Today I’m very pleased to share some space on Slow Southern Style with Katie Thompson, a furniture designer based in Charleston, South Carolina and newly wed with an eye for beautiful clothing designed below the Mason-Dixon line. Katie was sweet enough to share with y’all the story behind her custom made wedding gown, the designer who created it, and her beautiful wedding pictures. Enjoy!
Being fortunate enough to have lived in Charleston, SC for five years I was able to meet a lot of very talented people, and local designer Julie Wheat being one of my favorites. Wheat’s eye for timeless style, amazing fabric and quality makes it hard to resist her designs. Her aptly named brand Cavortress evokes a sense of strong feminine style with a sweet yet sharp vintage edge. The Cavortress woman is the life of the party, and has a presence all her own. Cavortress first caught my attention in Spring 2010 with a dynamic vintage collection, and I’ve been addicted ever since.
(Striking a pose in Cavortress vintage)
My husband and I were engaged last December, and in March I traveled with Wheat to the inaugural Style X at SXSW where Julie was showcasing the new Cavortress swimwear collection. While driving across the country, our conversations naturally led to fashion, and to what I was going to wear for my impending nuptials.
I told her that I was really struggling to find “that” dress. All of my life I’ve always done things just a little bit differently than most people – and Julie knew that about me. And given my profession as a custom furniture designer, I felt that I was going to be hard pressed to find a gown off the rack that I truly loved.
I had previously had the thought of having Wheat make a custom dress for me, but never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be so lucky. Needless to say I was speechless when Julie said “I could make your dress!” Dream. Come. True!
Our travels brought us to New Orleans for the first night of our trip, and the next morning we walked around the city. We discussed shapes, styles, and fabrics for the dress as we perused the flavors of the Big Easy. I knew I wanted something form fitting with sleeves. I also wanted to steer away from too much “frilly stuff,” as I liked the look of simple lace and clean silks – a vintage and classic feel, with notes of modern elegance.
One thing that really shows Julie’s natural talent as a designer – she knew my body, style, and look better than I knew myself. She also truly listened to my ideas not only about the dress, but also about the wedding. The location, season, and even the reception were all considered for the details of the dress. Eventually a silk gown with capped sleeves, a bias-cut top, with a sweetheart neckline and a removable train was formed.
(A close up of the sleeves and neckline.)
Fast forward a few weeks, Julie is Los Angeles and sends me some photos of fabrics and trims she had found. Julie is a connoisseur of deadstock fabrics, and found a “almost-white-but-not-quite” heavy silk that was a pure delight to touch.
Now being a designer specializing in the bespoke, I thought I was very familiar with the amount of time and the meticulous process of building something custom, but I really had no clue when it came to dress making. With the wedding date set at October 22nd, I must admit that in mid-June I was really beginning to stress out about the wedding, and freaked about the dress not being ready in time. Thankfully Julie was very understanding and explained how the dress was to be built, and that it was actually better if we waited a little longer. Most brides tend to lose weight before their wedding, whether from stress or just getting in shape, and the closer to the big day the better, as there would be less of a need for last-minute alterations.
Once we began fittings in the beginning of August, the process flew by. Over the course of the next few weeks, I spent several long days with Julie as she fitted, measured, sewed, ironed, and built my dress piece by piece. It was amazing to watch it come together, and to watch Wheat’s incredible abilities. In a world of mass manufacturing, it is refreshing to see a designer who has fine-tuned the fundamentals of hand-crafting fabulous clothing.
Julie was very open and thoughtful in including me in every detail and decision during the construction of the dress. This was fantastic as I was able to not only see but feel how the details of the dress fit me. From the hem to the sleeves, to even the placement of the trim, I was able to be very involved and that took a lot of the stress out of the process.
The dress was completed towards the end of September, and a few weeks later, the door swings open in the church and there is Joseph at the altar. I’m wearing the most beautiful dress I’ve ever owned, and it’s truly MY dress. My husband tells me he loves the fact that I’m not “common,” and the dress truly fit my personality, as no one had ever seen a dress quite like that before.
I was incredibly comfortable and confident in the dress – I danced my ass off and hugged and kissed friends and family all night with ease. I was also thrilled that Julie was able to watch the dress go down the aisle.
