As a first time matron of honor, this will be a nice change of pace. For the women in my life, I have gladly donned everything from a $40 Hawaiian print sundress (in the bride's defense, the wedding was on the beach in Mexico) to a $400 floor length ball gown skirt in goldenrod with a white taffeta wrap shirt (this was back in 2002 when separates were all the rage). Needless to say, while no one has (thankfully) asked me to wear something completely objectionable, I'd be lying to say that I loved each and every dress I've worn in the name of standing by a dear friend or relative on her Big Day.
This time though, I'm getting to choose what I wear (with the bride's input, of course) and I'm absolutely loving Vera Wang's Bridesmaid Collection. Of course, I realize this isn't particularly newsworthy considering the fact that even those who have only a cursory knowledge of bridal couture know that Ms. Wang has ruled the aisle for years. In fact, I think it'd be a far statement to say that Vera -- and to a growing extent Monique Lhuillier -- is the final word in bridal fashion. That said, it's been a few years since I looked at bridesmaid dresses and I'm just now getting up to speed.
What I love about these dresses though is that they don't scream bridesmaid. They're not the satin A-line strapless dress worn by countless maids across the country. Of course, I'll be the first to admit that my bridesmaids all wore satin A-line strapless dresses in -- can you guess? Navy! The end result was lovely, if not a little boring.
The dress above (called Erin) is my favorite -- I absolutely love the combination of the amethyst and plum. Depending on the dress Jane goes with, I may be able to talk my way into this one.
All of the styles come in at least several different color choices (and many come in nearly a dozen). All the dresses shown here are in various shades of blue and purple because that's what my sister is looking at in terms of colors.
Prices are also not unreasonable, especially considering what I've been asked to spend on far less appealing dresses. In fact, most of the dresses are under $250, with many of the shorter styles $200 or less. Even better, I honestly -- and I swear I'm not just saying this -- think that a lot of these shorter styles would easily work as cocktail dresses. None of this "if you cut it short you could TOTALLY wear this silk taffeta pink dress again" b.s., these dresses are nearly indistinguishable from the after 5 dresses you'd find at any good department store.
So tell me, what was the worst bridesmaid dress you've ever had to wear? Do you keep your dresses after the Big Day or toss them? ...And have you ever actually worn one again?
