If you’ve ever been a bridemaid or MOH then you know what this title is all about…
Choosing a dress for your bridesmaid’s can be very tricky – what color? style? length? material? What if they don’t fit? What if a bridesmaid refuses to wear it? Who pays for the dresses? What if all the bridesmaids can’t afford the dress I want them to wear? What about shoes? The list goes on and on forever and ever…
One of the main complaints I hear from bridesmaids is that they’re expensive for a dress they’re likely to never wear again. No matter how stunning they are on the wedding day, for some reason they just look “too much like a bridesmaid’s dress to wear again”. …until now.
I’m here with three solutions to the bridesmaid’s dress dilemma!
1. Rent. The guys get to rent their suits/tuxes …why can’t the ladies rent their bridesmaid’s dresses? Over the last five-ish years a number of dress rental companies have popped up to meet this need and the ladies couldn’t be happier! My personal favorite is Little Borrowed Dress. They offer 6 styles in a wide assortment of colors both a party and floor length. All their dresses are made from chiffon AND they’ll even send a back-up size for free! Worried the color on your monitor isn’t the same as the color of the dress? Just ask for a few swatches to ease you mind. With Little Borrowed Dress it’s easy to let your bridesmaids pick what they’re most comfortable wearing. The best part? You don’t have to spend $200+ on a dress… $50-$75 will get you one of their dresses shipped with plenty of time before the big day!
Other companies that offer a similar product (though I haven’t worked with them directly) are: Rent the Dress, Vow To Be Chic, and Rent the Runway.
2. Skirt + Blouse combo. You heard me right, that bridesmaid’s dress doesn’t have to be a dress. Going with a skirt + blouse combo is almost guaranteed to re-worn as separate pieces give near endless possibilities for future events. This choice could also allow more individual expression among your bridesmaids AND help everyone feel their best if your ladies are a variety of sizes and shapes. These bridesmaids look so lovely and festive on the Oregon Coast for an overcast summer wedding. Their skirt + blouse outfits went with the homemade, DIY, intimate backyard event; while still feeling dressy and feminine. Since most of the wedding party (and guests) traveled for this special day, having clothes that were easy to iron was a huge advantage. Plus… skirts with pockets are super cool! 
3. Pick a simple dress in a timeless color. It can be really easy to get swept up in all the latest wedding trends and not realize that, like all trends, they’re temporary. Choosing a simple dress in a neutral/timeless color (black, grey, navy, or blush) will allow your bridesmaids to make simple additions to her dress for future events. Extra Petite recently created a video that was featured on Style Me Pretty that really showed how easy it could be to dress up or down such a dress. PS: I’ve decided that purple is also a neutral. Seriously, it goes with every skin tone, comes in a variety of shades from cool to warm, is appropriate for any season, looks great with other colors, is gender neutral, and looks great for both formal and informal events. Perfection!
Restyling a bridesmaid dress with Extra Petite on Style Me Pretty | Long Haul Films Video Production from Long Haul Films on Vimeo.