Always a Bridesmaid?

Well, maybe, maybe not, but at least you don't have to be a boring one!

Bridesmaid dresses are expensive!  So, if you are asking your dearest friends to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress, why not make it one that will make a statement?  So many brides try so hard to find that dress that their bridesmaids will "wear again" that they end up settling on somewhat ordinary dresses that still cost an arm and a leg!  You really don't need to compromise when it comes to creating a beautiful bridal party that expresses the personalities fo the bride and groom!  Incorporating vintage clothing into your wedding brings personality, style and uniqueness that can't be found in off the rack clothing.  One of the easiest ways to find vintage dresses for your bridesmaids is to focus on Color, or color families and then, the possibilities are endless!

Color is the easiest way to make a statement when it comes to bridesmaid dresses!  You can pick up that same color, or a contrasting one in the men's ties, socks, and or pocket squares.  Choose a color that will look good on all of your bridesmaids, that's important so that they feel beautiful and look beautiful in the photographs!  I'll start with the color that looks good on everyone:

BLUE! 

Here is a simple, but chic vintage 1950's dress from Timeless Vixen Vintage on Etsy that would make a fabulous bridesmaid dress




Don't be afraid to tell your bridesmaids to find a dress with two colors!  Here is a beautiful blue dress with black lace From DRESS



When color is the starting point, you can give your bridesmaids a paint strip from your local hardware store that shows the shades of blue you'd like them to find.  It won't matter if they match in terms of shade exactly, as long as they are in the same tone and color family. Then, tell them to either find a vintage dress in that color in any style, or give them a style to work with.  Either way, they will have fun searching for the dress and can send you photos from their phones!  If you'd rather find the dresses yourself, get their measurements and contact the vintage clothing websites you like and tell them what you are looking for!  Most of us don't have our entire inventory online and can often find things that people are looking for if they just ask!

RED!

Red doesn't look good on everyone, so it's a trickier color to use with bridesmaids.  But if you think that most of your attendants would look great in it, it can add drama to your wedding without much effort!  Here is a classic 1950's prom dress from couture allure that would be a whimsical bridesmaid dress for the out of the box wedding!





Ceil Chapman vintage 1950's dress at DRESS


If you aren't determined that your bridesmaids where the same style dress, you could ask them to match the color but wear whatever style they choose.  The color still brings a sense of cohesiveness to the group, but the styles give each bridesmaid a chance to express his or her own personality.

PINK!

I still love pink in a wedding!  It can be an easy shade to match and there a tons of vintage pink dresses out there!  Here is another example of a 1950's prom dress but this time in pink from Dorothea's Closet. www.dorotheasclosetvintage.com

GREEN!

Green is another one of those colors that are more difficult to work on everyone, but because almost everyone can find a SHADE of green that will work for them.  If you don't mind that the girls will be wearing varying greens, it can be a good way to let them choose what shade works best on them.  If you are having bigger variations in color, I would suggest that you ask the girls to all wear similar styles to keep things somewhat consistent.  Here's a pretty green dress from Vintageous that would be a fun bridesmaid dress!





Green with aqua overlay and lace bodice at DRESS



A lime green vintage dress at DRESS

BLACK or WHITE!

More and more brides are choosing black and/or white for their bridesmaid dresses.  This gives you endless possibilities!  Since black and white are the obviously easiest to match, the girls have more freedom to choose dress styles that work with their individual body types.  You could even do black AND white for your bridal party.  Black also gives you more options in terms of eras since it is much easier to find black in every decade.  The first dress is an example from Antique Dress that is a designer dress in the $600 range.  Yes, it's more expensive, but when you give your bridesmaids the option of finding their own vintage dresses, some of them might choose a dress in a higher range.



I doubt that any bridesmaid would choose the Christian Dior numbered couture dress below from DRESS , but it's an example of what style would be beautiful for a group of girls to wear!  You could tell them to all find black lace vintage dresses, black taffeta, black chiffon, or black velvet, it would depend on what you preferred!



White or ivory are fun colors to use in your bridal party because you can choose an accent color that is easily added with sashes, ribbons, or bows.  Here is a silk chiffon ivory dress with pink accents from DRESS

NEUTRALS!

Neutrals are some of my favorite bridal party options!  I love shell pink, pale champagne, light oyster and all variations of cream as bridesmaid dresses.  Neutrals give you the same flexibility as black and white in that your bridesmaids can be more flexible in the styles they choose.  I would still suggest consistency in fabrics, beading or no beading, styles or lengths, but your girls will have more fun looking when they have more options available!  Here is a pretty beaded champagne satin dress from Timeless Vixen .




And another example of neutrals in lace from Dress.

DOTS!

Polka dots are a fun way to add instant personality to any wedding!  They can be picked up in the decor, the programs and the groomsmen attire.  Black and white dots are the easiest to ask your bridesmaids to find, but any color combination is possible!  You don't want your wedding to look like a circus, but polka dots can be incorporated into the bridal party with sophistication if done right! You could give the girls a base dress color, such as black or white and tell them what color dots you'd like, or that any colored dots would be fine, or assign them each a different color dot Here are some fun examples of vintage polka dot dresses!


Vintage white dress with red polka dots at Blue Velvet Vintage


Vintage Black dress with pink polka dots at DRESS


Ceil Chapman vintage Navy dress with white polka dots at DRESS

These are just a few ideas of how to start with color and create a unique, sophisticated bridal party with vintage dresses.  The possibilities are endless, but most importantly, vintage clothing is the perfect ethical fashion option.  A lot of the less expensive dresses, and even many of the more expensive dresses available today as bridesmaid dresses are made in sweatshops or from fabric that was created in sweatshops.Buying vintage gives you peace of mind that you purchased ethical fashion for your special day! You can also tell your bridesmaids to re-sell their dresses when they are finished wearing them - it's easy to do and they would re coup some if not all of their money!  And.. in choosing vintage, I can't promise that your bridesmaids will one day be brides themselves, but I can promise that they will be anything but boring!