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 Some say that the bride purposely picks
unflattering bridesmaid dresses to be sure that none of her 'maids look
better than she does. Well, that's one explanation for the collection of
ruffled, flounced, stick-straight, shiny, clingy, and flat-out bizarre
bridesmaids dresses that many of us have had to wear. (Another is just
plain old bad taste.)
The fact remains that you have no choice but to wear the dress that she
assigns, for better or for worse. Remember that this is her big day so
put on a smile and take comfort in the knowledge that everyone knows that
she picked the dress. Look below for some helpful hints to make buying
and wearing this monstrosity as pleasant as possible.
MEASURING UP
If the bride is ordering the dresses en masse through a bridal shop,
you'll probably have to provide the shop with your measurements. Don't try
to do this yourself-go to a tailor and have them taken as soon as
possible. This can be a disheartening experience as it's a bit of a shock
to see your body measurements laid out on a piece of paper. Take heart,
who's to say what a good shoulder measurement is, anyway?
TRYING IT ON
If you go to a bridal shop to try on the dress, don't be alarmed if the
sample dress doesn't fit. Bridal sizes are more like pygmy sizes-they're
cut notoriously small and most shops only have one sample for you to try
on. The dress may not close in the back: the salesperson may hold the
zipper together from behind while you look in the mirror. Know that
you're not really fat, it's just that these dresses are cut for Nicole
Ritchie-sized women, not real life women who maybe go to McDonald's every
now and then.
ALTERNATE PLANS
Try on the dress immediately. If you need alterations, have them done as
soon as possible and try the dress on again at the tailor to be sure they
were done correctly. Be careful about the dress length and try to wear
the wedding shoes to the tailor. Remember that floor length means that
the toes of your shoes are barely visible.
MAKING IT YOURSELF
Sometimes the bride will ask you to have your dress made from scratch.
She may have a pattern or suggest you design your own. You can bring a
dress that you like to show the dressmaker what you have in mind. You
should plan to spend $150 to $300 for a custom-made dress and will have
to go for several fittings. Have the bride approve your design
beforehand. You don't want to make a faux pas by wearing a slinky
strapless number to an Orthodox Jewish wedding.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
The bride may let you pick a dress according to certain specifications,
i.e. a black floor-length dress. For an off-the-rack dress, stores like
AnnTaylor and all major department stores offer good selections. You can
also look at bridal shops. Another good place to start is the internet. (Click here for links to dress
buying sites.) You can order dresses right off the site and then have the
alterations done yourself (see ALTERNATE PLANS
above). But remember that the thrifty bridesmaid can always try to borrow
a dress or wear something she already owns.
COVERING YOUR ASSETS
Be sure you have the appropriate underwear for the dress: bra, underwear,
stockings, slip (if needed). Head to a good lingerie shop or a department
store with a large selection. Ask the sales people for
assistance-frequently they know what you need even if you don't. Don't
expect a miracle, but there are a variety of body
contouring/sucking/smoothing devices that can give you confidence as you
sashay down the aisle. Some tried and true items that actually make a
difference are Nancy Ganz Body Slimmers, DKNY Body Toners, and AnnTaylor
Body Shaper stockings.
BRAS, BRAS, BRAS
Beware! You will probably need to find a special bra for the bridesmaid
dress. For those who think they can get away without wearing one at all,
just remember that churches and reception halls tend to be cold. Think
about it. Or, you can try a product we just heard about called Diva Dots. The
self-adhesive stickies, which come in different colors and styles,
"prevent perky nipples from garnering a bridesmaid unwanted
attention," as the company puts it. We're all for that!
For you small and perky gals, department stores or Victoria's Secret should suffice.
Natori makes a great strapless bra in small-to-average sizes. For the
well-endowed, this can be a major challenge. Try On Gossmar, available at
better department stores, or go to a specialty shop. You may want to
invest in a bra with convertible straps that can be hooked in different
ways to create a halter-top, a backless bra, or a strapless bra. Braza
Bra makes self-adhesive stickies that claim to be as supportive as a bra
and have the advantage of no visible strap marks. Disadvantages include
frightening your date at the end of the night when you take your dress
off and the pain of ripping large pieces of tape off of your sensitive
areas. Ouch!
