Along with all of the fun perks of being in wedding, there is inevitably the the dreaded bridesmaids dress, the ridiculous comment of, "You can definitely wear that again!".
I know we have all been there (assuming you are a woman), having to pay lots of money on not only the dress, but the alterations and then ultimately taking your dress to Goodwill because you just can't bear to look at it again. Been there, done that.
Well, here are some tips to consider when picking out bridesmaids dresses (or helping the bride pick them out) to make them work over and over again:
- Choose solid colors and not big bold patterns. Because solids generally more muted and low key, there is more of a chance they can be worn again and no one will say, oh that was the dress from so and so’s wedding.
- Consider length. Short dresses tend to be less formal which makes them more easily worn for less formal events in the future.
- Consider the cut of the dress, if the dress has more of an a-line cut its going to flatter most people. Also you want avoid any large details on the dress , like flowers bows or ruffles, unless they can be removed.
For our casual wedding, I chose a dress off the rack from Antrhopologie. The girls could either go by the nearest store to try it on, or order it online.
I then ordered this fun, modern fabric from http://www.fabric.com/ to turn into sashes (thanks, Nana!) to incorporate more of the wedding colors. these were just tied on around the waist and removable once the wedding was over.
Voila! Adorable dresses with matching sashes! My dress was from Anthropologie too, which matched the off white colors of their dresses perfectly. I also bought a cardigan to go over my dress from the same store which worked out fabulously (not shown in the picture above), and I have worn it time and time again since the wedding!
Speaking of cardigans, because there was a cold front that came in two days before our wedding, I just asked that my girls bring any gray cardigan they had to help with the frigid air. This way, they could use one they already had or borrow one from a friend wihtout any added cost. I loved the differnet cardigan styles and shades of gray (see below). We also added cowboy boots (personal or borrowed) to our look after the ceremony for some spunk.
Tips for transforming your dress for more wear ability:
- Think about accessorizing the dress according to where you’re going. If you have a knee length dress, you can pair it with a cute bolero, bold necklace, a blingy pair of earrings, a pair of heels, and a clutch and strut out the door for a night out.
- Going out for brunch with the girls on a gorgeous early Saturday afternoon? You can pair your bridesmaids dress with a cardigan and flats or with a blazer and sandals.
- Headed to a springtime concert in the park? Pair your dress with a denim jacket or blazer and a pair of cowboy boots and you're ready to go!
- Remember you can always take that gown to the tailor. If the gown was long and you want to make it look more like a cute cocktail dress, have the tailor take off a few inches and you’ve got a dress that fits into your lifestyle.
One of my bridesmaids, Leigh, added a belt, cardigan and boots to the dress for her family pictures this year with her husband Kevin and her adorable son Tyson. Love!
Don't forget the guys either!
- Assuming the wedding is not black tie, ask the groomsmen to buy coordinating suits that they can keep instead of spending the same amount of money on renting a tux that has to be returned. Many stores even have great sales when buying more than one suit; buy one get one half off.
- If the wedding is casual, like ours, fore go the coat altogether! Pick out dress shirts, ties and dress pants off the rack that the groomsmen and groom can keep and wear to other events or even to wear the separate pieces to work.
- Shop discount stores and sales. Ask the groomsmen for their sizes and then get busy. Mike and I purchased the shirts at Macy's, the pants at TJ Maxx and the ties online. We sent the groomsmen the total cost and they just sent a check in the mail. No fuss, no muss.
And, if all else fails and there is no possible way to salvage the dress, ski it off the side of a mountain and say good riddance!
Love you Kate!
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