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One of my good friends recently got married.  Upon her engagement, we decided that I–fashion expert that I am–would have input on the (dreaded) bridesmaids’ dresses.  I’ve been a lucky girl; I’ve only been in four weddings, and I’m quite happy about that.  For all but one of those weddings, I shopped for and picked out the bridesmaids’ dress.  In both my sister’s and brother’s weddings we kept it easy and cost effective and bought off the rack. When dealing with smaller bridal parties, I truly believe that is the way to go.  You can either buy an inexpensive dress that you won’t mind if you never wear again, or you can buy something that is fashionable and in style that you will definitely want to wear again.

My sister’s dresses were long plum Jessica McClintocks that we snagged on sale at the now defunct Lord & Taylor.  There were only two of us in the bridal party and we paid around $40 each. For my brother’s winter nuptials, we went with a sweater set/ball skirt combo from Express, which was popular at the time, but still classic in black and gray. As stated, I’ve had it pretty easy.

When enlisted for a third round as the bridesmaids’ dress consultant, I was stoked.  The wedding was outdoors at a house, versus a church, so we had more options.  The only caveat from the bride was that the dresses were to be celadon green. No problem. Like most bridal parties, ours consisted of several shapes and sizes.  While all four ladies had enviable figures, we were all built completely differently–tall, petite, well endowed and… not so much. The goal was to find a style that would look great on all of us.  We hit the jackpot at Clarice’s Bridal, where we found a cocktail length, chiffon halter style with a ruched cummerbund; very Marilyn Monroe. The dress was cute; kind of sexy, and gave ample support to those in need.  Paired with silver, strappy sandals and accessories of our choice, I had never felt so pretty and comfortable in a bridesmaids’ dress!

The moral of the story is that there are many ways to find a dress and to dress a bridal party. Think outside of the box. Gone are the days where everyone has to look exactly the same.  Nowadays, many brides pick the color and let their friends choose a style in that shade.  Remember, this is a dress that your friends have to pay for.  Why would you want them to pay for something that they will only wear once?   Keep color palettes neutral and be sure the style is something that will be both flattering and comfortable for all in the party.  Try looks from BCBG, J.Crew, Ann Taylor or threaddesign.com; you will probably find a better deal than at a bridal boutique, and your friends will love you for it.  Let your bridesmaids show their personalities by choosing their own shoes, jewelry and hair.  Understandably, it is your day–but wouldn’t you want to be surrounded by your friends and family looking and feeling their best?

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