Lily of the Valley Brooch

Ever wonder when floral themed jewelry became so popular?  Like this gorgeous Lily of the Valley brooch above, curvilinear lines and botanical themes in jewelry were very strong from 1895 to 1915.  This period of Art Nouveau, or "new art" brought design inspirations and innovations that weren't from any previous art form or period style.  It stressed hand created pieces over machine production, which made it expensive and avant garde.  The Art Nouveau style and aesthetic remains popular and influential even now.

Wonder about the Lily of the Valley?  The flower symbolizes innocence, purity, and abundance.  A perfect choice to adorn your wedding day bouquet or dress sash.  This beautiful brooch, designed by Sweet Romance, and made in the USA features sweet swinging pearls as blossoms.  Another fun fact?  In jewelry, movement is described as being "en tremblant."

Lily of the Valley Brooch available at The Left Bank Jewelry for $72.

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Tall Glamorous Wedding Shoe - Meet Sissy!

If you've seen our new ad in Chicago Social Bride's latest issue you may be wondering about thus amazing shoe.  Or maybe you're looking for a wedding shoe that will be a conversation piece?  Or need a shoe with lots of height?  Or simply a shoe as fabulous as you are?  Look and wonder no further! 

Meet Sissy.  The drop dead glamorous wedding shoe that's sure to turn heads.  Designed by Alessandro Pavan for Benjamin Adams Sissy is not for the fain of heart...5 1/8" tall and studded with hundreds of crystals.  Here's what Benjamin Adam's has to say about their shoe,

Benjamin Adams Sissy is not just a wedding shoe – it has been considered a work of art recently nominated in the category of ‘Best Bridal Innovation’ – an award category designed to inspire creative innovation and highlight the talent within the UK bridal industry. Sponsored by Swarovski Crystallized Elements itself – Sissy is the ultimate Swarovski crystal bridal shoe creation.

The inspiration behind this spectacular design is the infamous Empress of Austria, Elizabeth of Wittelsbach, affectionately known in history as Sissy. Sissy was an unconventional princess of her time and regarded by some as the first fashion icon of the 19th century. Sissy’s extravagance and flamboyancy are reflected in the Swarovski Elements trims and her love for precious stones is displayed in the intricate use of pearls and dazzling crystals.

Sissy is available by special order only in sizes 6 through 9.  Regularly $600, we're offering Sissy at a special introductory price of $550 for a limited time.  We also have a gorgeous red sample in the shop, so stop by and see Sissy for yourself!

Shop other fabulous shoes by Benjamin Adams here.

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Real Wedding - Glynnis & Derek

Nothing makes us happier than seeing photographs from our beautiful brides!  Say congratulations to Glynnis and her new husband Derek, who were married May 8, 2010 in a sunny destination wedding at Iberostar Paraiso Maya in the Riviera Maya. 

We love this custom designed hair piece we created for Glynnis and so did she!  A beautiful hand cut flower was surrounded with gentle wisps of ostrich feathers.  We received the sweetest email from Glynnis.  Here's a little of what she had to say about her gorgeous bridal look...

"It was absolutely perfect! It would have never crossed my mind to look for something with feathers!  This hair piece was so beautiful and delicate.  Everyone loved how unique the piece was.  I’ve attached some photos so you can see how you both helped in making our day perfect!"

Photography by Photo Caribbean

Congratulations to Glynnis & Derek!

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New Low Heel Wedding Shoes!

We love finding new wedding shoes!  Especially when they're beautiful and low heeled.  Here are the three newest additions to our low heel wedding shoe collection.  Above, meet Celine by Benjamin Adams.   A moderate 2" heel featuring super soft duchesse silk accented with gentle rushing and Swarovski crystals on the peep toe.  The cut out vamp on the inside of the shoe keeps this low heel sophisticated and modern.  $199.

Fun bridal ballet flats are hard to find too, but look no more, Pink Paradox London has created this fun peep toe ballet flat, Flower, $88.  Made of completely dyeable satin and embellished with a crystal and pearl asymmetrical accent, this shoe would look lovely in any color. 

Another fabulous new shoe by Pink, Cinnamon features a 2.5" heel, peep toe with cut out inside vamp, and large crystal accent.  These shoes are perfect for the bride looking for a classic shoe with a modern twist.  $88.  Made of dyeable satin to match almost any dress.

