “If you send an Evite for an event at the Westchester or Sleepy Hollow Country Clubs, you are confusing people’s expectations.” Ken Chorzewski of Invitations Plus agreed: “There is no one who is having an elegant affair who would not want an engraved or thermographic invitation. Both are still in vogue. Some people are using Evites, but only for small parties or a quick engagement.” Chorzewski’s company represents every major American engraver and thermographic house and has been serving people planning high end affairs in the New York metro area for more than 33 years. Even young couples entrenched in the digital world believe nothing supplants a printed invitation, he said, and they want a copy of the invitation to display in their wedding album. “If you send it online, it’s in cyberspace somewhere, but not in your hand or in your album,” Chorzewski said. If a couple wants to make an eco-friendly statement by using less paper, they might ask for an
What’s the best way to stand out at prom? H (Harris): A big, beautiful smile will always have you standing out of any crowd! A smile is your best accessory. G&D (Gootkin & Davan): Wear a colorful dress to stand out! With so many styles to choose from, where do you start? What advice can you offer on narrowing down the choices and making the best selection? H: Prior to shopping, it always helps to have a price range in mind and possibly a color or silhouette to narrow your options in a retail store with a larger inventory. G&D: We recommend trying on many different styles and silhouettes to get an idea of what you really like. Always be open to suggestions, too. When working with a budget, where should you splurge and where should you save? H: When working within a specific budget, I would splurge on the perfect dress that enhances your best features and save on a high priced heel. Many shoes look similar and are just as comfortable at a lower price. G&D: If you are on a budget, save on the shoes and ac-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
How can girls personalize their look with accessories? H: From personal experience, my daughter Sam added a beautiful hair accessory that coordinated with her prom gown of tiny tie-dyed flowers and soft cascading rows of gold chains that flowed through the curls in the back of her hair. Fashion bloggers linked her prom picture to the “Winning Look of 2014 Prom Hair.” G&D: Jewelry always complements the look! For example, a great bracelet and earring adds a finishing touch that can really make a difference to the total look. Since we offer a complete range of accessories, a girl can try out various options all at once when she is purchasing her dress. This will give her ideas of how to play with the overall look and personalize it to achieve the Wow! factor. What are the current prom styles and colors this year? What’s new and exciting? H: In years past, straight, tight, heavily sequined, sexy styles were more popular among prom girls. However, the new trends in prom are following the trends from red carpet events and New York Fashion Week runway shows. Flowing, less adorned, more classic styling is now the most sought after look for the prom. Today’s prom girls want to look like their favorite movie stars, rather than beauty pageant contestants. Colors remain a personal preference, whether it is a vibrant bright color, classic white or always elegant black. A color is usually selected by what looks best on a certain skin tone or by what color matches a girl’s personality. G&D: Open backs continue to be a great feature and a very popular look right now. Illusion necklines and illusion panels by the knee are also extraordinarily popular looks this season. As far as color is concerned, pastels are currently a beautiful look. However, along with lavender and pale pink, neon colors and lemon yellow are also key colors. We’re also seeing a lot of red – which can be very rich and dramatic. For girls interested in capturing a glamorous look, you can never go wrong with this season’s gorgeous lace gowns or, of course, anything with sequins. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
Bridal bootcamp: Fitness prep before the big event By MARY LEGRAND
E
INSIDE CELEBRATIONS Hiring a wedding photographer........................................ 2A Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: Start with a plan, end with fun!.... 4A Make your big day as unique as you are............................ 4A Planning an ideal weekend wedding................................. 4A Getting hitched at home? 3 things to think about............ 5A Wedding gowns reflect personality and tradition..............7A
ngaged couples have a lot of wedding details to work through prior to the big day, including choosing a venue, caterer, band and photographer. In recent years there have been additional priorities on the to-do lists, including, for some brides and grooms, putting the finishing touches on themselves. Some call this “bridal boot camp,” but in most cases the training doesn’t involve being yelled at by drill sergeants. Joseph Frisenda, a personal trainer and owner of Push Personal Training in Irvington, said his company is well acquainted with taking on clients who are anticipating getting married. Good things can happen
even in a relatively short timeframe, whether the client hopes to improve his or her body in one-on-one sessions or in partner training. “Whatever it takes for someone to get into shape and do something for herself or himself is an excellent move, and hopefully those good habits stick after the initial, pre-wedding push,” Frisenda said. “It’s like when someone quits smoking because of his spouse, but in the end he feels better and realizes how much healthier he feels. Whatever the impetus, it’s always a good thing to do the right thing.” Frisenda said between six and 12 months before one’s wedding date is plenty of time to get into prenuptials shape. “Everyone has individual needs, with different body comCONTINUED ON PAGE 5A