Dress Your Bridesmaids in Style

Believe it or not, you can outfit your crew so that they'll still love you after the wedding.

Finding a bridesmaid dress everyone goes gaga for is about as common as winning the lottery. Forget it! Be the most-loved bride on the planet by giving your bridesmaids some alternatives. Here are some hot dress ideas.

Let ’em show their style. If your maids range from a 5' 8" bombshell to a plump petite, stick to one color and fabric, and let your attendants choose the style. Manufacturers like Jim Hjelm, Dessy Creations, Bianchi, and Alfred Angelo have jumped on this trend by creating different styles using the same fabrics.

Try the two-piece. Comfort is in, and current bridesmaid fashions are inspired by the idea of ready-to-wear-ability. A popular alternative to the traditional bridesmaid dress is the two-piece ensemble. Allowing maids to mix-and-match tops and skirts will provide for more freedom in selecting pieces that fully complement their figures—and double their chances of using the outfit again. Halter tops and knit tops are especially hot.

Go for rich tones. The current palette for bridesmaid dresses is very vibrant, including a lot of deep purples and reds. There is also a good deal of orange, lilac, and fuschia, so keep warm colors in mind when choosing.

Stay away from fussy fabrics.The goofy taffeta numbers that were big in the ’80s are the only things from the era of Duran Duran not making a comeback—and with good reason. Designers now make bridemaids dresses sleek and slim, in materials like chiffon, crepe, and matte jersey.

Let their true colors shine. Some brides choose a single style and let their bridesmaids pick the color of their choice. Or, brides decide on a general color (blue, for instance) and let the girls choose their own intensities (from midnight to periwinkle blue).

The “ayes” have it. If you’re too much of a control freak (you know who you are) to leave color and style choices to your friends, pick a few dresses and hold a vote for the winning style. It’ll make you much more popular in the end.