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How to Dress for a Wedding - 5 Tips

Photo by 5th Floor Photography

Chances are if you're getting married, your friends are too. It can be tricky to decide what to wear someone else's wedding. Here are our top five no fail tips to looking fabulous as a guest of the bride or groom.

1. Stay away from taboo colors...white, ivory, and whatever color the bridesmaids are wearing.

2. Overdress rather than under dress. If you're unsure of the dress code, err on the side of being too dressy. It's better to show up in a cocktail dress to a BBQ than jeans at a black tie reception.

3. Spend a little extra time on your hair and makeup. The bride will be looking at these photos for years and you'll undoubtedly end up in some, so you'll want to look your best.

4. Keep your shoes on. This should go without saying, but never take off your shoes at a formal event. If you aren't comfortable in heels all night pick a different pair of shoes, wear Foot Petals, or keep a pair of Spare Soles, roll up shoes, in your purse.

5.Accessorize!  Wear an outfit you know you love, something fun and comfortable, bring a wrap in case it gets chilly, and don't forget to accessorize!

Photos courtesy and originally written for 5th Floor Photography

Bridesmaid Hair Jewelry

Let your bridesmaids in on the hair accessory fun!  We made these chic crystal and feather haircombs for a bride to gift her black bridesmaid dress wearing girls.  The Marseille haircomb, $169, can be made in a handful of colors including black, white, and ivory.  A beautifully finished piece mixed with crystal and pearls will add the perfect touch to any hair style!

 

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Real Wedding - Lidia & Christian

Another beautiful bride decked out in gorgeous jewelry and accessories!  Christian and Lidia were married this year in a chic Chicago city celebration.  Lidia wore a beautiful gown accessorized with custom made jewelry and designer shoes!

Lidia's ballroom dance inspired shoes.  Eternity by Angela Nuran.

We custom designed this necklace and earring set for Lidia by Meg Jewelry

Photos by Simply Jessie Photography

Best wishes to Lidia & Christian!

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Summer Wedding Shoe Sale - Inexpensive Bridal Shoes

Celebrate July with our Summer Wedding Shoe Sale!  Our shoe room is over packed with styles and it's time to clean out our closets.  Take home a pair of deeply discounted, inexpensive (dare we say, cheap) bridal shoes today!  All brand new in the boxes and never been worn starting at $17.

Here's a small list of some select sizes and colors of our shoes on sale.  If you see a pair you love, act fast and call us at...

773.929.7422

Toll Free 1.877.770.SHOE (7463)

Limited sizes, colors, and styles are available and all shoes are final sale.  Act fast to find your dream shoe at a great price. Contact us!

Here are just some of the styles available....
Samantha by Grazia $185 $92
Sizes: 6 Diamond White, 7.5 Ivory, 8.5 Ivory
Seymour by Benjamin Adams $229 $42
Sizes: 6 Ivory, 9 Ivory
Poppy by Pink Paradox London $79 $20
Sizes: 7 White, 9.5 White
Maya by Colorifics $98 $49
Sizes: 7 Ivory, 9.5 White
Love Knot by Dyeables $62 $31
Sizes: 7.5 White
Lilla by Grace
Sizes: 6 White, 7 White, 7.5 Ivory

AND MORE!  Call or visit us today!

Grace Ormonde Coffee Book New Book!

The eagerly awaited coffee table book from Grace Ormonde is finally here!  Susan attended a posh party for the debut of the glossy 415 page coffee table book.  A great resource for bride's looking for inspiration.  Check out some of our favorite pages and ideas then stop by the shop to flip through our pages while shopping for all your accessories.

 Literally take a page out of Grace's book by copying these romantic flower hair pieces.  The Allie Flower, $64 is luscious, full, and has just the right amount of shine.  See more beautiful hair flowers here.

Line up several great looking sparkly cuffs to achieve the glamorous look above.  We like this Deco Gem Cuff, $169.  This fun reversible piece features pave set gems on one side and shiny polished silver on the other with an easy on and off clasp.  Check out some other great Cuffs for Brides here.

We're on Lucky Style Spotter

One of the lovely ladies over on the Lucky Magazine Blogs loved us so much she picked us for her top ten list!  We're so excited we had to share.  Ali Lerner lists The Left Bank Jewelry with her other Chicago favorites saying "The following Chicago boutiques offer shoppers something extra-special (from product to atmosphere) to set them apart from the rest…"  Thanks so much Ali!

Jump over to the Style Spotter Blog to see what she had to say about us and the other 9 fabulous boutiques!

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