As joyous of an occasion as a wedding may be, many women feel ashamed to admit that they often dread being a part of the bridal party. The reason for this dread of being a bridesmaid is because they know they’ll have to buy a dress they’ll likely never wear again. In the past, a typical bridesmaid dress would cost upwards of 100-300 dollars and sometimes even more than that! Even if that’s in your budget, you probably don’t want to buy a dress you’ll wear only once; especially when you’re spending that much money on it.
Fortunately, weddings and bridal party attire has become a lot less “formal” and “traditional.” Now that brides are becoming a lot laxer on what type of bridesmaid dresses their bridal party can wear, bridesmaids everywhere are rejoicing and actually getting excited about buying their dress. Not only because they can choose the cuter, wearable styles but also because bridesmaids dresses are more affordable than ever now. Check out these classic bridesmaid dresses that you can wear long after the wedding fun is over.
Flower Power Maxi Dress
What girl doesn’t love a maxi dress? A maxi dress always knows how to make a statement at any occasion. Wear the maxi dressed up with heels for the ceremony or switch things up and dress it down in a pair of white Chucks for Sunday brunch. If the weather gets too cool pair the dress with a light sweater so you can get even more wear out of it. This dress will keep you looking stunning on the big wedding day and many days after. In fact, it might even become your new favorite dress.
Wouldn’t that be a plot twist?
Graceful in Lace
No one can deny how delicate and beautiful lace looks. Which is why a knee-length lace dress is both the perfect bridesmaid dress choice, as well as for other big special occasions. After the big day festivities are done and over with, you can wear this gorgeous bell-sleeved lace dress to graduations, church, meeting the parents, or any other occasion where you need to look a little nicer than usual. Pair it with a set of pearls for a truly forever classic look.
Jumpin’ Jumpsuits
If you’ve ever fallen in love with a dress at a store only to discover that it was actually a jumpsuit, you’re not alone. However, jumpsuits are quickly becoming a hot trend in bridal wear. They’re fun, flirty, and oh, so flattering.
Jumpsuits, despite being pants, look just as pretty as dresses. The best part? They have so many chances to be worn again. Dress up the jumpsuit with wedges or open toed heels and meet your BFF for dinner and drinks downtown. Want to keep things casual? Toss on a light denim jacket to keep that fun, flirty vibe alive and well.
High-Lo
Still spotted on runways around the world, let your bridesmaids experience fashion fresh off the runway with a satin hi-lo dress. Not only do these dresses look great dressed up, but they work just as well when worn casually. Just like the jumpsuit, to keep these dress casual, pair it with a light washed denim jacket. To keep things dressy, pair the satin dress with a blazer or sweater when it gets chilly.
Till Forever Do You Part…
Being a part of the bridal party is such an intimate and memorable experience. To be able to share such a truly magical day with your closest friends, getting ready and dressed up, is an experience you will treasure for a lifetime.
With these helpful tips on how to wear these classic bridesmaid dress styles again and again, you’ll never have to sweat buying another bridesmaid dress ever again. Thanks to less formal weddings and brides being more open and receptive to letting their bridesmaids pick their dresses, you can get a dress that you actually like. Not just one that you have to pretend to like. Looking cute and flirty long after wedding season is over is a breeze with these classic styles.
Author Bio: Carolyn Clarke is a freelance writer and fashion enthusiast based in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to her full time job as a buying consultant for small boutiques, she also writes fashion advice blogs that have been published across a number of digital platforms. In her free time, she takes her dog running along the Malibu coastline.
I love the idea of making a dress something to use again, I have several horrible themed dresses from weddings I was in that can never be worn again. What happens to them?!?
We are in the same boat! Give them away, re-wear them to another wedding OR make a really nice art piece! Hope this helps.