ネタ | ザ★美人堂道場 | ファッション | まにあ道

wedding belles shine as the red carpet favours beading and black

Despite their best intentions, most women only wear their wedding dress once.

But when you're the partner of an AFL footballer, Brownlow Medal night means the chance to work again with your wedding dress designer, which many women did ahead of Monday night.

Unlike the 2015 Brownlow, when white ruled the red carpet, this year saw a return of black as a favourite, although there were a few pops of red, teal and plenty of on-trend metallic gowns.

With the absence of "head WAG" Rebecca Judd, who is due to give birth to twins any day, Nadia Bartel, wife of Geelong great Jimmy Bartel, took the mantle in a beaded, '70s-inspired jumpsuit with a plunging neckline by J'Aton, who made her wedding and 30th birthday dresses.

"I sent the boys some references, it's something that I think I will be wearing a bit of during the Spring Carnival, so I thought why not start now," she said.

Jimmy Bartel, dressed in Calibre, had one of the most-talked about accessories of the night – the bushy beard he has been growing all season to raise awareness of domestic violence.

"I hope it's made an impact and got people talking to their kids about these issues," he said, adding that the beard is coming off next Tuesday at a special function.

Another WAG who dialled up her wedding dress designer, Georgia Young, was Mardi Dangerfield, wife of Geelong midfielder Patrick Dangerfield.

She said there was always pressure on the partners to look their best but being married to the favourite added an extra layer of attention.

But she said she doesn't take any extra nerves into the actual medal count.

"It's out of our control," she said.

Also red hot in red was Ruby Keddie, partner of GWS captain Callan Ward, who described her off-the-shoulder dress by Sonia Cappellazzo as "the polar opposite of what I wore last year".

"Last year I was free and floaty but this year I'm more structured more covered," said Keddie, who works in talent management.

"I'm a risk taker. I'm so casual in my work and weekend wear it's one night a year you get to go crazy."

The standout accessory of the night – aside from Bartel's beard – were Jordan Ablett's J'Aton shoes, which wrapped all the way up her legs like lace boots.

Also making a statement in a revealing ice-blue frock by designer Oglia-Loro was Jessie Haberman, who will also wear a gown by the designer for her December wedding to Carlton's Marc Murphy.

"The whole thing was hand-beaded," she said.

Another woman who made a statement, in a man-style suit, was Annie Nolan, who partnered the Western Bulldogs' Liam Picken.

While there was a notable absence of colour on the red carpet, Jess Jafer, partner of North Melbourne's Robbie Tarrant, stood out in a mermaid cut gown in sea green by One Day Bridal.

"It was easier than I thought it was going to be. I'm certainly nervous," she said of attending her first Brownlow.

Some of the women, including Keddie, were keen to talk up the stance some WAGs had taken against bullying and negative comments on social media about their appearance.

Her advice to the women attending their first Brownlow is to "be really confident in what you're wearing and how you look".

"No one's forcing you to stop on the red carpet ... It's great this year some of the girls have taken a stand for a bully-free Brownlow."

Belinda Riverso, whose partner Rory Sloane was ineligible due to suspension and not at the Brownlow, said there was a lot of scrutiny on the women.

"These women are normal partners and this is not the norm for these women but the best way to get through it is to embrace it. It's a special moment at the start of the night.

"We like to talk about things other than the fashion but it has become an important way for designers to showcase their work."

queenie bridesmaid | vintage bridesmaid dresses