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Rockin’ the Custom Garter with Bleu Garters

An Interview with Jaime

I was delighted when Blue Garters emailed me with pictures of their custom garters from their XOXO Collection. With custom garters, you can incorporate personalized touches into your wedding: your something blue, a family heirloom, or a memento from when your two were dating. I was even more delighted when Jaime Lawson agreed to an interview.

Black lace bleu garters custom garters

The XOXO collection is inspired by vintage pinup photographs, the collection is filled with vivid colors and flirty accents.  Bringing back the garter that has been all but banished to weddings, Bleu Garters revisits an accessory that marked femininity, sensuality, and independence in an era of flappers and speakeasies.

Tell us a bit about Bleu Garters and why you decided to focus on such a specialized segment of the bridal market.

From my experience working as a Designer in a high-end bridal salon, I realized that this was an accessory that has so much potential, but had been neglected since the 80's!  I wanted to revitalize the garter and bring it to its full potential- give it meaning and quality without all the cheesy pizzazz.  Most of the garters out there on the market are made overseas from cheap materials in styles that I would never wear.  Way too frilly and scratchy.  Hence the idea behind Bleu Garters came about: creating handmade, fashion-forward garters utilizing vintage laces and silks.

Your garters are gorgeous! Where do you find your inspiration?

I love unexpected color combinations.  I love shapes that give you a spark of emotion.  I love architecture, and I love nature.   I draw inspiration from all of these.
When I am working on the bridal garters, sometimes just the spirit of weddings is enough to inspire countless designs!

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Traditionally, garters help up stockings. Why do you thing the garter tradition is so persistent long after their utility has faded?

The garter has a funny history.  In 14th century Europe, it was considered good luck to acquire a piece of the bride's wedding dress.  People would aggressively tear off parts of her dress for a little bit of luck.  To discourage her dress from being ripped to shreds, brides began tossing an item of clothing to guests, this item being a garter.

So their utility still exists… if you don't toss a garter to your guests, obviously your dress will be torn to pieces and destroyed!  Better to be safe than sorry.  Seriously.

Black lace bleu garters custom garters

What is your most popular garter and why?

Generally, our tie style garters are very popular with brides.  Lavender is our most popular garter.  She is traditional and feminine, without being overly frilly.  She also incorporates "something blue"!

What trends are you seeing in garters? Especially for Brides ordering custom garters.

A big trend I'm noticing is brides being more adventurous with color, and not sticking to white/ivory/light blue.  Don't get me wrong, the classics are still the most popular garters, but brides have also been ordering their favorite bright colors, as well as the black floral lace garters for their wedding day!

Bleu Garters Custom Garters- Love

What should a bride think about when ordering a custom garter, in terms process, style, and time line.

When ordering a custom garter, consider the shape of your dress.  Do you have a fuller dress, so that you can wear a bulkier garter? Or do you need your garter to fit close to the leg?  Would you like to incorporate family heirlooms in your custom garter, such as a piece of your mother's wedding dress or you grandmother's broach?  Finally, think about colors and embroidery on your garter.

As you are narrowing down the choices, visit our custom garter section, and our blog (www.bleustyle.com) for inspiration.  We post many examples of custom garters for you to get inspired!  Remember, this is YOUR garter.  Do what you love and don't worry about what is proper.

It usually takes approximately 1-2 weeks for custom orders to be shipped, depending on if you request embroidery, although we can accommodate rush orders.

We love making brides custom garters.  It is so special to create something that can be passed down for generations, something so full of meaning and sentimental value.

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Thanks a million to Jaime from Bleu Garters for sharing her images from the XOXO Collection and her tips and tidbits about garters!
~MWAH!