Since I have purchased my dress, then next thing that people immediately ask is, what are the bridesmaids wearing?
The idea of telling people what to wear makes me uncomfortable, especially if it involves telling grown women to spend $100+ on cheap polyester dresses they will never wear again. However, I do like the idea of a cohesive look to the wedding, and perhaps having the bridesmaids in dresses from the same place in the same color would work well.
That brings me to J. Crew. I have been a fan of their wedding collection since it came out a couple of years ago. Simple, classic, awesome dresses that are easily worn again. Their Sophia dress is great as a wedding gown, and would have been my dress had it been slightly larger in the bust. Plus, it is flattering to most figures.
I did purchase the short Sophia dress in silk chiffon when I found it in my size on the clearance rack, and it is fabulous.
Ann Taylor also has some great dresses, such as the Christine dress below, although in general I find them to be a bit less stylish than the J Crew dresses.
Never having been a bridesmaid, I have no idea what is acceptable as far as directing what attendants should wear. Thoughts?
What I’ve been told before is that no matter how hard you try to find a dress that could be re-wearable, the odds as so slim that it actually will be. The best thing to do is pick out what you want, and then suggest they sell their dresses on eBay after the wedding. Especially if you find something rather popular (like a David’s Bridal or Alfred Angelo) people are always looking to save a little money in a way such as this. Your girls may even get good resale value considering the dresses will already be altered and it will be one less expense for the buyer.
The only way they’ll ever seriously get use out of it is if it’s less formal and can be worn to work or to another wedding. Not many of us have the opportunity to dress like it’s prom night, with the full-length beaded number…
The Sophia dress is very nice and has more potential to be worn again than something floor length. Also, something off the rack might not need as much alteration, which can help reduce the overall cost for a bridesmaid.
The second dress is exactly what i’m using for my girls! They could definitely wear that again…I know because I own the blue version and I wear it all the time to special occasions (as a guest)
If you’re looking to make a dress re-wearable, definitely go with something knee-length (and not a crazy color), not a lot of people have black-tie events to go to where they can wear a full-length gown.
PS, I bought the sophia dress (shorter length) in silk chiffon from j crew’s final sale this summer, for myself to wear to a friend’s wedding next summer.
My bridesmaids wore J Crew dresses! (except the MOH) I think they were $110 each, but they were even less formal than the one you show above, but it was great just having them all in the exact same color, even with different styles. And, I’ve seen pictures of one of my bridesmaids wearing her dress at not one but TWO separate occasions in the 3 months since my wedding! 
I think the real issue with re-wearability is material & length, and I think going with non-bridal-shop dresses is probably the best way to find good options.
i’ve been thinking a lot about this question, too. my bridesmaids range in size from tiny to tall, petite to curvy. i originally was just going to give them a color and have them find their own dresses, but they all said they wanted more direction. i found hope on this site: http://www.ariadress.com/
with this site you can choose a color, fabric, and length and your girls can choose the style that works best for their body type. the satin is reasonable, although i think the silk is a bit pricey ($195 for knee length). this is sad because i think the silk is much nicer looking. anyway, there’s a great variety of choices to flatter most body types, and they have very nice colors (i’ll probably go with jade or eucalyptus with a brown drop hem and sash).
I’m using Jcrew’s silk chiffon sophias for my bridesmaids dresses and my girls love it! MOH chose the lyndsey dress in the same color. Since they happened to be on final sale, I just decided to buy my bridesmaids their dresses. Have you given any thoughts to financing some of the cost of the dress? I agree it is hard to please all of them, especially if they have different body types. That’s why I think Jcrew is great because you can just choose a color and the bridesmaids can chose the dress they like best when it comes to the style and fabric; thereby increasing the chance they will re-wear it. I was worried at first the different materials would come out looking different but I think Jcrew did a good enough job of matching them as close as possible. Another great thing about off the rack is the flexibility to order more dresses if your bridal party changes or simply because they decide they want to go with another dress. Hopefully they make the decision in the same collection season so they have the colors you want.
Here’s a tip, if you order directly from the Jcrew store, you get free shipping! The one I went to had a special red phone solely for the purpose of calling in catalogue/online orders. If there isn’t a store near you, there are always coupon codes available for free or discounted shipping and sometimes even %discounts when you purchase above a certain amount.
I found a dress under $150, and told my girls to call in their measurements and order it. I’ve been a bridesmaid enough times, where I just wanted the bride to tell us what to wear, rather then try to hunt down a flattering style in a specific shade of green.
I bought my dresses at a store in the mall Georgiou. They are very figure flattering and also very inexpensive ($75). I have 7 bridesmaids and 4 of them have worn the dress already, BEFORE the wedding. That makes me feel pretty darn good.
