California Apparel News

Brides come in all shapes and sizes, and while love knows no boundaries, nor should wedding-dress sizing. Lulus, a digital retailer headquartered in Chico, Calif., hoped to outfit more brides by expanding its selection for its bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses and jumpsuits, which it produces under its namesake Lulus label. It unveiled the new bridal styles this month.

Lulus founder Colleen Winter said her company specifically added an extended range of sizing for its bridal collection. It offers sizing from extra small through 3X in 50 styles for its new bridal collection. The expanded bridal collection features 100 separate styles.

The bridal collection’s styles include hand beading and washed satin, as well as new colors such as an ice blue, a muted gray-green hue called Sagebrush, a soft-pink shade called Gardenia, in addition to conventional colors such as navy and burgundy. Retail price points range from $60 to $120 for bridesmaid dresses and $75 to $250 for bridal gowns.

Lulus started as a casual-clothing shop in 1996. Winter added special occasion and bridal in the past few years, because her consumers were looking for affordable gowns, she said. “I know what it is to be broke and to want to look cute," she said. "So it’s been my motto to give customer value at every, single category."

Lulus also has been hiring executives. In December, Lynda Nguyen was hired as vice president of production and sourcing. In September, Patrick Anderson was hired as a vice president of merchandising. Previously, Anderson served as a director of merchandising, ready-to-wear, for Target Corp.