Glam It Up
By Lisa Arnett
April 2023 View more Featured
Illustrations by Neiko Ng
Get inspired for this year’s weddings, galas, and more with the hottest beauty and fashion tips from local style experts
Special events are back in a big way this spring and summer, and from hosts to guests, everyone wants to make an impression. “Recovering from the pandemic and working from home and having more of that simpler look to our hair and our makeup and our clothing, we are seeing a really big shift with how people are showing up at special events,” says Jennifer Alvarez, owner of Refined Beauty, a salon and spa in Naperville. “People are looking for statement outfits—full-on, red-carpet type of looks.” Whether you’re prepping for your wedding day, attending a fundraising gala, or helping your favorite high schooler get decked out for prom, let this trends forecast be your guide to getting glam.
Send in the Gowns
Naperville-based personal stylist and wardrobe curator Tina Dvorak helps her clients prepare for all types of events, from school reunions to black-tie fundraisers. She looks to the runways, red carpet, and small screen to keep an eye on what’s trending. “2023 is taking a lot of inspiration from Emily in Paris—I describe it as ‘creative chaos’ with a mixing and matching of patterns,” Dvorak says. “Cobalt blue is huge for 2023 and green—getting away from the Bottega Veneta kelly green and getting more into Key-lime-pie green.” Metallics are everywhere, especially silver, she says: “Victoria Beckham, when her son Brooklyn got married, she did this long gunmetal slip dress, and a lot of ladies are leaning more toward that look as well.”
COOL COBALT
Designer Jason Wu goes blue for spring.
PRECIOUS METALS
Giorgio Armani’s liquid silver dress blossoms with an oversize flower detail.
PRECIOUS METALS
Loeffler Randall’s silver platforms will stop them in their tracks.
For your wedding day, why settle for one look when you can spring for two? “As far as brides or anyone female presenting, I would say one of the most popular trends is two dresses,” says Rachel MacQueen, owner and head planner at Firmly Rooted Events, which specializes in wedding planning in the greater Chicago area. “That doesn’t necessarily mean they are doing the dress-shopping experience two times. More often than not, they buy something to wear for the ceremony at a traditional boutique and then buy a reception dress online—a lot more sequin-filled, with fringe, or even ostrich feathers with fun flair, like old Hollywood, ’20s-inspired.”
OVER THE TOP
Pronovias’s stunning overskirts
Wedding and formal gowns with detachable capes, skirts, or sleeves to provide multiple looks also are trending. “Overskirts are probably the No. 1 request right now,” says Casey Plasch, owner of Wedding Design Studio in Lisle. “The second-dress thing is still popular, but now where the mind is going is, ‘I can get a two-for-one with the overskirt or a detachable train.’ It’s meant to look like it’s part of the dress and it’s a surprise feature when you take it off.”
BEAUTIFUL BOWS
Add drama with showy details.
Bows are also big in bridal this year. “Almost in every line we carry, there are bow details—bows on sleeves, bows on trains, bows on the shoulders, off-the-shoulder bows,” Plasch says. “And they’re kind of exaggerated and artistic.” Another wedding gown trend that’s persisting is three-dimensional floral elements, where fabric is fashioned to resemble flowers adoring the bodice, sleeves, or skirt. “That has been around, but it’s still super strong and it’s getting to be more of a feature instead of a subtle thing,” Plasch says. “It has a really cool, ethereal kind-of feel. It’s not rustic—they are making it very glam and modern.”
SPRING GREEN
A fresh burst of color from Michael Kors
FULL BLOOM
Marina Rinaldi’s dramatic flower brooch
For prom dresses, it’s all about bright colors, cutouts, and high-impact embellishments. “I think what’s really big this year is feathered [gowns],” says Nelly Garcia, store manager of Wolsfelt’s Prom in Aurora. “The girls are looking more for that big, dramatic entrance. They’re saying, ‘It’s senior year. I want to go out with a bang.’ So we are seeing a lot of feathers, a lot of sequins, and chunky beading.” Neon colors—from chartreuse to magenta to cyan—have been big for past prom seasons and are still in demand this year, Garcia says.
