St Brigid, or St Bride, of Kildare was one of the great early saints of Ireland, who gave away all her goods to join a nunnery. A Church in London, St Bride’s in Fleet Street, was founded in honour of her. On her great Feast Day each year, February 1st, cakes were baked and given away to the poor. It is reasonable to suppose that from the earliest times there were bakers nearby the Church, and that the name would have made the church a lucky one in which to get married.
In 1666 most of the houses in the overcrowded city were burnt down in the Great Fire of London which started in a baker’s a few hundred yards east of Fleet Street, and St Bride’s shared their fate.
Sir Christopher Wren, who rebuilt St Paul’s Cathedral, also rebuilt many of the old City churches, and the highest church spire was the one he later added to St Bride’s – five layers of alternate drums and columns – that is still one of the most glorious sights of the old skyline of the City where it is preserved.
Wedding cakes were already known in many countries, and the idea of piling them up as buns was well known, and there had recently begun to be attempts at more formal layering, even with icing. But it is a local Fleet Street baker, William Rich, who is credited with one final, tiny, adjustment. He began to copy the steeple of St Bride’s Church for his Bride’s cakes, and other local bakers copied. This is where the tiered design for today’s wedding cakes comes from; An innovative idea from William Rich which has now become a traditional feature for weddings.
So today, people who have never heard of the charitable St Brigid, the industrious Sir Christopher, or the enterprising William Rich, and perhaps have hardly heard of London, may be cutting a cake that in its present form owes a little to all three.
The design for the tiered wedding cake came from this layered ascending part of the steeple on the cathedral.
Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw had it right: the shoes make the outfit. At least, that’s what today’s working women believe as more than three in five (64%) told market researcher company Mintel they rely on footwear to complete or change the look of their clothes.
Mintel’s survey found that women turn to shoes and dress boots over other types of accessories. Jewellery is the working woman’s second most popular embellishment, with 52% saying they finish their looks with necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Less popular are purses, belts and scarves, which are used by less than one in three women to complete or change their outfits.
“Shoes and boots have come into the fashion forefront as women look for ways to make their outfits stand out,” comments Kay Fay, senior analyst at Mintel. “Shows like ‘Sex and the City’ and even first lady Michelle Obama’s bold footwear choices reinforce the shoe as a statement piece. Today’s woman changes from stiletto heels to ballet flats to knee-high boots, often in the course of one day.”
Younger women are most likely to say they put their best foot forward at work with purposefully chosen shoes and dress boots. Seven in ten women aged 18-34 and 67% of women aged 35-44 say they use footwear to complete or change the look of their clothes. These younger women are also most likely to wear one pair of shoes into the office, then change into something more stylish at work (44% of 18-34 year-old women versus less than a third of women 35 and up).
“Demanding shoe styles, especially those with sky high heels, aren’t ideal for walking long distances. But many young women don’t care; they’re perfectly content to cart in a second pair of shoes so they can commute in comfort yet look stylish in the office,” explains Kat Fay.
Mintel’s survey also found that 82% of working women say they dress to please themselves, while only one in three (34%) say they like to keep up with the latest fashions. Not surprisingly, younger women are the most trend-conscious with 46% of 18-34 year-olds say they like keeping up with the trends. Nearly half of the 18-24 olds questioned (47%) said they enjoy experimenting with new styles compared to 33% of women overall.
Author: Ase Anderson
Pure London News Editor
What accessories to wear on the day of the wedding is just one of the many decisions a bride will have to make as she plans ahead for the big day. Should she wear something in her hair? Should she go for a tiara or a comb? Wear her hair up or down and will a tiara complement that best or should she just plump for a subtle jewelled headband?
Bridal jewellery comes in an increasing array of different types styles, plain or with beads and stones, these include Swarovski, diamante, fresh-water pearls, Mother of pearl, Venetian glass and seed beads.
Tiaras are again a very popular choice of headwear for a bride. Available in a large array of shapes and sizes with designs ranging from classic diamante styles to intricate handcrafted stunners using wires and beads. The choices are endless.
At CG Bridal, we recommend that you choose your accessories after choosing your dress rather than before, with this in mind, our in house jewellery range is always carefully selected to compliment our gown collection. If you opt for a fuller skirt style wedding dress that is adorned with sparkling crystals or one that has a busy lace pattern, it would be wise to go for very simple, contemporary accessories. Maybe a delicate crystal or pearl necklace and simple headband or comb in your hair. To go for anything more ostentatious would be overkill and would detract from the beautiful presence of your dress and you.
On the other hand, if you opt for a modern, simple style then you can push the bat out a bit more on your accessories by making more of a statement. A bit of sparkle on a tiara or an extravagant choker or cuff bracelet will not be out of place.
The trend for vintage bridal jewellery is huge at the moment. Gorgeous statement diamante vintage necklaces from 1930’s look beautiful if worn with a vintage satin dress. A 1950’s diamante brooch for instance can transform a very plain dress by placing it on the waistband, sash or placed on a feather bolero or stole. You can also add a touch of glamour to a simple bridesmaid dress by attaching a statement brooch. Why not also combine your vintage find as your “something old”. Have a look and see what is lurking at the bottom of grandma’s jewellery box, you never know what treasures you may uncover!
