Custom Embroidered Cape

I totally like the idea, but....

Generally speaking, with a veil and other accessories, you want to pick ones that compliment the color and style of the dress that are already there or details that you plan to add to the dress later through custom tailoring/alterations. When you have a plain white or ivory dress for example, something with a lot of color/design can be great for adding details.

With a dress that has design already you want to be careful, because if the designs/colors are really different from each other it's probably going to look out of place or thrown together. In my experience as a bridal stylist, dresses like that are typically paired with plain veils or veils with small accents to match like maybe a small lace edge at the end of a cathedral veil or a light touch of beads or embellishments if the dress has any on it (looks like yours might have beading?).

Could you do a cape or veil? Totally! I wouldn't recommend doing a whole lot of detail on it though because your dress already has a fair bit going on and might just look/feel way too busy. If you do a short veil or cape, I would leave it very simple (like light beading that matches) if not plain. If you do a long veil or cape, I would personally have it longer than the dress if only by a few inches so the dress and veil don't blend together with any added embroidery or details.

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Thank you so much for the feedback! That's exactly what I was worried about--most of the photos I see for capes of this type are generally paired with less detailed dresses. I'd love to make something like this work but I don't want it to look messy. It's hard to envision when I'm just going off of photos and can't compare pieces side by side, too! But if the general consensus is that this would look bad, I'll honestly probably just go without a cape.

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I wouldn't say that it would look bad, just that I would keep the details minimal and probably geared towards the colors that are on your dress. I really do think you could make a cape work if that's what you really want to have. I was torn between a cape and a veil for my dress, too and wound up going with a veil in the end that was cathedral length and had lace at the bottom to match the lace detail I was going to redo on the dress.

I do agree that envisioning it is hard, and I've personally gotten a few items that I thought would work from pictures, but when they actually arrived, didn't work like I thought they would so that's also something to keep in mind.

With the length and shape of your train, I would love to see you in a faux lynx cape! What an entrance, and exit. I have seen people do a colored embellishment veil like 2 of yours and have it measured to be the same length as the veil when worn, so it rides on the white dress below. The patterning on the dress below shows through the sheered veil on top, a little muted. Each time, if the patterns did not clash, no big clunky design showing through a delicate embroidery, but something flowered over a tone on tone all over design like your dress, it really was eye catching, and quite nice. And in the receiving line and reception, you could see the details of the dress, veil off. Each looked good in its own time. Sometimes when people do this, at least one of the formal portraits is taken with the veil mostly covering the dress, and another with it sort of pushed and curled to one side. It would be nice to see a sample dress with the train spread, and the veil on top of it, not displayed separately.

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Oh wow, a faux lynx cape would certainly be dramatic! I'm not sure how comfortable that would be in July in Chicago though, haha. You're right though, the biggest drawback is not being able to compare the two pieces in person to see how they actually look together. I feel like it could either look really good, with the underlayer in the skirt complementing the cape, or kind of messy and poorly thought out. I think I'll just have to do some more research and get in touch with some veil makers to see if they can create a virtual mockup for me.

Thanks for your input!

The brand needle and thread makes some beautiful capes I’d check out.

I'm not a fan of capes but I've seen a few brides pull the look off.

I will just preface this by saying, I am a huge fan of capes! That being said, your dress is absolutely gorgeous and I can’t help but feel a cape would detract from the beauty of the dress and possibly make it look busy. If I were you, I would definitely make a point to try on veils with the dress and see what you think before purchasing anything. Personally, I think a beautiful hair piece with your dress would be gorgeous and would not compete with the dress.

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Ahh thanks, Chrysta! I always feel like I'm drowning in veils because I'm so short, and a cape seems like such a great alternative. I saw these colorful embroidered capes/veils while browsing Etsy yesterday and immediately fell in love. I've never seen anything like them. I think you might be right about it being too much with my dress though. There are just so many beautiful attire options and I want it all lol!

View Quoted Comment Girrrrrl I completely get this. I am totally a “more is more” type of bride. I have really had to use some serious restraint. I cannot even tell you how many times I’ve had to look at pictures of me in my dress and envision the 20 accessories I want to put with it (ok, that’s an exaggeration 😆), and ask myself if I was a guest seeing me for the first time, what would I think? 9/10 times I’m like, well crap! 😂😂
But hey, you never know! Definitely go try on some capes with the dress and see what you think. You may end up loving it!

I’m team cape! If I had a sleeveless dress I would totally own one!

View Quoted Comment Yes!! 🙌 Haha thank you for the vote of confidence!

View Quoted Comment Of course! 😊

I think make it the same length as the dress Tran and it’ll all lay nice and you can even have some clear buttons added so it all kinda stays together almost like adding another top layer of tulle. Buttons will prevent it from gettin all messed up when moving down the aisle or at the alter. I also think a fingertip length would be pretty with this dress but not with colors just a plain white ivy embroiderment maybe!

If you do go with a cape rather than a veil, it might be nice to one that is plain satin or velvet, and with a much more restrained embellishment than the dress fabric. So there is a complete contrast, one minimalist, the other very busy in design. This is not a cape. But Since Maggie Sottero came out with the dress Martina a few years back, I have always thought it a great example of a minimum of change having a great effect. The kind of understated touch I would see if you had a long cape instead of veil.



If this were a blow up of a cape from the back , and the bunched crystals started behind each shoulder with a few lines of clear glass crystals radiating down the back, what a nice contrast to the busy dress fabric. Crystals are hard to unless you jiggle the phone a little
In real life you notice them ost as they catch the light when a person moves. ....But you might want to look at a detachable train, fastened at both shoulders, or a cape, that start quite plain, then see what you or your dressmaker could do with crystal beads, or faceted bicones.