Today’s Tiaras
By Catherine Phelan - CTW Features | posted on February 20, 2012 at 7:00am
Once a fusty, out-of-date hair adornment, modern tiaras multitask, serving as brooches or shoulder jewelry well after the ceremony
Not long ago tiaras were reliable mainstays of beauty contests and dowagers at hunt balls, but two royal weddings helped bring these sparklers back into the bridal spotlight this year. Now even fashion-forward brides are searching beyond recent trend headpieces like feathery hair combs and French veils to give tiaras a second look.
The fresh tiara styles Princess Charlene of Monaco wore last July during her wedding to Prince Albert and for her gala evening reception not only helped dust the cobwebs from this classic ornament but may also help reinvent the form.
Noted Paris jeweler Lorenz Baumer’s design for Charlene’s reception undeniably brought tiara style into the 21st century. The glittery creation, a modern spray-like masterpiece studded with diamonds, won raves from the fashionable crowd assembled for the Monte Carlo nuptials. Baumer says the wave and foam allusion was intended to reflect the bride’s love of the sea. (The Princess, an avid surfer, was once an Olympic swimmer.) Dubbed the “Diamond Foam” Tiara, this hip piece multitasks, too. It can be taken apart and worn as a brooch or smaller hair decoration. While Baumer created the tiara especially for Charlene, brides without a royal budget and interested in a spray-style hair accessory may want to check out David’s Bridal new fabric flower clip with crystal sprays, style C8020.
Baumer’s tiara wasn’t the only headpiece winning raves during the two-day gala fete. For the church ceremony Princess Charlene had diamond flower brooches styled to form a luminous diadem rimming her chignon. After the wedding ceremony, her tulle veil cascaded from this brooch arrangement at the nape of her neck.
Tina Gutierrez, owner of Princess Bride Tiaras, Cincinnati, says Charlene’s brooch look can be easily recreated, with silvertoned crystal-studded wedding combs positioned to form a back-of-the-head-style tiara.
For brides opting for more classic styles, heirloom tiaras a la Kate Middleton are now big. After the British royal weddings, Gutierrez saw an increase in sales, “especially for pieces like Kate’s tiara,” a 1930s Cartier halo-style piece on loan from the queen.
Even bridal accessories companies that don’t offer tiaras are adapting certain styles to meet increased demand. Alexandra Augustine, co-owner of Brides Head Revisited, New York says, “We’re introducing wider headbands for a more formal, tiara-style feel.”
For brides choosing tiaras – whether cutting edge or traditional – Gutierrez recommends focusing on gown style and face shape first. Many brides like to “match the type of sparkle,” she says, pairing crystal appliqué fabrics with crystal-embellished tiaras; pearl lace embroidery with pearly diadems. Sometimes tiaras serve as counterpoint. “A simple dress with a lavish hair accessory and vice versa,” says Alexandra Augustine. For face shapes, as with choosing eyewear, there are some general rules. Avoid peaked-top tiaras if you have an oval face, but try them if your face shape is round, Gutierrez suggests. The wedding gown’s color – its whiteness, how deep the ivory hue – influences whether a tiara should be gold or silver-toned, as does hair color. (See “How to Select a Wedding Tiara” on PrincessBrideTiaras.com.)
As for other bridal jewelry, Alexandra Augustine says that while some brides like to bling out, “you should really consider the lavishness or simplicity of your hair accessory when selecting an earring or necklace for your wedding day.”
Even with all the royal wedding buzz, tiaras may be not for everyone. Regina Shafir, of Regina B., a New York firm specializing in custom bridal jewelry, says 1920s Deco-style hair combs and flapper-style headbands are popular with her trend-conscious clients. And for those who can’t settle for one style, Alexandra Augustine points out that brides now opt for several headpiece looks, as Charlene of Monaco did, wearing one combination to the ceremony, another for the start of the reception, and a third for the post-reception dinner dance party.
