Dress of the Week - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This week we aren't highlighting one dress, we're highlighting a lot of them!

One of Paper Doll Formals' values is to honour the environment and the community. What better way than with a selection of consignment dresses?! We have been lucky enough to receive a great response from the community as we have been able to match lovely dresses with new owners since we've opened.

Consignment is an easy concept. The consignor brings in a cleaned gown to Paper Doll and between the two of us, we determine if the dress would sell and if so, for how much. The selling price is a 50-50 split. We also ask if the dress can be rented out. This is a personal choice of the original owner, and we only rent the dresses that we're allowed to.

We also ask for the lowest selling price the consignor would like and never go below that. The information is then put into our computer system, a contract is signed, and we place the dress on the consignment rack.

If the dress doesn't sell within a year (some styles need to wait for their perfect bride), we call the original owner and offer the dress back or ask if the dress can be sent out to Toronto to the Bride's Project- a charity that sells older gowns for cancer research.

We currently have six ivory dresses and five white gowns in stock in sizes from two up to 14.

This first dress is an ivory Maggie Sottero gown from her 2010 collection. This gentle a-line dress was never worn! It's a gorgeous strapless dress with a slight sweetheart neckline, covered with lace, beading and sparkles and a long train. It's on sale for $1,040 for the month of November! What an amazing price for this dress which was originally $1,500!

The second dress shown is a Vera Wang from Kleinfeld's in Manhattan (yes, from THAT show!). This dress was also never worn and is a definitely fairy-tale gown. There are small spaghetti straps holding up the net-covered bodice which is embroidered with two bands of beads and sequins. The ball gown is created from seven layers of delicate tulle that flow out over three layers of crinoline, and there's a very small chapel-length train behind. Originally purchased for $3,800, this spectacular dress is on sale for $1,600 this month!

There are many more lovely dresses in our consignment section - perfect for an outdoor wedding, a beach wedding, or a traditional church wedding. Some are chiffon, some are satin, three are raw silk! Two have been created by dress makers for the original owner and are one-of-a-kind dresses. Some have their own veils, crinolines, or shawls.

For the bride who is looking to make a small impact upon the earth with her wedding, this is a wonderful option to find the perfect dress at the perfect price. Some dresses may need slight alterations, many don't and will fit perfectly.

All consignment items - wedding and prom dresses and our two fancy hats! - are on sale for 20% off the whole month of November. They still qualify for the Bridal and Prom Perks Packages, filled with hundreds of dollars off in vendor coupons, a Bridal Punch Card which earns you free items for your wedding, and the exclusive Refer A Few - where you could get your dress for FREE!

Come in before November 30th to find your perfect dress at the perfect price.

Dress of the Week - Impression Destiny "Lovely in Lace"

This week's dress is an elegant lace dress.

From Impression's Destiny line of wedding gowns, this lovely lace gown starts with a v-neck sleeveless top, and a zipper back.

The dress then hugs your body to the floor with a belted waist. The belt is plain satin, however we have a lovely sparkly belt in store that brightens the whole look up.

The lace falls to the floor in a delicate scalloped edge and a very small train, which makes this gown perfect for an outdoor ceremony, an intimate celebration, or even a second wedding.

This dress is on our mannequin with a veil and a pair of shoes to complete the look. It is a classic dress at a very affordable price.

Dress of the Week - Forever Yours "Modern Timelessness"

Our dress this week is a lovely dress by Forever Yours informals, that adds a modern twist to a timeless look.

The floral one-shoulder strap, which is removable, adds a delicate touch to this easy sweetheart neckline. The pleated taffeta bodice flows to below the hips, where the floral detail is echoed along the bottom edge.

The trumpet skirt adds some drama to the bottom, but the small train makes it a perfect dress for a garden wedding.

The zip back has button detail up beside it, and the fit is designed to give you a spectacular silhouette.

This dress has been discontinued and won't be available to be ordered after January 1st, however Paper Doll does have this dress in bridal white in stock to try on or buy off the rack.

The dress is available in bridal white, light ivory or cafe.

Come in soon to see if this lovely dress is YOUR dress.

Dress of the Week - Jasmine "Something More"

This week's dress has it all - and more!

From Jasmine Bridal, this dress is from their Fall Collection.

The sweetheart neckline is pleated, which gives shape and definition to your bust and torso. The pleating ends at your natural waist.

The dress hugs your curves to just above your knee, and then flares out in vertical pleats to the floor.

The dress fabric is an Italian Satin - very smooth and soft.

The belt is in luxe taffeta - soft and shiny. It captures the light and changes colours subtly. The flower detail in the middle of the belt has sparkles and beading to show off the delicate details.

The back of this dress is gorgeous too. The back slopes downward in pleats and the zipper has buttons beside it, that continue all the way down the centre seam to the edge of the chapel-length train.

