Choosing
Bridesmaids Dresses
One of the biggest questions to ask when choosing
a bridesmaid dress is about color. Aside from choosing a shade you
like, you'll want to pick one that fits the tone of the ceremony:
elegant, refined, causal, religious, etc. You'll also want to choose
a color that flatters the bridesmaids.
Here are some thoughts on choosing a color for your
bridesmaid dresses.
Black. Black gowns are most appropriate
for an elegant evening ceremony. However, black can be made a bit
more casual if you go with a shorter dress or by combining it with
white or another light color. This color looks good on most women
and is slimming, and black bridesmaid gowns usually are easy to
recycle for a later formal occasion. In some people's minds, though,
black just isn't "wedding" enough because it is associated
with mourning and sexuality.
Red. Red is a bold color choice.
Like black, it tends to work best for the elegant evening wedding,
but can be toned down if the dress is shorter or contains other
colors. To avoid the 'fire engine" effect, choose a shade that's
a little muted, and to tone down the sexual connotations of this
color, choose a modest dress. Red often looks best on women with
olive or brown skin, and sometimes makes blondes and redheads look
pale.
Pink. Pink signifies innocence and
youthful femininity. It's a good choice for a springtime, outdoor
wedding, but might not be appropriate for older bridesmaids. A more
sophisticated choice is rum pink, which is feminine and pretty without
looking too prom-like. You can also tone down the prom look by keeping
the dress simple, without frilly bows and poofy stuff.
Navy blue or royal blue. Dark shades
of blue can be a good alternative to black. They're sophisticated,
slimming, and look good on most women, but don't have that mourning
connotation. Dark shades of blue work well with older bridesmaids.
If you choose royal blue, don't pick too bright of a shade, because
that screams bad '80s prom dress. If you choose navy, try not to
go too dark or else the dresses might clash with the tuxes.
Maroon and hunter green. Along with
navy blue, maroon and hunter green are clean, vivid, "preppy"
colors. They're dark and colorful without being too overpowering.
Green is hard for some women to pull off, especially if you choose
a brighter kelly green.
Purple. Purple can be a good alternative
to red. It's bold and colorful, but doesn't come with red's sexual
connotations. Like red, purple can make a woman with pale skin look
paler, but it can also complement yellowish skin tones. Choose shades
carefully, as some can be pretty tacky. Purple doesn't always look
good on heavier bridesmaids.
Pale blue, pale green, pale yellow, or lavender.
These pastel shades are nice alternatives to pink that aren't quite
so girly. These shades typically work best for daytime weddings
during spring or summer, and don't always look so good on older
bridesmaids. If you go with pastels, minimize the prom look by avoiding
frilly bows and big skirts.
Orange. Orange is in vogue, especially
subtle shades of peach and coral. Not everyone can pull off orange,
though, especially darker and brighter shades. Bright orange tends
to look better on women with dark skin.
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