My only guidelines are as follows:
1) Black
2) Tea-length
3) Same fabric
Everything else is up in arms. 
I love it this way - especially because the black incorporates into the wedding, because my BMs get LDBs out of the whole thing!
My bridesmaids wore the short Sophia dress from J. Crew in black! The dress looked great on all of them (ranging from 5′2″ to 5′9″, very different body types) and they loved that they could easily wear it again.
My bridesmaids are wearing J. Crew dresses and at least a couple have said that they will be wearing them again. I just told them to choose one of the espresso dresses, not full length, and gave them $200 gift cards for them. Most of them ordered several sizes and styles, then returned the rest easily. I think most of them opted for the Sophia dress.
I absolutely love the J Crew dresses. The fabric is excellent, and they look just great.
An even lower-budget option is the Isaac Mizrahi collection at Target. Dresses can be found for as little as $30 on sale. We went with the strapless dress in white, and it’s been a hit so far. The dresses will get a splash of color and texture with some nice homemade sashes. Shipping is free, and if the sizing doesn’t work out, online purchases can be returned at the store.
I just told my bridesmaids to wear black cocktail dresses, gold jewelry, and match their color shoes (I gave them a few choices, they’re going with black). The rest is up to them. I am getting them matching flowers and combs for their hair, I think that will tie their look together well enough. It gives them the option of either wearing something they already have- or an excuse to buy a new little black dress! I think they’re really happy to be saved the expense of a dress they’ll never wear again, and I am just glad they’ll be there with me- I really don’t care if they match or even if they look like bridesmaids- it’s enough they’ll stand up with me at the wedding. They all have really different personalities anyway, I am actually looking forward to seeing how they all will do something a little unique.
Love the J.Crew option, especially because they almost always go on a great sale. I was going to go this route as well, but if any of your bridesmaids are particuarly busty, you’ll find they don’t make a lot of styles that will work. I think the best option for those who are much bigger than a C was a cotton dress, and my wedding is more formal than that.
I think going for basic black and telling the girls to show up in something “knee-lenght, black, not too cleavage-y” gets a nice result. I left a post on miss penguin’s BM thread, saying I got my dresses at Chadwicks for 16 bucks each (there was a sale when you bought two), and added a sash. They were casual but very cute, we got a LOT of compliments and “I need to know where you got these I have a friend who is planning her wedding” comments. Best part was, ALL of the girls have worn them over and over again. If you go casual but modest enough, the girls can wear the dresses anytime in the summer, to the beach, to a BBQ, to church, or on a date.
If you want a more casual dress that’s not too expensive, I’d check out the following (although look carefully, you’ll find some “old lady” stuff for sure):
chadwicks.com
laredoute.com
dress barn (I’m not kidding, sounds awful, but they DO have some really really cute dresses mixed in with fuddy-duddy stuff).
something like this is very cute in black, and would work well on many women:
http://www.us.redoute.com/clothing/LAURA-CLand201MENT-Crepe-Dress.aspx?PfId=98932&DeptId=14054&ProductTypeId=1&PurchaseType=0
This can be dressed up or down:
http://www.us.redoute.com/clothing/Tie-Dress-with-Balloon-Hemline.aspx?PfId=98917&DeptId=14054&ProductTypeId=1&PurchaseType=0
Don’t be afraid to look at places you normally wouldn’t shop. If you can keep a dress under 100, your girls will be happy for sure.
I’m not totally sold on JCrew. I had a friend get married recently, she used JCrew brown dresses very similar to the one you have above, and I believe her girls spent 150 on them. I saw almost the exact same thing at Kohls for 45 bucks. It definitely helps to look around.
If you’re interested in strapless and short:
http://store.delias.com/item.do?categoryID=424&itemID=48305&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=
I would definitely look at Target’s website as well. If you can’t find something the girls will wear again, MAKE IT INEXPENSIVE so they’ll be thankful.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_11/602-2238071-2744606?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000NXYNHK
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_12/602-2238071-2744606?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000GVWX0I
(also available in blue and pink)
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_8/602-2238071-2744606?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000M97XSQ
Just do your homework. Look around, order a dress to try it out on a couple of your bridesmaids, you can always send it back. We ordered two dresses online, I LOVE the color of both, and let my bridesmaids pick which one they like the most.
I think going for basic black and telling the girls to show up in something “knee-lenght, black, not too cleavage-y” gets a nice result. I left a post on miss penguin’s BM thread, saying I got my dresses at Chadwicks for 16 bucks each (there was a sale when you bought two), and added a sash. They were casual but very cute, we got a LOT of compliments and “I need to know where you got these I have a friend who is planning her wedding” comments. Best part was, ALL of the girls have worn them over and over again. If you go casual but modest enough, the girls can wear the dresses anytime in the summer, to the beach, to a BBQ, to church, or on a date.
