Just in . . .

This darling gray and pink floral cotton dress has just arrived.  It is a perfect dress for the bridal shower I am attending this weekend!  Has a nice and slimming pink waistband sash that ties in the back. And has a tiered hem in pink and light grey. Very comfortable and easy to wear! Available in sizes XS-L.

Just in . . .

We are so happy to now offer Kelly Lane Designs! By using eco-friendly materials and ethical practices, Kelly Lane pieces are a blend of jersey and woven fabrics creating feminine silhouettes that are both soft and structured. The line is creatively conceived by Kelly and local artisans, and produced by a family-run business in New York. The Drip Dress from the spring/summer collection has just arrived! It features a lovely cowl neck with in-seam pockets and a gathered raindrop patterned skirt. Available in XS-L.

Dresses of the Week

EVERY DAY
Suzabelle Altamira Dress
This ultra-soft knit dress by Suzabelle has a fun black and white sailor stripe print, great for spring or summer. I can see myself wearing this to Jazz in the Park or a casual night out. For cool nights just add a jean jacket! Each panel on the dress is cut so the lines line up at the seams which creates a very figure flattering v-shape on the front and back. The dress hits above the knee on most and has black satin trim around the neck. Available in XS-L.

WEDDING DAY
Gracie Bridal Gown by FANCY
I LOVE this gown. We've already talked about it before but it hasn't been on our Dresses of the Week list yet. The gown has a pretty simple silhouette - strapless bodice fitted at the natural waist and a ball gown skirt. However, the vintage grosgrain ribbon or belt at the waist and the dotted tulle skirt with pockets put it over the top. The minute you put it on you'll know it's the one. It is available in floor, tea & knee lengths so works great for all types of weddings. J'adore!

Inspired by . . .

Style: Lela Rose 100
Fabric: Crinkle Chiffon
Color: Buttercup

We're featured in 414 Magazine's: On MARKETWATCH

Amy Abigale from 414 Magazine visited Miss Ruby a while back and featured us in one of her articles.  Check it out!  http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=379588188275

Thanks Amy...we look forward to working with you and your maids.  The dresses you selected are gorgeous!

Bizstyle Milwaukee Career Fashion Show Next Tuesday

Biz Style Milwaukee is hosting their first annual career wear fashion show on April 27 at the Astor Hotel. We are excited to be a part of the action! It is a great way for us to showcase our looks outside of formal. Work doesn’t have to be all about blazers and your standard skirt or slack. We chose four looks that represent a fun and chic way to dress for work. It's sophistication meets style! Also at the show will be Jimmy Luv’s Bloody Mary sampling, goodie bags, appetizers, cash bar, candy buffet and prizes. So get the girls together and come see Miss Ruby dresses strut their stuff all the way down the runway!

When: Tuesday, April 27

Where: The Astor Hotel, 924 E. Juneau, Free parking in back of building
Time: 5:30 to 8:30 pm
Cost: $35 (only cash will be accepted at the door)
Register online  A portion of the proceeds will benefit Goodwill.

Dresses of the Week

EVERY DAY
Mac & Jac Dress
This dress is so easy to wear...and perfect for anyone that is looking for a dress with sleeves. The top is made of a soft, jersey with 3/4 cinched sleeves and the cotton skirt has a springy, floral print. Super comfy dress too!

WEDDING DAY
Alvina Valenta 9028
Style 9028 by Alvina Valenta is a gorgeous silky taffeta modified a-line gown. The gown features a pleated bodice and strapless sweetheart neckline along with floral detail. Fantastic dress and even makes a great bridal gown in ivory. Makes an excellent gown for fall weddings. Available in 18 colors.

Inspired by . . .

Style: After Six 6588
Fabric: Matte Satin
Color: Oasis

How to choose the perfect bridal gown for your body shape

When it comes to bridal gowns, the possibilities are as endless as each bride is unique.  However, in the quest for the perfect dress, every bride is essentially looking for the same dress.  By that I mean every bride wants a dress that makes her feel confident as she walks down the aisle and comfortable all night long.  Most importantly, all brides are looking for their “WOW” dress.  The gown you put on and the room just gets brighter.  The one you can’t wait to show off and never want to take off!  Basically, the dress that makes you feel absolutely beautiful. But, with so many bridal dresses to choose from, how can you find your “WOW” dress without looking through hundreds of duds?

