Vera Wang’s Shanghai flagship. Imaginechina via AP Images

She is known the world over for her glorious bridal gowns with people clamoring the world over to just try on one of her dresses. But will they pay to do so?

Vera Wang, who has been called the queen of bridal couture, announced that, for her bridal boutique in Shanghai, China, there would be a $500 charge just for brides-to-be to try on the dresses, a step taken to deter counterfeiters. Of course, global outcry ensued and now Wang, who is of Chinese descent, has decided to abolish the try-on surcharge, which amounted to about 3,000 yuan.

According to Reuters, “Local and global media had criticized the surcharge as being discriminatory because it was applied only in China.”  Wang’s Shanghai store staged a “soft opening” in January and is company’s first bridal salon in the country.

“Please kindly be informed that Vera Wang has abolished appointment fees at her bridal salons worldwide starting from March 27, 2013,” the company spokeswoman told Reuters in an email.

Wang had reason to fear knockoffs in China. The facts are in the data: According to the latest customs seizure reports from the U.S. and the EU, in 2012, China was the top source country for counterfeit goods entering the United States and the European Union with more than 70 percent originating from China.

Li, one seller of “Vera Wang style” dresses on Taobao Marketplace, China’s largest e-commerce site, told Reuters he can achieve up to 90 percent similarity to the namesake garments without even seeing the originals. “For the experts you don’t need to try on the dress to figure out how to copy it, you just need to see it or feel it at the shop,” said Li, who declined to give his full name.

And the knockoffs are deeply discounted. A Vera Wang original can range anywhere from $2,000 to over $10,000, but Taobao’s imitations go for as little as $100.

However, Alibaba Group, which owns Taobao Marketplace, said they don’t deal in knockoffs. Instead, in a statement to Reuters the company said they works with intellectual property rights holders to take down counterfeit listings and will penalize stores caught.

Do you agree with Wang’s try-on fee?

Roiskidgh.blogspot.com

Somewhere buried in between the news of the TomKat split and the Ochocinco assault on Evelyn Lozada was the story of Vera Wang splitting from her husband of 23 years, Arthur Becker.  Becker was not only Wang’s spouse but also her business partner leaving a position as a CEO of a tech outlet to help build Wang’s bridal wear empire.  Rumors suggest that Becker simply got fed up with being, “Mr. Vera Wang.”  I didn’t get much time to wonder why the queen of wedding dress dreams was getting a divorce after two decades of marriage before I learned that Stevie Wonder was divorcing fashion designer wife of 11 years, Kai Millard.  It’s obvious that there’s a case of divorce fever going around in fashion land, but I can’t help but wonder, “Why call it quits after investing so much time?”

Do all marriages eventually hit a plateau where the energy invested into solving conflicts is just not worth it anymore?  When marriage is taken seriously, the upkeep isn’t always easy.  Minor annoyances that used to be attractive over time can grow into major arguments.  In a world where celebrities trade more spouses than a swinger’s party special episode of Sister Wives, you have to admit a small part of you loses a little faith when couples you think would stand the test of time call it quits after being married for more than many of our lifetimes.

In the CNN article, “Why Call It Quits After Decades of Marriage,” David Woodsfellow, a marriage therapist in Georgia points out that divorce proceedings can be dramatically different depending at what point in a marriage a couple decides to split.  Couples who are together for  a few  years often engage in “hot divorces” where legal processes are bitter and turbulent. (Think Waiting to Exhale burning-his-clothes-in-the-Beemer style.)  The split is usually the result of things “getting real.”  The honeymoon ends, he’s leaving his draws in the middle of the floor, she can’t balance a checkbook on two feet and couples begin to realize that the marriage wasn’t exactly what they signed up for.  Break ups between couples who have been together for decades are usually disengaged and colder as a result of two people who have gradually grown apart.

Call it cliché but some couples truly stay together for the kids.  They endure years of suffering in a hidden marital hell all so that they can give their kids the illusion of an all-American, picket fence childhood filled with game nights and family dinners.  I can’t say I really blame them either.  If my parents were to ever split up, I feel I could handle it better in my late twenties than I would have handled it when I was enduring my own personal adolescent hell: high school.  The stress of being a teenager can make you feel like the world is splitting apart right beneath your feet and sometimes the only solid ground you can depend on is your family. When children grow into lives and relationships of their own, parents divorcing may still prove difficult to deal with but it doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world.  What matters most is the way that separation is handled.  No matter what age, no one likes to be lied to, caught in the middle of drama, or feel like they have to strategically plan what to say whenever their parents are in the same room because of the crazy amount of tension.