If you want a more casual dress that’s not too expensive, I’d check out the following (although look carefully, you’ll find some “old lady” stuff for sure):
chadwicks.com
laredoute.com
dress barn (I’m not kidding, sounds awful, but they DO have some really really cute dresses mixed in with fuddy-duddy stuff).
something like this is very cute in black, and would work well on many women:
http://www.us.redoute.com/clothing/LAURA-CLand201MENT-Crepe-Dress.aspx?PfId=98932&DeptId=14054&ProductTypeId=1&PurchaseType=0
This can be dressed up or down:
http://www.us.redoute.com/clothing/Tie-Dress-with-Balloon-Hemline.aspx?PfId=98917&DeptId=14054&ProductTypeId=1&PurchaseType=0
Don’t be afraid to look at places you normally wouldn’t shop. If you can keep a dress under 100, your girls will be happy for sure.
I’m not totally sold on JCrew. I had a friend get married recently, she used JCrew brown dresses very similar to the one you have above, and I believe her girls spent 150 on them. I saw almost the exact same thing at Kohls for 45 bucks. It definitely helps to look around.
If you’re interested in strapless and short:
http://store.delias.com/item.do?categoryID=424&itemID=48305&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=
I would definitely look at Target’s website as well, as Terry mentioned. If you can’t find something the girls will wear again, MAKE IT INEXPENSIVE so they’ll be thankful.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_11/602-2238071-2744606?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000NXYNHK
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_12/602-2238071-2744606?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000GVWX0I
(also available in blue and pink)
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_8/602-2238071-2744606?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000M97XSQ
Just do your homework. Look around, order a dress to try it out on a couple of your bridesmaids, you can always send it back. We ordered two dresses online, I LOVE the color of both, and let my bridesmaids pick which one they like the most.
I made it easy on myself and my bridesmaids by telling them all to wear whatever black dress they wanted. I had green silk scarves made by my alterations person that they wore to tie in with my green color scheme.
I’ve also seen the same thing done where bridesmaids are told to wear whatever green dress they want in whatever shade. It sounds like it would be a disaster but it turns out surprisingly well.
My BM’s wore the Ann Taylor dresses. I had a tricky time as one of them is mormon, so needed a more modest look (ie sleeves). It is SO HARD to find a BM dress with sleeves! So we chose Ann Taylor, and I let them get whatever style they wanted, and we bought an extra yard of fabric from Ann Taylor and had sleeves added to one of the dresses. They looked great, and we managed to get them on sale too. Good luck, it seems like you’re trying to be as considerate as possible, but chances are your BM’s said yes, knowing that they would have to shell out some $$$ on a dress they probably won’t wear again.
I’ve been a bridesmaid 4 times, and I liked that the bride made the ultimate decisions on what dress and colour. It made it easier on the bridal party.
I purchased knee-length brown/beige patterned dresses for my 6 bridesmaids at Banana Republic for $79.99 each. It’s a bit less formal than your usual satin number, but we’re going to dress it up with a thick brown satin sash and jewelry, and it is a dress that most girls said they will wear again. Those who won’t wear it find it a little poufy at the bottom..but you can’t please everybody with different body types! And I think they appreciated that they didn’t have to spend money on their dresses.
I did wear the Sophia dress as a bridesmaid dress in February. I didn’t mind the cost because it is such a nice dress (great style, good quality, fantastic fit & drape,) and I am going to be wearing it on a cruise next month.
My suggestion is to go with a color that someone will want to wear again (alas, no hot pink!)
Ms. Dahlia, Detroit/Cleveland
Age and Occupation: 24, PhD Student
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Engagement Date: December 31, 2006
Wedding Date: May 2008
Blogging Since: September 19, 2007
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About Me: I enjoy cooking, dancing and swimming. I am a geek and apply game theory to my everyday life. Winter is my favorite time of year, especially when spent curled up with good coffee and a book by Madeleine L'Engle.
if you go the jcrew route then try to go with the bridesmaid dresses from their sales section or one of the dresses that cost 200 or less. A lot of them are $250-350 and as a bridesmaid if I were going to pay that amount there are better designers our there that cost as much or less that I’d rather be forking out cash for then JCrew. I think that amount for something from JCrew is too much to ask. Or look for discount codes to cut the price.
The good thing about jcrew is that people could get the cut that is most flattering to them. If you want a uniform cut for everyone then find a fit that looks good on the hardest to fit bridesmaid…chances are it will probably look good on the others.