Cecilia Boutique News

We could not be happier about our new boutique!

It's been a fun filled year around Cecilia Boutique (formerly Christie's), we opened in Jan, planned a wedding for July and in Nov. we finished the rennovations and name change, we try to stay busy!    The shop is very vintage and girly, with touches of modern design, a perfect mix.

Stop by the shop soon and see the amazing new look, we are certain you will love it!!

Keep an eye out for our Grand Opening party on Dec. 18th from 7:00-10:00pm.  We will have discounts and giveaways throughout the night including a chance to win a FREE pair of Joe's Jeans.  Come by and enjoy great deals, live music, cocktails and a runway fashion show.

-Elizabeth

I'm excited, no ecstatic to announce that the store remodel is about to start! Christie's Boutique will close on Monday Nov 16th and will reopen on Friday Nov 20th as Cecilia - San Diego's newest boutique.

Along with the new name will be a complete new look (think French vintage with a modern twist), new clothing lines, and new events. Cecilia Boutique will bring you the best selection of fashion and accessories I can find. You will see unique new lines and one-of-a-kind pieces and continue to get personalized customer service.

Be on the lookout for our Grand Opening party which will be announced soon.

-Elizabeth

These past few months have been amazing for us here at Christie's. Opening the store in January and seeing the end product was in itself a dream come true.  Check that off my bucket list and on to my wedding. As some of you know I am also getting married in July of this year; so yes it has been a bit crazy, but a good crazy ;)

Which brings me to my topic of the day, well today anyway, bridesmaid dresses.  I know that most of us have been a bridesmaid before and for those of you who have not, just smile, sit back, and read on... well everyone read on. Now, I know that every bride says they want their bridesmaids to be able to wear their dresses again, but some of you out there are just kidding yourselves. In order for your bridesmaids to wear their dresses again, they need to have a nice cut and style, be made from a decent fabric (no polyester and tulle), and should be a basic color. You cannot under any circumstances have them in a peach two tone dress made out of chiffon with an enormous flower on the back of the dress and expect them to ever wear it again, and stop telling them they can! I am going to lay out three simple steps for the perfect dress for every bridesmaid out there. Girls listen up you will never be talked into a bad bridesmaids dress again.

Step one... the colors!  I know every bride has her vision (well most do) of the colors scheme she would like for her big day. Keep the colors to the flowers, the linens and the small details, but not the bridesmaids. Pick a staple color that coordinates with the entire color scheme of the wedding and find a beautiful dress for the bridesmaids in that color; make them an accent not the focus. One thing to remember for the brides out there, you want the focus on you, not the bridesmaids. If you put them in a basic color dress with minimal detail, the focus will remain on you. Put them in bright bold colors and outrageous fabrics and the focus is on them. When I say basic colors, that does not limit you to black, taupe, and brown. Pick your favorite color, but keep it in its true form. If you love blue, have them in blue, not deep lake, or still water, which is veering off the road of basic. Color is important in a wedding and having your bridesmaid accent that color is just as important. Keep it simple with the color ladies; you will be happy you did when you look at the pictures 5-10 years down the line.   

Step two… the fabric!  This is a major issue with bridesmaid dresses as you are very limited at the bridal shops on different fabrics.  This is when you can step outside the “wedding box” and shop at stores other than bridal shops.  Look to local boutiques where we can always special order dresses for you or even have them custom made.  You must be very careful when it comes to finding the perfect fabric.  I cannot say this enough, keep it simple.  If you want them to wear their dress as much as they do, then steer clear from polyester, tulle and any and all iridescent fabrics.  Lean more toward silk, chiffon or even a satin blend, focus on the blends.  No one is going to be running around in a satin dress unless it is for a wedding or prom but it does have a nice finish to it for the pictures.  With that said you can find a satin blend that may have chiffon or even satin in it to create a classier and reusable look to it.    With color and fabric out of the way, we move into fit.

Step three...the fit!  The fit of your bridesmaid dress has to be a priority in choosing your dresses. Even if you are madly in love with the shape of a certain dress take a step back and think of the girls that have to wear it. That poor girl has to stand up at your wedding in front of all those people; she wants to feel comfortable, not embarrassed. Remember brides, this is your wedding, you will be working hard to get in shape not the bridesmaids, make sure they are comfortable but still fabulous. Every body is different; it can be difficult to find the perfect fit for each girl in the same dress. This is where you can mix things up a bit and chooses different styles in the same color and fabric. Give them an option to find the one they feel most comfortable in. There are some ladies, however, that want all the bridesmaids in the same dress. If that is the case try to choose a simple fit through the top, halter is the way to go ladies. and an a-line skirt, this shape is flattering on all body types. You can adjust the top as follows; sweetheart with a cap sleeve jacket for those out there that do not like their arms. The oh so famous halter, everyone  leans towards this one.  It has a nice fit for small or large chests and is easy to tailor for a perfect fit.  Spaghetti straps that are adjustable, again have the option of the jacket, you can remove it for pictures to have a cohesive look. Lastly, thick straps with a straight collarbone neckline. This look is gorgeous on women that are fit and tone. It has such a fantastic look on your shoulders and collarbone; can you tell I am a big fan of this one? Be weary of this with women with big chests, they can look very top heavy. Fit and shape covered here, now the final look.

We covered the color and fit for the dresses so let’s recap. Pick a basic color for your bridesmaids; make sure they are an accent not the focus. When it comes to fit make sure you are thoughtful and do some research; you can always call me for help. The fit is the most important; if it’s off then the girls are going to be pulling and fidgeting the entire day. You want everyone comfortable and fabulous.

Just in case you are wondering what my bridesmaids are wearing. I have a vintage cocktail theme for my wedding so they will be accenting that feel in black tea length halter dresses with silver sashes that will be tied at the waist and pinned with vintage brooches. Their flowers are bright red with pink detail. I kept them an accent and used the color scheme in the flowers and their brooches. I am so excited to share pictures with you in August!  Here is a picture of my bouquet which is the inspiration for the wedding.

Get out there and find some beautiful dresses. Wedding season is right around the corner so be prepared!

-Elizabeth

Welcome to our new web site. It's taken a few weeks of hard work, sweat, and late nights, but it's finally up.  Take a look around and bookmark it.  Some of the new features include:

1. A blog where I will be blogging about the latest fashions, trends, cool finds, new merchandise, events, and anything else that's on my mind!  Check back often as I hope to provide you with lots of great information. 
2. A photo gallery where I will post pictures from past events.  (Getting the Grand Re-Opening photos up now, they came out great!)
3. An events calendar where you can find out what's happening at Christie's and around town. 
4. And online shopping is back!