Move Over, BHLDN: Ruche Bridal Has Vintage Charm, Vowels

As a bride (the sales pitch goes), you can choose among hundreds of gowns in your quest to find your dream dress—provided that dream dress is strapless, full skirted, and pearlescent. Brides in search of something unique—or just less fussy—often come up empty-handed. Whither the tea-length styles? And heaven forbid you ask for a dress with straps (nay, sleeves!) without eliciting a sympathetic look from the sales associate, whose next suggestion invariably involves the word “bolero.” In what other segment of the fashion industry is a boob doily (sorry, “cropped jacket”) an acceptable substitute for straps? Mai and Josh Olivo, the founders of the indie online boutique Ruche, have heard your hushed dressing-room curses. On March 19 they launched a new bridal collection, To Have & To Hold. Embellished with gauzy sleeves, subtle ruffling, and asymmetrical hems, the collection revels in the kinds of vintage-glam stylings absent from bland bridal boutiques and the off-the-rack offerings from J.Crew, Ann Taylor, and, most recently, the much-bedazzled bebe bridal line, launched Monday. Plus, with most prices under $500, Ruche is cheaper than the bridal department at Costco! They even make a knee-length number for just $76. Think of To Have & To Hold as little sister to Anthropologie’s BHLDN, where the more casual gowns will still set you back a GRND.