Tiaras top 2011 bridal trends

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After a couple of recession-inspired years that saw brides-to-be paring back, not only on their ‘I Do’ arrangements but with gowns that were more streamlined than princess-like, glamour is back in bridal.

And with it, the tiara.

‘Tiaras are a good way to finish your overall wedding-day look, and to do something different and express your personal style,’ said Ellen Heisler, senior associate fashion editor for Brides magazine in New York, which has flagged tiaras as a trend.

‘They don’t have the stigma they used to have of being a little too proper or serious,’ she added.

Just as tiaras are making a comeback in fashion, with Natalie Portman and other stars wearing them on the red carpet, they are beginning to show up in bridal, which is increasingly influenced by celebrity attire. The upcoming nuptials of Kate Middleton and Prince William of Wales is likely to add to the trend.

In bridal, Heisler said, tiaras falls in two camps. There’s ‘the simple, more delicate smaller piece that is tucked into the hair and looks really elegant and beautiful and effortless,’ said Heisler, referencing the San Francisco line Haute Bride.

The other side is more elaborate -- ‘the cool girl tiara,’ as she calls it, such as those from Erin Cole Design in Costa Mesa. ‘They’re a little bit bolder, heavily encrusted with little crystals, or they have these chunkier crystals in them that feel different and fresh. They’re not fussy or too stiff. They’re fun and playful.’

-- Susan Carpenter

Photo credits: Haute Bride, Erin Cole Design