Sale Time All the Time : The Country Elegance bridal line is available at discount.
The sentiment of the holiday season seems to prompt many a marriage proposal, and prospective brides start poring over bridal magazines trying to make that big decision. This is the time to realize that the budget of the wedding is set with the wedding gown.
One line of bridal gowns that appeals to many brides today is Susan Lane’s Country Elegance, a label that is carried in more than 3,000 bridal shops across the country.
As the name denotes, the gowns have a slightly country look--wispy, lacy, romantic, soft. The period look of the design stems from 25 years ago, when owner Susan Lane began selling patchwork skirts cut and sewn at her kitchen table. She has always loved the vintage look, particularly the Victorian era, and this preference is reflected in the gowns.
Jill Eikenberry, Susan Lucci and Barbara Mandrell have worn her designs on television and off the set; Cristina Ferrare, Pat Crowley, Shelley Fabares and Melissa Sue Anderson are among those who have recited their vows in a Country Elegance creation.
Lane has definite ideas on planning a wedding budget.
“Choosing a less formal gown sets the tone for the whole wedding,” she says. A less formal gown calls for fewer attendants, and a hat or wreath is fitting rather than a full veil.
The big news for the Southern California bride-to-be is that four months ago, Country Elegance joined the ranks of many of the top design houses by opening a factory outlet store. If you missed its annual parking lot sale (held every December), not to worry.
The Factory Outlet for Country Elegance carries discontinued styles, samples and surplus. Around the bend and a stone’s throw from the main store, you’ll find the annex shop, where it’s sale time all the time. And what reductions!
Gowns that usually sell for $450 are tagged $50 to $95; those that were priced at $650 are cut to $175 and less. Some may not be completely finished; perhaps a zipper is needed or more lace trim, but these little things can be added for a pittance, and the savings are huge. There are some headpieces, veils and hats that are offered at hefty price cuts; headpieces that were originally priced from $175 to $225 are moved to the outlet and marked $15 to $25.
Some bridesmaids’ dresses that were selling in the main store for $175 fly out of there at $25. Mostly the sizes are 8s and 10s (sample sizes), but occasionally one finds gowns up to size 24.
Lane said she set up the outlet shop as a bare-bones operation to enable the customers to get rock-bottom prices, sometimes even below factory cost. To keep the prices down, it’s pretty much self-serve, and Lane says the customers have been cooperative, even rehanging the gowns they have tried on.
Alterations are available at the main store around the corner at 10144 Riverside Drive.
WHERE TO SHOP
* Location: Factory Outlet for Country Elegance, 4446 1/2 Forman Ave., Toluca Lake.
* Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
* Credit Cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover.
* Call: (818) 985-8968.
