Silver Bridesmaid Dresses

A LOOK BACK: Past and present of Taunton's bridal industry

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There was a time when downtown Taunton boasted five businesses that sold bridal wear. Nearly 20 years later two remain standing.

The larger of the pair, New York Lace Store Ltd., is located at 89 Main St. just past Church Green and includes an upscale day spa called Kiara Salon & Spa.

Its counterpart, Isabella’s Bridal, is further west at 2-6 Cohannet St., on the ground floor of what is sometimes referred to as the flatiron building.

The owners share certain characteristics: Both are middle-aged daughters of Portuguese immigrants, who, through the years, have had to adjust to a changing marketplace.

In the early 1990s, when Isabel DeSousa and Dolores (deMello) Milho began focusing on bridal sales — before the era of Internet-based selling and national bridal chains — the Silver City’s downtown district was chock full of shopping options.

In addition to New York Lace and Isabella’s, downtown was home to Nadia’s Bridals (first on Cedar Street and then on Main), Bridal Outlet (now Tux Towne by Bejarano) and Forman’s Formals, the latter of which actually sold more tuxedos than gowns.

Source: Taunton Daily Gazette