Wedding gowns for the glowing bride

At one time, a woman did her best to hide the fact that she was pregnant at the altar. That's changed, but what hasn't is the lack of wedding gowns for expectant brides.

That's where Sarah Houston sees nothing but opportunity. Houston's Toronto-based bridal label specializes in maternity gowns.

"Many women today live with their partners before they marry and they feel the clock ticking," observes Houston. "They are planning a family anyway, so they aren't as careful as they otherwise might be."

Houston believes nearly one in five women is now pregnant on her wedding day. In England, where her business has taken off, Houston says the figure is as high as 40 per cent. She also sells to five stores in the U.S. and Dina Alonzi in Toronto.

Houston launched her bridal business five years ago, after raising her four children and making clothes for herself and friends as a hobby.

"Then about two years ago there were more and more brides coming to me who were already pregnant," she says. "These women were beside themselves because most of what was available to them were polyester tents. The stores wanted to sell them a dress that was two or three sizes too big and then alter it."

Houston offers expectant brides the same fabrics and details in couture bridal gowns – silk chiffon or charmeuse, Swarovski crystal beading, handmade flowers and covered or pearl buttons. Styles emphasize the bodice, rather than the bump. Houston also developed a measurement system based on weeks of pregnancy so she can predict a bride's shape on the big day. Two-inch seam allowances leave room for adjustment.

Sarah Houston gowns retail between $2,000 and $3,000. A collection for pregnant bridesmaids will launch in the fall. See sarah-houston.com.

Satish Sikha and Tsufa Bijelic make gowns for the bride who doesn't mind standing out in a crowd. Sikha designs the textiles creating flourishes of floral beading and embroidery crafted in his native India. Bijelic, who he met at the International Academy of Design where both studied fashion, designs the bias-cut siren dresses and full-blown fantasies. "She gives life to my fabrics," he says. "And he gives life to my gowns," replies Bijelic, who emigrated from Croatia in 1991. The team opened a boutique at 102 Yorkville Ave. in October and have built a clientele as far- flung as Paris and Dubai. Prices start at $1,000 for a beaded shrug and $3,000 for an embroidered gown. Much higher are the dresses decorated with real rubies, emeralds and sapphires. They started using precious stones after a client's request and now have a supplier working with laser technology to turn diamonds into sewable beads. "A lot of people believe that stones touching the skin gives them luck," Sikha says. Apparently it does. Who else but a lucky few can afford the $14,500 price tag. Visit sikhatsufa. com.

With increased competition from fast-fashion houses and the Internet, traditional retailers have had to ramp it up. One new strategy is to provide a shopping "experience" and to that end TNT Blu has opened a project space at its Hazelton Lanes store. The first is Saltbox, a beach house by Parsons design student Ely Assaraf. The art, photography and fashions are all for sale.

READ MORE - Wedding gowns for the glowing bride

Clothing for Change

Imagine browsing the stores looking for fun new fashions, checking the fit, feeling the softness, checking the tag to find “Made with 100% cotton, grown with 1/3 pound of pesticides, colored with reactive dyes fixed with heavy metals and produced by children in unsanitary, low-wage sweatshop conditions.” Labeling standards don’t yet require that information, and nobody is offering it up voluntarily, but the reality is that the latest trendy top you are looking at just might fit the bill.

For health and social reasons, many consumers today have made the switch to cotton from petroleum-based synthetic fibers such as polyester, but the fabric of our lives is not necessarily a choice without consequences. Globally, 25% of insecticide use is attributable to cotton production. In addition, conventional growing of cotton makes heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers. These insecticides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers then seep into our soil and waterways. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deemed seven of the top 15 pesticides used on U.S. cotton crops to be potential or known human carcinogens.

Much of the apparel in the US is made in sweatshops where workers labor in unsafe, unsanitary conditions, are paid wages so low they must struggle to provide for their families, and children are exploited.

Fortunately, there are alternatives. Today’s fashion market has a wealth of environmentally and socially responsible options, such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, soy, and organic wool.

Certified organic cotton is grown with consideration for the natural biodiversity, without the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers. The advantages go beyond the health and environmental benefits though. Organic cotton fibers tend to be longer-staple, producing stronger softer yarns, and, thus longer-lasting softer garments.

Let's not stop with organic cotton. Hemp is another natural fiber beginning to blossom in the eco-fashion industry. Hemp is most often grown without herbicides, fungicides or pesticides. With fibers longer, stronger and more absorbent than cotton, hemp produces strong yarns and garments that last. Naturally resistant to bacteria and UV light, hemp is a great choice for socks, shoes, and apparel.

And how will it look in your closet? The days of loose hemp anti-styles are no longer. Today’s hemp wear has its place in cutting edge design, knits that hug the body, linen-quality dresses that flatter the figure, and sturdy canvas shoes.

So don't be discouraged that 100% cotton isn't such a 100% natural choice. Today we have many options in eco-friendly and socially responsible apparel without compromising fashion. Fashion is about finding your own style. Shouldn’t your style be in line with your values?

READ MORE - Clothing for Change