Posts Tagged ‘brides’

How to Reuse a Bridesmaid Dress

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Lots of women have them hiding in the back of the closet where no one will see them. You know what I’m talking about, the dreaded bridesmaid dress. Sometimes they are simply awful and you’re embarrassed to wear them much less spend a fortune on it in the first place. Other times the dress isn’t too bad but for two hundred bucks you should get more than one wearing out of it. There are lots of ways you can repurpose any dress and get some more bang for your buck no matter what you’re forced to wear.

Shorten those hemlines
The old “oh you could shorten it and wear it again” really does apply. Now it won’t work on all dresses because of the styles but there are several that it will and make for a lovely outfit to wear at another function or date night. You can even completely change the hemline taking it to a new level so it will look entirely original and have a more fun, sexy or darling look to it. Give the dress a fringe bottom even for a costume, the possibilities are endless.

Give it a dye job
Change the color and you instantly have a new dress. Some people might not even recognize the dress style after you alter the color if the change is drastic enough because different color palettes and tones attract the eye to various parts of the dress based on light and shadows. Where a pink dress  might draw the eye to the detailing of the bust a black dress could draw the eye downward to the curves of the hips because the black lines accentuate this feature and hide the bust detailing.

Add embellishments
Details such as beads, rhinestones, sequin and embroidery can make anything look entirely new and give it a second face. Add embellishments to the dress or if it already has too many take those off and cover the area with a new piece of sheer fabric to hide any holes left behind by the sewing. In addition to the embellishments you can always add some fun, funky jewelry to create a new look entirely.

Make something new
Take the whole dress apart so you just have the fabric and any detailing elements then start from scratch and sew yourself a new dress. Basically you’ll just be salvaging the fabric but this is still worth it because you’ll be able to make something you like and will wear again as opposed to a dress that just hangs in the back of your closet or is tucked away in storage somewhere.

Give it to someone else
If you know of someone who would love to wear it and has the occasion to do so then give it to them. They’ll appreciate the thought and you might even be able to exchange dresses, she gives you one and you give her one. That way the dresses are still new to you and you get more wear out them. This is fun if you have friends close to your size where you can make the clothing swap possible.

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The White Bridesmaid Dress

Friday, December 18th, 2009

White has always been the pure, sweet, innocent symbol of the bride. Wearing a white dress to a wedding in which you aren’t the bride is typically considered poor taste as it’s her day and you take away from her solo spotlight of being the only one in white. However trends change and the most recent one is the white bridesmaid dress. A knockoff of the Hamptons “white party,” all white weddings are all the rage. Some take it so far as to mimic the white party and ask guests to even dress in head to toe white. Beach weddings are taking this approach more and more actually. However this is not the norm and while neither are white bridesmaid dresses, those are the current trend.

So you’ve decided on a white bridesmaid dress, now you have to find the perfect one. That’s a lot easier said then done. There are some out there but the selection is far less than that of any other color dress because well, it’s far less common. So you may have to resort to looking for the dress at a regular dress store instead of a wedding dress shop. The beneficial side of this is that the dresses will likely cost far less since you can find one on sale, clearance or even regular price that is cheaper than the average “bridesmaid” dress sold at a wedding store. The downside is that they don’t usually have the same stock, they may not be able to order more or different sizes and they don’t typically have an onsite tailor so you’ll have to have someone else do any alterations or extra fittings that are required.

The next thing to consider is the shade of white. Do you want it to match the wedding dress or be a slightly different shade to create some off-set between the dresses standing up at the altar? Take a swatch of fabric from your dress to compare the colors and fabrics when shopping for a bridesmaid dress. That way you don’t have to guess what the colors are and whether or not they’ll look alright beside each other and in photos.

Lastly the style of the dress is really important when choosing a white bridesmaid dress because you don’t want it to look like everyone is a bride. A casual dress or shorter, simple dress is perfect. It should be very different from the bride’s dress either in terms of length or in terms of fabric and design. This is your day as a bride and you need to look different from everyone else.

White bridesmaid dresses can be the perfect compliment to a beautiful wedding. Just remember to keep the bride distinctive and the photos will be stunning!

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Two-Piece Bridesmaid Dress Styles

Monday, November 30th, 2009

A dress isn’t always a traditional dress, meaning all one piece. The two-piece dress look is actually fairly common some places and can put a nice spin on things especially if your bridesmaid aren’t really the girly-girl type. You can convince them to wear anything by saying it’s actually a skirt and top because it sounds a lot more casual and easier to wear than a dress. Just because it’s two pieces though doesn’t mean it is any less feminine or formal, there are tons of great two-piece styles to flatter any figure and look perfect in your precious photographs.

Corset bodice and skirt
An old-fashioned corset bodice style is popular. This works well on bust sizes of all sorts because the ties in the back or the corset let each woman adjust the bodice to fit their chest as they desire. You can also make the decision to push the boobs up or push them down. With the corset style the skirt is usually one that flairs out with loose pleats or darts.

Halter and skirt
A halter top is great for smaller busted women as it can create the illusion of a larger bust for those seeking more and they are more easily able to get away without wearing a bra. The halter can be one with thick straps or thin straps but the whatever is chosen should also be mimicked in the waistband styling of the skirt. For thinner women a drop waist with a loose waistband is stylish so that just a little bit of skin shows and it is made clear that the dress is a two piece not one. The showing skin look is very trendy and popular with the younger crowd.