Start with the silhouette.  This refers to the shape of the gown and is one of the key elements (along with neckline) in dressing to flatter your figure.  Finding out what silhouette best suits your style and shape will narrow your scope and help you to find that perfect dress, your “WOW” dress!

* ALL of the gowns in the following pictures are by designers offered at Miss Ruby, enjoy!

Ball Gowns

This is the most romantic and formal of all the bridal silhouettes.  Introduced by Queen Victoria and re-imagined in the 1950's by Dior, this dress is never far out of style. It is characterized by a fitted bodice and a small waistline which leads to a full, voluminous skirt. 
Recommended:  Medium and Tall heights with Hourglass, Full or Pear figures
Not Recommended:  Particularly Short and/or Petite brides

Sheath

This is for the ladies that are comfortable with their curves.  Marilyn Monroe flaunted this style in the 50's, where darts, tucks and seams were used to create curvaceous silhouettes. (Not the stretch fabric of today.) This artfully sculpted dress contours and elongates the body from top to bottom.
Recommended:  Slim Hipped, Slender, Tall or Petite women and Hourglass figures
Not Recommended:  Pear shapes, Full figures and Thick or Short-Waisted brides

A-line

This silhouette is the most universally flattering!  The name comes from the triangle or "A" shape that is formed between the narrow bodice and the outer edges of a flared skirt.  This dress works to lengthen the brides appearance and slim the waist. It can also work to hide full hips.
Recommended:  Slim, Petite, Hourglass, Full figured, Pear-shaped and Short waisted brides
Not Recommended:  Brides with a thick waist as the hourglass shape will accentuate the waist.

Empire

The empire silhouette can both be youthful and elegant.  It features a very high waist, flattering to small chested women and the raised waist creates a long line, perfect for petite brides.  The skirt can be either straight or flared.
Recommended: Petite, Pear and Thick waisted figures
Not Recommended:  Hourglass and Full figured bodies

Mermaid

The mermaid is a modern and sexy silhouette just made to highlight the curves of a woman.  It hugs all around

the top of the body through the hips, but jets out into a fuller skirt at the bottom.

Recommended:  Hourglass figures

Not Recommended:  Very Petite or Full figured brides

Introducing the new Miss Ruby

As some of you may already know, Miss Ruby is not just your wedding day boutique, but your everyday dress boutique as well. Along with our new dress offerings comes a brand new look! Over the past week our store has had an overhaul. Walls have been knocked down, space has been cleared, dressing rooms were added and our beautiful dresses have all been rearranged to better suit your shopping needs.

Our bridal, bridesmaid, and formal gowns have been moved into their own space on one side of the store. The renovations have left ample space for the bride and her entourage to try on, critique and show off the gowns. There is also more space dedicated to our expanding bridal gown collection.

Not interested in formal? No problem! Peruse our all new dress boutique on the other side of the store filled with dresses for all occasions. Complete with your own dressing room, finding what you are looking for is a cinch. From fun and flirty to dinner and drinks, you’ll find a fabulous dress to take home!

So whether you have a wedding to plan or a Saturday night plan the new Miss Ruby’s got it covered. Stop in and check the new boutique out. Actually it’s like two boutiques in one!

Spring patterns - polka dots

Spring is in the air so it's time to pack away those big bulky dark sweaters we’ve been wearing for the past six months and bring out the lighter materials and fun, flirty patterns. Winter can tend to be quite dreary and sometimes our wardrobe also follows suit. What better way to get out of the winter groove than adding a little pattern into your spring wardrobe - like polka dots! Polka dots are a fun way to make Monday mornings a bit more bearable…or Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings for that matter. We have many dresses in our spring and summer dress collection in playful prints along with an adorable silk and cotton, polka dot print dress by Effie's Heart. Stop in and check it out. It's available in XS-XL.

