ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID When Bridget Pope was planning her wedding a few years ago in Nashville, she stopped into a Bella Bridesmaid boutique and was impressed by the lines of dresses, many of which she hadn’t seen before. When she moved to Pittsburgh, she got the idea of adding a franchise for Bella here, since Pennsylvania didn’t have one.

The Woodland Drive resident’s Bella Bridesmaid boutique is now open, at 1752 North Highland Road (the road behind Trader Joe’s). The shop is in the same building as Yoga Flow, across from the new Pier 1. It is open Tuesday through Saturday by appointment only.

Bella Bridesmaid features lines by Amsale, Coren Moore, Donna Morgan, Ivy & Aster, Jenny Yoo, LulaKate, Joanna August and TwoBirds Bridesmaid, all of which are new to Pittsburgh.  The shop will also carry the full collection from Dessy, including After Six, Alfred Sung, Dessy Collection and Lela Rose.

The shop can be especially convenient when bridesmaids live in different cities; if there is a Bella nearby, the bridesmaid can try on the same dress as the rest of the wedding party, have it sent to her shop and have it fitted there instead of driving to Pittsburgh each time.

While the dressmakers cater mostly to bridesmaids, with enough lead time, the shop can accommodate proms, debutantes, mothers of the bride or even someone looking for unusual formal wear or something different for the rehearsal dinner. Local appointments, call 412-854-4422. www.bellabridesmaid.com. 

PNC CHANGES The PNC branch on Beverly Road that was scheduled to close February 22 is slated to reopen in April as PNC Savings and Investments Center. With final details to be worked out, the branch will offer services through PNC Investments and PNC Wealth Management. The ATM is staying at the location and will continue to service withdrawals, deposits of cash and checks and other services.

NEW FITNESS STUDIO Many people have bellied up to the bar, but did you think you could get your belly down with a barre? Pure Barre, a new fitness studio at 1612 Cochran Road (yes, near Chipotle) opened in January to a flurry of fitness devotees. The concept is this: Create the long, lean muscles of a dancer by doing some of the very same ballet exercises that have been around for hundreds of years. Many of them are small moves done at the barre (the handrail, for those who’ve not trained in ballet), paired with lots of stretching, some hand weights and absolutely no jumping. The results include toned abs, arms, butts and thighs.

Pure Barre is a franchise, started in 2001, with this local shop owned by Valleyview Road resident Melissa Evancic. The studio is open seven days a week and offers many different packages. Look for the Mt. Lebanon location at purebarre.com, on Facebook, or call 412-260-3237.