Inside is Jasmine's outstanding craftmanship, ensuring the dress is held to your body perfectly with the internal corset. The corset saves you money as you won't need to purchase a separate bustier.

Paper Doll Formals has this dress in store in sample size 16. The sizes go from 2 through 34!

Our dress is white with a bordeaux belt, however the gown comes in creme, gold and ivory as well. The belt can come in 30 other colours!

This dress is affordable and lovely on. Come in soon to see if this dress is YOUR dress for your special day.

Dress of the Week - 2Be "Understated Princess"

This week's dress is a princess dress that lets YOU stand out as the star.

From 2Be by Kathy Ireland this amazing gown is available in silk shantung and in an affordable crinkle taffeta.

The straight-across strapless neckline is directionally pleated through the bodice to the hip. This gives you an amazing figure as it is hugged to your body with an internal elastic belt, as well as the trademark internal corset.

This corset saves you money on an extra bustier and bra to make the dress conform to your body. You're held in perfectly, and the dress gives you a nice sense of being 'held in' without fear of slippage!

The full skirt features only three pick-ups, which are accented with floral and feather appliques.

There's one in the back that is placed perfectly for a bustle, so when the chapel-length train is brought up for the reception, people can still see the delicate accents on the skirt. There's also lovely buttons up the back, that go over the zipper closure.

This dress has some of it's own 'poof', but add another crinoline underneath and it becomes a ballgown fit for a princess!

You'll notice there's no sparkle, no bling; nothing to distract the eye from you, the bride. We have a hair clip that echoes the floral & feather appliques that has some sparkle in the middle. It would be an easy change to add sparkle to those on the dress to make it uniquely yours.

This amazing dress is currently in store in the silk shantung, in a natural gold colour. The taffeta is available in ivory, white and spun gold.

Come in soon to try it on and fall in love with yourself.

Prom 2012 Style Update

This week we're going to look at what's new for 2012 Prom. Most dresses are divided into Short, Evening, and Quinceanera (or poofy), so we're going to examine each category - and add one at the end - None of the Above!

This year's shorts are full of frilly skirts, textures and multi colours.

This one, from Alyce Designs is typical of the short prom dress - beads and sequins on the bust, through the waist, and then a flirty skirt that moves as you move. The deep sweetheart neckline looks great on most body types and the skirt shows off your wonderful legs.

Prints and different necklines are popular too, as you can see in the next photo.



Long evening style prom gowns are found with a lot of beading and prints. Leather, cut-outs, and soft, satiny fabrics are the trend this spring. Figure-hugging dresses that are NOT for the faint-of-heart are going to be the majority, like this gorgeous Alyce dress.

Tony Bowls Evenings has come out with a lot of prints, as has Forever Yours, as seen below.

Quince dresses (the big poofy ones) are getting more and more extravagant, with beading, lace-up backs, lots of poofy or large pick-up skirts with beading throughout the skirt.

For the young woman who wants something classic and can be worn again (for that cruise your parents are taking you on?!), the new JS Collection and Boutique dresses are full of light fabrics and ruched bodices. One-shoulder dresses are a HUGE trend again this year, as well as sparkle around the waist or fringe around the bottom of the dress.

Paper Doll Formals has all the different styles in the store, and if we don't have exactly what you want, we'll order it in for you.

We don't sell the same dress to the same grad class (not even in a different colour), and we're the home of Prom Perks where you get coupons to save you money on hair and spa, saves your date 10% on his tux, and when you refer 10 (or more) of your friends to us and they purchase their dress within a year of your Prom date, we'll reimburse you the price of your dress!

Come in soon to see us and find out how we make dress shopping fun and painless.

Dress of the Week: Modeca's "Mary"

This week's dress is a lovely dress from Modeca's 2011 collection.

Mary is understated quality from top to bottom, inside and out. Made from Silky Tafetta - a mid-weight fabric with a great drape and feel - the fabric enhances the dress instead of using sparkle and bling. The straight across neckline is pleated and ruched through the bodice to the hip, where it's gathered into a small flower, then released through the skirt to fall and drape.

The side has some pickups to echo a waterfall, and the back train is pleated from the back of the left hip and falls into a small chapel train.

The crinoline under the skirt gives just enough shape, but it can be removed if you desire less. It's a good quality crinoline with a finished, shaped hem to make sure the dress flows the way it's supposed to.

The inside has an internal corset that holds the dress perfectly to your body and thereby saves you money on purchasing a separate one. The back is a zipper, with cloth covered buttons up the side that are held over the zipper by little elastics.

The sheath bodice hugs to your tailbone, and gives an amazing shape to all women.

This gorgeous dress comes in white or pale ivory and is in store at Paper Doll Formals for you to try on and love.