Bridesmaid dresses you can wear again…and again and again!
Aug 2nd, 2008 by Katie
Just lately I seem to have been getting more impassioned pleas for help with bridesmaid dresses than wedding dresses.
I suppose it is a tricky subject. On the one hand, your bridesmaids should of course be eternally grateful to you for being ‘the chosen ones’, the select few who will guide you through your transition from maid to matron… 
On the other, they no doubt experience that instinctive shiver of dread of “THE BRIDESMAID DRESS” - images of ’80s horrors float through the mind’s eye, pink puffy sleeves and mountains of shiny satin the stuff of maidenly nightmares…
In my experience, however, the modern bride is commendably keen to banish such woes from her bridesmaids’ brows and in fact is almost falling over herself to make sure the girls get the dress of their dreams - so much so that it can become more important than her own outfit!
We want our bridesmaids to feel comfortable but pretty, sexy possibly, stylish definitely. We don’t want to be the ungenerous bride who dresses down her maids to make her own star shine brighter…and most of all these days (especially if you’re planning a green wedding - no waste! - and particularly if they’re paying) it should be… drum roll…
A DRESS YOU CAN WEAR AGAIN
Yes, it’s the phrase that every bridesmaid has heard, that sings so sweetly but sadly in her ear as she consigns the fun but confetti-courting creation to the back of the closet…forever.
But enough weeping and wailing, it is a tough task if you’re trying to find one gown to suit more than 1 maid (if you’ve only got one bridesmaid, just ask her to choose it and be done with it - no complaining from you!). You’ve got different shapes and sizes to think of, different complexions… and you’re not a professional stylist, so where to start?
Bridesmaid dress hunting 5 top tips
We’ve come up with a few suggestions that we hope will make your task easier - if you have any of your own top tips, we’d love to hear them!
1. FIND YOUR THEME
If you’re having a colour theme for your wedding, don’t fix it until you’ve done your bridesmaid dress shopping - it’s easier to find a dress colour that suits everyone and then theme the wedding around it than vice versa.
2. HAPPY SHOPPERS
Take your bridesmaids on a shopping trip to get an idea of the styles and colours that suit them, and that make them feel comfortable. This is a chance for them to get to know each other too - it doesn’t matter if you don’t find ‘the one’ on this trip, or end up getting them made - it’s a fun, bonding experience.
3. WHO’S THE BRIDESMAID?
Of course you want your guests to know who your bridesmaids are but this doesn’t mean they have to wear meringues! If you have several women wearing the same dress at a wedding, they’ll be presumed bridesmaids unless proven otherwise.
Just remember though, if you do find the dresses on the high street, it might be worth letting your female guests know by email in advance which dress to avoid - unless they want to look like an extra bridesmaid!
4. MIX & MATCH
Having said that, don’t feel that they all have to wear exactly the same dress or colour - you just need something to tie it all together. It could be that they wear the same colour in different styles, or the same style in different colours - go for what works best for you… and them!
Remember that you don’t have to go for dresses either, skirts and tops might be easier to fit, and consider trouser suits for something a little different…
5. THEY LOVE YOU!
Remember that at the end of the day, your bridesmaids really are just happy to have been chosen and would willingly crawl down the aisle in acres of pink satin if that’s what will make your day - so stop stressing!
Green my bridesmaid
If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably also added an extra element to your bridesmaid dress calculations - how to find an ethical one. Well, for starters, if you really do find a dress they’ll wear again (and you can check up on them at various events over the next few years!) that’s a big brownie point.
After that, why not spend a few spare moments (or days, weeks, months!) scouring the internet for ethical fashion designers using eco, organic or recycled fabrics… or alternatively, let us do it!
Here goes… click on the photos to find the dresses…
For more on ethical bridesmaid dresses, take a look at this recent Guardian article responding to a bridesmaid-to-be’s request for help in her search for the perfect ethical but affordable outfit.
If you’ve found a beautiful bridesmaid dress with an eco-conscience, please send us a pic and we’ll share them here on the blog.
Happy planning!
Katie
Chat about ethical bridalwear in the Ethical Weddings Forum
I bought a different dress from Quail, and got married in it!!!
I bought one of these in Mallard green Emily Dresses:
http://www.quailbymail.co.uk/go-shopping/skirts-dresses
My fiancee and I got married in a civil ceremony in England before having a big church wedding in abroad where I wore my Mum’s ‘vintage and retro’ wedding dress and as a dress-maker she also incorporated some antique lace from my grandmother’s favourite dresses. A form of sentimental recycling!!!!
I wore the Emily dress ‘to my first wedding’ because I wanted something fun, sustainable, organic, fairtrade, and made in England…and when I got it it even had two cute seashell buttons on it, real pockets and the dress was even packaged in brown paper tied up in a bow.
That’s a beautiful dress - I can’t believe I missed that one! How fun to have 2 weddings!
Or try Oxfam - their ‘Evening Wear’ shops (in Oxfam Bridal shops or online) have lots of great dresses, I spotted several good bridesmaid-potential dresses whilst wedding dress hunting there myself! Second-hand and for charity too
Katie - thanks for featuring Quail’s cute Lucy Dress. Ethical fashion has been getting a boost in the press of late. It’s been very tough out there though for ethical labels, Fairtrade goods and quality organic and British products as money is tight for everyone — and just when the Green and Fairtrade movement was making headway. Luckily as most of the great, independent eco and ethical fashion labels are small and without huge overheads, such as Quail, we can keep our little creative heads above water, work harder and get there by sheer ethical determination!!!
Cheers
Shauna Chapman
Founder, Quail By Mail
Ethical, fairtrade and organic ladies fashion designed and made in Devon.
What beautiful dresses. I really want the lavender one, so cute !!
Hi
I am getting my bridesmaid dresses from Conscious Elegance. I am having a summer wedding so the dresses are cocktail length which is certainly easier for the girls to wear again (like to another wedding!) Beautiful silk based fabrics and made-to-measure for £164 each, not bad for ethical! http://www.consciouselegance.com , go to party frocks section and look at Amber style. Mine will be one colour in soft green.