Flared pants
There are two ways that pants can work as a two-piece dress. First the pants can be flared so much that they meet in the middle of the legs and look like a skirt pleating itself. In the second fashion the pants have a sheer chiffon layering over them that looks like a flowing skirt. As the girls move the layers blend together and create a full look but give them all the freedom and ease of movement that comes from wearing pants.

Strapless and bolero
Another unique two-piece look is a strapless dress and matching bolero. These can be found in several stores and are great for nighttime weddings or weddings during the spring and fall seasons where the weather changes a lot during the day and the ladies may need some covering for their shoulders to stay warm.

Ruffled top and high-waisted skirt
The sexy business dress look can translate to the wedding aisle well. Choose a ruffled top and a high-waisted skirt to tuck the top into. Avoid the bulky look of tucking the top in by cutting it just two inches longer than where the skirt hits so there’s no excess material.

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Styling The Sleeved Bridesmaid Dress

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Bridesmaid dresses with sleeves are very common yet most people don’t think of them because they’re rarely pictured in bridal magazines, on the runways or featured in movies. Most people get the picture of a strapless dress in their minds when they hear the phrase “bridesmaid dress.” However strapless and thin strap dresses aren’t for everyone or every season actually. Sleeved dresses are beautiful on their own but accessorizing and dressing them up can make them even better. Here are some ideas.

Shoes
The right shoe can be a statement all in itself. If you choose a simple sleeved dress then go for a dramatic and over the top shoe selection. The shorter the sleeves the more open the shoe should be to balance out the skin factor (amount of skin being exposed). Longer sleeves warrant high heel short and long boots (especially for winter weddings). A sweater dress look is perfect for winter and looks stunning when paired with a stylish pair of leather boots.

Earrings
Long sleeved dresses are easily dolled up with a killer pair of chandelier earrings. The trick with earrings is to create contrast. So if you have a black dress choose earrings that stand out against the black if the earring falls down close enough to the dress and the same color as the dress if they are on the short side.

Hair decorations
If you choose to forgo the jewelry then you can still add some sparkle and shine with hair decorations. Make an updo more interesting by inserting rhinestone pins, using clips or adding other decorative elements. There are lots of things you can do to add some fun to the hair styles and overall look by simply putting something in your hair and playing up the look of the dress.

Necklines
Interesting necklines are key to making the sleeved bridesmaid dress work and be attractive on anyone. A V-neck shows off cleavage which may be one woman’s asset. A boat neck look is simple and works on most any shape and facial structure. Unusual necklines can add a lot to the design of a dress and are one of the most important elements when there are sleeves involved as it is where the eyes are drawn to.

Backless
A bridesmaid dress can have sleeves and any neckline in the world but if it’s backless that suddenly becomes the main feature. For women who want to cover up their front and be dramatic as they walk down the aisle go for a backless look. You’ll have to have the ladies get some stick-up backless bras but it’s worth it because people will be in awe as they pass them and they see the strong, confident look of an open back.

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Easy Ways To Design The Perfect Bridesmaid Dress

Monday, October 26th, 2009

perfectbridesmaiddressThe perfect bridesmaid dress, it seems like an illusion at times. Most women don’t have the same taste in clothes let alone the same body types and the more attendants you have the more opinions, variations and considerations you have to deal with. This can all lead to a disastrous dilemma for a bride trying to make sense of everything and choose something she and her ladies like. Thus many brides decide to design a dress for their bridesmaids as it is then set in stone and she can select the most number of features possible to highlight everyone’s assets and ensure it’s something she enjoys and approves of as well. Designing the dress is actually quite easy and there are a number of ways it can be done.

Dress Up Time
Take all your ladies out and have them try on a wide variety of dresses with various necklines, lengths, sleeves and even kinds of fabric. Take pictures of each lady in each dress so you can compare what looks good and what doesn’t between everyone.

Cut and Paste
Print the photos you took then cut and paste the elements you like. You’ll basically be making a mosaic Picasso looking bridesmaid dress if you use parts from different girls and dresses. This however will let you see all the elements combined to give you a better idea of what the combination really looks like.

Sketch It Out
Get some good old fashioned paper and pencil and sketch out your design. Use the Picasso cut and paste figure as your base for the drawing if you did that, if not then start from scratch with your ideas and just begin putting the pencil to paper. The sketch doesn’t have to be perfect so don’t beat yourself up over your stick figure design, just get the ideas down.

Online Dress Design
For those who are drawing challenged or just don’t even want to attempt trying to make a realistic looking dress there is such a thing as the internet. Not only is the internet great for researching dresses it’s also perfect for designing the bridesmaid dresses of your dreams. Find a site that lets you create dresses virtually. These sites give you a body to dress then you begin incorporating different elements such as the necklines, sleeves and so on. You can create numerous designs, easily switch things in and out to see how they look and have some fun creating any dress you can imagine. The best part is it’s so easy that anyone can do it and then you just print the diagrams and you have your design before your eyes in minutes. With technology like this there’s no reason you should let anything stop you from designing the perfect bridesmaid dress.

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