I am truly grateful to have had this experience, and especially to Julie for making it possible. Her professionalism and knowledge pushed me to consider things about the dress I never would of thought of. It was perfect. It was truly one-of-a-kind, fit for a Cavortress, and I couldn’t of been happier with it.
Cavortress will be showcasing at Style X at SXSW again in March 2012, and can be found at Cavortress.com.
Photo Credit: Ben Williams
(Striking a pose in Cavortress vintage)
My husband and I were engaged last December, and in March I traveled with Wheat to the inaugural Style X at SXSW where Julie was showcasing the new Cavortress swimwear collection. While driving across the country, our conversations naturally led to fashion, and to what I was going to wear for my impending nuptials.
I told her that I was really struggling to find “that” dress. All of my life I’ve always done things just a little bit differently than most people – and Julie knew that about me. And given my profession as a custom furniture designer, I felt that I was going to be hard pressed to find a gown off the rack that I truly loved.
I had previously had the thought of having Wheat make a custom dress for me, but never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be so lucky. Needless to say I was speechless when Julie said “I could make your dress!” Dream. Come. True!
Our travels brought us to New Orleans for the first night of our trip, and the next morning we walked around the city. We discussed shapes, styles, and fabrics for the dress as we perused the flavors of the Big Easy. I knew I wanted something form fitting with sleeves. I also wanted to steer away from too much “frilly stuff,” as I liked the look of simple lace and clean silks – a vintage and classic feel, with notes of modern elegance.
One thing that really shows Julie’s natural talent as a designer – she knew my body, style, and look better than I knew myself. She also truly listened to my ideas not only about the dress, but also about the wedding. The location, season, and even the reception were all considered for the details of the dress. Eventually a silk gown with capped sleeves, a bias-cut top, with a sweetheart neckline and a removable train was formed.
(A close up of the sleeves and neckline.)
Fast forward a few weeks, Julie is Los Angeles and sends me some photos of fabrics and trims she had found. Julie is a connoisseur of deadstock fabrics, and found a “almost-white-but-not-quite” heavy silk that was a pure delight to touch.
Now being a designer specializing in the bespoke, I thought I was very familiar with the amount of time and the meticulous process of building something custom, but I really had no clue when it came to dress making. With the wedding date set at October 22nd, I must admit that in mid-June I was really beginning to stress out about the wedding, and freaked about the dress not being ready in time. Thankfully Julie was very understanding and explained how the dress was to be built, and that it was actually better if we waited a little longer. Most brides tend to lose weight before their wedding, whether from stress or just getting in shape, and the closer to the big day the better, as there would be less of a need for last-minute alterations.
Once we began fittings in the beginning of August, the process flew by. Over the course of the next few weeks, I spent several long days with Julie as she fitted, measured, sewed, ironed, and built my dress piece by piece. It was amazing to watch it come together, and to watch Wheat’s incredible abilities. In a world of mass manufacturing, it is refreshing to see a designer who has fine-tuned the fundamentals of hand-crafting fabulous clothing.
Julie was very open and thoughtful in including me in every detail and decision during the construction of the dress. This was fantastic as I was able to not only see but feel how the details of the dress fit me. From the hem to the sleeves, to even the placement of the trim, I was able to be very involved and that took a lot of the stress out of the process.
The dress was completed towards the end of September, and a few weeks later, the door swings open in the church and there is Joseph at the altar. I’m wearing the most beautiful dress I’ve ever owned, and it’s truly MY dress. My husband tells me he loves the fact that I’m not “common,” and the dress truly fit my personality, as no one had ever seen a dress quite like that before.
I was incredibly comfortable and confident in the dress – I danced my ass off and hugged and kissed friends and family all night with ease. I was also thrilled that Julie was able to watch the dress go down the aisle.
I am truly grateful to have had this experience, and especially to Julie for making it possible. Her professionalism and knowledge pushed me to consider things about the dress I never would of thought of. It was perfect. It was truly one-of-a-kind, fit for a Cavortress, and I couldn’t of been happier with it.
Cavortress will be showcasing at Style X at SXSW again in March 2012, and can be found at Cavortress.com.
Photo Credit: Ben Williams
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