Oprah.com

On the contrary, children can actually be the glue that holds a marriage together.  While we may be amazed and entertained by celebrity couples who can’t make it past 5 years, evidence shows that in the past two years the divorce rate among baby boomers has significantly risen as well.  Despite the overall divorce rate in the U.S. dropping over the last 20 years, statistics from the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University show that the divorce rate among people age 50 and over has doubled.  As children fly from the nest and begin to create their own lives, it can be hard for parents to define exactly what their marriage means without children to take up the bulk of their attention.  They may emerge from being full-time parents to rediscover they have completely changed as a couple, especially if they never had much time in their relationship to spend time one-on-one before having kids.

But what happens when there are no kids to motivate you to stay in an unhappy marriage?  What clicks in someone’s head when they wake up every day next to a person for decades only to one day decide that they don’t want to live the rest of their life this way?  This is the part about marriage that scares me.  You spend time in and out of relationships dating and trying to find that special someone who you can grow with.  You make attempts to foresee the future with someone who can be flexible and support you for better or for worse, through sickness and in health. But how can you really expect someone to hold your hand when you’re at your worst if you’ve never seen yourself or your partner this way?  Experts suggest that with medical advancements adding on years to people’s life span, instead of being complacent in unhappy marriages for routine’s sake, many are choosing to salvage the remainder of their “golden years” to pursue a relationship they can be happy in.

Divorce doesn’t always have to be a result of a mid-life crisis.  As divorce grows more and more acceptable in today’s society, laws have grown to make divorce more financially beneficial for both parties than the outdated laws of twenty years ago.  States like California split property 50/50 and baby boomers are more likely to have professional careers and stability so that a divorce won’t devastate either partner fiancially

Whether you’ve been married for two years of for twenty the truth remains:  The stronger foundation a relationship is built on initially, the harder it is to break.  If your relationship is already shaky, marriage alone won’t solidify it. All of those fragile cracks simply break apart a relationship slowly until it falls apart.  Partners either have a choice to work hard to put the pieces back together or start over again with something new.  Divorce is hard pill to swallow, but as Evelyn and Ocho are learning, a lifetime of happiness has to be worth more than 41 days of pain.

Do you think divorce is harder or easier after being in a marriage for over a decade?

Toya Sharee is a community health educator and parenting education coordinator who has a passion for helping young women build their self-esteem and make well-informed choices about their sexual health. She also advocates for women’s reproductive rights and blogs about everything from beauty to love and relationships. Follow her on Twitter @TheTrueTSharee or visit her blog Bullets and Blessings .

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By Taylor Lea Thomas

Source: Brides.com

Hey stylish brides! White is no longer the only option. We all remember the lovely Cynthia Bailey’s platinum-colored gown custom made by New York designer Rubin Singer. During New York’s Bridal Fashion Week, several wedding designers unveiled a variety of colors for their Spring 2013 collections. In particular, Vera Wang, the undisputed queen of wedding gowns who has dressed celebrity brides such as Toni Braxton, La La Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, and the Kardashian sisters, among others, opted to not have white wedding dresses in her entire Spring 2013 collection. Here are a few highlights, and who knows, they might give you some ideas for your own gown:

Source: Brides.com

Source: Brides.com

Source: Brides.com

Source: Brides.com

Source: Brides.com

Source: Brides.com

Would you ever consider wearing a bridal gown that’s not white?

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By Taylor Lea Thomas

Source: herecomestheblog.com

Question:

Color schemes that are in this year???

Taylor’s Answer:

Dear Miss Trendy,

Black. Black. Black. All black everything. Actually, the color scheme of modern black and white has become extremely popular. There are even black wedding dresses! Vera Wang designed one herself (stay tuned). The modern black and white color scheme is very chic. As a matter of fact, when we meet with clients for the first time, we always give the bride our signature white roses tied with a black satin bow and adornment wrapped in clear black & white damask sheets. Here are a few ideas using this new black and white trend:

Black invitations with color: This invitation design is a very easy DIY project that just takes a little time and effort on your part. Purchase black damask design card stock from a craft store such as Jo-Ann’s (my personal favorite as it carries an extensive array of textured papers) or Michaels, etc. Fold in thirds, glue one side to secure it all and use a half inch wide satin ribbon in your wedding color to bring the entire look together. You can accent it with an adornment or simple crystal. Print out your invitations on a high quality card stock paper and insert. It’s super classy, very modern, oh-so-chic, and an affordable DIY invitation.