Sometimes you can have bra cups sewn into a custom-made dress. This
solves most of the aforementioned problems but larger busted gals may
find not find these supportive enough.
TAKE COVER!
Try on the dress in bright light and be sure that it isn't see-through.
If so, get a slip. Even with stockings, it is important to be sure that
there are no VPL's (visible panty lines). Remember that nude foundations
are least likely to show through a light color or become visible in
direct light.
ON YOUR FEET
If you must have shoes dyed to match, do so early to allow for mistakes.
Chains like Payess and Bakers sell lines of inexpensive dyable shoes ($35
- $50) and they will even dye them for you. Kenneth Cole offers a line of
more expensive ($100+) dyable shoes and for you truly dedicated
bridesmaids, Charles Jourdan ($150+) and Peter Fox ($150+) offer more upscale
lines of dyables.
You may have to order the shoes
without trying them on and just hope for the best. If they’re too big,
add pads to make them fit better. If they're too small, have them
stretched at a shoe repair shop. Either buy no-skid pads to place on the
shoe bottoms or scuff the bottoms outside on a street or sidewalk. Wear
them around your house for a few hours so that they are at least somewhat
broken in. All precautions aside, these shoes will probably be
uncomfortable and you may end up taking them off at the reception. And
you'll never wear those gold toe-pinching pointy high-heeled torture
devices again; so don't worry if they get scuffed.
IN THE BAG
You'll probably want a small purse to take to the reception. You can also
buy dyable purses at the above-mentioned stores (Kinney, Thom McCann,
Kenneth Cole, department stores). Dying a bag is probably going above and
beyond what you're expected to do, but hey, when you donate your dress
and shoes to the Salvation Army, you can throw in a matching purse!
COVERING UP A MISTAKE
You can hide an embarrassingly unflattering dress by throwing a nice
shawl, wrap or cardigan over your shoulder at the reception. If all else
fails, get completely intoxicated so that you don't care how you look,
have a good time, and feel superior as you vow never to force your
bridesmaids to suffer such in such a manner.
BABY ON BOARD?
Lots of you have written to Penelope to ask what to do if you are a
pregnant bridesmaid. The bride may advise you, but in case she doesn't,
here are your choices: 1) you can buy the dress fabric to have your dress
made at a maternity store or by a tailor; 2) you can buy a dress from a
maternity store which is similar in color and style to the bridesmaid
dress (hey, this is your chance to look a little different!); 3) you may
be able to get a maternity version of the dress the bride has chosen (ask
at the store); 4) or, if you've totally lucked out, the dress is a style
which accommodates you and your growing middle! Bottom line: Make sure you're
comfortable and don't worry too much if your dress looks a wee bit
different. Oh, and make sure to get the dress altered close to the Big
Day, since your measurements are changing on a daily basis!
NOT JUST A DUST COLLECTOR...
Here are some fun ways you can put that old bridesmaid dress in your
closet to good use:
· Make pretty sofa cushions
· Make curtains (like a reverse Scarlet
O'Hara!)
· Give it to your nieces to play dress-up
· Wear it every year on the couple's
anniversary and show up, unannounced, at their doorstep to remind them of
your misery (Thanks to a BridesmaidAid.com visitor for sending this one
in!)
· Throw a Cheesy Wine Party with your
friends...invite everyone to show up in their worst bridesmaid dress and
to bring a bottle of wine and type of cheese. Drink up and commiserate
about being fashion victims. (Thanks to another BridesmaidAid.com visitor
for this one!)
· Our favorite: donate it to charity. Check out a
great program called The
Glass Slipper Project that will give your dress to a disadvantaged
girl to wear to her prom. Or, donate it to a nursing home (where they use
donated dresses for "senior senior proms" and "Queen for a
Day" activities) or a local theater company or high school drama
department (they certainly LOOK like costumes, right?).
Have any advice? Send your recommendations and words of wisdom to Penelope@BridesmaidAid.com
and share with your fellow bridesmaids!
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