When it comes to prom inspiration, one of the most-talked-about (and imitated) celebrities among high-school kids is Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega. “They relate to her and her style,” Garcia says. “At the Golden Globes, she had a lot of cutouts on her waistline. So the cutouts are here to stay, and so are high slits. If anything, [our customers] want to add slits. They’ll say, “I would really love it if this dress had a high slit.’ ”
Suit Up
For weddings, both suits and tuxedos are still firmly entrenched in the shades of gray and navy. “But we are getting a lot of flickers of black coming back in style,” says Mark Rusk, men’s manager at Dean’s Clothing in Naperville.
IT SUITS YOU
Forget off the rack—go for a custom suit.
Before you head for a rental, consider that a custom-made suit or tux might be both more flattering and cost-effective if you have two or more formal events on your calendar. “I’ve been doing a lot more custom clothing for the fathers of the brides or for special functions,” Rusk says. “I just did a three-piece tuxedo with a vest in a little bit brighter blue, not quite royal, but almost there.”
For prom, the tradition of the black tuxedo with a colored tie to match your date’s ensemble still prevails. “It’s a bow tie for the formal look, or the necktie is the more laid-back look,” says Vicki Wolsfelt, who co-owns Wolsfelt’s Prom and Wolsfelt’s Bridal in Aurora with sister Dawn Wolsfelt. There are options for those who want to buck the tradition, such as brocade jackets in deep jewel tones. “Burgundy or blue paisley jackets—that’s going to be for somebody who wants to really stand out,” Wolsfelt says.
STATEMENT STYLE
Tom Ford’s metallic silver jacket
Event planner Shuki Moran, owner of Exceptional Events in St. Charles and wedding venue Revelry 675 in Batavia, has a fondness for eye-catching formalwear. “If you want to be discreet—fine, wear a regular black tuxedo or whatever. If you want to pop out in the crowd, I like to try and find something different. So I find different jackets that are shiny, or they look like animal skin,” Moran says. “And it’s not about the price—that doesn’t make the look. You can find cheap stuff, put it together with expensive stuff, and it can make you look like a million bucks.”
Hot Hair and Makeup
BE BOLD
Turn on the brights for spring.
“In makeup artistry, when we are looking for upcoming trends, we look to fashion first,” says Jade Labriola, co-owner of Make Up First in Naperville. “Usually if we see something on the runway in winter, spring and summer trends usually are going to follow.”
As far as eye makeup, “we are seeing a lot of colored liner and mascara,” Labriola says. “Brown mascara is coming back, and purple mascara on the bottom lashes.” Full eyebrows are still on trend, but eyelashes are scaling back a bit. “If you think back to 2016, everyone had those huge, wild eyelashes; that trend is dying down now,” she says. “We are putting just faux lashes on the outer corner so it looks natural but still a bit of glam.”
ELEGANT EYELINER
TooD Stretch the Limits Liquid Liner
GOLDEN GODDESS
Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
COLOR POP
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Hypnotistising Pop Shots eyeshadow
And as it often goes, everything old is new again. “We are seeing a lot of ’90s makeup trends coming back,” Labriola says. “Some of the lined lips are coming back, and we are doing those darker, ’90s grunge lips and the smoky eyes from the ’90s.”
Wedding hair is all about high-end luxury this year, says Refined Beauty’s Alvarez. “For weddings, we are seeing a beautiful, sleek, very formal styling—smoother, sleeker low chignons with beautiful hair decor, or a voluminous but well-put-together Hollywood glam wave,” she says. “We are doing a ton of [hair] extensions. This is going to be key to achieving that longer, fuller look with your finished styles.”
UP-DO IT
Smooth and sleek for a formal style
As for teens, “I don’t think we are going to see as much structured glam for our prom girls,” Alvarez says. “For high-schoolers, we do a lot of clip-in extensions and we will see updos, but my prediction is they are going to be soft and lived-in—they don’t want to look too overdone.”
If you’ll be photographed at your event, don’t discount the practicality of a well-secured style, Hoss says. “I’ve seen a lot of romantic hairstyles where they do a tendril—the pieces of hair in the front that are loose, face-framing curls,” she says. “It’s a trend, but [as a wedding photographer] it’s one I’d like to see go away. We have a lot of windy days, and they end up tucking it behind their ears, or those curls would just fall out. There is something to be said for an updo because your hair is going to look great all day, and you won’t need to get a touchup.”
