Today’s Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids. Your closest family. Your best friends. You want them to have a wonderful time at your wedding. Don’t you have a better time when you look great? They do too. Choose something beautiful for them to wear and let the fun begin right in the dressing room.

Everyone has different taste. That’s a given, not an obstacle. How do you select a dress you love and they love? The answer is simple. Literally. You will never go wrong with simplicity. Think Audrey Hepburn. Or Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. That’s the look.

Choose something minimal. Chic. Sophisticated. Elegant. Perhaps in a range of soft hues. Maybe in two or three complementary styles. The days of dipping everyone in powder blue are gone for good.

Picture your bridesmaids. Height. Coloring. Bodytype. Are they all a size 6? All blonde? Brunette? All 25 years old? Will they all look great in the same dress? Unless your answers are yes, your best answer may be variety. (If you absolutely insist on one dress for all, dress the size 16, not the size 6.)

The trend is toward different styles in one shade or different shades in one style. Either choice will probably please your bridesmaids. When I got married, one bridesmaid was 5’8, size 4; one 5’3, size 10; one 5’1 and pregnant; one 5’11 and 12 years old. There was no option. I chose a snowball, or all-white, color scheme; they each chose their own gorgeous white gown. The final illusion was one of soft elegance. No one remembers each girl wore a different dress – just how beautiful the wedding party looked.

Another terrific trend toward that goal is separates. Exquisite taffeta ballskirts with matching cashmere twinsets, strapless tops and shawls, tube tops and shrugs, or man-tailored shirts, a la Sharon Stone at the Oscars. A stunning look. A practical look. After the wedding, you can mix and match with pants and skirts again and again.

“Nothing is better than separates,” stated Kristen Waleka, head of the bridal department at Saks Fifth Avenue. “Some brides prefer everyone in one color, others like a range of hues. Some prefer the same sweater set on each girl, others let the bridesmaid select the style. Some choose identical skirts, others pick both a full and straight skirt and let the bridesmaid decide.” All absolutely smashing, absolutely modern, absolutely classic.

This look is available in every bridal and department store, at every price point. First done by Vera Wang in luxurious cashmere and silk taffeta, less expensive blends are now so high tech, no one will ever know if it’s not the real thing. Colors range from jewel tones, like sapphire, amethyst, emerald, and garnet, to neutrals like charcoal, chocolate, camel, and sand, to metallics like platinum, copper and bronze. Done right, nothing is more beautiful than red, more timeless than white, more elegant than black. For spring, icy pastels like powder pink, dusty blue, pale yellow, and creamy ivory look luscious.

Another fabulous look is the Gwyneth gown, with close-fitting bodice and full skirt. Named for the magnificent Ralph Lauren ballgown worn by Gwyneth Paltrow to the Academy Awards, you’ll find a million terrific copies. Too dressy? Try the slimmer simple column. Or the knee-length or mid-calf versions. Wear these styles in a myriad of colors, or in one color with different colored shawls or pashminas. (Let the bridesmaids’ flowers match their shawls.) Young. Crisp. Clean. Gorgeous.

At Bloomingdale’s, Jimmy Santangelo, head of the dress department in King of Prussia in suburban Philadelphia (one of the chain’s largest and busiest stores), sells tons of bridesmaids dresses right from the dress department. “Because Bloomingdale’s has so many stores across the country, it makes it a cinch for a bridesmaid in Florida to try on a dress chosen by her sister, the bride, in New York. Certain manufacturers are particularly popular for bridal parties – Laundry by Shelli Segal comes to mind immediately. Best of all, most are pretty cocktail clothes, very in, very wearable.”

Audrey to Carolyn to Gwyneth to your wedding. Simple elegance. Classic, yet cool. Timeless, yet very modern. The glow of your bridesmaids’ beautiful smiles will enhance your wedding, your photographs, your memories, on your special day and for years to come. Best of all, your bridesmaids will love their dresses – and love you for choosing them. They will feel fantastic, look fabulous. And that’s what friends are for!