Help Selecting Type of Bridesmaid Dress

thatgirl521

Looking for help from some more fashionable Knotties!

I'll be wearing an Alfred Angelo Disney Gown (this one: http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Disney-Fairy-Tale-Bridal/239) and I'm stuck on what types of bridesmaid dresses make sense with this look. Satin? Chiffon? Other? Our colors are red, fuschia, magenta, and black. We're getting married in a VERY colorful museum venue and the dresses will be black. I plan to also add pops of color via their shoes, possible jewelry, and flowers. We have a mixed gender party - 2 women on my side (matron of honor, bridesmaid) and 1 woman on his side (groomswoman). Each woman will choose a different dress. Any help or advice?

msuprincess04

Your dress is beautiful and would go with any kind of BM dress. If you are so unsure, why not ask the BM's what kind of dress they would like to wear? This is, of course, after you ask them what their budget is. Also, remember that if you dictate shoes and jewelry it is on you to purchase them (and not as part of their gift).

[Deleted User]

I would go with Satin if they are allowed to choose different dresses. I personally think they may have an easier time finding black dresses they like in satin or a different fabric then in chiffon. I think I would probably have them opt for knee length. But talk to them first too about their comfort level in knee length dresses and if they would want to wear panty hose or not, or at least the color. In my opinion, it would looke bad if you have one or two BM wearing black hose & the other not.

theartistformerlyknownas

Just let them choose their own. It's helpful to choose a fabric if there's a specific color you want, but with black there's no real need. Even "different blacks" will all look fine together. 

atlastmrsg

Let them wear black dresses they already have if they like them, or buy non-bridesmaid LBDs at Nordstrom, Banana Republic, J Crew, etc.  Non bridesmaid dresses can be worn again.  Satin monstrosity from David's Bridal can't.  Black dresses are great career pieces (almost like closet investments) you can use as a staple for subsequent functions.  Bridesmaid dresses are not.

artbyallie

If they can each wear a different dress, why not just tell them to wear a black dress and be done with it?

Also, if you ask them to wear a certain color of shoes other than a neutral (IMO red counts as neutral but not fuschia/magenta), you need to pay for them.

If you ask them to wear any specific jewelry you need to pay for it. And really that won't really be visible regardless so just let them wear whatever they choose.

doeydo

You could let them pick their own fabric dresses:

http://www.weddingomania.com/pictures/stylish-black-bridesmaids-dresses-24.jpg

Or satin (I think this is satin):

http://www.xoedge.com/ImageStage/Objects/0003/0080117/Image475x475.jpg

Or other lace dresses:

http://naijalife.freehostia.com/mag/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/mismatched-bridesmaid-dresses-18.jpg

Or chiffon:

https://d9hblenkye35w.cloudfront.net/media/thumbnail/ext/xl/http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache-cd0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Ff0%2F5e%2F87%2Ff05e879426147d196b77cc8bb33de68e.jpg

thatgirl521

Thanks for all the help! I originally thought of letting them just pick their own black cocktail dress, but when I mentioned this to friends they said no way. They thought the blacks would "clash" and look weird in pictures. The consultant where I bought my dress also said that I should pick the same fabric so it would look like "all the maids were attending the same wedding." I've seen lots of pictures of mixed fabric, different types of dresses and I loved them. I should have just trusted my gut!!

adettma32

I'm with PPs about letting them pick their own black dresses. TRUST ME, no one will notice if the blacks clash. I highly doubt black will clash anyway, are there really "shades" of black? And please remember, your consultant is trying to make money off of you, so of course she will say what she can to get you to buy more dresses at her store. Good luck! Your dress is beautiful!

ETA-typo

theartistformerlyknownas

thatgirl521 said:

Thanks for all the help! I originally thought of letting them just pick their own black cocktail dress, but when I mentioned this to friends they said no way. They thought the blacks would "clash" and look weird in pictures. The consultant where I bought my dress also said that I should pick the same fabric so it would look like "all the maids were attending the same wedding." I've seen lots of pictures of mixed fabric, different types of dresses and I loved them. I should have just trusted my gut!!

Always take sales consultants' advice with a grain of salt. They just want you to buy from them, not the mall! Of course she'd tell you that was a bad idea.

kvruns

thatgirl521 said:

Thanks for all the help! I originally thought of letting them just pick their own black cocktail dress, but when I mentioned this to friends they said no way. They thought the blacks would "clash" and look weird in pictures. The consultant where I bought my dress also said that I should pick the same fabric so it would look like "all the maids were attending the same wedding." I've seen lots of pictures of mixed fabric, different types of dresses and I loved them. I should have just trusted my gut!!

I had that same "problem" with mine.  I also said black, short, and didn't care about fabric or if they matched.  I only have 2 BMs but they still felt like they needed to coordinate and were concerned that if they just used one they had or bought them randomly sometime between now and the wedding it wouldn't "go" correctly.  That didn't concern me at all, and I was hoping to save money not going the bridal shop route, but alas they actually wanted the coordinated look.

that being said we actually had a tough time finding LBD in stores (as of about 2 weeks ago). DB had some options, but for the most part it was harder than we thought to find them.  Since it sounds like the girls want to coordinate then you could give some guidance with short/long, and a fabric (or like matte black vs shiny black).  Personally if I'm buying a black dress I don't want satin because I'm hoping I can wear it again and wouldn't probably wear it again but I might another fabric. Arethe girls close enough to do a shopping day? We went to DB and then the mall to get ideas - even if they don't purchase that day you could work on a cohesive "look" that might make them feel better about making a choice on their own.

thatgirl521

Sadly the girls aren't close enough and I won't see them all in the same place before the wedding. One's in FL, one's in CA, one's in PA... I'm in NY I like the option of telling them to go for a matte black dress that is short, no large embellishments. 

Also, based on this conversation, I'm definitely letting them wear their own jewelry! Shoes... still undecided. Thank you so much for all your help, everyone!!