THE COTTON WEDDING DRESS

Cotton is the pinnacle in laid-back casual, so we rarely associate it with bridal wear. Think again. Particularly about organdy and Swiss cotton. Two of the A1 fabrics in the world are no longer just for kids' dresses. First-rate cottons have always been a chic option for summer brides and garden weddings. One of the most stylish gowns I ever designed was a dotted Swiss ball gown silhouette. Clued-up and confident, my bride amped her ‘look good’ factor by adding a dimity sash.  Not every bride wants to flaunt the tradition of silk on her wedding day, so some designers are getting the message, offering at least one cotton option in their spring/summer collection. Bravo! Finally!

Header Photo: A floor-length cotton eyelet dress beautifully accessorized with a self-belt and picture hat. Above: An all-over cotton lace dress done in geometric floral emblems. Below: Embroidered lightweight sheer cotton eyelet dress with an underslip.

COTTON WEAVES

Batiste: A lightweight fine cotton used mostly for freely-fitted summer dresses, bridesmaid and child attendants. A good lining alternative for cottons. 

Dimity: Sheer cotton with a corded stripe or check pattern. Used mostly for blouses, also great for transparent dresses worn over a slip, shirtwaists, sashes, and veils. I've also seen this as an interesting lining. 

 

Eyelet-light to medium-weight cotton with cutout patterns of embroidery along the border. Pictured above, it is a classic summertime favorite for informal brides. Makes up into pretty long or short hourglasses, sundresses, chemises, shifts, shells, and A-lines. Perfect in colors for the attendants.

Dotted Swiss-Lightweight to sheer cotton. Made up of a lappet or swivel weave with woven dots. Used for shirtwaists, A-lines, shifts, chemises, and hourglasses. Great in colors for outfitting the wedding party.  The image below is actually from the Michelle Roth collection and is silk organza.  Though dotted Swiss is not difficult to find as yardage, bridal gowns and dresses in this particular weave are available right now.

Organdy is a light, plain-weave cotton or poly fabric that is transparent and permanently stiffened. Sometimes used for jacket interfacing and making lightweight hats. Lends itself well to the once popular daytime formal concept of afternoon garden receptions —the kind a Katherine Hepburn character would have attended. Crisp and pure, it makes up into lovely structured hourglass silhouettes and A-lines.

Voile-voile means ‘veil’ in French so you get the idea of how light it is. Sheer, plain weave of cotton or polyester. Dubbed ‘poor man’s chiffon’ because of its less formal appearance than its counterpart, silk chiffon. It is, however, in some cases, more expensive than silk chiffon for the reason it’s not as readily available as silk chiffon that you find everywhere.