Tulle: The Fabric of Royalty
Whether in lace, satin or embroidered material, every quintessential princess gown uses tulle to some extent in order to cast a grandiose and awe-inducing image. From Cinderella to Princess Diana, the tight at the torso and bust but expansive after hitting the hips princess gown has been an iconic ensemble since the beginning of time.
With the Markle and Prince Harry royal wedding still a buzz, the princess wedding day dreams have become more vivid than ever, and in these fantasies, anyone can be a royal for a day— flaunting a big ballgown and waiting patiently to marry your prince or princess charming.
While Meghan Markle may not have fully embraced the age-old and trite poofy tulle gown, by just incorporating the majestic fabric into her veil, Markle may have shot tulle into becoming a core part of high-end fashion, breaking free of the wedding dress realm. Now, the memories of twirling in your tulle princess Halloween costume or ballet recital ensemble can become reality once again, and the fabric that was long considered a goner from the world of couture may very well be coming back in full force. So step back inside your old storybook because your princess days are far from over.
In his Spring 2018 collection, Oscar de la Renta showcased several breathtaking colorful tulle gowns on the runway. The heavenly and ethereal creations invoked sentiments reminiscent of a fairytale and inspired warm feelings with their bright colors.
Oscar de la Renta Look 52
In 2017, Oscar de la Renta’s show most definitely set the tone for tulle as a Spring 2018 must. Case in point, at the latest Cannes Film Festival, stars filled the red carpet in glowing tulle gowns. At the screening of “BlacKKKlansman,” Cate Blanchett wore a stunning Givenchy dress with a multi-colored tulle-tiered bottom, and for the screening of “Sorry Angel (Plaire, Aimer Et Courir Vite),” Celina Jade wore a timeless beige Dior tulle ballet-like gown. Even at the screening of “Sink Or Swim (Le Grand Bain),” Araya Hargate wore a Giambattista Valli canary yellow layered tulle gown very reminiscent of my personal favorite princess, Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. Both Emilia Clarke and Maria Borges, actresses in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” wore tulle gowns as well. And of course, fan favorite Kylie Jenner wore a white sheer Schiaparelli tulle gown to the "Girls of the Sun" premiere which highlighted her naked body, transforming the fabric’s history of being traditional and princess-esque to make a bold and female-empowering statement.
As evident by the showing of tulle at the Cannes Film Festival, the dreamy fabric and its romantic connotations have not gone out of style, but have maybe taken on a new meaning. The advent of these princess-like gowns at the Cannes Film Festival and the Royal Wedding has us wanting to escape into our own fairytale fantasies. Luckily, Jessica Alba serves as a guide into how we can turn fantasy into our reality. Alba can be noted wearing a tulle skirt in the city streets with a sweater to wear it down and make an everyday look.
Arguably, fashion icon and fictional character, Carrie Bradshaw’s most famous look is her tulle skirt with a tight tank ensemble in the Sex and the City theme introduction. Interestingly, an Elle article compared Nicole Kidman’s “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” gown to Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic white tulle look. Although Sarah Jessica Parker may have worn the skirt back in 1998, Elle’s reference to her character’s costume demonstrates how that look will forever stay golden in fashion history. Thus, it is high time to take tulle to the streets, to make haute couture no longer part of our imagined wardrobes.
H&M has some airy tulle skirts I adore. ASOS also has a great variety of tulle skirts and even casual tulle dresses. While the Lace & Beads Neon 3D Embellished Tulle Skirt and Crop Top may not be the most everyday chic tulle item on the site, I completely adore it and hope I get invited to some fancy outdoor summer party so I can wear it. Some other favorites of mine are the Pastel Embroidered Tulle Mini Dress and other featured options below. Nevertheless, paired with a t-shirt of any kind, sandals, and your favorite sunglasses, tulle can be worn to brunch, a summer dinner outside, or to your nearest art museum’s newest exhibit.
On Revolve, purchase the Posy Top to go with a petal pink Tulle Midi Skirt. Revolve’s tulle items are all Needle&Thread which has a collection of completely tulle ready-to-wear apparel on their website. While the Needle&Thread floral and embroidered tops will dress up the look, don’t be afraid to match your tulle with your favorite items already in your closet such as light sweaters, graphic t-shirts and basic tanks.
While the tulle skirt may not be on every shopping website or at every store, I firmly believe it’s better to get ahead of the trend before it can be seen everywhere and is no longer a statement. Channel your inner Bradshaw—be unafraid to be daring in the sea of mainstream ripped jeans and floral skirts. I personally embraced my inner princess at my Bat Mitzvah in 2012 when I wore a pink tulle, one-shouldered gown. At first I refused to wear any type of dress, never mind a big fluffy one like that. However, to this day, nothing beats the feeling you get when you put on that tulle and feel like you could be Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco in her lace tulle veil or Anne Hathaway in her custom Valentino wedding dress. I did not realize until years later, but my dress actually is slightly reminiscent of the Vera Wang gown Blake Lively wore playing Serena at Blair Waldorf’s wedding to Prince Louis in the show Gossip Girl. Who knew I was so ahead of my time? Though I can not wear this dress off to class, and it does not even fit me anymore, I will most definitely be adding a tulle skirt to my closet to revive my childhood aspirations to be a Disney princess in a modern day fashion.