All-white furnishings with black accents: Create a lounge for your cocktail hour by renting white sofas/chairs and tables very inexpensively and accenting them with black pillows, lamps, etc.

Color with black accents: Whatever your wedding colors are, accent with black using black napkins or vases, and to make it pop, use lots and lots of candles. Candles create a very romantic ambiance, and it’s one of the very best secrets for designing on a budget because candles are so inexpensive.

Overall Modern Black & White Damask Wedding Design:  If you really want to be trendy and have a modern wedding, go all out with the black and white theme. When combined, the look is amazingly sophisticated. In addition, it can actually save you a lot of money since most venues use white table cloths and napkins which come standard, so all you’d have to get are black accents. Color rentals are more expensive than just white.

Black wedding dresses: Okay, okay. I know this one might be a bit of a stretch for more traditional brides who envision walking down the aisle in white, but black wedding dresses are in. Vera Wang, the undisputed queen of wedding gowns, unveiled a black wedding gown during her 2012 Bridal Collection at New York’s Bridal Fashion Week. And think how slimming wearing black is. It’s genius!

Photos courtesy of Elite Soirée | Luxury Weddings

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Photo via MSNBC

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s time to update your fragrance wardrobe. By now, most people have developed a signature scent, but its allure may have diminished because a significant other or friends have gotten used to it. And since smell is the strongest tie to memory, why not create brand new ones with a new brand of perfume this V-Day? We’ve searched high and low to bring you several fragrances that will spice up, freshen up, or sweeten things up a bit.

Purchase a bottle for yourself or “hint” to your lover which perfume is your heart’s desire: “Honey, I’d love that bottle of perfume on page __ of this Madame Noire article!” Let’s face it, there’s no time for subtly. Just remember that a great fragrance – like a great outfit – is an investment and subjective. If possible, visit the store to get a whiff of these scents in person. Even try a sample for a day because the scent can change as it wears. Still, we’ve included the complete notes of each perfume to make it easier for those who know what scents they like and are willing to purchase online.

With all that said, browse our picks and find the one that speaks to your heart…

Celebrities may appear to have the best stylists and makeup artists in the industry at their fingertips, and they may seem to have complete access to the absolute best makeup products, clothing labels, and shoes that money can buy, but why can’t you have the same look for less?  Well we’ve got good news – you absolutely can.

Check out these 8 tips on how you can create the same stunning and eye-catching looks that the celebrities are sporting, without the high cost products and overpriced salon stylists.  Enjoy!

Read the rest of this entry »

Folshunna Grace (Folshi) was recently featured on David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding.” This lucky bride had her wedding dreams come true but before she walked down the aisle, she had to meet the man of her dreams and her best friend. Check out their story below:

Tell us how you met your husband

Kory and I actually went to middle school and high school together. We knew of each other since middle school but we never talked or anything. We hung out with different crowds in high school and middle school. Finally my senior year we had a class together and we just like flirted, you know the regular. And one day his friend dared him to come up and dared him to hump me in the hallway. And when he did that I was like “Oh my God! What are you doing?” But you know, it was fun. So about six months after I graduated, in 2003, he asked me out and that’s how we started.

Our first date, we went to see “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.”

Oh wow! I remember when that movie came out.

Yes we’re a very funny couple.

When you first met him in middle school, what did you think about him as a person?

Oh my gosh! I was like ‘who is this big head kid.’ I was like ok, he’s cool but he wasn’t anything I was attracted to at all! But as it progressed in high school I guess I liked it.

Did you guys date continuously or were there breakups? Because it’s kind of rare that high school romances last.

We broke up. It was like two years into the relationship because I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted. He was my first ever, real boyfriend. I had a boyfriend before but this was in middle school and it was nothing serious. So I wanted to venture out and see if I could find something else. But I eventually came back because there was nothing out there. It was just like dating, ok but at the end of the day you want someone to be there for you and understand and commit so I ended up going back to him.

When did you realize he was someone you could spend the rest of your life with?

Once we hit our five year mark, we were kind of going through stuff as far as financial difficulties, moving in together, obstacles with parents and family and I knew if we could face all of this stuff and including other stuff together, death in the family. Then I knew he was the one. Because he’s genuine, he understands me. We’re like one in the same and you don’t come across those types of people too often so when you find love, I think you should stick with it and work through all of your issues.