so i braved downtown seattle again today to tackle two of the three bridal places i'd set out to tackle. today was a good day to do it because it's sunday, and the meter parking is free unlike in vancouver. meter parking is also free after 6pm on weekdays, vs. 8pm in vancouver. i'd heard great things about cicada from local people that represented both rich brides and poor brides alike, not to mention brides with impending weddings and short timelines. the shop was surprisingly spacious and beautifully laid out. i was greeted by a sweet older lady, and i even noticed one of the designers milling about the store and helping out here and there. two great girls helped me out and i had a fabulous time trying on dresses and accessories. the staff said they'd received mixed reviews online, and they were delighted to hear that they'd get a great review from me as i walked out the door just as they closed up shop. side note laurie - you have to go shopping on 1st ave with me.
cicada gets an "A" in my books because a) they allow photographs b) everything is classically clean and simple (do you know how hard it is to find a simple dress?) c) it's all handmade by the instore designers and seamstresses, so go local! d) they have almost all their samples available in extra-small through large so it's even more exciting for someone petite like me e) they have birdcage veils and other hard to find accessories in stock!
this was the dress that i had scoped out on their website in a beautiful sheen:
the portrait neckline enticed me (bottom left image in montage), but i wasn't quite sold by how the model pulled it off. i decided to grab the portrait dress as an afterthought just 5 minutes before closing and was pleasantly suprised at how good it looked despite the website image, but wasn't too keen on the two-piece idea for myself (although the top half would go smashing with a pair of jeans and i really could wear it again and again. i made a similar comment to a lady at a very high end couture boutique some time ago and she looked at me like i had four heads coming out of my shoulders):
the saleslady mentioned they had another with a portrait neckline, and i was so happy she took the time at the end of her workday to let me try it on because it was the best of the bunch! as long as it can be cinched around my waist as tight in alterations as clamps have been capable of time and time again in giving me an hourglass figure, i think it's pretty promising. and it could go with my birdcage veil.
i do love how fabrics like silk charmeuse just glow (and in this case, i believe a satin). however, they don't lend well to birdcage veils :(
here's some more dresses. this one here reminds me of the $330 maggie.
and then trying it without the ruffling along the bustline:
because, again, every store has a fun little number. this was also their in a delicate light blue that looked fantastic on the hanger:
lace! lace! i had high hopes for this dress, but it just didn't do it for me.
here's my attempt to make it have a sweetheart neckline:
another cowl neck they happened to have:
they stock fur capelets and both organza and lacey boleros, and millenery finds to boot, including birdcage veils!!! up until today, i'd never been in a store with any mentionable birdcage veils to speak of.
dresses are hemmed to your length at no charge, dresses come in standard xs/sm/med/lg sizes, and alterations are by the hours - otherwise a neat option is to add 25% onto the pricetag and the dress will be custom built for your body, with a muslin mock up made ahead of time to ensure the perfect fit.
i found this online and forgot to try it on:
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