The best part of any Fashion Week is always the element of surprise. Yes, there are the trends we could have called before Bridal Fashion Week kicked off—see Nos. 1 and 2 below. But we get the most excited about the unexpected trends that somehow dominate a bunch of major shows. Like, did the designers hold a confab ahead of time and decide that wedding dresses with watercolor flowers are a major THING? Because they are. Here are four more trends we noticed.
TREND 1: OVERSKIRTS
Thanks, Olivia Palermo. After the multihyphenate wed in playful Carolina Herrera shorts paired with a voluminous tulle skirt, we saw overskirts march down pretty much every runway this season. Some are part of the dress, as with the Tara La Tour gown below, while others can be removed for second reception look.
J. MENDEL
TREND 3: 3-D FLOWERS
Faux blooms that popped off the dresses were almost a prevalent on the bridal runways as the color white. They add dimension and a hint of romance without being attention-grabby, like, say, sequins.
ANNE BARGE
TREND 3: SHOULDERS AND SHEER
This one is a fun new twist on the illusion bodice we’ve seen in heavy rotation for a few years now. The updated design emphasizes the sheer portion across the decolletage while splashing details more dramatically around the shoulders.
INBAL DROR
TREND 4: WATERCOLOR FLOWERS ON WHITE
Watercolor-y flowers against a white backdrop aren’t necessarily a new idea—here are two previous iterations we love—but the trend certainly moved closer to the mainstream this season, with variations from you-can-barely-see-’em (they’re on the bodice of that Carolina Herrera gown) to flat-out bold (ahem, Romona—love it!).
ROMONA KEVEZA
TREND 5: RACERBACK BODICES
This one felt totally fresh: After season after season of tank straps and then bare backs, loads of designers experimented with racerback bodices this season. There are two examples below, but there were more on the runways—Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera, to name a couple—but not every designer sends rear-view shots.
ALON LIVNE WHITE
