Y
ikes. Can they really be that bad? Well, maybe in
the past. Today, however, designers and manufactu
ers of bridesmaid dresses are actively seeking to
upgrade the category both by improving designs and
by suggesting alternatives to the customary wedding
chorus line of six girls in identically styled and colored
dresses.
"We're talking about your best friends and
relatives," says Denise Wash, vice president of
marketing for Priscilla of Boston. "You want them to
be comfortable and to look great. You don't want
them to hate you. Besides, they're not the ones who
are going to have to look at the photos for the next 50
years - you are."
This doesn't mean, of course, that bridesmaid
dresses are ever going to have more than a supporting
role at a wedding - it's still the bride's day. But it
does mean that trends in evening wear are playing a
bigger role in bridesmaid fashions than
in the past.
"We want the girls to look sexy and
pretty," says Beth Blake, co-owner of
Thread, a bridal salon and design firm
whose dresses are sold in high-style
stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and
Henri Bendel.
The new bridesmaid dresses feature numerous strapless and backless styles,
many with shawls and wraps to make
them acceptable in church or temple
settings and which can be removed at
the reception.
Even A-line styles have slimmer
silhouettes and are more "body
conscious" - industry lingo for sexy.
The Holy Grail for a bridesmaid
designer is a dress that might actually
find its way into a woman's post-bridesmaid
wardrobe.
"We do very well with black,
particularly for black-tie weddings,"
says Priscilla of Boston's Wash. "The
girls like it because everyone looks pretty
good in black and it absolutely makes
the dress more wearable."
Prints also are finding their way into
many lines. Lilly Pulitzer, maker of
brightly colored shifts and casual dresses,
has come on strong in recent years
as a bridesmaid resource, mainly due to
its bold patterns and colors.
"For informal or outdoor weddings
where you don't want to have solid silk dresses, we're
a perfect option," says Darlene Brinker, the
company's director of marketing.
Another way brides are lending distinction to
their wedding parties is by not insisting on six , eight
or ten identically styled and colored dresses.
At Thread, for instance, one of the options the
company offers is that the bride selects the color and
fabric but lets her bridesmaids pick from a range of
designs.
Bridesmaid dresses range in price from about
$100 to $350 or more and usually need to be ordered
eight to 10 weeks in advance. Most are made to order
and will require one or more fittings.
Experts say when picking a style or styles, brides
need to consider the different body types of her
prospective bridesmaids. If you are determined to
have only one style, choose the one that will look best
on the bridesmaid with the biggest figure problems.
When shopping, "Come in with your mother or
maid of honor," says Priscilla's Wash. "Narrow it
down to a style or two. Then, if you want to bring in
the rest of the party for decision-making, OK.
Remember, though, that the more votes you have, the
harder it is for the bride to get what she wants. And
ultimately, that's the vote that should count." Y
