What's Real? Organics v Synthetics

Recently a bride to be returned a beautiful Pronovias LaSposa wedding gown in the belief that "Pronovias wedding dresses are made in Spain and only in organic fabric."

On average, a woman looks at 100 dress styles before she finds "the one." We want her to be happy with her purchase. So when she returns a dress due to an error in description of condition, I correct this. When a dress is returned because of overall disappointment, I must look at the possibility that I omitted an important fact.

These are the facts about organic fabric versus synthetic fabric used in bridal and formal dresses:

Only dresses made of silk, cotton, flax, wool, hemp or bamboo can legitimately claim to be "organic fibers." Satin, taffeta, organza, linen, gazar describe weaves. Unless the fabric is woven in one of the above "organics," the fabric is synthetic.

And the correct term should be "traditionally produced silks and other natural fibers," or "organic natural fabric," because cotton is natural, but may not be grown under organic conditions. I'm thinking the manufacturer is taking liberties with language.

Following are a sampling of bridal designers who actually use natural, organic fabrics:

Olivia Luca Bridal

Deborah Lindquist Green Collection

Natural Brides

Otherwise, all bridal and formal gowns - regardless how famous the designer name - are made of synthetic fibers.

In terms of quality, fabric is available in many grades. So a Lazaro "BMW satin" wedding dress ($4,000) is going to look and feel a little finer than a satin bridal gown by Pronovias Barcelona ($3000.) A Pronovias La Sposa satin wedding dress ($1500) is less fine still. But none of these fabric grades is as cheesy as they can get. Trust me on this.

IRL, you can touch the fabric, feel it, try it on, see how it drapes and holds its shape in a full service bridal salon. Online, brides need accurate information from a credible seller. We believe we offer this.

Bridal Fabric Glossary

Smart shoppers also note Pronovias Fashion Group designs and manufactures Pronovias, Pronovias La Sposa, San Patrick, White One and Atelier Diagonal. Design is done n Spain. The country of origin varies.

This is equivalent to General Motors making Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet. The corporation sets the standards and directs the styles. They gain market share by differentiating the lines by brand and get economies of scale by manufacturing together.

There are some fabulous bargains for brides willing to shop online. There are also some obvious pitfalls. Your online salon should be able to answer your questions about style, fabric and fit. Don't be afraid to ask. And be sure to read fully, ask lots of questions and read the information the website offers.

This will help us meet our goal and help you avoid disappointment when you find a beautiful bargain bridal gown online. My best wishes for finding the dress that reveals just how beautiful and happy you are.