Is it possible to find a bridesmaid dress that looks good on everyone? Where is the best place to shop for bridesmaids dresses?
Style Your bridesmaids’ dresses should complement the style of your bridal gown. At the same time, they don't need to be identical. If your gown is an A-Line, for example, you are not restricted to A-Line bridesmaid dresses. On the other hand, if your gown is a fairy-tale ball gown, you won't want your maids' dresses to be modern or high fashion. The goal is to have an overall theme and aesthetic flow.
Color As you begin to choose the color you want for your wedding, be sure to think about both your wedding and reception site. If your church has dark red carpet, those pretty peach dresses you love so much might clash with the overall color scheme. If your reception site is full of dark wood and burgundy carpet, on the other hand, your burgundy bridesmaids’ dresses and accents might all blend in. Finally, consider your bridesmaids. Think about their coloring, including their skin and hair, and determine what colors look best on them. Remember, your maids don't all have to wear the same color. In fact, a wonderful Southern tradition is to have the Maid of Honor wear a different shade of the bridesmaid dresses or a totally different color. If your maids are wearing Desert Blue, for example, have your Maid of Honor wear Navy or even Rose. This is wonderfully effective when you coordinate the Maid of Honor's dress color with the Best Man's vest and tie! Another popular and pretty trend, especially for spring and summer weddings, is a "color run." This is when each bridesmaid wears a different color of the same dress. One example of a light color run might be Pink, Pale Yellow, Light Blue, Mint, and Lavender. In dark colors, you might try Emerald Green, Royal Blue, Royal Purple, Red, and Gold. Shades of the same color also work well, such as red, medium pink, and light pink. Just be very careful to select colors that don't clash with each other! You might also consider alternating colors. Half your maids can wear one color, while the other half wears a different color. If your wedding will be near Valentine's Day, you could put half of them in red and the other half in pink! If you decide to use a color run or alternating colors in your wedding, be sure to find out how tall each of your maids are before you order the dresses. Remember, your maids will be arranged by height as they walk into the ceremony, when they stand by you during the ceremony, and when they exit the ceremony. They will also be arranged by height when photos are taken. Make a list of your maids in order from shortest to tallest, but leave your maid of honor off the list. If you maid of honor is at the taller end when compared to everyone else, your tallest maid will be next to her and the maids will get shorter the further they stand from you. If your maid of honor is at the short end, however, the shortest maid will stand next to her and the maids will get taller the further they stand from you.
Seasonal Ordering You'll also want to decide if your maids’ dresses will have sleeves or not. Most modern bridesmaids’ dresses have straps. On rare occasion, they have short sleeves and almost no bridesmaids’ dresses have long sleeves.
Sizing The sizing of bridesmaids’ dresses, like your gown, has nothing to do with your bridesmaids' regular clothing size. You will need to tell your maids to get measured and to compare their measurements with the designer's actual size chart. Then, be sure to order the size that will fit their largest measurement. So, if Suzy's measurements work out to a size 10 for the bust, a size 14 for the waist and a size 12 for the hips, you'll need to order Suzy the size 14 and she'll have to get it altered to fit her bust and hips. Because your maids will probably need to get their dresses altered, it is helpful to have them shipped directly to them. This is particularly true if your bridesmaids don't live near you. Of course, you won’t have to get the dresses altered if the dresses are made-to-measure for each bridesmaid, which is what you get with BridesmaidTaylor.com.
Dye-Lot Another consideration is the shawl. Even if the designer doesn’t directly advertise shawls to go along with the dresses, most do offer them. If you want to have shawls for your dresses, be sure to order them at the same time you order the dresses. This way, you can be sure they come from the same dye-lot. Go Shopping You can shop for bridesmaid dresses at different places. Department stores offer several of the same dress off the rack ready to buy, which may save you time and money. However, they may not be from the same dye lot, which can be visible upon inspection. In addition, they usually don’t carry special order dresses, so the variety of dresses is limited. Department stores also lack the level of bridal services (e.g., alterations, swatches) like a specialty shop. Large discount bridal chains can also be very inexpensive, which is their major advantage, and they usually have a short turnaround time for delivery. However, the quality of the merchandise can be shoddy, and, like department stores, they do not carry special order brands or provide helpful services. Ordinary online retailers are usually of the "you order it, it’s yours" mentality, which means that you will find discounted prices, but a lack of customer service. Like discount chains, they can offer quick turnaround, but you’ll miss out on an even larger selection of dresses, since many manufacturers do not supply online retailers with merchandise. A full service bridal shop is the most comprehensive choice, providing information and advice on measurements, sizing, undergarments, shoes and order time. They provide fabric swatches and usually have seamstresses on staff to perform all necessary alterations. However, they usually charge higher prices than discount retailers. BridesmaidTailor.com is new alternative of shopping bridesmaid dresses. By custom tailoring a made-to-measure dress for each bridesmaid, the bride and the bridesmaids have full control over the style, color(s), and fabric of the dresses. There is no longer any problem aroused from the difference in the sizes, ages, skin/hair colors or preferences of the bridesmaids. Each bridesmaid can do simple DIY measuring and place her order online, and a custom-tailored dress will be shipped to her directly in 3 to 4 weeks. The prices are significantly lower than the traditional tailors will charge, and are even lower than many ready made dresses from bridal shops. It is important to scrutinize the differences in quality among the dresses you look at and try on. It will become apparent to you very early on in your search that there are stark disparities between manufacturers, shops and styles. You should ask yourself if the manufacturer you are looking at carries a full range of colors, dress linings for comfort, attractive styles that work with your wedding gown and any other questions that are of importance to you and your bridesmaids. As an educated shopper, it will be much easier to find the perfect dress and accessory items. Now that you know what you are looking for, it
is time to go shop! Of course, we think the best place to do that is at
BridesmaidTaylor.com, so we hope you will give us a try! |
