By 
Just as fashion trends change over the years, so too do Bridal and Wedding fashions. In years gone by, Bridesmaids all wore the same dress, in the same colour, with perhaps the Maid of Honour having slightly different detailing. However, the latest trend is mismatched dresses, and it’s one your Bridesmaids are sure to adore.
Anyone who has been asked to be a Bridesmaid will know that unique feeling of excitement and gratitude mixed with utter fear – it’s lovely to be asked to be a part of the Bridal Party and wedding day, but when it comes to the dress you’ll have to wear, there can often be tears and tantrums, or at the very least self-consciousness, insecurity, and discomfort.
Many women are acutely aware of the features that they love to put on display, as well as the ones they would prefer not to draw attention to – so while one Bridesmaid might rock strapless, another would feel much more confident with ¾ length sleeves. Mismatched dresses highlight the unique beauty of each individual woman, while ensuring she’s wearing a dress that makes her feel great.
Here are three ways to get the mismatched trend right:
1. Different Colours, Similar Style for Play-It-Safe Brides:
If all of your Bridesmaids are happy to wear the same style of dress (or at least a very similar style with subtle differences such as neckline or sleeve length), you can mismatch the colours to suit each individual woman’s hair colour and skin tone. Stick with a colour family (such as jewel tones, or pastel tones), or go for shades of the same colour (such as aubergine, lilac, mauve and plum).
2. Same Colour, Different Styles for Fashion-Forward Brides:
This is easiest to achieve with a neutral colour such as black, navy or grey, or with a colour that is available in an abundance of styles. Each Bridesmaid can have input into the style of their dress to accommodate their personal tastes, and it looks great in photos! This option is good for Bridal Parties who have different body types because not every dress is flattering for every person.
3. Different Colours, Different Styles for Adventurous Brides:
If you have eclectic tastes, you can add more variety to your Bridal Party attire by doing a mix of colours, textures, and styles, as well as adding print options. This is the most difficult to do well, but looks amazing when done right! The key is to keep things cohesive with some points of similarity, such as dress length or colour family.
Whichever option you choose to go with ensure that either all of the dresses are the same length, or that there’s a good mixture of full length, midi, and shorter cocktail dress lengths, and remember that the look can be tied together with matching or complementary jewellery, which coincidentally make great Bridesmaid gifts!
By Rachel Doherty, Excalibur Press
AUTUMN/WINTER 2017 EDITION AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE NOW
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)