The Dress
A dress for all brides
Bridal shop accommodates brides of all sizes , styles and budgets
Story by Monique Harrison Henderson • Contributing Writer Photos by Terrell Clark
The women featured in popular national bridal magazines are often sleek and rail thin . But the average bride-to-be who walks into Angelia Weems wedding dress shop in Philadelphia tends to be carrying a few more pounds than the models showcased in magazines , catalogs and websites .
“ Honestly , I would say that a lot of the customers that we see have what I would consider to be athletic builds ,” said Weems , who owns Special Occasions in Philadelphia . “ They might play softball or swim or play volleyball . They are muscular . They might be broader – strong and athletic . We understand that and so we have a variety of sizes .”
Weems said she keeps a broad range of sizes in stock , going up to about a size 32 . She also prioritizes keeping a variety of cuts in stock to help meet the unique needs of customers .
“ For every small girl that walks through my door that is a 4 or a 6 , I will have three times that many that are above a size 16 ,” she said . “ And my goal is to be able to meet the needs of every single bride .”
Weems said that brides often come in with photos of dresses that they are interested in finding and buying . The former educator usually is able to find a similar dress to try on . But usually , that isn ’ t the style that the bride ends up sticking with .
“ Most of the time , they come in with a preconceived idea about what they think will look good on them . But then , they try on that dress that is similar to the one in the picture , and it doesn ’ t work for them ,” she said . “ Maybe it accentuates an area they don ’ t want accentuated or maybe it doesn ’ t emphasize the areas they do want to emphasize . Most people really do have to try on to figure out what works best for them .”
Weems strongly recommends bringing in bras and any other undergarments that are likely to be worn in the wedding , including any undergarments designed to slenderize or sculpt .
“ You want to see what the dress will look like with the right undergarments ,” she said . “ That can make a big difference .”
She said that for brides who want to add a little more cleavage on top , she can accommodate them with bra padding sewn into the dress .
“ If someone isn ’ t happy with what they have up top , we can build it for them ,” Weems said , laughing .
ride
story continued on page 16
12 • MERIDIAN HOME & STYLE