After hair and beards were left to grow unfettered during the early months of the pandemic, a lot of men who always wore their hair short are now more comfortable with going a bit longer, says Eric Sowa of Barber Haus. “But they don’t want that whole gelled look, that Mad Men look that’s so polished,” he says. “It’s more of that lived-in, pushed-back look that’s very trendy right now. We love to use a sea-salt spray that plumps up the hair and adds texture. We counter that by using a cream that brings in a little moisture and dries matte.”
Best Foot Forward
STRUT IT
Comfort meets cool with these Keds x Rifle Paper Co. Champion Colette Jacquard Sneakers.
The fashion trend of wearing sneakers with everything—from sweats to sundresses—has trailed into formalwear.
Staff at Wolsfelt’s Prom in Aurora have started selling sparkle-embellished sneakers to meet the demand of their customers. “[Promgoers] are saying, ‘I want to do custom Converse, I want something comfortable,’ ” Garcia says. “I think during COVID, they were doing outdoor dances on the football field, and that’s how the buzz of sneakers [with formal gowns] started going. And now they’re saying, ‘Hey, I’m more comfortable this way.’ ”
RUNNING THE RUNWAY
Coperni sticks with sneakers
Comfort is queen. “I definitely have had some brides who went the sneaker route,” says local wedding photographer Chelsey Hoss of Chelsey Joy Photography. “Everyone initially is concerned about what their shoes look like, but honestly you don’t see them most of the time, so comfort is important, too.”
RUNNING THE RUNWAY
Giorgio Armani sticks with sneakers
Eric Sowa—who frequently hosts grooms and groomsmen for pre-wedding sessions at his Naperville salon, Barber Haus—digs the look of flat-bottomed sneakers with a fancier outfit. “Really nice sneakers that are flats—like brown or black with a white sole—that’s a very big trend. I’m a big advocate of that look,” he says. “You can really make a suit or even a tux look so amazing with a really nice pair of sneakers.”
If sneakers aren’t your thing, but you want to move beyond the classic black patent oxfords that typically come with a tuxedo rental, there are few ways you can go. “A black loafer is trending, or if you want to add a little twist, you can go with the suede look,” Wolsfelt says. Rusk adds that a velour slip-on loafer can really make a statement for a black-tie event. Stay monochromatic with black velour or opt for a deep burgundy or navy hue for a touch of contrast.
Finishing Touches
IT’S A BLING THING
Jewelry over gloves at Dolce & Gabbana
Whether you’re opting for a new ensemble or dressing up a trusty standby from the back of your closet, accessories add the perfect topper. “I’m seeing long gloves and rings over gloves—a lot of diamond rings on all fingers, the index finger, the thumb,” Dvorak says. “And I love throwing in some texture with a clutch or structured bag with feathers, sequins, or pearls.”
For wedding jewelry, “I see that some places are saying that bold accessories are trending right now and I would honestly disagree,” MacQueen says. “I think people are going more dainty. They want to show off themselves and the dress more than the jewelry, still.”
HERE COMES THE SUN
Bottega Veneta’s grass-green cat-eye shades and Line of Sight Square oversized faux-tortoise sunnies
For prom, it’s all about Instagrammable accessories and creating fun photo ops. “We are doing heart-shaped glasses to match the same color of the dress,” Garcia says. “We have earrings, bracelets, and necklaces in color tones to match the dress—a lot of [promgoers] go for that, not so much the basic silver, gold, or rose gold.”
In the end, though, trends of course come and go—so you don’t have to be a slave to them. “I really don’t believe in trends,” Moran says. “Basically, what is a trend? Somebody decided this is a new thing, and everybody follows. Instead of thinking, ‘What’s going to be hip this year?’ or ‘What is the trend?’—try to create the look that will be you. You create the trend.”
Photos courtesy of Anthropologie (shoes), Marina Rinaldi (brooch), Pronovias (wedding dress), Lynette McCarthy Photography (Moran), Ulta (Chanel), Charlotte Tilbury, Nordstrom (TooD), Donald Allen Photography (Labriola), Jake Stone of InStone Optics (Sowa), Being Joy Photography (sneakers), Alicia’s Photography (Dvorak), Neiman Marcus (Bottega Veneta), Free People (Line of Sight), and Getty Images (bling, runways, and backgrounds). Product styling by Jessica Moazami.