Just in . . . Sarah Deangelo Jewelry

We just received a large shipment of Sarah Deangelo jewelry.  Sarah is a jewelry designer from Madison and her jewelry designs are delicate and feminine and are made with genuine stones, pearls, sterling silver and 14k goldfill. They are so beautiful!  And we received so many different pieces in a all different stones and metals.  Great pieces to wear with all your new spring outfits and a few bridal pieces mixed in as well.  Here are a few pics but we received SO MUCH more so you've got to stop in and check it all out!

Dresses of the Week

EVERY DAY
Longmire Dress by Suzabelle
With the days getting warmer I can’t help but think about drinks on the patio or spending my weekends outside. So, I figured that the Longmire Dress by Suzabelle would be the perfect dress for those days where you want something casual but still want to look your best. The dress hits just above the ankle and is in a fun black and white sailor stripe print. The ultra soft knit adds a casual element with gentle gathers at the bust and waist, and elegantly twisted shoulder straps. Throw on a pair of sandals and you’re ready to bum around on those warmer days! Available in XS-M.

WEDDING DAY
Siri Castella Gown     Fabric: Silk Shantung
Here is a great gown for those looking for something simple yet elegant. The Castella gown features a ruched sweetheart bodice that dips down in back. With the natural waistline and a-line skirt this dress is a great fit on all body types.  The small, sweep train includes a panel inset in the back for an optional contrasted color. The Castella gown is a very high quality dress that retails for under $1000, is made of 100% silk and is made in the USA.  You can't go wrong with this dress!

Inspired by . . .

Style: Jim Hjelm 5964
Fabric: Chiffon
Color: Black

A little bit of Audrey to start your week

Audrey Hepburn’s style is a constant provider of fashion inspiration. You’ll consistently see elements of her style in ready-to-wear and bridal apparel. So I just thought I’d share some fun photos with you. I love looking at them and think they are great inspiration for the week ahead. Enjoy!

Where I love to SHOP

There is no question that I love to shop and when I need something other than dresses I hit some of the local boutiques. I know how important it is to shop local – it keeps more money in our hometown - supporting our community’s social services, schools, public libraries, etc, etc. In fact locally-owned businesses return about 80% of each dollar to their community. So, I love to shop local for that reason but also because boutiques tend to offer such a better selection than what you’ll find at the mall or other large retailers. I tend to see the same items over and over again at the mall and nothing is really that appealing. The boutiques on the other hand always seem to have something new and different.

And my favorite boutique in town, SHOP, definitely does just that. SHOP is located on Capitol Drive in Shorewood and is owned by mother-daughter duo, Mary & Liz. They are such a cute little duo and so fun to work with! Every time I visit the boutique I find way too many pieces that I can’t live without. Visit SHOP and you’ll find denim, yoga & comfy weekend wear, work clothes and of course lots of pieces to wear on a night out. They just seem to have the perfect combination of offerings so no matter what you need you’ll find it there. Even fantastic scarves that make great gifts! You can tell that they spend a lot of time scouring trade shows looking for items not found elsewhere in Milwaukee. Plus, because their items are a little more classic, they’ll stick around for a while.

So make sure to think about shopping local next time you are in need of some new clothing & accessories. And then make sure to hit SHOP. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed!!

Real Wedding

The Couple: Beth & Ryan

The Dresses: Wtoo 306 & Wtoo 336 by Watters & Watters

Fabric: Chiffon

Colors: Midnight & Cognac

Dresses of the Week

EVERY DAY
Suzabelle Odessa Dress
Another new arrival! The Odessa dress is made of stretch cotton twill so it definitely has a little more of a casual vibe to it. A great dress for the office! The dress hits just below the knee on most, has cute double cap sleeves and a wrap princess neckline. Available in Raven Black in sizes XS-L.

WEDDING DAY
Watters & Watters 6451    Fabric: Silk Dupioni
The Watters & Watters style 6451 is a fun little dress! This cocktail length mini ball gown in the stunning silk dupioni fabric is available in a large selection of vibrant colors and features pockets and a wrapped sash at waist. The dress also has a smocked back, which means an easier fit and little to no alterations!