The “Wear Whatever” Concept
September 3, 2009 · Posted in what to wear, bridesmaids, green by mo
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Is anyone who has bridesmaids letting them wear whatever they want? And what I mean by whatever they want, I don’t mean in a color scheme, I mean, they show up in any dress/suit/skirt they have and just stand up there with you? That was my initial thought for my two sisters, who will be standing up there with me at the ceremony. I’m the youngest, and it just felt contrary to my youngest sibling status to dictate what they would wear.
Well, much to my surprise, they vetoed the “wear whatever” concept and they told me they wanted to 1) wear green dresses 2) look skinny and 3) look hot. So I’ve been on the hunt.
[I LOVE THESE!! Dresses from Tony Chestnut, Photo from red photo co. via snippetandink]
[Photo from Derek Wuenschirs via offbeat bride]
[Photo from 10-Foot Poet via offbeat bride]
A couple months ago, sister 1 and I visited Bella Bridesmaid. She tried on A LOT of dresses. This was the winner out of the bunch, but we’re still not quite sure if it’s what we want. It would of course be in green and not blue (”pale jade” to be exact.)
[This is from Melissa Sweet's 2010 collection]
But, we’re all loving that bold lime color in the first picture, which is completely different from the dress sister 1 tried on above, so we’re still debating about what look to go for!
Was the hunt for your dresses a group effort? Did you let the maids wear anything they wanted to wear?
For my sister’s wedding we ended up buying the dresses the day after she got engaged! We just happened across them and both her bridesmaids were with her, so we tried them on, bought them and then hid them in the closet so the groom wouldn’t find out!!
I started out looking for great dresses. I really did, but then I thought.. holy crap.. seriously.. am I going to tell 5 perfectly intelligent, super hot, amazing, wonderful girls over the age of 20 what to wear when they wear lovely things every day?
So I said.. my wedding colors are orange, gold, and white/ivory. You can wear a dress from those color families or you can wear a little black dress hanging in your closet.
I feel very good about the choice and one of my girls got to reuse a beautiful dress, one got a new JCrew dress she had been lusting over, one got hers on sale and felt like a star and the other 2 are still looking… but they love the idea too!
i let the maids wear any dress they liked in a purple or yellow color. to my surprise, each chose a different color and cut yet it worked out quite nicely. they also love that they can wear it again and again :)
honeymyheart’s most recent blog post: Til I hear it from you: Waiting on Those RSVP Postcards
I love this topic because I did this very thing! My sister was my only attendant, and I told her pick whatever you like. Literally. She phoned me from Nordstroms to make sure I really, really meant it because she fell in love with an adorable grey wool dress with an ivory mohair sweater. She looked lovely at my October wedding!
I love hearing these dress stories of brides being considerate of what their attendants will wear!
@Megan C: Mohair rocks, her outfit sounds super cute!
mo’s most recent blog post: Things That Are Happening
Whoops, just realized I wrote “dress” stories–I know some of you out there might have attendants opting to not wear a dress, or attendants who are male and will be wearing suits–I’d love to hear those stories as well. :)
mo’s most recent blog post: Things That Are Happening
You’re an awesome bride (and sister) to go the ‘wear whatever’ route! It’s super cute that your sisters decided to veto you. Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
The Professional Bridesmaid’s most recent blog post: The Alternative Bride Gets Hitched!
Love the different colors of green. Amazing
Also check out: http://sixpence-in-her-shoe.blogspot.com/
I also told my sisters they could wear whatever they liked as I’m not going the matchy colour scheme route for my wedding and, like you, to my utter amazement they vetoed the idea - Future Sister-in-law was particularly adamant that she wanted everyone to know she was a bridesmaid not just another guest! Wedding planning sure throws up some surprises doesn’t it!?
I’m in the midst of this debate myself. I have 2 wonderful sisters (matron of honor & maid of honor) and either 1 or 2 bridesmaids. One of my bridesmaids wears a size 26-28, and her figure is not proportionate according to manufactuer’s measurements.
Our options:
1. They can spend $118+ for matching bridesmaids dresses they will never be able to wear in their lives again, plus the cost of alterations (for my one beautiful, extra-curvy friend, those alterations will probably be almost as much as the dress!).
2. (This was what I was planning till Option 3 came up) My colors are peach/apricot, coral, cinnamon, and burnt orange… pick out any dress you like in that color range, even printed, just as long as they are all either tea-length or floor-length.
3. My mom offered to sew the 2 dresses for my sister, which means I could definitely take on the project of sewing my curvy friend’s dress. Yes, I’ve sewn formal gowns before, and some for out-of-normal-size ranges, so I know I COULD do this, and it would fit her better than a store-bought one. I would buy one fabric, yards & yards of it, and then each dress can be made to fit each attendant in whatever style flatters her best.
What do you think?
@Andrea: Thanks for your comment! I think that if you have the time and the skills, then go for it! It definitely personalizes the dress so much more since it will be handmade by you. Plus, it’s going to fit your friend like a glove and it will eliminate the problem of having to buy the dress then altering it to fit properly. Good luck!
Thank you for the feedback, Mo!
