Chances are you’ve been a bridesmaid, and you know just how much planning goes into making your best friend’s dream day go off without a hitch - including the painstaking details that go into finding the right bridesmaid dresses.
It’s pretty rare that a bridesmaid dress will fit perfectly right off the rack because they’re meant to be tailored to your specific fit, but don’t let this scare you from saying ‘yes’ to your bridesmaid dress! Here are a few key tips to know that can make your bridesmaid dress shopping experience a piece of cake. You’ll thank us later if you run into one of these top four styling dilemmas.
“I’m Expecting!”
Your best friend asked you to be a bridesmaid and you just found out you’re pregnant, so now what? Opt for styles that have a higher, empire waistline and think about ordering with extra length since the hemline will rise as your bump gets bigger.
One designer we love for expecting bridesmaids is Joanna August (hint: hidden elastic waistbands). The Kathy Long dress has delicate straps that can be adjusted as needed and it has enough coverage to feel supported and sexy.
“My dress needs so many alterations!”
It’s tempting to look for a bridesmaid dress off the rack thinking it will fit like a glove but the fact is that bridesmaid dresses are meant to be tailored. Designers purposefully offer more ‘give’ in the straps, waistline and hem. These alterations allow for bridal parties in all shapes, sizes and heights to rock the same gown.
One thing to remember is that bridesmaid dresses don’t have that lycra or spandex that you’re used to seeing in the dress department. We don’t usually wear clothes with construction details like boning, but that’s what helps the dress stay up and keep its shape all night long. So it’s important to buy a dress in your size and always anticipate some minor alterations.
“I’ll never be able to wear this dress again.”
If you’re spending hard-earned money on a dress (bridesmaid or not), you’d probably like to wear it more than once. Designers know this too and many are making sure that you can wear their art again and again by updating their styles and offering separates. That’s right, two distinct pieces that come together for the wedding day but also transition into your everyday wardrobe after the aisle! Jenny Yoo has some great separates pieces like the Hampton Print Skirt that becomes a great maxi skirt you can dress up or down and the Kenzi lace top that can be paired with jeans on the weekends or a pair of pant and a blazer for the office.
“Do all of the bridesmaids have to wear the same dress?”
Everyone strives for the Pinterest-worthy mixed dress styles. It can be very challenging, but is definitely achievable. One request our style consultants inevitably get from brides is, “I want the girls to be able to wear a style that flatters their body but in a color palette that matches my vision.” Mix and match styles are the way to go and you can interpret that however you’d like with different textures, fabric choices and shades as long as they are in the same color families. This also gives the bridesmaids more flexibility in style and budget so everyone feels their best on the day of the wedding.
Whatever dress you choose to wear should make you feel beautiful and comfortable so everyone can focus on what’s most important…celebrating!