Swarovski crystal is still by far one of the most popular choices for brides when they are choosing their jewellery and wedding accessories. The AB coating on the crystals give a dazzling rainbow effect when it catches the light and this is what makes it such a glamorous choice for the bride on her wedding day.
By choosing the correct accessories and jewellery to compliment your dress, it will only serve to help make sure that you feel like a million dollars on your special day.
Author: Clariscia Gill
You’ve seen thousands of photos, tried on dozens of gowns. But you may have missed some small items in your search for the perfect wedding-day look — those essential unmentionables that go under the dress. Undergarments provide the foundation necessary for your outerwear to look how it’s supposed to. They can change the way your dress fits, so you’ll need to purchase them before your first fitting. Read on for the low down on lingerie.
BRA
The bra is the uber undergarment, that leading piece of lingerie to which all others play supporting roles. If you are not wearing a boned bodice, you’ll need a good, supportive bra to lift you up as you walk down the aisle and keep you comfortable for hours of dining, dancing, and posing with relatives. Make comfort your priority: You don’t want insufficient support or annoying wires cutting into your sides on your wedding day. And remember, you can slip into provocative, flimsy lingerie when you take the gown off.
SLIMMERS
While old-fashioned girdles have long been out of style, you might try one of the several contemporary slimming undergarments that use Lycra or Spandex rather than stiff stays or ancient whalebone.
Make sure you take your bra, slimmer, stockings, and shoes to your fittings; a body-support garment will give a slightly different shape than just sucking in your gut, and changing your “support” down the road will affect the way your gown fits.
PANTIES
As with the bra and slimmer, choose panties that offer comfort over sex appeal. (There’s just no way to discreetly rearrange a pair of creeping panties through a wedding gown!) If your gown has an unusually slinky cut or is made of very thin material, you may want to use pantyhose with built-in underwear.
HOSIERY
If you want to wear a fancy garter belt with hooks to hold up thigh-high hose, make sure you choose one that fits snugly around your waist — and won’t be seen through your gown! The pressure of the hose can pull an inexpensive, elastic garter belt downward, leading to wrinkly knees and an evening of endless attempts to hitch up your hose (a task nearly as hard to hide as panty-tugging).
A garter belt is a pretty superfluous item, given the variety of sleek and sexy pantyhose available. But some women feel extra sexy just knowing they’re wearing one. If you go with a garter, you’ll need to test it out to make sure you can bear the inconvenience.
Before your wedding, try on your gown — with your undergarments — under the watchful eye of a close friend. Once you’re sure you won’t show more than you intend to show, forget about it and have fun!
Getting the most out of your wedding day shouldn’t be contingent on your lingerie, but it will definitely have an impact on your memories. Take a chance on your styles, and do it differently than all others. Make your day more special for bride and groom with the little details that are so memorable.
By John Barnes
Those brides who have opted for a less traditional non white dress, it’s not that non-conventional after all! The traditional colour for Wedding Dresses here in the UK was blue which was viewed as a symbol of purity up until the reign of Queen Victoria who opted to wear a white Wedding dress for her wedding ceremony to Albert in 1840.
All has not always been as it originally appears with other traditions held dear to us in regard to t
he Wedding ceremony. The throwing of a bouquet to be caught competitively by an eager hopeful bride to be was formally marked by a glass ring hidden in the Wedding cake being found. And speaking of the cake, this was shock horror, in the past made of meat!
Even the engagement ring as we know today was a new introduction in the 19th century, implemented by diamond company De Beers as a clever marketing campaign to boost the sales of rings.
Author: Clariscia Gill
www.clarisciagill.com
Attended a fabulous night out at the Royal Albert Hall invited by ‘Chrisanne’ to join them in their private box. Chrisanne make all those stunning gowns you see on Strictly Come dancing. I shall be doing some business with them making full use of their spectacular Swarovksi crystal range of ‘bling’. Designed jointly. It was the finals of the Latin dance championships and being an avid salsa dancer myself it was right up my street.
I’ve been invited to a fun fashion week party hosted by fashion TV at No. 5 Cavendish square. My client Tiger Lilly performed to open the night’s proceedings, wearing a stunning CG Couture outfit of course.
World Armada productions feature a Clariscia gill Bridal gown style “Carolina” for their short film. Starring Gary Lewis of Billy Elliot fame. ( No he didn’t wear the wedding dress…)
Below is a picture of the dress used in the film.
Tiger Lilly pop/rock chick singer/songwriter chooses CG couture to dress her and has featured Clariscia in her promo Video. One of our dresses was also used on her EP cover.
Harpers Bazaar magazine features Clariscia Gill Bridal Red Veil for their special bumper December 2009 issue. The whole feature was called “Kiss of the spider woman”. It was inspired by a Gothic/Vampire theme. My veil was featured along with a Prada Dress.
