Bridesmaids: Choosing Dresses They Will Love

The first obstacle a bride must overcome when selecting dresses for her bridesmaids, is the stigma attached to the dress. For many years, the media has painted bridesmaid dresses as the tackiest of trash. The internet buzzes with pictures taken of bridesmaids during the seventies and eighties that reflected the time and the horror that every potential bridesmaid fears.

Before going to select a dress, talk to the bridesmaids and let them know that everything, including their dresses, will be beautiful. If they think that the dresses look horrible, they will never give it a chance. The way that someone wears garments affects the way that people perceive them. Even expensive designer dresses can look cheap if the woman wearing them appears uncomfortable. A little time with the ladies to ease their fears works a long way.

Once the initial fears are consoled, write a list of the different ladies that are being used as bridesmaids. By their name, write a few basic notes: dress size, hair color, eye color, age, and skin type. Hot pink or tangerine might be a favorite color, but they make most people look pale, blotchy, or flushed. Chose a color that compliments their features and select a style that looks as flattering on a size zero as it does a plus size. Even if the right color and fit cannot be selected to meet all of your bridesmaid needs, the ladies should recognize the effort and thought you put into them.

Before getting the opinion of the bridesmaids, speak to both your husband-to-be and the groomsmen. Get their opinion on the dresses, telling them to be brutally honest. A guy recognizes when they think a woman looks attractive. Even if they seem bored or disinterested, try to get them involved. If the gentlemen think the ladies look beautiful, the bridesmaids will feel more beautiful in the dresses.

Another good rule of thumb is to wear the bridesmaid dress around the shop and take account how you feel in it. Never underestimate your own opinion. Make sure to choose a dress that you would enjoy wearing. Not only will this allow for better assessment of the garment, but it allows for a better talk up to the ladies before they get the dresses.