A Little Cover-Up

Brides can make a statement – and beat the chill – with jackets, boleros and stoles

By Nola Sarkisian-Miller
CTW Features

Boa-style bolero from Jenny Packham, paired with a birdcage veil for a retro-style look. Image courtesy Jenny Packham

Trench coats, swing cardigans and capelets are heating up the women’s contemporary outerwear market. Coats have become the must-have daily accessory in wardrobes and the look has found interpretation in the bridal market.

Designers are going beyond the simple shrug to give brides a cover-up. Incorporating textured tulle, organza and chiffon, they’re adding frothy boleros, statement-making coats and gauzy stoles to add the finishing touch to the bridal ensemble.

“Designers are getting more creative as brides are trying to be as unique as possible on their wedding day,” says Amanda Stanger, bridal consultant at Signature Bridal, a salon in Rancho Mirage, Calif. “Brides are pretty open to any types of jackets, long and short.”

Look to the Spring 2011 bridal collection of Oscar de la Renta and you’ll find an elbow-length textured silk organza embroidered coat and a sleeveless silk organza embroidered coat, both lending polish and sophistication to their dresses. Jenny Packham’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection offered a razzle-dazzle boa-styled bolero in concert with a birdcage veil for retro charm along with a lace black bolero in step with the trend in black accents. Enzoani, based in Tustin, Calif., is offering a complete collection of jackets. The coats can work their charm on both long and short dresses, full and sleek.

A sense of fashion plays into the decision for a coat, say retailers, as does propriety. Brides may need to stay covered if their ceremony takes place in a house of worship. While cap-sleeve and 3/4-length styles are the most popular in jackets, some opt for full-sleeve styles, especially those brides of the Muslim faith who have to be completely covered to their wrists and necks, says Aleyciuss Al-Ali, a sales consultant at Roma Sposa Atelier in Birmingham, Mich.

For strapless gown lovers, those bare shoulders may also get chilly in outdoor weddings, especially on the East Coast, where brides may choose heavier fabrics for their covering such as satin or taffeta, Al-Ali says. Prices for shrugs and coats can run the gamut from $100 to $3,000. So, if a bride can’t find a matching shrug or the price point she likes, most bridal boutiques have qualified seamstresses on sight that can create a bespoke style or a bridal consultant can custom-order one from a designer.

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