When Claudia Shifu, a Brooklyn-based stylist had to shop for her wedding dress, she knew exactly what she wanted.
A flowy silk dress was so not her. For her big day, Claudia knew she wanted something that reflects her real personality. Something she feels comfortable in.
After much deliberation, she finally said yes to the dress except that it wasn’t a dress.
Claudia styled a thrifted lace dress with a vintage Levi’s 501 jeans, stealing the hearts of fashionistas all over. She glammed up this look with a top knot, red heels, red lips, and a pair of gold hoop earrings.

Didn’t this non-traditional choice make her uneasy on some level?
Definitely not, Claudia asserts. In an interview with Vogue, she says, “It was perfect, and I think the most important thing was that I felt so comfortable in it. I felt very me.”
What made her choose the jeans? According to Claudia it all started off with a stunning lace dress that she saw at a vintage trade show and immediately fell in love with. But since she knew that a silk dress look wasn’t for her, she cut up and stitched the dress into a maxi top.
And of course, since a maxi top needs bottom wear, for Claudia a pair of nice jeans seemed like the perfect pairing for it.
“I guess I could look back 30 years from now and say, ‘Oh, God, what was I wearing?’ But it won’t matter, because I’ll remember how great I felt.”
We so agree, Claudia! Kudos to you for keeping true to yourself, even on your wedding day! 🙂
Isn’t it a sign of huge paradigm shift when brides take charge of their own wedding style instead of maintaining the status quo? Tell us what you think of Claudia’s style in the comments below!